Loading ...Season Two of the Hit Series Ramy, Finally Out!
Ramy – Season 2By: Yasmina Hage/Arab America Contributing Writer
Ramy Youssef‘s series, “Ramy,” was a big hit! Based in a New Jersey town, the comedian plays a young Egyptian man looking for a place in this world while struggling with his devotion to Islam. In January 2020, Ramy Youssef received the Golden Globe for best actor in a musical or comedy series for his work on the show.
There are multiple reasons that pushed him to make this educational series. He gives the audience the opportunity to enter his world and show us his way of thinking. In addition, news that made many happy is that on May 29, 2020, Hulu released season two of Ramy!
Why did Ramy make this series?
He made this show to humanize the Arab family. In fact, because of 9/11 and other reasons, there were many stereotypes which resulted in prejudice toward Arabs and Muslims. Ramy Youssef lived through 9/11 and found this period horrible. People started to blame the Arabs, which put them in a difficult and uncomfortable situation. This series breaks those stereotypes and instills pride in the Arab community. Therefore, the show coveys Arab-Muslim pride and the need to express themselves rather than hide. So, Ramy Youssef’s goal is to change the negative images of people who look like him.
In this series, he also tries to make people aware of all the stereotypes that hurt Arabs and Muslims. It should be noted that this is a series that has a very funny scope to make viewers laugh. As a result, realities and stereotypes are brought to light in a comical way.
Just like Arab America, Ramy Youssef understands the negative media portrayal of Arabs. He believes that the news neglects the humanity of Arabs. Therefore, his goal is to remedy this problem by showing the realities. Moreover, many people can identify with this series because it speaks in part about the real life of Ramy Youssef, an Egyptian whose parents immigrated to the United States.
Rammy wants to enlighten people on the realities because there are many misconceptions. For example, he explains that in the United States, many Muslims are black; however, few people know that. During an interview where Ramy Youssef was with Dave Mahesh, an Arab Christian, he tells us that people always take him for a Muslim and don’t understand how he can be a Christian because they don’t know that non-Muslim Arabs exist. So the image of Arabs is mistaken, and the realities are often not well known.
Ramy Youssef, therefore, hopes that his series can help to expand peoples’ minds and enlighten them.
About the series “Ramy”
Ramy has always wanted to do a show where the idea of faith and culture is an aspiration. He really wanted to stage a character who embraces his faith and tries as much as possible to devote himself to it—not a character who sees it as an obstacle.
The series reveals a different image of Arabs because they are not very much represented in Western films, and their representation is not always positive. He is the first to have made a series in this style without fear.
The series is about an Arab-American Muslim who has difficulty managing work, faith, family, and love. It stages the desire to connect with his faith, but also the struggle to achieve it because there are external temptations: his desires and his friends. As a result, the character finds himself in a position between the two, where he seeks a path to follow.
Additionally, this series has a large non-Arab following as well.
The seasons
Season 1 is all about what Ramy was aspiring to accomplish while searching for himself. In season 2, he discovers who he is, and the challenge of cultivating his faith.
For those who would like to know more about the contents of Ramy’s two seasons, here is an excerpt from the article published by Critictoo: “Ramy follows an American Muslim born to Egyptian parents who do not know where his life is leading him. His parents want him to find a wife and start a family, but he’s not sure that’s what he wants, and when the start-up he works for suddenly implodes, he finds himself increasingly disconnected, looking for direction.”
“In season 2, which is similar to the first one, consists of 10 episodes, Ramy continues his spiritual journey, leaving his parents’ conservative mosque, which leads him to join a new Muslim community, led by Sheikh Ali (Mahershala Ali), and to embrace his faith more deeply. But by refusing to take responsibility, Ramy sees his world crumble around him.”
If you want to know more about Youssef Ramy, take a look at this article from Arab America: https://www.arabamerica.com/arab-american-ramy-youssef-wins-best-actor-golden-globe-award/
Check out Arab America’s Blog here!