Step 1 - Give the show an eponymous title, named after an Arab-American stand up comedian.
Step 2 - Have the lead character struggle to live accordingly to his Muslim principles. Place him in a setting where he must go against these principles to survive. He is ultimately self-destructive.
Step 3 - Provide a diverse supporting cast to comment on different roles of friends/family/genders interacting with the setting around them.
There! There's the template!
As an Arab and a Muslim I like seeing that these shows are being made. I often see online a lot of Muslims getting mad at shows like 'Ramy' and I would assume this one as well for not depicting Muslims "accurately". According to them a Muslim must adhere to their religion perfectly, if not, it's BAD REPRESENTATION. I think what these people miss is that this is exactly the point of these shows. To depict Muslims as people who aren't perfect, who struggle, who are flawed. That is TRUE REPRESENTATION for any ethnic/religious group. Stories need external and internal conflict!
If we want to get to a point where we have more representation, then we need to treat Arab/Muslim characters as we would people of any other group. As people. And people more often than not, are a mess.
I think trailers for these shows (Ramy and Mo) can be misleading. They sell you "Black-ish" for Arabs/Muslims when really it's closer (in theory, not in quality) to something like "Atlanta". Something that challenges characters in relation to their culture, not something that says in neon lights "MUSLIMS ARE PEOPLE TOO".
As for the show itself? It's good. The acting is okay, I like some performances (MO's Mom) but I'm never really convinced when comedians turn to acting; they just play themselves. That being said, Mo handles the more serious scenes very well and I really do like Mo Amer. It's clearly a very personal project and his story is a really interesting one.
SHAMELESS SELF PLUG: If Ramy or Mo see this. I'm also a writer, hit me up! I'd love to write for either of your shows.
