Uploaded December 2025 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago
Comedian Mohanad Elshieky talks with Mike about growing up under Gaddafi, living through Libya’s strange and dangerous post-revolution years, and how those experiences shape his comedy. He explains how social media revealed the surrealism of dictatorship, how Benghazi became an American political symbol he barely recognizes, and why Portland was its own unique culture shock. The two dig into Mohanad’s near-carjacking by a knife-wielding “helper,” his notorious Greyhound Border Patrol incident, and the line between trauma and comedy. Mohanad reflects on avoiding claptor, resisting political self-importance, and why he won’t perform stand-up in Libya anytime soon.
Go check out Mohanad’s new special "No Need to Address Me" on Apple, Amazon and more platforms coming soon.
This interview is from a Full episode of Funny You Should Mention, Hosted by Mike Pesca.
🎧Listen Here👉open.spotify.com/episode/7wtB3XUBv7sAhvQDYt74Rb?si=uMaeo3iLSoCLoVcWIhTmmA
_______________________
Join the "Gist List" membership and get access to the Gist List Newsletter:
mikepesca.substack.com
Get a premium edition of the podcast and help support Mike's work:
subscribe.mikepesca.com
Follow us:
INSTAGRAM:
/ pescagist
TWITTER:
https://x.com/PescaGist
https://x.com/pescami
Visit Mike's website:
mikepesca.com
_______________________
CREDITS:
Creator & Host:
Mike Pesca
Producer:
Corey Wara
TIMESTAMPS:
00:00 Growing up in Benghazi under Gaddafi
04:00 The rules of dictatorship and why no one talked politics
06:02 Libyan theater and humor under censorship
08:04 Sibling pranks and the family comedy origin story
10:24 The day Mohanad convinced his siblings he was their father
12:14 The knife-wielding “helper” and the rejected car
14:26 Militias, sudden checkpoints, and not knowing who was in charge
16:12 Outsiders with guns and the surreal chaos of 2012 Libya
18:03 Navigating danger with the “God answer”
20:00 The aftermath of the incident and shock wearing off
22:04 Repressed memories and turning trauma into material
24:00 Border Patrol boarding a Greyhound bus in Spokane
26:00 The passport demand and realizing this wasn’t Greyhound security
28:23 Being questioned outside the bus and accused without cause
30:00 Border Patrol claiming he wasn’t in the system
32:01 Why this incident felt worse than Libya
34:00 Posting the story and the ACLU response
36:00 Life after the Greyhound incident and what changed
38:00 Benghazi becoming an American political symbol
40:02 Adjusting to Portland and the culture shock
42:00 Intentions, performance, and the desire for gold stars
44:00 Political comedy without claptor
46:00 Early podcasts and how he handled politics then
48:05 How he avoids preaching on stage
49:59 What actually changed after the Greyhound case
52:01 The ISIS joke on Conan and how it worked
54:00 Libyans who supported extremist groups out of misplaced trust
56:03 How ISIS built influence and how Libyans saw it
58:00 Why he won’t perform stand-up in Libya
59:45 The Libyan fans his mom keeps discovering
1:00:23 Closing and where to watch Mohanad’s special
Comedian Mohanad Elshieky talks with Mike about growing up under Gaddafi, living through Libya’s strange and dangerous post-revolution years, and how those experiences shape his comedy. He explains how social media revealed the surrealism of dictatorship, how Benghazi became an American political symbol he barely recognizes, and why Portland was its own unique culture shock. The two dig into Mohanad’s near-carjacking by a knife-wielding “helper,” his notorious Greyhound Border Patrol incident, and the line between trauma and comedy. Mohanad reflects on avoiding claptor, resisting political self-importance, and why he won’t perform stand-up in Libya anytime soon.
Go check out Mohanad’s new special "No Need to Address Me" on Apple, Amazon and more platforms coming soon.
This interview is from a Full episode of Funny You Should Mention, Hosted by Mike Pesca.
🎧Listen Here👉open.spotify.com/episode/7wtB3XUBv7sAhvQDYt74Rb?si=uMaeo3iLSoCLoVcWIhTmmA
_______________________
Join the "Gist List" membership and get access to the Gist List Newsletter:
mikepesca.substack.com
Get a premium edition of the podcast and help support Mike's work:
subscribe.mikepesca.com
Follow us:
INSTAGRAM:
/ pescagist
TWITTER:
https://x.com/PescaGist
https://x.com/pescami
Visit Mike's website:
mikepesca.com
_______________________
CREDITS:
Creator & Host:
Mike Pesca
Producer:
Corey Wara
TIMESTAMPS:
00:00 Growing up in Benghazi under Gaddafi
04:00 The rules of dictatorship and why no one talked politics
06:02 Libyan theater and humor under censorship
08:04 Sibling pranks and the family comedy origin story
10:24 The day Mohanad convinced his siblings he was their father
12:14 The knife-wielding “helper” and the rejected car
14:26 Militias, sudden checkpoints, and not knowing who was in charge
16:12 Outsiders with guns and the surreal chaos of 2012 Libya
18:03 Navigating danger with the “God answer”
20:00 The aftermath of the incident and shock wearing off
22:04 Repressed memories and turning trauma into material
24:00 Border Patrol boarding a Greyhound bus in Spokane
26:00 The passport demand and realizing this wasn’t Greyhound security
28:23 Being questioned outside the bus and accused without cause
30:00 Border Patrol claiming he wasn’t in the system
32:01 Why this incident felt worse than Libya
34:00 Posting the story and the ACLU response
36:00 Life after the Greyhound incident and what changed
38:00 Benghazi becoming an American political symbol
40:02 Adjusting to Portland and the culture shock
42:00 Intentions, performance, and the desire for gold stars
44:00 Political comedy without claptor
46:00 Early podcasts and how he handled politics then
48:05 How he avoids preaching on stage
49:59 What actually changed after the Greyhound case
52:01 The ISIS joke on Conan and how it worked
54:00 Libyans who supported extremist groups out of misplaced trust
56:03 How ISIS built influence and how Libyans saw it
58:00 Why he won’t perform stand-up in Libya
59:45 The Libyan fans his mom keeps discovering
1:00:23 Closing and where to watch Mohanad’s special
