Fahim Anwar

Anwar says he gets the biggest rush from making a new or mediocre idea work rather than performing proven jokes.

“But if I can get something that's mediocre or a brand new thought to work, that's when I get all the like dopamine and stuff”

This Past Weekend w/ Theo Von: #656 - Fahim Anwar (Apr 30, 2026) · Listen from 1:40:14

Anwar says his childhood dancing makes physical act-outs second nature and that much of comedy is nonverbal.

“And then you realize how much of comedy is nonverbal even. It's really cool to have a great joke and people are laughing”

This Past Weekend w/ Theo Von: #656 - Fahim Anwar (Apr 30, 2026) · Listen from 48:54

Anwar argues digital platforms have democratized comedy so a comic anywhere has as much of a shot as one in LA or New York.

“Before you had to be in New York and LA, now you just got to be on phones. So it's kind of cool how it's democratized comedy”

This Past Weekend w/ Theo Von: #656 - Fahim Anwar (Apr 30, 2026) · Listen from 54:59

Anwar says top comics going on the road naturally clears stage time for the next tier to develop.

“that just naturally clears up stage time for this top tier at the comedy store. Cause like you're on the road”

This Past Weekend w/ Theo Von: #656 - Fahim Anwar (Apr 30, 2026) · Listen from 53:48

Anwar believes social media is eroding broad-brush stereotypes that were easier to sustain when information channels were few and controlled.

“I think it is changing with the internet and social media. You can't paint people with these broad strokes that you used to back in the day”

This Past Weekend w/ Theo Von: #656 - Fahim Anwar (Apr 30, 2026) · Listen from 2:04:46

Anwar compares being a minority to wearing an away jersey that cannot be removed.

“being a minority is kind of like having an away Jersey. You can never take off”

This Past Weekend w/ Theo Von: #656 - Fahim Anwar (Apr 30, 2026) · Listen from 2:05:37

Anwar says Muslims in America felt the negative branding after 9/11, including being subjected to secondary searches when flying.

“When I would fly, I would be secondary search and I grew up with Boy Meets World and TGIF. I'm just as American”

This Past Weekend w/ Theo Von: #656 - Fahim Anwar (Apr 30, 2026) · Listen from 2:05:21

Anwar describes himself as an introvert whose creativity only emerges with people he knows well.

“I can't have real fun unless I'm accustomed to you and I know you and we have history. Then my creativity can come out”

This Past Weekend w/ Theo Von: #656 - Fahim Anwar (Apr 30, 2026) · Listen from 1:18:44

Anwar, a former engineer, says he believes the moon landings happened while downplaying his own expertise.

“I'm not as smart as people think I am just because of the title. I think we did”

This Past Weekend w/ Theo Von: #656 - Fahim Anwar (Apr 30, 2026) · Listen from 1:45:27

Anwar finds it validating that SNL stars like Spade and Sandler feared being fired, showing self-doubt is universal.

“That they were having self-doubt like that during what I thought was just the pinnacle and peak of comedy”

This Past Weekend w/ Theo Von: #656 - Fahim Anwar (Apr 30, 2026) · Listen from 1:06:40

Anwar says he chose stand-up over improv because it was the free, self-reliant route to SNL his parents wouldn't need to fund.

“So that's why I got into standup cause I wanted to get on SNL”

This Past Weekend w/ Theo Von: #656 - Fahim Anwar (Apr 30, 2026) · Listen from 1:04:45

Anwar recounts that Boeing refused him a leave of absence, so he stopped responding until they fired him so he could collect unemployment.

“And then I read that you can only collect unemployment if they fire you. So then I sent an email”

This Past Weekend w/ Theo Von: #656 - Fahim Anwar (Apr 30, 2026) · Listen from 1:41:33

Anwar says people add their own spin to clips, whereas Rogan's long-form show lets audiences decide for themselves.

“i think what's great about the show is that it breathes for three hours and have all these different people and then people kind of decide for themselves”

This Past Weekend w/ Theo Von: #656 - Fahim Anwar (Apr 30, 2026) · Listen from 1:21:12

Anwar describes a special as a snapshot of a year of touring that lets him dump old jokes and move on, showing a cohesive hour in a clip-based era.

“it's nice to show that you can do a cohesive 45 to an hour. It's sort of the difference between breaking a vase into a million pieces”

This Past Weekend w/ Theo Von: #656 - Fahim Anwar (Apr 30, 2026) · Listen from 2:01:49

Anwar argues the Comedy Store was in a heyday before COVID and that the exodus to other cities pared it down.

“We were in the heyday of the comedy store and we didn't even know it before COVID happened”

This Past Weekend w/ Theo Von: #656 - Fahim Anwar (Apr 30, 2026) · Listen from 51:18