Negin Farsad
Born 1978 · Age 47
American comedian, actress, writer and filmmaker known for social-justice comedy, documentaries (Nerdcore Rising, The Muslims Are Coming!), the podcast Fake the Nation, and the book How to Make White People Laugh.
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Life & Career Timeline
Raised in Palm Springs, California (childhood)
Grew up in the Southern California resort community of Palm Springs.
Born in New Haven, Connecticut
Born to an Iranian American Shia Muslim family in New Haven, CT.
Started undergraduate at Cornell University
Enrolled at Cornell University, majoring in government and theater arts (undergraduate start estimated based on birth year).
Moved to New York City for Columbia University graduate studies
Enrolled at Columbia University; pursued graduate degrees (start year estimated to follow undergrad).
Graduated Cornell University (BA)
Completed undergraduate studies at Cornell, majoring in government and theater arts (graduation year estimated).
Earned master's degrees at Columbia University
Completed a master's degree in race relations (Graduate School of Arts and Sciences) and a master's with emphasis on urban management from Columbia's School of International and Public Affairs.
Began work as policy advisor to NYC Campaign Finance Board
Started working for the City of New York as a policy advisor to the NYC Campaign Finance Board after graduate school.
Founded Vaguely Qualified Productions
Created her own production company, Vaguely Qualified Productions, to produce her comedic and film projects.
Left NYC policy job to pursue comedy
After more than a year as a policy advisor, she left the Campaign Finance Board to pursue comedy full-time.
Wrote and premiered musical 'The Israeli-Palestinian Conflict: A Romantic Comedy'
Her first musical premiered at the New York International Fringe Festival (date not specified in text; estimated mid/late 2000s).
Directed & produced Nerdcore Rising; premiered at SXSW
First feature-length directorial effort, documentary/concert film Nerdcore Rising (starring MC Frontalot, "Weird Al" contributing), premiered at the 2008 South by Southwest Film Festival in Austin.
Nerdcore Rising DVD / distribution and contributor network
Nerdcore Rising included contributions from 'Weird Al', Prince Paul and Brian Posehn; after SXSW the film reached distribution and festival audiences.
Regular contributor to public debate on race, identity and comedy
Developed a public voice and published commentary on race, identity, Islamophobia and comedy across outlets and appearances (ongoing career theme).
Frequent international touring
Performed for national and international audiences across her stand-up career (dates span 2000s–2020s).
Began to be regularly booked for festivals and colleges
Started performing at national and international festivals and colleges (DC, Dallas, Chicago Comedy Festivals; NY Fringe for musical).
Began full-time career in comedy and filmmaking (transition milestone)
Transitioned from policy work to full-time creative career — stand-up, writing, filmmaking and producing (formalized by founding Vaguely Qualified Productions earlier).
Created solo show 'Bootleg Islam' and performed at comedy festivals
Wrote and performed a solo show Bootleg Islam at DC, Dallas, and Chicago comedy festivals (dates unspecified; placed at 2010 as an approximate mid-career milestone).
Frequent guest on radio/podcast circuits
Became a frequent guest/panelist on radio and podcasts including Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me and others (ongoing across career).
Established status as one of few Iranian-American Muslim female comedian-filmmakers
Recognized as one of the few Iranian-American Muslim female comedian/filmmakers bridging comedic performance and activism.
Opened for established comics (Al Franken, Bobby Lee, Colin Quinn)
Has opened shows for Al Franken, Bobby Lee, and Colin Quinn among others (sourced in college press; dates span career).
Named one of HuffPost's 50 'Favorite Female Comedians'
The Huffington Post named her one of their "50 Funniest Women" / "50 Favorite Female Comedians" in 2011.
Performed / appeared at Netroots Nation
Documented appearance: pictured at Netroots Nation 2011 (performed/speaking at progressive political gathering).
Increased national profile via festival and media exposure
By 2011, accumulated festival appearances, films and media mentions that raised her national profile (HuffPost recognition among examples).
Photo-documented participation in national political/comedy events
Photographed and reported participating in events combining politics and comedy (example: Netroots Nation 2011 image).
Named by various outlets as a recommended comedian on social media
Multiple lists and articles (HuffPost et al.) recommended following her on Twitter and noted her as an important female comic on social platforms in 2011–2012.
Listed in HuffPost '53 Of Our Favorite Female Comedians'
Huffington Post included her in their "53 Of Our Favorite Female Comedians" article (2012 reference in Wikipedia).
Selected as one of '50 Funniest Women' / '10 Best Feminist Comedians' (press mentions)
Press and industry outlets (HuffPost, Paper Magazine per IMDb) recognized her among notable lists of funny or feminist comedians (dates around 2011–2012).
Named one of HuffPost's '18 Funny Women You Should Be Following on Twitter'
Huffington Post included Farsad on a list of 18 funny women to follow on Twitter.
Featured interviews with national personalities in 'The Muslims Are Coming!'
The film includes interviews and appearances by Jon Stewart, David Cross, Lewis Black, Rachel Maddow and others (film content milestone around 2013 release).
Produced/directed/performed in Comedy Central series 'The Watch List'
Produced, directed and performed in The Watch List, a Comedy Central series featuring Middle Eastern–American comics tackling international political issues (date approximate/unsourced in article).
Directed documentary 'The Muslims Are Coming!' (release/coverage)
Directed The Muslims Are Coming! with Dean Obeidallah — a docu-comedy touring the South and Midwest to confront Islamophobia; New York Times coverage published Sept 2013.
Worked with or featured alongside high-profile comedians in projects
Collaborated and was featured with John Hodgman, Janeane Garofalo, David Cross and others across film and stage projects (examples include 3rd Street Blackout, The Muslims Are Coming!).
3rd Street Blackout premiered at LA Film Festival
Co-directed and starred in rom-com 3rd Street Blackout (post-Hurricane Sandy blackout story); premiered at the LA Film Festival in 2015.
Premiere of 3rd Street Blackout (Amazon availability later)
3rd Street Blackout premiered at LA Film Festival in 2015 and later became available on streaming platforms (IMDb notes availability on Amazon).
Married to Jason Tottenham (marital status noted)
Public biographies list her spouse as Jason Tottenham (no date provided in source).
Selected as a TED Fellow and gave TED Talk
Was selected as a TED Fellow for her work in social-justice comedy and gave a TED Talk (2016, per Wikipedia; TED-related appearances span 2016–2017).
Book 'How to Make White People Laugh' nominated for Thurber Prize (reported)
IMDb notes the book was nominated for the Thurber Prize for American Humor (nominated year not specified in provided text).
Appeared as guest speaker/featured in major media (PBS, Oprah, TIME)
Featured in outlets such as PBS NewsHour, Oprah Magazine, and TIME — publicity around book and speaking engagements in 2016.
Appeared on Carleton convocation recording archived online
Carleton College convocation was recorded and archived for online viewing (event May 6, 2016).
Appeared as a speaker at campus and college events
Delivered campus talks and convocations (e.g., Carleton College Asian American History Month convocation, May 6, 2016).
Recommended by Oprah Magazine for her writing
Oprah Magazine recommended her book and work (referenced by Lavin Agency materials and IMDb endorsements around 2016).
Appeared on NBC/TV news features (e.g., PBS NewsHour profile)
PBS NewsHour and other TV outlets profiled her work fighting Islamophobia with comedy (PBS NewsHour profile in 2016 referenced).
Book recommended and covered across numerous outlets
How to Make White People Laugh was recommended/covered by Oprah Magazine, TIME, and other outlets following publication.
National coverage of anti-Islamophobia touring project
The touring and documentary project The Muslims Are Coming! received national press and debate in 2013–2016, establishing her profile as an activist comedian.
TED Fellowship public recognition
TED Fellowship selection and talk(s) gave additional national visibility to her social-justice-comedy work in 2016–2017.
Major media & festival critical praise
Work described positively by major publications (Wall Street Journal, Chicago Tribune, Dallas Morning News, Backstage) during mid-2010s touring and film releases.
Book release media tour and campus talks
Following the May 2016 book release, engaged in media interviews, campus visits and speaking engagements (e.g., Carleton convocation).
Multiple media profiles around book and film work
During 2016–2017, featured in major profiles describing her approach to fighting Islamophobia via comedy and advocating for social justice through art.
Continued touring and specialty programming
Continued to produce new comedy hours and perform across the U.S., often combining activism and comedy in programming.
Delivered Carleton College convocation: 'Comedic Justice'
Presented Carleton College's Asian American History Month Convocation on May 6, 2016, speaking about comedic practice in social justice work.
Published first book 'How to Make White People Laugh'
Released memoir/manifesto How to Make White People Laugh (Grand Central Publishing).
Gave TED Talk (additional appearance)
Gave another TED Talk in 2017 related to social-justice comedy (Wikipedia notes TED Talks in 2016 and 2017).
Host of the political comedy podcast 'Fake the Nation' (ongoing role)
Hosts the political-comedy podcast Fake the Nation (listed on Headgum/Earwolf networks in sources). Start year not specified in provided text; role is ongoing.
Regular media contributor and article author
Wrote for and was published in outlets such as The Guardian, The Daily Beast, Oprah Magazine and Indiewire (IMDb reference; dates across 2010s).
Frequent panelist and guest on 'Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me' and other shows
Regular guest/panelist on NPR's Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me and guest on Pod Save America, among other programs (ongoing across 2010s–2020s).
Voice role: Meredith the Mindtaker in Birdgirl (credited)
Listed in Wikipedia as the voice of Meredith the Mindtaker in the animated series Birdgirl (date for casting/performance not specified in text; included as role).
Public legal/advocacy action: sued MTA over poster rights (reported)
IMDb notes she sued New York State's MTA over the right to put up funny posters about Muslims and reportedly won (no date in provided text).
Active performer and touring comedian (documented 2022 performances)
Continues to perform stand-up, tour and bring new hours to clubs and festivals (source: 2022 Reel Chicago mention of newly minted hour).
Listed as a Lavin Agency speaker; media features
Represented by Lavin Agency (speaker listing) and featured in multiple outlets (PBS, Oprah Magazine, TIME, etc. listed).
Current (profile snapshot)
Profile snapshot as of 2025 indicates active career in comedy, filmmaking, podcasting, and public speaking based in New York City.
Key Achievement Ages
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