Comedian Negin Farsad Makes Kansas City Laugh—And A Little Uncomfortable

We sent Fake the Nation host and comedian, Negin Farsad, on a last-minute trip to America’s Heartland, aka Kansas City, Missouri. The author of How To Make White People Laugh, is six months pregnant and doing stand up in a comedy club that hasn’t had a woman on stage in five weeks. 

From waddling on the “wrong side of town” to sharing her experiences as an Iranian-American Muslim in an interracial relationship—she moves past the pleasantries of ribs and fountains and glimpses the heart of Kansas City. 

They Stared At Me While I Waddled. 

In this episode, discover:

• How a New Yorker walks her way through Kansas City sights. 
• A comedy set that parallels a tourist’s experience of the city. 
• The ways race and segregation in Kansas mirror the rest of the country .

“Dirty, Hungry Comedy Eyes.”

Don’t miss these transformative travel moments: 

[3:45] A traveler’s comedy set: Six months’ pregnant and sightseeing. 

[8:00] The “wrong side of town” and leaning into the uncomfortable. 

[11:22] Kansas City, united by “sincere booty shaking.” 

Resources

• Read Negin's original story.

• Read this Afar story by Negin about a magic mushroom retreat

• Explore Negin's other work.

• Follow Negin on X.

Be sure to subscribe to the show and to sign up for our podcast newsletter, Behind the Mic, where we share upcoming news and behind-the-scenes details of each episode. And explore our second podcast, Unpacked, which unpacks a tricky topic in travel each week.