About this episode
Bassem Youssef hasn't cut open a chest in six years. And he doesn't miss it. "Being into medicine for 19 years, it's a character builder," says the Egyptian comedian, who says his old job prepped him well for his new one. Youssef went from being a surgeon in Cairo to the Jon Stewart of Egypt, a satirist with 40 million views a week. Youssef's brief reign as the king of Egyptian comedy is the focus of a new documentary, Tickling Giants , which is now out on VOD. On the Spiel, Trump has finally accomplished something unthinkable as president. He's got people talking about Shakespeare in the Park. Join Slate Plus! Members get bonus segments, exclusive member-only podcasts, and more. Sign up for a free trial today at Slate.com/gistplus . Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices