Hey guys, I wanted to do a lighthearted write-up because I’ve been weaning off my Feel Free bottles. So, here goes. I took a day to rest and watch some shows because my dopamine’s been shot out.

You know, there are some TV shows that hit a little different for some than for others. This might be one of those shows for a large percentage of my readers.

If you’re from Northern New Jersey, you’ll recognize a lot of landmarks:

As a person from Jersey, I saw people from New Jersey and that basically means I’m legally required to watch it. I saw it on Amazon Video Prime and wanted to check it out.

The premise is simple: it’s an Egyptian family living life in North Jersey right after 9/11. The cartoon is part coming-of-age for a young junior high schooler called Rumi, his psychotically suicidal pet lamb, and a closeted lesbian sister.

Oh, and the FBI makes regular appearances.

This show is fucking funny — and I’m not afraid to admit that I enjoy it.

As a first-gen American, I see a lot of my own family in the Hussein family. There’s the struggle to keep up appearances with others abroad, the struggle of being an “ethnic” person and trying to hide it so that you feel more “in” and the balance between a conservative home country and being totally mainstream American.

At the same time, #1 Happy Family USA doesn’t pull punches about life in America. The writer, Ramy Youssef, makes a point of making it take place in America right after 9/11.

Because, let’s face it, it wasn’t an enviable time to be an Arab (or Egyptian) in America at that time.

When I decided to search up the show’s reviews online, I was shocked to find out how much hate it got. A lot of people were saying it was racist or that it was offensive, but I don’t think it was meant to be that way. It more felt like a humorous take on the writer’s culture.

#1 Happy Family USA just didn’t shy away from a lot of aspects of Arab culture. There were nods to Egyptian culture everywhere, from the Arabic speech, to the mom chasing Rumi around the house with a slipper in her hand, to subtle things like brewing coffee in a pot on the stove.

A lot of Gen Z viewers think it’s a “victimhood comedy,” but I don’t think they realize how bad Muslims were often treated in the tri-state back then. Almost everyone used to avoid Muslims back then. Making fun of Arabs was normalized, and some of the comments I used to hear were vicious.

The Husseins were proud of who they were, even in the face of suspicion. Throughout the show’s run, Rumi constantly has to grapple with the stigma that came from the terrorist attacks. While other reviewers think it was exaggerated, the racism was really out of control back then.

As a goth, I also appreciated seeing Rumi getting accepted by the goth kids at school. That was actually pretty bang-on. Goths were a lot more accepting than most mainstream Americans back then, and I could totally see younger me hanging out with Rumi.

Is it cringe at times? A little, but frankly, I don’t care. It’s hard not to like the Husseins.

While the bigger focus is obviously living as a Muslim in post-9/11 America, I really enjoyed how they handled life as a lesbian in a religious, conservative family. Mona Hussein is an excellent character vehicle for this arc.

The show kicks off with Mona already dating her girlfriend, Gina. They even kissed. That actually might be the most unlikely and unrealistic part of the show’s character dynamics aside from the sheep.

Once again, people often forget how life was before gay marriage was legal. While it was not as stigmatized as it was in the 1990s, being queer in the early 2000s was still a quick way to get the side-eye from a large percentage of people.

Having been a queer kid in the 2000s, trying to get a girl was like pulling a cow up a tree. It was possible, but extremely difficult, and most girls didn’t want to be “out” back then.

When you’re dealing with a religious family of any flavor, coming out as gay is terrifying. It’s a subtle, quiet pressure cooker. And every day, you feel like you’re betraying yourself (and your partner, possibly) because you are keeping yourself silent.

The entire season featured Mona quietly struggling with her attraction to Gina. And so much of her just stayed hidden, even when people tried to out her relationship — much to the despair of her girlfriend.

It was poignant, and a brilliant display of what life in a society that scares you into hiding yourself is like. When she finally comes out, it was after the encouragement of her grandma Teta.

What more can I say? #1 Happy Family USA is a genuine take on a lot of topics close to my heart:

My rating? 10/10. Love this show.