What’s So Funny About Terrorist Cells?4

By Chris Simmons, Feb 09, 2010 in Living with the Infidels, Show News

What’s So Funny About Terrorist Cells? Living with the Infidels says it’s time to laugh.

Terrorists planning acts of unspeakable violence. Jihadists single-mindedly obsessed with the carrying-out of these atrocities. What in the world is so damned funny about any of that? Well, if you watch Living with the Infidels, you’d get some idea. Hey, ever since Hogan’s Heroes made it safe to laugh at World War II P.O.W. camps, I’ve learned never to underestimate the power of pointed satire.

The award-winning web series Living with the Infidels tells the story of a sub-cell of jihadists living in a small London flat awaiting their orders from on high. They are challenged by temptations of the West: cable TV, blended coffeehouse drinks, comely women…and how can they not be? After all, their only reward for carrying out their mission is martyrdom, paradise and the “loving embrace of 72 virgins.” Keep in mind, those temptations are just outside their door – most notably a hot bird-in-the-hand like their smokin’ upstairs neighbor, Abi (Annie Cooper).

For series co-creator Aasaf Ainapore, Living with the Infidels represents a perfect opportunity to put a human face on terrorism through the depiction of, “essentially, jihadists as Keystone Kops.” Ainapore says the inspiration for the show came from real accounts of “bungling bombers” whose failed attempts include sinking their own boat. Ainapore’s fellow co-creator, Kira-Anne Pelican, said that a big part of what Infidels tries to do is demonstrate that “terrorism is perpetuated by individuals, with as many flaws as the rest of us. What better a way to get people talking about the subject, and dissipating fear, than through comedy?”

The five individuals who make up Infidels’ terrorist cell don’t exactly run the gamut of extremes in terms of their relative devotion to their mission… with one exception. Psycho Ali (Abhin Galeya), the hot-wired, button-pushing extremist is pretty much in constant need of taking a chill pill. “Psycho Ali was created to represent the psychopath within the group. We felt he’d be extreme in any group he joined,” said Pelican. Indeed, if anyone on any show was aptly named, Psycho Ali is the dictionary definition of that. “He’s a grenade in the plot,” says Ainapore, “designed to leave a waste (of some kind) in his wake.”

The other guys are, well, conflicted about their mission, some to the point of near non-committal. To be frank, they are very easily distracted by things that more serious-minded jihadists would not be, like trying to record their intentions on film, proper line readings, and worries of “losing the light.” “They’re just incompetent,” says Ainapore.

Rezza (San Shella), the series’ “everyman” character, is especially drawn to the quite fetching Abi, the blonde bombshell who lives upstairs. Frankly, I’m glad to see that for Rezza, one can take time out from radicalized terrorism to check out the honeys. As for Abi, she doesn’t seem to find it disconcerting that she lives in very close proximity to a group of jihadists. “Abi is bubbling fun underneath her sexuality,” said Ainapore. She’s aware of how much she tempts Rezza and the others, but she doesn’t take any of it very seriously. Abi serves as an unofficial link to a world outside of their cramped flat, and the tangible possibilities that would, in essence, make the dangling “promise” of life post-martyrdom less and less appealing.

And while the characters in the jihad are played up for laughs, they are most definitely not lampooned for lampooning’s sake. Ainapore and Pelican wanted to make sure, above all else, that their characters were injected with humanity, showing their flaws and more importantly, having them question their own beliefs.

The show’s mostly self-funded, shoestring budget, in my opinion, adds to the effectiveness of its impact in one key way: these guys are really living on top of each other. They can really smell each other’s “stink,” figuratively, if not literally. Waiting around for their orders under these conditions is really getting to them. You can see how their resolve, probably tenuous for some of them at the outset, is dissolving with each passing second. Well, except for Psycho Ali. You did notice by now that his name is Psycho Ali, right?

OK, I’m now officially on record in stating that I think Living with the Infidels is funny. But that only underscores the elephant in the room as far as this show is concerned: Should there even be a show that makes light of terrorism at all? The co-creators obviously think so. Just don’t make the mistake of assuming that they took their task lightly. They spent considerable time researching this show, grounding it with the chilling realism that the shadow of terrorism casts. As Pelican explained, the issue of terrorism (and how it affects Londoners) “was becoming a faceless evil, a topic rarely discussed.” She went on, saying, “Of course [terrorism] is a sensitive subject. But if we don’t discuss what’s going on in the world – why people are becoming radicalized – how are things going to change?”

Could there be life beyond the five episodes of Living with the Infidels’ first story arc? Ainapore is coy about this, but certainly sees the potential for more stories about the bumbling jihadists. And frankly, I can’t wait to see what lies ahead for this motley crew. After all, they’ve made it safe for people to laugh about terrorism. They really have.

Chris Simmons is a scriptwriter, blogger and professional Story Analyst for motion pictures. He’s written dozens of animated scripts for TV including co-developing the award-winning series STATIC SHOCK! for Warner Bros. Animation. He’s currently in the early stages of development on a situation comedy for BET. He also watches TV, a lot. Chris is married with two children and lives in Los Angeles, CA.