Fresh Air with Terry Gross, June 20, 2002: Interview with Ahmed Ahmed and Maz Jobrani; Interview with Sheema Kermani; Review of Cornershop’s new “Handcream for a Generation.”

Since its national debut in 1987, Fresh Air with Terry Gross has been a highly acclaimed and much adored weekday magazine among public radio listeners. Each week, nearly 4.8 million people turn to Peabody Award-winning host Terry Gross for insightful conversations with the leading voices in contemporary arts and issues. The renowned program reaches a global audience, with over 620 public radio stations broadcasting Fresh Air, and 3 million podcast downloads each week. Fresh Air has broken the mold of 'talk show' by weaving together superior journalism and intimate storytelling from modern-day intellectuals, politicians and artists alike. Through probing questions and careful research, Gross's interviews are lauded for revealing a fresh perspective on cultural icons and trends. Her thorough conversations are often complemented by commentary from well-known contributors. Fresh Air is produced at WHYY-FM in Philadelphia and broadcast nationally by NPR.
(1.) Stand up comics Ahmed Ahmed (AH-med AH-med) and Maz Jobrani (mazh joe-BRA-nee). Ahmed is Egyptian-American, and Jobrani is Iranian-American. They've changed their routines since September 11th, cracking jokes about attending flight school and the like. Both have had small parts as terrorists in action films. Jobrani was in a Chuck Norris film and Ahmed was Terrorist #4 in Executive Decision. They live in Los Angeles.(2.) Pakistani dancer Sheema Kermani (SHEE-muh Kuhr-MAH-nee). Her performances are rare in Pakistan, and tightly controlled by the government. She practices Indian classical dance, a sensual form of movement that goes against Islamic fundamentalist attitudes toward women and their bodies. Kermani graduated from Croydon College of Art in London and started dancing in Karachi with the Ghanshyan's Dance Troupe. She then went to India to train under several masters of Indian classical dance. She has performed all over the world. She's choreographed two major works. She appears on television and works with the politically oriented Mobile Theater group in Karachi.(3.) Rock critic KEN TUCKER reviews Cornershop's new 'Handcream for a Generation.' Cornershop is a British group led by Indian singer-songwriter-producer Tjinder Singh.