Comedian Yasin Barnes has announced a performance with his show 'Just Jokes' at the Homecoming Centre in August. In an exclusive interview with IOL, he shared thoughts on his upcoming program, which will take place on August 28th and 29th in District Six. Barnes emphasized that the goal of his performance is not to change the audience's views, but merely to improve their mood.
The diagnosis that helped build his career
Barnes noted that he built his career relying on his ability to find solutions independently, as he does not have formal theatrical education or university degrees, only a high school diploma. He admitted that he did not follow the traditional path in stand-up comedy and initially did not aim to be a comedian until he tried performing for the first time.
He mentioned observing stand-up in childhood, but was more interested in alternative figures such as Steven Wright, Demetri Martin, and Jimmy Carr. After being diagnosed with ADHD in 2019, Barnes began integrating elements of his favorite comedians into his material. His journey of self-discovery helped shape a unique and authentic voice.
After the 2019 diagnosis, he realized that he previously could not sustain a narrative for long, often stopping. This is why he learned to work with language. Early mastery of speech mechanics was later perfected in the limited space of Twitter (now X), where he is considered a master of one-liners.
To maintain a high professional standard, Barnes uses deep structural discipline. He treats the 'Notes' application on his smartphone as a workspace, logging observations, jokes, and nascent ideas monthly. He explains that he records every thought or idea to review them over the month and decide what needs to be implemented.
This methodical approach extends to long-term planning: every November and December, he creates a to-do list for the following year, which must be completely finished by April. He believes that 'if you put it out into the world, the world will bring it.'
Laughter as an immediate form of salvation
The central idea of his work lies in a deep understanding of humor and humanity's need to escape daily troubles. For him, humor is not just pleasant entertainment, but a necessary tool against psychological exhaustion. He asserts that there is no feeling better than laughter, after which the body relaxes.
In a world clouded by economic anxiety and constant bad news, Barnes promotes laughter as an instant distraction. He compares laughter to the cheapest vacation, allowing one to forget everything except the source of fun. He notes that in the current economic climate, the fastest rest is laughter.
Based on observations of human behavior, Barnes shows how easily minor irritations can spoil a general mood. He gives the example of how a taxi almost passing by caused him a whole chain of negative thoughts related to the apocalypse. He points out that people tend to let a minor traffic violation ruin their entire day, extending this to professional and family levels.
Looking at society, Barnes asks himself how we allowed 'a small moment to steal all the joy of the day.' He answers this question himself, stating that suffering cannot be allowed to drag on; sadness can be part of you, but despair should be eliminated as quickly as possible.
Support systems
To protect his creative energy from tiring administrative and financial tasks, Barnes has delegated these duties to his wife, who now serves as his Chief Operating Officer. Barnes acknowledges that there has been a shift in his professional structure, and his wife handles planning and administration—things that are not natural to him.
He says that as an artist, self-esteem fluctuates, and his wife helps him make pricing decisions. He prefers to delegate such tasks to someone who understands his limitations and is also knowledgeable about finances.
South Africa as a country of 'comedians'
In the South African context, humor has historically and currently carried significant cultural weight. Barnes notes that many iconic figures in the country, such as Mandela and Tutu, possessed a sense of humor. This connection extends to daily survival in South Africa, emphasizing the importance of being present in the moment and laughing.
He believes that beloved teachers, leaders, pastors, and sheikhs are those who know how to joke, because it is through humor that people remember, connect, and strengthen bonds. When a person laughs, they remember it.
Barnes shared his feelings about his community, which he has known his whole life. He notes that knowing hardships leads to an understanding of happiness. Therefore, people of color laugh so hard because they understand that this happiness will not last forever, and they must extract maximum pleasure from it. It is that feeling of enjoying happiness.
The philosophy of laughter
Barnes shares his philosophy of laughter, asserting that sharing laughter is an act of giving. He firmly believes that if you share, you lose nothing, whether it is money, food, or laughter; on the contrary, by sharing laughter, you receive even more laughter and everything else.
When defining himself, Barnes chooses a multifaceted self-definition: he is a comedian who is Muslim, but not necessarily a 'Muslim comedian.' He emphasizes that they belong to multiple worlds. He rejects the idea of being confined to one cultural framework, noting awareness of global trends, news, and music. He clarifies that as a Muslim and a comedian, he is not limited only to Muslim jokes, but tells humor characteristic of South Africa and makes jokes related to his background.
When material that crosses boundaries unites people of different ages and backgrounds in shared laughter, it confirms his belief that a universally understood joke becomes collective property. He concludes that 'we belong to many worlds. No one lives only in their own little world.'
His show at the Homecoming Centre is scheduled for Saturday, August 29th. Additionally, he is organizing a more relaxed daytime session on Sunday at 4:00 PM. To maintain artistic integrity, Barnes uses a system of deep organizational order. For him, the live stage remains an incomparable space of freedom, laughter, pauses, jokes, and truth, and in the age of digital noise, comments, and artificial posing, this is where he thrives without compromise.
