It Ain't So Awful, Falafel

Zomorod and her family spend much of their time together watching television, even before the revolution and the hostage crisis begin. Because watching TV is one of the few activities the whole family does together, it comes to symbolize their emotional bond, even when things become difficult.

They enjoy watching sitcoms together, and Zomorod uses this as a way to understand American humor, often looking up unfamiliar words or phrases in the dictionary. The humor is sometimes lost on the Yousefzadehs, as when “turkey” is used in a sitcom. Mo says, “But why is it hilarious if someone calls you a turkey? In Iran, if you want to make fun of someone, you call him a donkey. Now, that’s funny!” (13). This moment shows the nuances of cultural humor and the difficulty of having to learn the colloquialisms commonly used in a foreign language.

When the news begins to focus on Iran, the family’s relationship with the television changes. It becomes their source of updates about what is happening in Iran, and therefore, the television becomes the bearer of bad news. Once Mo loses his job, the television becomes the focus of the family’s difficult emotions. They fixate on the TV even though it makes them both sad and angry to see how the new regime is acting unjustly, treating women poorly, and holding onto the American hostages—events that effect both the Yousefzadehs in the United States and their relatives in Iran.