Laughed At to Laughed With: Disability Comedy and Reclaiming the Joke with Yousef Kadoura

In this episode of the History in 60 Companion Podcast, host John Loeppky sits down with actor and writer Yousef Kadoura to explore disability-led comedy, where it comes from, what it pushes back against, and why it matters for disability culture in Canada. From the complicated history of freak shows and “being the joke,” to the power of disabled creators building their own creative spaces and careers, Yousef shares how humour can hold up a mirror to ableism, relieve tension, and make political truth cut through the noise. The duo cover styles of comedy,  blunt humour, representation beyond tokenism, and why comedy, done by disabled people, can help preserve disability history in ways audiences actually remember. This conversation continues the themes from AMI’s History in 60 television episode on disability-led comedy, asking what changes when disabled people aren’t just in on the joke, they’re writing it, directing it, and owning it. Watch the full episode on AMI+ Find the Video Podcast on YouTube GUEST BIO Yousef Kadoura is a Canadian actor and writer trained at the National Theatre School of Canada in Montreal. His work spans stage and screen, with a focus on disability arts and performance. He has been part of disability culture spaces including Toronto’s Tangled Art + Disability, and appears in AMI’s disability-led sketch comedy series The Squeaky Wheel, where disabled artists are involved at every level of production. Yousef is also a member of Toronto-based theatre company The Other Hearts Collective, and he’s passionate about disability history, comedy as community connection, and storytelling that punches up, without turning disabled people into the punchline. SHOW NOTES The History in 60 Podcast is the official companion to the television series History in 60 on AMI Television. While the TV series highlights key moments in Canada’s disability history, this podcast creates space to go deeper, blending curated moments from the show with behind-the-scenes context and extended conversations with guests shaping disability culture today. In this episode, we turn to comedy. Disability and humour have a complicated past. For generations, disabled people were laughed at, through freak shows, villain tropes, and punchlines that reinforced stigma and exclusion. But disability-led comedy has increasingly flipped that script: using humour as advocacy, social commentary, and a tool for reclaiming narrative control. John’s extended conversation with Yousef Kadoura dives into what changes when disabled people aren’t just performing comedy, but building the container it happens in. They talk about why “lowbrow” humour can be powerful when it’s disability-led, how Bouffon can be misunderstood (and misused) in training spaces, and how comedy can help draw a line between laughing with disabled people versus laughing at them. They also discuss the importance of disrupting the presumed whiteness of Canadian disability history by expanding access to resources, building truly accessible arts spaces, and making room for the communities most impacted. Referenced in this Episode Tangled Art + DisabilityToronto Metropolitan University (TMU)National Theatre School of Canada To learn more about Yousef’s work: Website The Other Hearts CollectiveInstagram (Other Hearts)   CREDITS John Loeppky, Host & Creator Yousef Kadoura, Guest Brent Kawchuk, Co-Producer Cali James, Metamorphosis Media Group, Co-Producer & Narrator Podcast Studio Camera: Daylen Hartz & Kody Ng Kade Stevens, KS Media, Editor If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe to the History in 60 Companion Podcast, leave a rating or review, and share it with someone who might appreciate the conversation. Your support helps more people discover these stories and the history behind them. About AMI AMI is a media company that entertains, informs and empowers Canadians with disabilities through three broadcast services: AMI-tv and AMI-audio in English, plus AMI-télé in French, along with the AMI+ streaming platform. Our vision is to position AMI as a leader in accessible content by amplifying the voices of Canadians with disabilities through authentic storytelling, meaningful representation, and positive portrayal. To learn more visit AMI.ca & AMItele.ca Watch full episodes of your favourite AMI-tv documentaries & series on AMI+ Connect with AMI Online: Instagram @AccessibleMediaINC Facebook @AccessibleMediaInc TikTok @AccessibleMedia X / Twitter @AccessibleMedia Email [email protected] Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.