Nobel Prize Laureate Malala Yousafzai may have once enjoyed American comedian and writer Hasan Minhaj’s banter but not anymore—-especially not after he chose to make the Pakistani activist a subject of one of his jokes. Standing tall by Malala’s side against Hasan is Priyanka Chopra, who found his act “petty”, also unfollowed him on the photo-sharing app.
This social media uprising against the comedian came after he shared a video in which he jokingly mocked Malala about how she follows him but he doesn’t and implied that he won’t. While Hasan expected her to match his sense of humour and continue the joke, she found the statement in bad taste and eventually unfollowed him.
“Okay, it’s gettin’ outta hand Malala!" wrote Hasan on Instagram as he posted a video titled Malala Claps Back.
Detailing the events that "upset" Malala, he said, “On October 4th, I made a joke about Noble Peace Prize winner Malala. I said she follows me on Instagram and I don't follow her back. Then on October 5th, she retaliated (asking who is this man?). Instead of doing a runoff, she unfollowed me on Instagram. I am sorry Malala, follow me back. I don't know if I'll follow you though. I am that petty.”
While Malala may have taken him off her social media, her well-wishers forwarded her his new video. Posting it on her profile to confirm the news, she thanked her followers for looking out for her and sending her the video, for she wouldn’t have come across it otherwise.
In solidarity, Priyanka also took to her Instagram Stories to show support. “Same girl same, Malala! Guess he prefers petty over funny,” she wrote.
Hasan’s light-hearted banter did not just cost him two public figures from his social media but also some fans who agreed with Priyanka’s comment on him being petty over the matter. They also commented on how all of this could just be his promotion for an upcoming gig. A fan commented, “Next Netflix special name Hasan Minhaj: Petty King,” while another wrote, “This is an audition tape for the Daily Show gig. He's coming back y'all.”
Taking Malala’s side, a user wrote, “As much as I love your brand of comedy, this didn’t sit well with me. She follows you because she thinks you are funny. You should follow her because she has been trying to make a difference in the world for women’s right to education. Unless you both see in on it and just play with our feelings for more engagement.”
Priyanka and Malala recently met at the Global Goals Awards at the UN General Assembly where the two snapped pictures and got a chance to know each other better. Malala took to Twitter to share her fan moment with the Quantico star at the event and wrote, "Can't believe I met Priyanka Chopra!"
To which, Priyanka responded, "Oh Malala, no words will be enough. I can't believe I met you! You're just a young girl with so much heart and such achievements. So proud." The Baywatch beauty then took to Instagram to share the same picture with a heartfelt note to Malala.
"I could write a novel about how smart, incredible, inspiring, encouraging and funny this young woman is," wrote Priyanka. "But I will keep it brief. Malala, you are an undeniable force to be reckoned with. The world knows that. You are a role model to all the girls and boys that want to make this world a better place for the future," she further wrote. She went on to say, "Spending a few hours with you and your incredible father Mr. Yousafzai ( who reminds me so much of my father) , I realized you're also just a young girl with young dreams. Your jokes, Your love for Hindi Films, your infectious laughter will always remind me of what a huge responsibility you have taken on at such a tender age."
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