The second season of the beloved Saudi animated comedy “Masameer County” has just launched on Netflix. As in its debut run — and last year’s “Masameer: The Movie” — the show’s second season addresses a number of social and cultural changes taking place in Saudi Arabia.
The show is quirky and humorous, but is also much more than that, “Masameer” highlights important societal issues and topics that may be considered taboo. It began over a decade ago as a web-based series, quickly going viral on YouTube, and now it has a huge international following, which has given Saudis and Arabs across the world a feeling of representation.
Some scenes are grotesque and may cause some to cringe or feel uncomfortable, but that is exactly what makes it such a hit. It is fascinating to see how the creators are able to mix comedy with social commentary.
Dark humor is difficult to do well, but “Masameer” does it adeptly, portraying a complex message in a clever and light-hearted manner.
In the past, comedies have joked about Saudis and Arabs, but from a Western perspective that was often based on negative stereotypes and misconceptions. It is completely different when the joke is made by a person who belongs to and understands the culture. In many ways, “Masameer” is a kind of documentary of the Kingdom’s recent cultural evolution.
The new season was incredibly funny, incredibly accurate, and went by quickly. As the saying goes, “Time flies when you’re having fun.”
