Mo Amer loves being a comedian because, as his favorite quote says, “Much truth is said in jest.”

Standup comedian Amer performed for Floyd campus students in the student center on Feb. 16.

Originally from Kuwait, Amer and his family moved to Texas during the first Gulf War. It was there in Houston that Amer had his first experience with standup comedy.

“My brother took me to the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo where Bill Cosby performed standup comedy. I had never seen anything like that in my life, and from then on I knew standup comedy was what I wanted to do with my life,” Amer said.

At the age of 14, Amer performed small gigs around town, and he has worked his way up ever since. Amer says “traveling and meeting new people” is his favorite part of being a comedian. He has been to 30 countries across five continents. He has performed for overseas U.S. troops and has been a part of the “Allah Made Me Funny: Official Muslim Comedy Tour.”

Amer mixes his Arab descent with his Houston, Texas upbringing to give a unique flare to his standup style.

When performing, he enjoys engaging his audience. During the Floyd performances, he would often stop in the middle of a joke to speak to a student passing by, asking if the student would pick a penny up off the floor. (Sadly, no one ever picked up the penny.)

GHC student Ty Mcarther said, “I enjoyed the whole show.”

Another student, Caleb Paris, got pulled into Amer’s routine over his choice to use the bathroom during the show. Paris said, “My favorite part was when he wouldn’t let me go pee. It was really funny, but I had to pee really bad.”