Rubi Nicholas works long hours as an assistant vice president at a health care insurance carrier in Denver. At 36, she has two young daughters, a husband, a house in Castle Rock and dreams of becoming a comedian.
She’s a Muslim of Pakistani descent who married a Greek Orthodox man. Her husband converted to Islam, and became a stay-at-home dad so she could get her MBA and become a corporate executive.
Now she’s writing and performing jokes about her life as a working mom and Muslim. Last week, she won Nick at Nite’s Search for the Funniest Mom in America 2, a TV competition that resembles an “American Idol” for comedians.
Today, she will host a special night of programming from 7 to 10 p.m. on Nick at Nite, which is piped into 88 million homes. And she will soon develop a comedic TV pilot about her life.
“Growing up as a Muslim and a Pakistani, it’s just not something you do,” she said. “It’s very inappropriate behavior for a young lady, clowning around and goofing off.” Nicholas runs her jokes by an imam, or cleric, out of respect for her family, culture and traditions. But her humor isn’t without its edge.
“It’s strange being a Muslim family in an all-white suburb,” jokes Nicholas, who moved to Colorado from Pennsylvania three years ago. “Every time my daughter leaves her Barbie Jeep in someone’s driveway, they call the bomb squad.”
Nicholas hopes to offer Americans a lighter perspective on the Muslims living in their midst. But in a world where some Muslims protest editorial cartoons, she knows she’s taking a risk. “I’m waiting for the fatwa papers to come through my door any day now,” she laughs.
Nicholas grew up near Philadelphia, the daughter of practical immigrant parents who taught her that artistic pursuits are hobbies, not ways to make money.
Her father, she jokes, is “the Pakistani MacGyver. Give him a paper clip, some cardboard and gum, and he can make anything.” Her mom, she said, remains technologically challenged: “She prints out e-mails and then faxes them to people.”
Nicholas got her first master’s degree in occupational therapy and toiled in long-term care facilities for nearly seven years. She then decided to get her beautician’s license and open a salon. But that idea didn’t work out, so she went to Temple University for her MBA.
Today, she says she manages a 32-person department. She makes jokes about her family and her heritage, but not her corporate job. She won’t even say, publicly, where she works. “I know where my bread is buttered,” she said.
Nicholas’ daily routine may sound familiar to many working moms:
“I come to work at 7:30 a.m. I leave at 5 p.m. I have dinner with my family. … I’m back online at 8:30 p.m., when my kids are in bed. I get lots of work done then. I work on Saturdays. I work on Sundays. I have my BlackBerry and my cellphone.”
Her stay-at-home husband – a former network engineer – gets the kids ready in the morning. She doesn’t see them until she returns home in the evening.
Nicholas’ 6-year-old daughter, Sophie, last fall saw a commercial on Nick at Nite’s funniest mom contest.
“Mommy, I think you are really funny. You should try out for it,” Sophie said.
“And I believed her,” Nicholas said. “Sophie also says things like, ‘Mommy, your butt is getting big,’ so I don’t think she is capable of guile or dishonesty.”
Sophie made her mom promise to give her half the $50,000 prize if she won.
“It will probably be put in an education IRA until she’s 18,” said Nicholas, “but she doesn’t know that yet.”
Nicholas, who is new to stand-up comedy, tried out for the contest in November at Comedy Works in Denver. After besting scores of contestants, she’ll get to develop a pilot TV show. She hopes to take vacation time from work to do this. She won’t quit her day job.
“There’s a pragmatic side of me that says, ‘Somebody has got to pay the mortgage and the home equity line, the car payments, and the tuition at Montessori. In my house, that somebody is me.”
But why not take the leap with the prize money?
“Dude, come on now,” she said, “you’re a business writer. You know what that is after taxes. That’s three Visa bills.”
Al Lewis’ column appears Sundays, Tuesdays and Fridays. Respond to Lewis at denverpostbloghouse.com/lewis, 303-820-1967 or alewis@denverpost.com.
