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Daniel-Ryan Spaulding, a Canadian comic and influencer whose brand is the slogan "Power Gay", which refers to "someone who isn't afraid to say what they think", is coming to Israel in March to bring his special brand of pro-Israeli outlook in a unique and humorous way. Ynet's Alexandra Lukash spoke to him about his journey from obesity to health, his pro-Israeli stance, the chances he might actually move to Israel himself and much more:
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Advocates for Israel: Canadian comedian Daniel Ryan Spaulding
(photo: Lior Sharon)
Hi, how are you?
I'm wonderful. How are you, Alexandra?
Great, I'm great. Thanks for asking and thanks for being here with us today on this cold day in Israel.
Well, it's always lovely to be in Israel. Thank you for having me.
You've mentioned it’s always great to be here in Israel. How many times have you been to Israel already?
Well, I am not Jewish and I'm not Israeli. I grew up in Canada, and I lived in Europe for many years. I'm a stand-up comedian and I was living in Europe doing comedy. I lived in Berlin for five years, and that's where I met Israelis. I started visiting here and doing shows here. I've probably come maybe, gosh, 10 times over the past five years. So I am a big supporter of Israel and the Israeli people.
Ten times in Israel. Is this the 10th or the 11th?
You can’t even count anymore!
So, do you have a gym membership, a local favorite bar—things like that? You said you met some Israelis in Berlin. Was that the turning point when you felt a connection to Israel?
Yeah, I was going through hard times in my life. I was once over 400 pounds—I was 192 kilos. I had a drinking problem, and a lot of my friends—my Jewish friends, my Israeli friends—they really helped me through it. I ended up losing 100 kilos. Obviously, now I’m very skinny, and so I’ve always felt a real connection to my Israeli friends. I learned so much from them about the country and about the conflict.
After October 7, when I saw the horrible amounts of antisemitism and the massive amount of propaganda against Israel and the subversion of the West, I did a video very shortly after October 7 confronting these activists who are pro-Hamas. That video sort of went viral, and I ended up becoming an accidental activist. I’ve been doing work with the hostage families. I moved to New York shortly after October 7—just by coincidence—and I’ve been living in New York, trying my best to help advocate for Israel in the West.
It’s not trivial—and that’s an understatement—to be a pro-Israeli activist. I assume you’ve got a lot of backlash on Instagram?
Well, I’m a stand-up comedian. Some of the best people who are standing up against the IRGC and against terrorism are either comedians or Iranian rappers. There’s a certain amount of license that you have as a comedian to boldly express yourself and to do so fearlessly. For me, I know in the long run, the truth will ultimately prevail because this pro-terror movement is so unhinged that eventually, people who have a sense of good versus evil will look for alternate sources, and the information will be there for them.
However, it seems like most internationally popular comedians tend to side with the other side.
Well, I think counterculture has gone too far. There’s this idea of counterculture always being the cool, dominant force in culture, but now we’ve seen how dangerous and unhinged it has become. I think that, with this eventual cultural swing toward the right—or more so just toward the center of liberal and Western values—that will change as well. But yes, Dave Chappelle has been a complete raging antisemite. He’s in the Nation of Islam. There have been a lot of anti-Zionist comedians in New York.
Jon Stewart, for example—he’s basically a communist. And Ilana Glazer has embraced the anti-Israel sentiment as if it’s cool or trendy to buy into this propaganda. Ultimately, Israel has been forced into a war. It’s really a war about the future of Western civilization. I think anyone with a heart, when they learn about the hostages and their families and the horrible situation Israel is facing—with Hezbollah, Iran, the IRGC, and all these proxies trying to destroy the entire nation—they’ll eventually understand. Ultimately, Israel will prevail when the information is out there for people.
How much time do you spend arguing with pro-Palestinian commenters on Instagram each day?
Well, ultimately most people who are deeply in denial about the issue have either blocked me or tuned me out. So I’ve decided to just keep pushing through, learn as much as I can and try to be a light for people. I want to be a leader for those who might be afraid to speak out against terrorism. We should all feel emboldened and OK in the Western world to stand against terrorism. A lot of people just don’t know enough about the conflict. They think it’s a back-and-forth thing when, in reality, it’s about Israel fighting for its survival. If we care about freedom, democracy and secular values, we should all stand with Israel.
I saw on Instagram that you went on a tour in Judea and Samaria. It’s very controversial, unfortunately, around the world. What kind of responses did you get?
For the most part, it was pretty positive. I wanted to go for educational purposes. A lot of people don’t understand what Judea and Samaria are all about and how the different territories work under the Oslo Accords. What people don’t realize, especially with anti-Israel propaganda, is that the issues people see are often small and amplified.
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For example, some conflicts involve only a few hundred people and are about shepherding or building small huts in certain zones. But people think that’s what Israel is. Israel is a country of 10 million people. In every nation, there are extremists or wackos, but it’s a very small issue here that’s amplified by far-left Israeli activists. Often, they provide the anti-Israel propagandists with the material they need to delegitimize the country. It’s important to put that into perspective.
You’re staying for a month here in Israel, right? Tel Aviv?
Yes, almost a citizen in "the Vive." I call it "the Vive" with all the beautiful, sexy Israeli men.
Are you considering moving to Israel?
I don’t know. Maybe. We’ll see if I can get a nice Jewish boy. We’ll see.
You’re going to try out new material in front of the Israeli audience. Why is the Israeli audience so unique?
Even though Israelis are facing an incredible amount of tragedy right now, they still have a love of life and an unbreakable will. The harder you hit them, the stronger they get. It’s important to laugh during these times and to feel that joy. I’ve been working on a new show that talks about these political issues. I hope to tour it overseas and throughout America. I wanted to build my confidence in the show while I’m here.
You’re going to have two shows in March?
Yes, on the 22nd and 27th at the LGBT Center in Tel Aviv. I’ll probably be doing more as well.
The Israeli people love to joke about everything, even serious stuff. Have you picked up any Israeli humor?
Israeli humor is unique and special. I do "sassy gay guy pro-Israel comedy," which is more my thing. I make fun of the pro-Hamas lesbians a lot. I had to deal with them while living in New York—it was a nightmare. I needed a break.
Have you picked up any Hebrew words?
I’m really bad with languages. Maybe “shalom.”
Daniel, thank you so much for being here, and good luck with the new material!
No problem. Thank you!
Are you in Israel in March and want to have some laughs with Daniel? His shows will be held at HaMeshulash Theater at the LGBTQ+ Center, Gan Meir, 7 Rabenu Tam St., Tel Aviv.