A 12-Year-Old Egyptian Boy Flabbergasts An Interviewer. They Weren't Expecting A Political Genius.

[JaneyVee]

This 12-year-old Egyptian boy is putting together some very complex arguments against the Muslim Brotherhood's attempt to grab power in Egypt. If you think he's just regurgitating a script or something, watch him answer a question about gender equality at 1:57.

[corkhead]

1. I'm flabbergasted myself

wow, if only we had elected representatives in this country that had as good a grasp of our pressing political issues as this 12 year old does his.

[Benton D Struckcheon]

2. Holy crap. n/t

[leeroysphitz]

3. Can this be real? I mean that kid could have been talking about comic books or something and I would

never know it but if it is real then it is VERY encouraging and very impressive.

[tblue37]

22. Pretty sure it's not real. I posted an explanation down below of what seems to be happening.

As a severely hearing impaired person who reads lips, I am extremely attentive to the lower part of a person's face when they speak (even when I don't know the language--because it's a powerful habit).

I noticed that his mouth and chin were weird--sort of pixillated--especially toward the very end of the video. I watched several times--and , yes, it does seem to be faked, sort of the way they used to insert real speaking mouths into the old Crash Cargo animations--and the way Conan O'Brian's running gag used to do.

[Baitball Blogger]

4. You're all being fooled. He is really saying, "I like turtles."

Seriously, though. He's brilliant.

[Fantastic Anarchist]

5. Annnnnnnd that kid is my new hero.

Wow, just wow.

And we have the likes of Honey Boo Boo.

[nadinbrzezinski]

9. You know what is sad

The other day I finally got that reference.

[Fantastic Anarchist]

10. LOL, me too!

[nadinbrzezinski]

14. We are covering comic con

I got news releases up the ying yang We won't cover honey booboo, though I don't remember seeing her..rather we are going for women who broke into sci if, bullying, and education. Ok, we included one Shlock story...humane society, Star Wars and pet adoption. I know my readers.

[Fantastic Anarchist]

17. Where are you going to have this?

I'd like to read it. Sounds interesting.

[nadinbrzezinski]

18. The East County mag

As well as the local radio station, maybe.

I might find some time to blog too...it's like a very long weekend it s as intense as covering a bad fire actually, without topographical maps

[Fantastic Anarchist]

19. Could you provide a link. Is it out now ...

... are you still writing it up?

[nadinbrzezinski]

25. We have the pre trolley story

http://www.eastcountymagazine.org/node/13606

The rest...the insanity starts tomorrow

[Fantastic Anarchist]

28. Awesome. Thanks!

I'll bookmark to read tomorrow at work.

[Wait Wut]

6. Friggin YAY!!!!

Ladies and gents, the future of our world. There are more like him, I just know it!

Keep them safe. Let them learn. Love them and protect them and they will be the true saviors.

[BOG PERSON]

7. wary when he accuses islamists of buying votes with sugar and cooking oil

i mean its certainly possible - and if you think about it, still an improvment over what goes on in the US, where avg citizens are encouraged to donate what-ever they can (alongside the great american monopolies - er, i mean stakeholders) to either of the parties

but it reminds me of rw opposition movements that charge leftish governments with giving handouts to the hordes of useless eaters

but otherwise i can't find anything else to disagree with. smart kid.

[RebelOne]

8. Totally amazing. Such wisdom from someone so young.

He is going to be a fantastic husband for some lucky girl one day when he is an adult.

[RedCappedBandit]

11. Wow, that kid rocks.

Smarter and more aware than 99% of the adults I encounter.

[zentrum]

12. 2 million hits on youtube

...as of yesterday. My one worry for this extraordinarily brilliant and justice-imbued kid is--is he safe in Egypt now with so much exposure?

[Coyotl]

13. World-wide, people are waking up to political reality!

And the young people are coming of age with a new global perspective.

[DirkGently]

15. Oh my god. Can he be OUR President?

[Heather MC]

29. Sure we can still use Obama's fake birth Certificate a few more times

Before the Right Wing catches on

[tallahasseedem]

16. This young man is smarter than...

every single sitting Republican in office right now.

Absolutely amazing!

[tblue37]

20. Fake. The lower part of his face is being manipulated. It

is not the boy's mouth that is speaking.

Remember the old Crash Cargo animations: still pictures with moving mouths stuck in? Conan O'Brian used to have something like them as a running gag on his show. That is what is going on here. They took the video of the boy, then dubbed in the questions and an adult's mouth and chin speaking over the lower part of his face.

[hopemountain]

23. but the voice is that of a child.

we shall see.

[tblue37]

24. Maybe, maybe not. Women's voices are often used as the voices

of children in animated movies. Many women sound like adolescent or preadolescent boys.

Bright kids can also read from scripts written by adults, if they can't find a woman whose voice sounds like a 12-year-old boy's.

[hopemountain]

26. with respect to your hearing impairment,

i KNOW what i heard. please be respectful of my experience. thank you. that is not a woman's voice - not even the voice of the woman child who still has the intonations of a 5 year old as a result of traumatic abuse at an early age.
my experience.

[thesquanderer]

31. You mean Bart Simpson hasn't been voiced by a 10 yo boy for 24 years? (n/t)

[Papa]

27. I don't think so. Looks real to me

Watched it back again, and it's nothing like the Conan bits. The face wasn't moving around like this video is, it was straight on shots with the Conan bits, and they sometimes had difficulty with the mouth staying in one spot. This kid is all over the place, and it would be difficult to match the mouth with all the movements. It's not the best quality video, but I don't see enough here to question that it's fake.

[Bryn]

32. If you read comments left at YouTube link

There are several Arabic speaking commenters there that said he spoke just what English subtitle shows. I think it's for real.

[DhhD]

21. The VOICE of the People is needed when the vote fails.

[Spitfire of ATJ]

30. Ever watch "Are you smarter than a 5th grader?"