Ramy – Atlantic City

By: Ariba Bhuvad

After learning Zainab (MaameYaa Boafo) is interested in getting to know him with the intent of marriage, Ramy (Ramy Youssef) and her begin talking on the phone and eventually FaceTiming one another. They’re not hanging out alone because Islamically it wouldn’t be proper, so this is their only option. Zainab suggests going to the diner and hanging out with friends together, but, of course, Ramy isn’t exactly on board with that idea.

Ramy tells Zainab that he really likes her but he promised the Sheikh (Mahershala Ali) that he would tell her certain things about him before they really started to get to know each other. He opens up about having a lot of sex before and how he’s watched a lot of porn. There is even regret for having sex with people he shouldn’t have, but Zainab isn’t interested in knowing all these details. She gets his vibe and knows he has a past, but she is only interested in who he is becoming. Their relationship continues to grow as they FaceTime each other. She shows Ramy around her house (not that he’ll ever see it) and plays the piano for him while he continues to convince her about hanging out alone. After all, they went to Connecticut together alone. Despite not hanging out alone, Ramy feels good about Zainab and confides in her that he feels closer to God when he’s around her. 

While reading the Quran, Ramy gets a call from Steve (Steve Way) telling him to pack his bags and come outside. He, Mo (Mohammed Amer) and Ahmed (Dave Merheje) want to go to Atlantic City for Ramy’s “bachelor” party, even though he’s said nothing about getting married yet. Since he’s been talking to Zainab exclusively for a month, Mo believes he’s as good as married. Plus, he thinks doing the bachelor party right before the wedding is a stupid idea. Not to mention, he will be doing virtual Umrah (Islamic pilgrimage) later that night and wants to get all the sins he can get in before washing them away.

Ramy isn’t too eager to go and do haram (forbidden) stuff, but Steve won’t stop emotionally blackmailing him, saying he won’t ever see Ramy once he’s married. Eventually, Ramy caves in very reluctantly as long as they don’t do anything that is haram. 

They arrive in Atlantic City and find out Steve got them rooms in a grimy hotel called The Love Atlantic Hotel, it was the only one left in the area. Unfortunately, it’s 45 minutes away from the main strip but Ramy is more than happy to be that far because it means fewer distractions. He begins suggesting things they can go do like going to a magic show but everyone rejects the idea. Instead, they want to go to a strip club, which they think is less haram than the strip club. Ramy has no desire to go but once again gets emotionally blackmailed into going. 

Before heading out, Ahmed walks around the casino floor, tempted to use one of the slot machines for fun. He’s too wary of doing anything haram so he asks a random guy (Sean McNay) to push the button for him, if he ends up winning Ahmed will let the guy keep the winnings. Lo and behold, the guy wins $1400! 

At the strip club things feel pretty uncomfortable and Ramy is extremely annoyed at being there. He refuses a lap dance, but gets one anyway. Instead of taking in the fun of it, he starts talking about the marriage culture and how the parents have to meet, etc. Everyone else is annoyed at Ramy’s “Debbie Downer” attitude, so much so that even Ahmed tells him to stop behaving like that. 

Having had enough of the strip club, Ramy interrupts Steve’s lap dance and says they are leaving. They all start arguing as Ramy brings up religion and says this place isn’t good for any of them or the people that work there. One of the employees (John Dinello) shows up and asks them to stop bringing up religion in the middle of a strip club because it’s bringing down the mood and has them kicked out. Ramy has no issues with being kicked out and is, in fact, more than happy to leave even though no one else wants to. 

Leaving the strip club backfires on Ramy because as soon as they get back into their hotel room Steve starts writhing in pain. Because he didn’t come, it builds up and in his condition it becomes extremely painful. Steve isn’t able to masturbate himself which is why the whole Atlantic City idea sounded fun to him, especially because the nurse that does it for him has been on maternity leave. Thanks to Ramy cockblocking him, Steve is now in pain and needs to find someone to relieve him. Ramy suggests Tinder but Steve rejects the idea,and then he says he can try helping him. At first, Steve refuses to let Ramy feel some sort of vindication for doing this favor for him and doesn’t want Ramy to use it as an excuse to wash his sins away. But after realizing no one is going to trek out in the snow, Steve has no option but to let Ramy. First, they try to use a towel, but it gives him a rug burn. Then they use a pillow, which doesn’t quite do the trick. With no other options left, Ramy has to get Steve off with his own bare hands. It’s not exactly the non-haram weekend he was hoping for. 

While Ramy and Steve are getting closer than ever have before, Mo and Ahmed are both doing virtual Umrah in their room. They’re overcome with emotion and are crying and praying while Ramy, who didn’t want to be there in the first place, is having to jack off their friend. Unfortunately, it was not the bachelor party Ramy was thinking of or even wanted.