We’re Not Kidding with Mehdi & Friends

Zeteo
  • 5.0 (97)
  • NEWS
  • UPDATED FORTNIGHTLY
We’re Not Kidding with Mehdi & Friends

We’re Not Kidding is a show where funny people talk about serious things, hosted by Zeteo founder and CEO Mehdi Hasan and regularly featuring internationally acclaimed comedian Bassem Youssef. Each episode, Mehdi is joined by a renowned guest host for a sometimes lighthearted, sometimes vulnerable conversation about topics they can't discuss anywhere else. zeteo.com

  1. Bassem Youssef, Unlike You’ve Ever Seen Him, on Hope, Despair, and A Year of Genocide

    1 DAY AGO

    Bassem Youssef, Unlike You’ve Ever Seen Him, on Hope, Despair, and A Year of Genocide

    This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit zeteo.com If you’ve been tuning into Zeteo’s flagship podcast, ‘We’re Not Kidding’ for the last six months, you’re going to find this one is a very special episode.  Bassem Youssef returns to WNK for an intimate and heartfelt conversation – one unlike you’ve ever seen on this show. It’s also a version of Bassem none of us, including Mehdi, have ever seen before. “I’m from a very, very, very deep point of desperation,” he tells Mehdi backstage at the Elgin and Winter Garden Theatre Centre in downtown Toronto. The two met up for this special recording right before Bassem went live onstage for one of the last shows of his sellout ‘Middle Beast Tour.’  It’s been a few months since Mehdi and Bassem last co-hosted WNK, and with so much that’s happened since then and the US elections just on the horizon, they had a lot to discuss: from trying to be hopeful versus feeling helplessness, to witnessing the impunity of Israel reach new heights, to whether the pro-Israel side can be defeated in the media or in Congress.  If you’re looking for a listen that will resonate, that will make you feel seen, after a very long and hard-to-watch year, tune in now. SUBSCRIBE TO ZETEO TO SUPPORT INDEPENDENT AND UNFILTERED JOURNALISM: https://zeteo.com/subscribe WATCH, LISTEN AND SUBSCRIBE TO ‘WE’RE NOT KIDDING’ ON SUBSTACK: https://zeteo.com/s/were-not-kidding-with-mehdi-and-friends FIND ZETEO: Twitter: https://twitter.com/zeteo_news Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zeteonews TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@zeteonews FIND MEHDI: Substack: https://substack.com/@mehdirhasan Twitter: https://twitter.com/@mehdirhasan Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/@mehdirhasan TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@mehdirhasan FIND BASSEM: Twitter: https://x.com/Byoussef Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bassem/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@bassem?lang=en CREDITS: Hosted by: Mehdi Hasan Guest Host: Bassem Youssef Executive Producer: Kiran Alvi Senior Producer and Editor: Frank Cappello Music: Andy Clausen Design: Alicia Tatone Mix Engineer: Valentino Rivera Title Animation: Ehsaan Mesghali

    36 min
  2. A Palestinian and a Jew Walk Into a Podcast - Sammy Obeid & Matt Lieb Reflect on the Oct. 7 Anniversary

    10 OCT

    A Palestinian and a Jew Walk Into a Podcast - Sammy Obeid & Matt Lieb Reflect on the Oct. 7 Anniversary

    This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit zeteo.com In the latest episode of ‘We’re Not Kidding’, Mehdi is joined by comedians Matt Lieb and Sammy Obeid to discuss the one-year anniversary of the October 7 attack by Hamas and Israel’s ongoing genocide in Gaza that followed. Matt, a Jewish-American, and Sammy, a Palestinian-American, share their personal experiences over the past year, including how they’ve managed to maintain their sense of humor through a year of intense violence and tragedy. SUBSCRIBE TO ZETEO TO SUPPORT INDEPENDENT AND UNFILTERED JOURNALISM: https://zeteo.com/subscribe WATCH, LISTEN AND SUBSCRIBE TO ‘WE’RE NOT KIDDING’ ON SUBSTACK: https://zeteo.com/s/were-not-kidding-with-mehdi-and-friends FIND ZETEO: Twitter: https://twitter.com/zeteo_news Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zeteonews TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@zeteonews FIND MEHDI: Substack: https://substack.com/@mehdirhasan Twitter: https://twitter.com/@mehdirhasan Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/@mehdirhasan TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@mehdirhasan FIND MATT: Twitter: https://x.com/mattlieb Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mattliebjokes/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@mattlieb FIND SAMMY: Twitter: https://x.com/SammyObeid Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sammyobeid/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@sammyobeidthem CREDITS: Hosted by: Mehdi Hasan Guest Hosts: Matt Lieb & Sammy Obeid Executive Producer: Kiran Alvi Senior Producer and Editor: Frank Cappello Music: Andy Clausen Design: Alicia Tatone Mix Engineer: Valentino Rivera Title Animation: Ehsaan Mesghali Special thanks: Stephen Wentzell

    48 min
  3. Make Nando’s, Not War - with Nish Kumar

    26 SEPT

    Make Nando’s, Not War - with Nish Kumar

    This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit zeteo.com In the latest episode of ‘We’re Not Kidding’, Mehdi’s in London (again!) and this time chatting with the Nando’s-loving comedian and host of ‘Pod Save the UK’ Nish Kumar. We promise you will laugh – and maybe even cry of laughter.  Nish and Mehdi lead with that - their shared love of Nando’s - and how, as Nish describes, it’s the only thing uniting a fragmented British society right now.  The two also get deep into what that fragmented society looks like: the far-right, racist-fueled riots that took hold of the country this summer where more than 1,000 people were arrested, the post-October 7 resurgence of Islamophobia and anti-Muslim sentiment (that feels a lot like the 9/11-era), and how it’s echoed across the pond, in the US.  Nish and Mehdi also talk biryani (who does it best), Gaza, Netanyahu and even Indian prime minister Narendra Modi.   SUBSCRIBE TO ZETEO TO SUPPORT INDEPENDENT AND UNFILTERED JOURNALISM: https://zeteo.com/subscribe WATCH, LISTEN AND SUBSCRIBE TO ‘WE’RE NOT KIDDING’ ON SUBSTACK: https://zeteo.com/s/were-not-kidding-with-mehdi-and-friends FIND ZETEO: Twitter: https://twitter.com/zeteo_news Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zeteonews TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@zeteonews FIND MEHDI: Substack: https://substack.com/@mehdirhasan Twitter: https://twitter.com/@mehdirhasan Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/@mehdirhasan TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@mehdirhasan FIND NISH: Twitter: https://x.com/MrNishKumar Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mrnishkumar/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@mrnishkumar CREDITS: Hosted by: Mehdi Hasan Guest Host: Nish Kumar Executive Producer: Kiran Alvi Senior Producer and Editor: Frank Cappello Music: Andy Clausen Design: Alicia Tatone Mix Engineer: Valentino Rivera Title Animation: Ehsaan Mesghali Special thanks to: Stephen Wentzell

    55 min
  4. "We've Hit a Tipping Point" - Riz Ahmed on Protest, Joy, and the Power of Story

    12 SEPT

    "We've Hit a Tipping Point" - Riz Ahmed on Protest, Joy, and the Power of Story

    This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit zeteo.com Mehdi is joined by Oscar-winning actor and producer Riz Ahmed for a high school reunion (yes, they went to school together back in London in the 1990s!) and catch up on life, work, and how the world has changed for brown folks since their childhood. They talk about Riz’s journey as an actor — from playing stereotypical roles to now creating his own work and championing the work of up-and-coming filmmakers.  “Representation within a broken system doesn't necessarily get us anywhere.” Riz tells Mehdi. “We need to build our own systems.” They also discuss Riz’s decision to speak out against Israel’s war on Gaza early on in the conflict, the Hollywood’s Artists for Ceasefire letter, and how much things have changed - or not! - from 9/11 to Oct. 7. Finally, Riz asks Mehdi to co-write his next rap song… SUBSCRIBE TO ZETEO TO SUPPORT INDEPENDENT AND UNFILTERED JOURNALISM: https://zeteo.com/subscribe WATCH, LISTEN AND SUBSCRIBE TO ‘WE’RE NOT KIDDING’ ON SUBSTACK: https://zeteo.com/s/were-not-kidding-with-mehdi-and-friends FIND ZETEO: Twitter: https://twitter.com/zeteo_news Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zeteonews TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@zeteonews FIND MEHDI: Substack: https://substack.com/@mehdirhasan Twitter: https://twitter.com/@mehdirhasan Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/@mehdirhasan TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@mehdirhasan FIND RIZ: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rizahmed CREDITS: Hosted by: Mehdi Hasan Guest Host: Riz Ahmed Executive Producer: Kiran Alvi Senior Producer and Editor: Frank Cappello Music: Andy Clausen Design: Alicia Tatone

    46 min

  5. 8 AUG

    ‘We’re Not Kidding’ Will Return in September with a Very Special Guest!

    ‘We’re Not Kidding’ will be taking a break during the month of August, but will return in September with new episodes and a very special guest host - check out Mehdi’s announcement video for a sneak peak!  ‘We’re Not Kidding’ launched just a few months ago, and has already had hundreds of thousands of people watch and listen, six amazing guest hosts, and a live show in DC in front of a studio audience with Zeteo’s paid subscribers.  If you haven’t had the chance yet, consider becoming a paid subscriber so you don’t miss any new episodes and can watch them without a paywall the moment they’re released – and get an invitation to future live events. Also, we’d love if you could please take a few seconds to rate and review ‘We’re Not Kidding’ on Apple or Spotify or wherever you listen to your podcasts - it helps other people find the show! SUBSCRIBE TO ZETEO TO SUPPORT INDEPENDENT AND UNFILTERED JOURNALISM: https://zeteo.com/subscribe WATCH, LISTEN AND SUBSCRIBE TO ‘WE’RE NOT KIDDING’ ON SUBSTACK: https://zeteo.com/s/were-not-kidding-with-mehdi-and-friends FIND ZETEO: Twitter: https://twitter.com/zeteo_news Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zeteonews TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@zeteonews FIND MEHDI: Substack: https://substack.com/@mehdirhasan Twitter: https://twitter.com/@mehdirhasan Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/@mehdirhasan TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@mehdirhasan CREDITS: Hosted by: Mehdi Hasan Executive Producer: Kiran Alvi Producer and Editor: Frank Cappello Music: Andy Clausen Design: Alicia Tatone This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit zeteo.com/subscribe

    3 min
  6. ‘We’re Not Kidding’ LIVE! - Alana Hadid & Mehdi on Palestine and the Fight for Liberation

    23 JUL

    ‘We’re Not Kidding’ LIVE! - Alana Hadid & Mehdi on Palestine and the Fight for Liberation

    This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit zeteo.com On this week’s special LIVE episode of ‘We’re Not Kidding,’ filmed in front of a studio audience in the Washington DC area, Mehdi is joined by activist, influencer and fashion designer Alana Hadid, who has been one of the most vocal advocates for the people of Gaza over the past nine months. Alana’s family is arguably the most famous Palestinian family on Earth, and the Hadids have received a ton of backlash - and a lot of threats - due to their outspoken criticisms of Israel’s genocidal campaign. Mehdi and Alana, who is also creative director for Watermelon Pictures, discuss her family’s history of being displaced from Palestine in 1948, the double-edged sword of speaking out on a massive social media platform, the experience of losing friends since October 7th, and why ‘hope’ shouldn’t be confused with ‘optimism.’ They also take live questions from Zeteo paid subscribers who were invited to the taping!  “If you have to defend me, you’re in the wrong room,” a defiant Alana tells Mehdi. SUBSCRIBE TO ZETEO TO SUPPORT INDEPENDENT AND UNFILTERED JOURNALISM: https://zeteo.com/subscribe WATCH, LISTEN AND SUBSCRIBE TO ‘WE’RE NOT KIDDING’ ON SUBSTACK: https://zeteo.com/s/were-not-kidding-with-mehdi-and-friends FIND ZETEO: Twitter: https://twitter.com/zeteo_news Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zeteonews TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@zeteonews FIND MEHDI: Substack: https://substack.com/@mehdirhasan Twitter: https://twitter.com/@mehdirhasanInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/@mehdirhasan TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@mehdirhasan FIND ALANA: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lanzybear/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@alanahadid?lang=en Watermelon Pictures: https://www.watermelonpictures.com/ CREDITS: Hosted by: Mehdi Hasan Guest Host: Alana Hadid Executive Producer: Kiran Alvi Producer and Editor: Frank Cappello Music: Andy Clausen Design: Alicia Tatone Special thanks to: Lara Strydom and Mohammed Abdelbary

    1h 4m
  7. "I Will Do the Right Thing for those Children in Gaza." - Hollywood Star Rob Delaney Speaks Out

    11 JUL

    "I Will Do the Right Thing for those Children in Gaza." - Hollywood Star Rob Delaney Speaks Out

    On this week’s episode of ‘We’re Not Kidding,’ Mehdi travels to London to speak with U.S. comedian, writer, and actor Rob Delaney, who has lived in the UK for the last 10 years. In this powerful, wide-ranging, and at times emotional conversation, Rob speaks with Mehdi about how the tragic loss of his 2 year-old son in 2018 drove him to speak out against Israel’s brutal assault on Palestinian children. “What I do not have in common with the people in Gaza,” Rob tells Mehdi, “is once my baby died, I did not have to worry about the safety of my other children.” They also discuss the rise and fall of Twitter, Rob’s role in the new Deadpool movie, the recent U.K. election results and the role of the NHS, and whether Joe Biden should stay in the presidential race (spoiler alert: Rob makes the case for him dropping out!). SUBSCRIBE TO ZETEO TO SUPPORT INDEPENDENT AND UNFILTERED JOURNALISM: https://zeteo.com/subscribe WATCH, LISTEN, AND SUBSCRIBE TO 'WE'RE NOT KIDDING' ON SUBSTACK: :https://zeteo.com/s/were-not-kidding-with-mehdi-and-friends FIND ZETEO: Twitter: https://twitter.com/zeteo_news Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zeteonews TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@zeteonews FIND MEHDI: Substack: https://substack.com/@mehdirhasan Twitter: https://twitter.com/@mehdirhasan Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/@mehdirhasan TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@mehdirhasan FIND ROB: Twitter: https://x.com/robdelaney Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/robdelaney/ CREDITS: Hosted by: Mehdi Hasan Guest Host: Rob Delaney Executive Producers: Misha Euceph and Kiran Alvi Producer and Editor: Frank Cappello Music: Andy Clausen Design: Alicia Tatone This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit zeteo.com/subscribe

    44 min
  8. The Missing 'Beheaded Babies' - Mehdi & Bassem Debunk Oct. 7 Lies

    2 JUL

    The Missing 'Beheaded Babies' - Mehdi & Bassem Debunk Oct. 7 Lies

    On this week’s bonus episode of ‘We’re Not Kidding,’ Bassem Youssef joins Mehdi for an honest and critical conversation about Oct. 7, and the avalanche of Israeli propaganda and lies that followed Hamas’ deadly attack. Bassem and Mehdi discuss and debunk a number of lies and distortions about the events on the day, from Israel’s controversial “Hannibal directive,” which led to the Israeli military killing a number of its own citizens, to the the now infamous “40 beheaded babies” and “babies in ovens” falsehoods that began to surface only days after the attack.  Bassem and Mehdi are also joined by NYU journalism professor and war correspondent Azadeh Moaveni, whose recent reporting went into detail about how sexual violence and claims of mass rape have been weaponized by supporters of Israel over the past eight months, and how the New York Times in particular misreported this incendiary story.  This episode includes discussions on sexual violence, the specifics of which may be disturbing or traumatizing for some viewers and listeners. Below is a list of resources for survivors of sexual violence. RESOURCES: * RAINN: National sexual assault hotline * Dart Center: Reporting on Sexual Violence * Poynter: 11 Resources for Responsibly Reporting on Rape SUBSCRIBE TO ZETEO TO SUPPORT INDEPENDENT AND UNFILTERED JOURNALISM: https://zeteo.com/subscribe WATCH, LISTEN AND SUBSCRIBE TO ‘WE’RE NOT KIDDING’ ON SUBSTACK: https://zeteo.com/s/were-not-kidding-with-mehdi-and-friends FIND ZETEO: Twitter: https://twitter.com/zeteo_news Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zeteonews TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@zeteonews FIND MEHDI: Substack: https://substack.com/@mehdirhasan Twitter: https://twitter.com/@mehdirhasan Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/@mehdirhasan TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@mehdirhasan FIND BASSEM: Twitter: https://x.com/Byoussef Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bassem/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@bassem?lang=en CREDITS: Hosted by: Mehdi Hasan Guest Host: Bassem Youssef Executive Producers: Misha Euceph and Kiran Alvi Producer and Editor: Frank Cappello Music: Andy Clausen Design: Alicia Tatone This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit zeteo.com/subscribe

    1 hr
See All (14)

5
out of 5
97 Ratings

About

We’re Not Kidding is a show where funny people talk about serious things, hosted by Zeteo founder and CEO Mehdi Hasan and regularly featuring internationally acclaimed comedian Bassem Youssef. Each episode, Mehdi is joined by a renowned guest host for a sometimes lighthearted, sometimes vulnerable conversation about topics they can't discuss anywhere else. zeteo.com

Information

More From Zeteo

You Might Also Like

To listen to explicit episodes, sign in.

Stay up to date with this show

Sign in or sign up to follow shows, save episodes and get the latest updates.
Select a country or region

Africa, Middle East, and India

Asia Pacific

Europe

Latin America and the Caribbean

The United States and Canada