Hard NOC Media

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Channel • 7 Shows

Science Fiction

Science Fiction

Series
TV & Film

TV & Film

Updated Monthly
TV & Film

TV & Film

Updated Weekly
TV & Film

TV & Film

Updated Semiweekly
Hobbies

Hobbies

Updated 11/15/2022
Performing Arts

Performing Arts

Updated Weekly
Society & Culture

Society & Culture

Updated Monthly

05/08/2025

Episode 73: '#1 Happy Family USA' Review

The Simpsons, South Park, Family Guy, American Dad, and more all-American animated adult tv comedies have graced our screens for decades, mercilessly interrogating the all-American life and if it's all it's cracked up to be. But rarely do we get one of these series from an Arab and Muslim perspective, until now with Ramy Youssef and Pam Brady's #1 Happy Family USA, featuring the Egyptian-American Hussein family, including young insecure Rumi (Ramy Youssef), his wildly insecure father Hussein (also Ramy Youssef), his caring and overburdened mother Sharia (Salma Hindy), overachieving and closeted older sister Mona (Alia Shawkat), conservative Grandpa (Azhar Usman), and niqabi and free-spirited Grandma (Randa Jarrar). Set in the early 2000s in New Jersey, right around an astronomically horrible national event, we watch the Hussein family deal with the outlandish racism, surveillance, and Islamophobia every single day, and their own outlandish efforts to deal with it. All characters and the animation style were designed by Iraqi-British data journalist Mona Chalabi. Joined by our friend Nadia Osman, we discuss the series and why it's a landmark for SWANA and Muslim representation, the great casting news about Lee Cronin's The Mummy, give our recommendations, and much more. Spoilers for all of #1 Happy Family USA throughout Donate to Anera Donate to help Sudanese people feeling geopolitical violence Support the Palestinian American Medical Association (PAMA) and families in Gaza Islamic Relief USA: Support Families in Palestine Our music is composed by Ashley Hefnawy. You can find more of her music here. We are a proud member of the Hard NOC podcast family. Swara's interview with Nadia and Ali Nasser on Lee Cronin's The Mummy Follow Nadia on BlueSky @msnadiaosman.bsky.social Follow us on Twitter: @TheMiddleGeeks Subscribe to The Middle Geeks on Hard NOC Media Please support us on Patreon!

05/08/2025

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1h 26m
09/26/2022

284. 'Andor' Can Never Be Too Emo

The three-episode premiere of Andor is finally here, and Britney, Keith, and Dominic have thoughts! They break down everything they love about the latest, and potentially greatest, Star Wars property -- including the everyone's favorite Emo droid --and why it's nice to finally have a Star War that f*cks. Later, Keith interviews Friend of the NOC Marc Bernardin about his various projects and his 10-year podcasting adventure and friendship with Kevin Smith. Get a FREE one-year supply of immune-supporting Vitamin D AND five FREE travel packs with your first purchase of Athletic Greens by visiting https://athleticgreens.com/EMERGING This episode is also sponsored by Goli. Use the code HARDNOC to get 10% off and Free Shipping on your order at https://go.goli.com/hardnoc All this and more on Hard NOC Life! Watch it on your screen, hit "play," and check this. Subscribe to all of the podcasts in the Hard NOC Media family on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, NPR One, Spotify, and now on Stitcher Radio! Support us on GoFundMe and Patreon! Buy merch on TeePublic! Subscribe to our YouTube channel! As always, our official theme music is brought to you by the super team of Adam WarRock and Chops.

09/26/2022

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1h 26m
02/12/2024

Episode 62: 'Assassin's Creed Mirage' Review and Updates on Gaza

We welcome back our friends Jasmin and Isa to discuss Assassin's Creed Mirage, a sprawling action-adventure game from Ubisoft set in 9th Century Abbasid Baghdad, that tells the story of Basim Ibn Ishaq (Lee Majdoub) and his mentor Roshan (Shohreh Aghdashloo). We go into detail on why this game is the the best Iraqi, Arab, Persian, Muslim, and SWANA representation we've ever seen in gaming, and why the story and setting resonated with us so much. Beware of spoilers later the conversation. We also discuss the tragic news of the unfolding Israeli genocide in Gaza, and what we can keep doing to support Palestinians and work towards a Free Palestine. Full Spoilers for the ending of Assassin's Creed Mirage from 1:01:00-1:17:31 Come join us at our panel at Awesome Con in Washington, DC, 'The State of SWANA Representation in Pop Culture,' March 9th, 2:30-3:15 at the Walter E. Convention Center! Decolonize Palestine Support the Palestinian American Medical Association (PAMA) and families in Gaza Six ways you can support Palestinians in Gaza Islamic Relief USA: Support Families in Palestine Masha Gessen's piece in The New Yorker: 'In the Shadow of the Holocaust' Swara's piece on Assassin's Creed Mirage for But Why Tho? Swara's interview with Shohreh Aghdashloo for But Why Tho? Swara's interview with Lee Majdoub and Narrative Director Sarah Beaulieu for But Why Tho? Our music is composed by Ashley Hefnawy. You can find more of her music here. We are a proud member of the Hard NOC podcast family. Follow us on online @TheMiddleGeeks Follow Jasmin online @jasminjoestar Follow Isa online @evilcleverdog Subscribe to The Middle Geeks on Hard NOC Media Please support us on Patreon!

02/12/2024

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1h 37m
JAN 27

Episode 76: SWANA Oscar Nominations and Awesome Con 2026 Announcement

Happy(ish?) New Year! We're back with a discussion on the 2025 Oscar Nominations and the groundbreaking Palestinian, Iranian, and Moroccan films that were nominated. The Palestinian and Tunisian The Voice of Hind Rajab, the Iranian and French It Was Just an Accident, and the Moroccan and Spanish Sirat each received a nomination for Best International Feature, while writer-director of It Was Just an Accident Jafar Panahi received a nomination for Best Original Screenplay. Covering genocide, oppression, and so much more, so much of SWANA set filmmaking is tragic, but the filmmakers always make powerful art to memorialize and honor our various struggles. Congratulations to all the filmmakers. We also have an exciting update about our panel return to this year's Awesome Con, March 13-15, in DC! Swara's review of The Voice of Hind Rajab for But Why Tho? Donate to Anera, UNRWA, and The Sameer Project Decolonize Palestine Donate to help Sudan Support the Palestinian American Medical Association (PAMA) and families in Gaza Islamic Relief USA: Support Families in Palestine Our music is composed by Ashley Hefnawy. You can find more of her music here. We are a proud member of the Hard NOC podcast family. Follow us on BlueSky @MaeAbdu, @spiderswarz Subscribe to The Middle Geeks on Hard NOC Media Please support us on Patreon!

Jan 27

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40 min
12/15/2021

Charlene Buckles & Dan Wu | KY

We are joined by Charlene Buckles and Dan Wu, hosts of Louisville Public Media's Where Y'all Really From podcast, this month on Southern Fried Asian. Charlene and Dan talk about the origins of their podcast and what it means to be a Kentuckian in 2021. This episode was recorded before the devastating tornadoes that swept through Kentucky. If you would like to help survivors of the storms, please visit this resource at WFPL: https://wfpl.org/heres-how-you-can-help-tornado-victims/ Subscribe to the Southern Fried Asian podcast on iTunes, Google Play, NPR One, Spotify, and Stitcher Radio! Support Hard NOC Media on Patreon and GoFundMe. Buy merch on TeePublic! Subscribe to our YouTube channel! Also, welcome new listeners who have found this podcast because Vanity Fair named it an "essential AAPI listen!" Our official theme music is the song "Top Down" by Chops, Timothy Flu, and Mic Barz. Podcast logo by Jef Castro. Southern Fried Asian is produced by Keith Chow and Jes Vu.

12/15/2021

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55 min
03/23/2018

Episode 105: Ricanstruction with Edgardo Miranda-Rodriguez

On Hard NOC Life, we continue Ricanstruction week on The Nerds of Color as Edgardo Miranda-Rodriguez joins the show to talk about the origins of the anthology. Originally announced in the New York Times, Ricanstruction brings together over 100 artists, writers, and celebrities telling stories of Puerto Rico's past, present, and future, including crossovers between DC characters and La Borinqueña. In addition to discussing the aftermath of Hurricane Maria -- and how a conversation with Dan Didio at New York Comic-Con led to an arrangement to feature DC Comics super heroes in the anthology, they talk about the importance of intersectionality, social justice, and representation. Another Ricanstruction preview can be found in The Village Voice. Ricanstruction will be available in stores everywhere on May 23. You can pre-order it on Amazon or use the Diamond code JAN189143 when ordering through your local comic shop. All this and more on Hard NOC Life! Watch it on your screen, hit "play," and check this. Subscribe to all of podcasts in the Hard NOC Media family on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, and NPR One! As always, our official theme music is brought to you by the super team of Adam WarRock and Chops.

03/23/2018

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32 min
12/18/2019

Jamie Noguchi | DC

Happy Holidays! Not only is it Christmastime, but this is also Jamie Noguchi week on Hard NOC Media! Before he appears on a special Rise of Skywalker focused edition of Hard NOC Life, Jamie is also Keith's guest on this month's Southern Fried Asian. Jamie and Keith start by negotiating the southern bona fides of the DC-Maryland-Virginia region, otherwise known as "The DMV" (1:15). Jamie then reflects on what it was like growing up in Montgomery County in a less-than-diverse school (5:30), how nerd culture went from being welcoming to being toxic (8:30), and when he started to interrogate his Asian American identity (15:00). Later, Jamie extols the virtues of practice over talent (20:00) and reflects on the moment he decided to be an artist (27:30). Then Jamie shares some details on a new project he's collaborating on with Jeremy Whitley (36:30), before he and Keith reminisce about working on SIUniverse-related projects (40:20) and the secret origins of Super Art Fight (45:30). Finally, they explain why Chinese sausage and Panda Express is the best (52:30). Subscribe to the Southern Fried Asian podcast on iTunes, Google Play, NPR One, Spotify, and Stitcher Radio! Support Hard NOC Media on Patreon and GoFundMe. Buy merch on TeePublic! Our official theme music is the song "Top Down" by Chops, Timothy Flu, and Mic Barz. Podcast logo by Jef Castro. Southern Fried Asian is produced by Keith Chow and Jes Vu.

12/18/2019

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57 min
07/23/2024

Episode 67: Star Wars: The Acolyte Season 1 Review

Leslye Headland's The Acolyte, streaming on Disney+, is unique in more ways than one. As one of the most diverse Star Wars series, in front of and behind the scenes, with writers like the SWANA and Turkish Kor Adana, it presents a bold story in the era of The High Republic, showcasing the mistakes made by those in power and the reverberations for our main characters. Namely, twins Osha and Mae (Amandla Stenberg), Jedi Master Sol (Lee Jung-jae), Qimir (Manny Jacinto), as well as many others. To dive into this series and what it's trying to say, we have back on Arezou and welcome Noor. As both are High Republic fans, they bring invaluable insight into the discussion, as the series sets the backdrop for The Acolyte. What stood out to us? Does the series do a good job of portraying the Jedi Order? What does it have to say about how we view this universe and good and evil? We dive into all of that, give our recommendations, and much more. SPOILERS for The Acolyte throughout Follow Arezou on social media @ArezouAmin and follow Noor @nimblenoor Donate to help Sudanese people feeling geopolitical violence Decolonize Palestine Support the Palestinian American Medical Association (PAMA) and families in Gaza Six ways you can support Palestinians in Gaza Islamic Relief USA: Support Families in Palestine Our music is composed by Ashley Hefnawy. You can find more of her music here. We are a proud member of the Hard NOC podcast family. Follow us on Social Media: @TheMiddleGeeks, @spiderswarz Subscribe to The Middle Geeks on Hard NOC Media Please support us on Patreon!

07/23/2024

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1h 14m
11/10/2023

Episode 59: "The Marvels" Review

The Marvels is here, bringing our favorite superhero Kamala Khan (Iman Vellani), AKA Ms. Marvel, into the cinematic spotlight! But how well does it do her journey as a character, and how do the other leads of Carol (Brie Larson) and Monica (Teyonah Parris) fare? Our friends Isa and Maryam join us once again on the podcast to review the film, analyzing what how it did and didn't do things well and where we expect Kamala to go from here. We dive into a larger conversation on the MCU overall, give our recommendations, and much more. Spoilers for The Marvels throughout Read Swara's review of The Marvels for The New Arab Read Maryam's review of The Marvels for Nerdist Follow Isa on social media @EvilCleverDog Follow Maryam on social media @curious_maryam Follow Swara on social media @spiderswarz USCPR: Find a Protest: Stop the Gaza Genocide Decolonize Palestine Support the Palestinian American Medical Association (PAMA) and families in Gaza Six ways you can support Palestinians in Gaza Islamic Relief USA: Support Families in Palestine Our music is composed by Ashley Hefnawy. You can find more of her music here. We are a proud member of the Hard NOC podcast family. Follow us on Twitter: @TheMiddleGeeks Follow us on Instagram @TheMiddleGeeks Subscribe to The Middle Geeks on Hard NOC Media Please support us on Patreon!

11/10/2023

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1h 9m
09/30/2022

Episode 43: 'Ramy' Season 3 Review

Tariq Raouf joins us once again to review the third season of Ramy, out on Hulu now! Where do we find Ramy Hassan (Ramy Youssef) this season after the terrible things he did at the end of Season 2? How well does the show depict Palestine and Jerusalem? What do we make of the other characters' journeys this season? Before our Ramy discussion, we also discuss the Iran Protests, news from the MCU, and the abhorrent cancellation of Grendel from Netflix. We also give our recommendations and much more in this jam-packed episode. Spoilers for all of Ramy Season 3 throughout Check out Tariq's Nerdist article on the problematic inclusion of 'Sabra' in the MCU Read Tariq's interview with Hiam Abbass and Ramy Youssef for the AV Club Watch Swara's interviews with the Ramy Cast for Nerds of Color Check out Mae's coverage of TIFF Our music is composed by Ashley Hefnawy. You can find more of her music here. We are a proud member of the Hard NOC podcast family. Follow Tariq on Twitter @tariq_raouf Follow us on Twitter: @TheMiddleGeeks, @MaeAbdu, @spiderswarz Subscribe to The Middle Geeks on Hard NOC Media Please support us on Patreon

09/30/2022

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1h 43m

Hard NOC Media is a collective of podcasts and multimedia content produced by and/or affiliated with The Nerds of Color.