72 episodes
The Middle Geeks Hard NOC Media
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- TV & Film
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5.0 • 21 Ratings
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Mae and Swara are two writers and geeks of West Asian (IE Middle Eastern) descent who discuss and review all things Southwest Asian and North African (SWANA, ie "MENA") representation each month, along with other entertainment topics. Come join us as we highlight positive depictions of SWANA people in popular media, review the latest popular releases, and just have a fun time nerding out.
Follow us @TheMiddleGeeks, @MaeAbdu, @spiderswarz
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Episode 64: LIVE at Awesome Con (Washington D.C.)!
Joined by our friends Darya Bajestani, Roxana Hadadi, Ali Nasser, and Zaina Ujayli (while sadly missing Mae!), we're live at D.C.'s premier comic-con, Awesome Con! In this panel of SWANA writers, scholars, artists, and actors, we will discuss how we grew up feeling or not feeling represented, how Hollywood has constantly Orientalized our peoples, excluded us, and appropriated our cultures, where we see signs of improvement, our favorite examples of SWANA representation and SWANA creators in pop culture today, and what Hollywood needs to do to have our peoples represented more broadly and positively across pop culture.
Check out the panel on The Nerds of Color YouTube channel
Rocky's analysis of Dune 2 for Vulture
Decolonize Palestine
Support UNRWA
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
Follow Rocky on Twitter @roxana_hadadi
Follow Ali on social media @TheAliNasser
Follow Darya on social media @rorvkk
Follow Zaina on social media @zainaujayli
Follow us on social media: @TheMiddleGeeks
Subscribe to The Middle Geeks on Hard NOC Media
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.
Please support us on Patreon! -
Episode 63: 'Dune: Part Two' Review
Roxana Hadadi joins us once again to review the Dune franchise, now with Dune: Part Two in theaters. In a franchise that appropriates so much from SWANA and Muslim cultures, does the second installment improve on that regard, or does it continue to appropriate and Orientalize? But even beyond that, does Denis Villeneuve effectively convey the meaning of Frank Herbert's original text, and its warning against hero worship? Or have audiences taken the wrong message with this latest installment? We discuss all of those aspects, talk about what you can do to help Palestine, give our recommendations, and much more.
Rocky's analysis of Dune 2 for Vulture.
Come join us at our panel at Awesome Con in Washington, DC, 'The State of SWANA Representation in Pop Culture,' March 9, 2:30-3:15 at the Walter E. Convention Center!
Decolonize Palestine
Support UNRWA
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
Follow Rocky on Twitter @roxana_hadadi
Follow us on social media: @TheMiddleGeeks
Subscribe to The Middle Geeks on Hard NOC Media
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. -
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! -
Episode 61: ‘The Persian Version’ Review on the Eve of Yalda
On the eve of Yalda, the Iranian Winter-Solstice, we review writer-director Maryam Keshavarz's The Persian Version with our friends Arezou and Samira. How well does Keshavarz do at portraying a unique yet universal experience through Leila (Layla Mohammadi) and her mother Shireen (Niousha Noor)? How does intergenerational trauma shape our familial relationships, and what can we do for healing? We also discuss Yalda as a holiday and why we celebrate it, discuss the ongoing genocide in Gaza, give our recommendations, and much more.
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 Arezou on Twitter @ArezouAmin
Follow Samira on Twitter @samira_says
Follow Swara on Twitter @spiderswarz
Follow us on Twitter: @TheMiddleGeeks
Follow us on Instagram @TheMiddleGeeks
Subscribe to The Middle Geeks on Hard NOC Media
Please support us on Patreon! -
Episode 60: "Squire" Through the lens of Palestine with Nadia Shammas
We welcome back Palestinian-American Harvey award winning comic and video games writer, Nadia Shammas, to discuss their critically acclaimed graphic novel Squire, which takes place in an a SWANA/MENA fantasy setting, through the lens of Palestine in the midst of the IDF's ongoing genocide of Palestinians in Gaza. We discuss Nadia's upbringing in both Palestine and the US, how the current crisis has unpacked her and her family's generational and personal traumas, and how she incorporated those experiences into Squire. Nadia gives her take on the current crisis, and we also discuss being a Palestinian writer in the superhero comics space, and how certain corporations may be missing the mark on what BIPOC audiences want from them. We also give our recommendations, and much more.
Note that this discussion has some story spoilers for Squire.
Follow Nadia on Instagram @NadiaShammas and on Twitter @NadiaShammas_, and buy their graphic novels Squire, Where Black Stars Rise, and Confetti Realms, and buy the game Thirsty Suitors on whatever game system you own.
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! -
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!
Customer Reviews
Entertaining, Informative, Worth A Listen
Perhaps one of the most entertaining and engaging podcasts I’ve listened to-AND an educational one as well since it tackles all aspects of MENA culture in film and television. Give it a listen!
Informative & Entertaining
I love the casual and friendly dynamic between the hosts, which is paired perfectly with genuinely scintillating discussions that never fail to teach me something or give me a new perspective on a topic I was already familiar with. The latest episode on Dune was particularly enlightening, and I respect their commitment to elevating MENA voices in art and the industry. Can’t wait for more episodes! 💜
Brilliant Critical Opinions and Lots of Fun!
Awesome podcast with some fantastic topics, and fresh perspectives!
Keep up the great work 🙂