68 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 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! -
Episode 58: Free Palestine, with Hannah Moushabeck
In the midst of Israel's ongoing bombardment and genocide of Palestinians in Gaza, with currently over 9,000 dead and over 30,000 more more injured, under the pretense of taking out Hamas leadership since their attack on Israel on October 7th, we have on Palestinian-American kidlit author and activist Hannah Moushabeck to discuss the ongoing crisis and her career. Hannah is the author of Homeland: My Father Dreams of Palestine, a groundbreaking children's book that showcases Palestinian culture in Jerusalem through her father's regaling to her and her sisters. In the midst of so much tragedy, it is even more crucial to discuss Palestinian and other marginalized culture to keep it alive and strong. We also discuss how she and other Palestinians have been protesting for a ceasefire and an end to the occupation and Apartheid Israel imposes on Palestine, other Palestinian and Palestinian-adjacent art we enjoy, and much more.
Follow Hannah on Instagram @hannahmoushabeck
Decolonize Palestine
Support the Palestinian-American Medical Association (PAMA) and families in Gaza
6 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 57: Maryam Keshavarz on Telling "The Persian Version"
Before anything else, we would like listeners to know we have an episode on Palestine coming soon. In the meantime we're sharing donation links as we have done before.
As writer-director Maryam Keshavarz's The Persian Version has finally made its way to wide release in US theaters, we sit down with Keshavarz to discuss her semi-autobiographical dramedy film. Indeed it is the "Persian Version" of recounted family events, but just like our main protagonist Leila (Layla Mohammadi) in the film, we don't know everything! Stay tuned for our upcoming review of the film, as you enjoy our conversation with Keshavarz, and watch The Persian Version in theaters!
Decolonize Palestine
Donate to help families in Gaza
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, @MaeAbdu, @spiderswarz
Follow us on Instagram @TheMiddleGeeks
Subscribe to The Middle Geeks on Hard NOC Media
Please support us on Patreon! -
Episode 56: 'My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3' Review, Tragic News in Morocco, Libya, and Artsakh, and One Year of Iran Protests
It's a week of heavy and tragic news across the SWANA region, from a 6.8 earthquake in Morocco, devastating floods in Libya, another Armenian genocide underway in Artsakh, and the commemoration of Jina Amini's murder and its sparking of the "Woman, Life, Freedom" movement in Iran and Kurdistan and the diasporas. We discuss all of these topics and what you can do to help, and follow it up with a relatively lighthearted review of My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3, give our recommendations, and much more.
This podcast was recorded during the 2023 WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes. Without the labor of the writers and actors currently on strike, the movie being covered here wouldn’t exist. To support the WGA and SAG-AFTRA, donate to the Entertainment Community Fund.
Read Mae's review of the film for ScreenRant
Read Swara's review of the film for But Why Tho?
Donate to the Moroccan Red Crescent
Donate to the Libyan Red Crescent
Donate to Islamic Relief USA
Donate to CARE
Thread of donation links by Yasmine Jibril
Send money via Western Union
Kim Kardashian: My Plea to Joe Biden to Stop Another Armenian Genocide
CNN Report on Dire State of Artsakh
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 Instagram/Threads: @TheMiddleGeeks, @writerblocked20, @spiderswarz
Follow us on Instagram @TheMiddleGeeks
Subscribe to The Middle Geeks on Hard NOC Media
Please support us on Patreon! -
Episode 55: Indiana Jones Dials Up the CGI and Orientalism
With Indiana Jones and The Dial of Destiny's release, and taking place in Morocco, we simply have to review it. Our friends Nadia Osman and Zaina Ujayli join us once again to discuss Dial of Destiny, and whether it does better by North African peoples than it did in the past (spoiler alert: not so much.) Why does this keep happening, and why did director James Mangold dive into Orientalism and whitewashing once again? Also, why is there so much GGI? We also discuss the news of the Dune Part Two trailer and how its own appropriation and Orientalism of SWANA and Muslim cultural aspects is part of an ongoing narrative in Hollywood, give our recommendations, and much more!
Read Swara's Feature for The New Arab, 'Can Indiana Jones overcome its Orientalist Past?
Decolonize 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 Zaina on Twitter @zainaujayli and Nadia @msnadiaosman and on BlueSky @msnadiaosman.
Follow us on Twitter: @TheMiddleGeeks, @MaeAbdu, @spiderswarz, and follow Swara on BlueSky @spiderswarz.
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 🙂