We're Not Kidding with Mehdi & Friends

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

Alana Hadid, an activist and fashion designer, passionately advocates for Palestinians, sharing her family's history of displacement. She discusses the emotional toll of losing friends and the balance of hope versus optimism. The conversation dives into the role of social media in activism and the complexities of travel to Israel. Alana also addresses the impact of U.S. foreign policy on the Palestinian struggle and highlights the importance of amplifying marginalized voices. Throughout, humor and community support shine at this live event.

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

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

On the new episode of 'We're Not Kidding,' Mehdi is joined by stand-up comedian, actor, and social justice advocate Amanda Seales for an unfiltered conversation about Palestine, and the cultural backlash for speaking out against genocide and U.S. imperialism. Amanda, who has Palestinian family members, has been a vocal proponent for Palestinian liberation over the last eight months, at great professional cost. She and Mehdi discuss the culture of fear in Hollywood - and the pressure on her own career for speaking out on Gaza - and why the term "liberal" needs to be redefined. They also talk about Jerry Seinfeld's recent interventions on the Middle East - and whether George Costanza would have been as problematic. "I just think you're misusing the word 'liberal.' They're not progressive. You know, 'liberal' at this point just means 'I'm not okay with bad things as long as they don't inconvenience me.'" 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 AMANDA: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amandaseales/ Website: https://www.amandaseales.com/ CREDITS: Hosted by: Mehdi Hasan Guest Host: Amanda Seales Executive Producers: Misha Euceph and Kiran Alvi Producer and Editor: Frank Cappello Music: Andy Clausen Design: Alicia Tatone

Stand-up comedian, best-selling author and acclaimed TV host W. Kamau Bell joins Mehdi as co-host of 'We're Not Kidding' this week. They discuss the student protestors, who join a long line of American anti-war demonstrators, as well as the police's use of brute force against them. Mehdi and Kamau also examine the censorship of pro-Palestinian voices in the media and Hollywood, why Batman is politically problematic, and the cynical "defanging" of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. since his death. "People celebrate [Dr. King] as a hero and forget the part where he was assassinated," says Kamau. "He didn't die of old age… He was assassinated and many people were happy he was assassinated." 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 KAMAU: Twitter: https://x.com/wkamaubell Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wkamaubell/ Substack: https://wkamaubell.substack.com/ CREDITS: Hosted by: Mehdi Hasan Guest Host: W. Kamau Bell Executive Producers: Misha Euceph & Kiran Alvi Producer and Editor: Frank Cappello Music: Andy Clausen Design: Alicia Tatone

Bassem Youssef joins Mehdi to discuss religious extremists and red cows with spiritual power. They delve into illegal settlements in the West Bank, end of times prophecies, and the intertwining of religious and political ideologies. The conversation covers controversial events involving Christian evangelicals in the US and the dangers of extreme interpretations of religious doctrine. They explore the weaponization of religion for political gain, highlighting the complexities of merging religious beliefs with political decisions.

Comedian Sammy Obeid joins Mehdi to discuss student protests, DNA tests, misinformation, comedy's power, and stand-up. They explore history, slogans, and changing perspectives, urging listeners to join Obeid's tour.

Mehdi and guest Bassem Youssef discuss brown parents' views on their careers, media coverage of Gaza, fame for the right reasons, and Mehdi's new hoodie. They explore the challenges in Gaza, American influence, Biden's actions, coping mechanisms, and the importance of speaking out against manipulation in media.

Introducing Zeteo's flagship podcast, 'We're Not Kidding,' 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 for a sometimes lighthearted, sometimes vulnerable conversation about topics they can't discuss anywhere else.