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. <br/><br/><a href="https://zeteo.com/s/were-not-kidding-with-mehdi-and-friends?utm_medium=podcast">zeteo.com</a>
Following the (depressing) results of the 2024 US presidential election, Mehdi is joined by comedians Amanda Seales and Francesca Fiorentini for a (funny) post-post-mortem on Democrats’ historic shellacking. They discuss the Harris campaign’s many mistakes, from cozying up to Republican neocons, to abandoning Bernie Sanders-style populism, to inexplicably hiding their only cool person, Tim Walz.
“Let's stop taking these lessons from Republicans about what the Democrats did wrong,” an incensed Francesca tells Mehdi. “You're the ones who walked us in the lion's den of Trumpism in the first place!”
The three also explore how Trump was able to increase his support with Black, Latino, and Muslim voters, Joe Rogan’s appeal to “fragile men” on the internet, whether Hawk Tuah girl should interview Noam Chomsky, and they list out their greatest fears of a second Trump presidency, such as violent vigilantism and RFK Jr. being in charge of milk. Yeah, MILK.
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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/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheAmandaSeales/featured
Website: https://www.amandaseales.com/
FIND FRANCESCA:
Twitter: https://x.com/franifio
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/franifio/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@franifio
CREDITS:
Hosted by: Mehdi Hasan
Guest Hosts: Amanda Seales & Francesca Fiorentini
Executive Producer: Kiran Alvi
Senior Producer and Editor: Frank Cappello
Music: Andy Clausen
Design: Alicia Tatone
Mix Engineer: Valentino Rivera
Title Animation: Ehsaan Mesghali
It’s less than a week until the 2024 US presidential election and who better to discuss the government with than ‘Parks and Rec’ star and comedian Nick Offerman. The last time Mehdi spoke with Nick about current events was back in May 2021, right before Nick was to testify before Congress about the Covid-19 vaccine. More recently, Nick released a couple of comedic songs to encourage Americans to vote for Kamala Harris and defeat Donald Trump (hopefully) forever.
Mehdi and Nick rant about the Donald Trump x Elon Musk teamup and the influence of corporate money on our media and politics. "The corporate interests that generally own the mainstream media so that no matter what messaging you get, it's never the fully straight dope,” Nick tells Mehdi. “You can count the politicians in Congress who aren't taking corporate money on two fingers.”
Mehdi asks Nick about his recent role playing the president of the United States in Alex Garland’s hit film ‘Civil War’ and what Americans can learn from the cautionary tale about the waning days of a civil war fought on US soil. When discussing Trump, Nick humorously describes in graphic detail what he imagines the former president does on his golden toilet. They finish the conversation discussing the strengths and flaws of the Harris campaign, including her stance on Gaza and US arms sales to Israel.
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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 NICK:
Twitter: https://x.com/Nick_Offerman
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nickofferman/
CREDITS:
Hosted by: Mehdi Hasan
Guest Host: Nick Offerman
Executive Producer: Kiran Alvi
Senior Producer and Editor: Frank Cappello
Music: Andy Clausen
Design: Alicia Tatone
Mix Engineer: Valentino Rivera
Title Animation: Ehsaan Mesghali
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.
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FIND ZETEO:
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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
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.
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FIND ZETEO:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/zeteo_news
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zeteonews
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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
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.
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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
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…
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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
‘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!
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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
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.
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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
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!).
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FIND ZETEO:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/zeteo_news
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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
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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
Amanda is a wife. A mother. A blogger. A Christian.
A charming, beautiful, bubbly, young woman who lives life to the fullest.
But Amanda is dying, with a secret she doesn’t want anyone to know.
She starts a blog detailing her cancer journey, and becomes an inspiration, touching and
captivating her local community as well as followers all over the world.
Until one day investigative producer Nancy gets an anonymous tip telling her to look at Amanda’s
blog, setting Nancy on an unimaginable road to uncover Amanda’s secret.
Award winning journalist Charlie Webster explores this unbelievable and bizarre, but
all-too-real tale, of a woman from San Jose, California whose secret ripped a family apart and
left a community in shock.
Scamanda is the true story of a woman whose own words held the key to her secret.
New episodes every Monday.
Follow Scamanda on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen.
Amanda’s blog posts are read by actor Kendall Horn.