In Part 2 of our conversation with comic and content creator Reem Edan, Arabs in Media unpacks some of Reem's upbringing, her temporary move to Iraq, and how to show up to help others when you feel your mental health won't allow you.

In probably the first-ever Iraqi-manned tri-lingual podcast of mostly English sprinkled with some Arabic words and a couple of entire phrases in Spanish, enjoy some of our topics:

- How a "fart spray" video launched her father into stardom and the video series of expressions in Iraqi Arabic
- How her baba's videos led to a pseudo-rivalry of videos with her mom.
- What is "75 Hard," how has it changed Reem and if there should be an age cap for host Hazem Jamal
- The joys and benefits of fake Kraft cheese in a can imported from Arab countries
- Test the quality of your headphones to see if you can hear Reem's stomach growl while we talk about food
- Reem's history with her weight condition, and how Iraqis being famous comedy roasters affected her
- Saddam sightings and the Saddam Mustache comeback
- Iraqi generational trauma, unrelated to weight struggles or being roasted by your family, or Saddam mustache sightings, and how it connects to optimism
- The difference between finding opportunities and having the courage to admit what you want

It was a joy to share a conversation with Reem Edan, generous in spirit, laughs and kindness. She has a gift to make you feel happy. I hope you enjoy it too.

PS: This episode is dropping on my birthday, and if you enjoyed this episode, but even if you didn't, I'm asking you for a donation to the PCRF, helping children in Palestine and across the Middle East throughout this genocide. The PCRF created the first pediatric cancer department in Palestine and need all the help they can get to help the most devastated population of children we’ve seen in my lifetime. Here's the link:

https://www.facebook.com/share/1AeuKW118z/

Our Shoutout Links from this episode:

https://www.npr.org/2024/11/21/nx-s1-5154097/documentary-no-other-land-looks-at-palestinians-forced-from-homes-in-the-west-bank

Reem's Shoutout:

https://www.betweeneast.com/

https://www.instagram.com/betweeneast/

Thanks for supporting independently produced content with Arabs in Media, find us on Substack to stay connected.

Send a text message with any feedback. I won't see your number, and I can't reply, but it is a way to leave a comment. Or, you can send a message on Substack or IG @ ArabsinMedia

About the host:

Hazem Jamal is a first-generation Iraqi-American who worked in as a programming exec in American radio for many years.

Hazem founded Arabs in Media to offer an independent platform for new stories, information and entertainment missing in corporate media.

Support independent media: To join the Arabs in Media community, sign up at the free Arabs in Media Substack for more multi-media content, and email notifications for new episodes dropping.

https://arabsinmedia.substack.com/

Instagram @arabsinmedia

Featured media and social links here:

https://linktr.ee/arabsinmedia

Support Operation Olive Branch, providing humanitarian assistance to families devastated by g-cide:

https://linktr.ee/opolivebranch

You know Reem Edan from her viral videos with her Iraqi baba (father), later her mother, but also a from her exceptional Stand-Up comedy career. In this episode of Arabs in Media, we meet one of the funny fresh voices in media, while we explore the nuances of Iraqi culture and identity, and the role of humor in bridging cultural gaps.

Reem and host Hazem Jamal delve into Iraqi heritage, exploring the cultural significance of food and family expectations. Hear about Reem's journey to discovering her purpose, and how making people laugh wasn't the original path she followed when she moved to LA to work in entertainment.

In the first of two episodes with Reem Edan, we'll test Reem to see how Iraqi is she, and hear where the notion of confidence factored in to pivotal moments of decision, and what "networking" really means. Hope you enjoy the fun time we had, and if you're Iraqi, or a child of immigrants, that you find the relatability of our special struggles is what you needed for a break today.

About our guest:

Reem Edan is an Iraqi-American comedian, content creator, award-winning writer and actress based in Los Angeles. Her performances have captivated audiences globally, performing in nine countries across four continents, while amassing tens of millions of views online for her character-driven sketches and culture-bending commentary.

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/reemedan/

All her links: https://linktr.ee/reemedan

Send a text message with any feedback. I won't see your number, and I can't reply, but it is a way to leave a comment. Or, you can send a message on Substack or IG @ ArabsinMedia

About the host:

Hazem Jamal is a first-generation Iraqi-American who worked in as a programming exec in American radio for many years.

Hazem founded Arabs in Media to offer an independent platform for new stories, information and entertainment missing in corporate media.

Support independent media: To join the Arabs in Media community, sign up at the free Arabs in Media Substack for more multi-media content, and email notifications for new episodes dropping.

https://arabsinmedia.substack.com/

Instagram @arabsinmedia

Featured media and social links here:

https://linktr.ee/arabsinmedia

Support Operation Olive Branch, providing humanitarian assistance to families devastated by g-cide:

https://linktr.ee/opolivebranch

The co-founder of the National Arab Institute and the author of the upcoming book “The History We Carry,” Mariam Sallam tells us the story of how one journalist in Gaza sat with Mona, a young girl who had just witnessed her mother being killed by the IDF. The journalist gave the child some crayons and paper, and the trauma and depiction of her mother's killing came out on the makeshift canvas.

From there, the Bulletproof Dreams Exhibit was a mission to bring the most traumatized humans on the planet today, Palestinian children; their art and drawings of their experience under an active genocide, to light. After an exhibit in Turkey, the goal has been to show their stories to American audiences.

Mariam discusses the viral video of the imagined genocide Remembrance Day in 2040, how it impacted social media and what came of it, and how Mariam as a data scientist could no longer pursue 9-5 work amidst the atrocities on these children, and her focus on bringing their stories to light.

Our conversation is wide-ranging, including Mariam's advice for Arabs on how to best serve their culture and roots.

Our links this week:

See the art from Bulletproof Dreams:
https://www.kursungecirmezdusler.com/en/

Help support bringing Bulletproof Dreams to the US and tell the childrens' stories:
https://www.launchgood.com/v4/campaign/bulletproof_dreams_gaza_child_painters_exhibit?src=3055904

Our guest Mariam Sallam's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/msallam227/

Thanks for listening to Arabs in Media, and independent podcast and Substack, and remember, habibi, genocide is always wrong.

-Hazem Jamal

Send a text message with any feedback. I won't see your number, and I can't reply, but it is a way to leave a comment. Or, you can send a message on Substack or IG @ ArabsinMedia

About the host:

Hazem Jamal is a first-generation Iraqi-American who worked in as a programming exec in American radio for many years.

Hazem founded Arabs in Media to offer an independent platform for new stories, information and entertainment missing in corporate media.

Support independent media: To join the Arabs in Media community, sign up at the free Arabs in Media Substack for more multi-media content, and email notifications for new episodes dropping.

https://arabsinmedia.substack.com/

Instagram @arabsinmedia

Featured media and social links here:

https://linktr.ee/arabsinmedia

Support Operation Olive Branch, providing humanitarian assistance to families devastated by g-cide:

https://linktr.ee/opolivebranch