Beltway Banthas

Latest Episodes:

Ep #25: The State of the Podcast Address Mar 16, 2017

Show notes

To inaugurate 25 episodes of Beltway Banthas, we sit down to talk about the evolution of the podcast. In a fun and free-wheeling conversation we share some of our favorite moments doing this show and what we have learned along the way. Also on the menu for this weeks episode, Stephen and Swara dig into Star Wars news and updates including The Last Jedi, Empires End and the upcoming Thrawn novel. Stephen shares how he is missing out on a chance to hang with Snoop Dogg, and goes over a few upcoming changes with work and the podcast.

Ep #24: The Imperial Conundrum Mar 02, 2017

Show notes

Most Star Wars fans love the Empire to one degree or another. They’re orderly, professional, and have the best fashion sense in the Galaxy. But is our love for them misplaced? Are we so enamored with Emperor Palpatine, Darth Vader, and their subordinates that we forget they were based on real life fascist regimes? Why do we love villains anyway if they’re so awful? To discuss this challenging topic, we spoke with Dr. Andrea Letamendi of Lattes with Leia and Tyler Westhause of the Star Wars Podcast Alliance, two ardent Imperial fans. We discuss the extent to which we should take the fascist parallels seriously, why we all love the bad guys, and how the Empire can teach us about historical authoritarian regimes. You can find Dr. Letamendi and Tyler on Twitter @ArkhamAsylumDoc @twesthause You can email the show at BeltwayBanthas@gmail.com Tweet and follow us @BeltwayBanthas Or connect with us on Facebook! Connect with the hosts on Twitter @Stephen_Kent89 @SwaraSalih1

Interview: Alexandra Petri (Washington Post) Feb 23, 2017

Show notes

The next in our interview series! This week, we speak with Alexandra Petri, columnist and satirist for The Washington Post. She and Swara talk about keeping up with the crazy politics of the day, how it affects satire, her love of Star Wars, parallels between the real and Star Wars political worlds, and so much more! Listen to the conversation that is sure to lighten up your day and make the daily political craziness much more palatable. For more of her humor, follow Alexandra @petridishes on Twitter and her blog the ComPost!

Ep #23: Beltway Banthas Meets NPR Politics Feb 16, 2017

Show notes

This week Beltway Banthas was joined by Tamara Keith & Scott Detrow of the NPR Politics Podcast. In a conversation any political and public radio junkie won't want to miss, we dive into the politics of Star Wars and some of Star Wars most enduring cultural themes that resonate with people from 1977 to today. We start by catching up with friend of the show and White House Correspondent for NPR, Tamara Keith, previously featured for a interview on Beltway Banthas. She shares her thoughts on Rogue One the finality of its characters, Tarkin's reanimation and her experience seeing the movie. Later we're joined by Scott Detrow, who Congress for NPR. These two are well known for their Star Wars fandom and they didn't disapoint. We discuss the confusing aspects of Star Wars politics, Rogue One's political message (intended and unintended), the role of Disney in Star Wars future and also the political parallels from Star Wars to today. We want to thank NPR, Scott Detrow and Tamara Keith for welcoming us into their studio and sharing their insights with us about politics and Star Wars. It was a real blast and we hope you enjoy the conversation. You can find Tamara and Scott on Twitter @TamaraKeithNPR @ScottDetrow And check out the NPR Politics Podcast on iTunes and @NPRPolitics

Ep #22: Don't Tax My Trade Routes Bro Feb 02, 2017

Show notes

This week Stephen and Swara discuss the key points of the article “Star Wars Politics Part Two: The Right Side Strikes Back.” How does the franchise reach out to and inspire conservative audiences? Did Star Wars take any inspiration from family values, limited government, and other issues on the political right? Also on this weeks jam packed episode: We connect with our friend Michael O’Connor (@oconnoblog) on his article “Phantom Menaces: Star Wars Tribalism.” We also discuss the Women’s March and the presence of Princess/General Leia on the resistance and feminist signs, the new Episode VIII title The Last Jedi and much more. This extra long episode of Beltway Banthas is one you won't want to miss. Piece by Becky Sharp: https://www.retrozap.com/star-wars-politics-right/ Tribalism by Mike O Connor: https://www.retrozap.com/star-wars-tribalism/ We are going to be launching bonus content soon for subscribers to a super not-so-secret email list. Sign up here: eepurl.com/cxPyoX

Interview: U.S. Congressman Derek Kilmer Jan 26, 2017

Show notes

This interview with U.S. Congressman Derek Kilmer is a continuation of the Beltway Banthas interview series! Stephen spoke with U.S. Congressman Derek Kilmer (D) of the state of Washington's 6th District in his DC office. This conversation is a landmark for Beltway Banthas because it is our first chat with a sitting member of Congress It was nothing short of honor to be on Capitol Hill talking Star Wars with someone as busy as Derek Kilmer. We want to thank him and his staff for making it possible. Get in touch with everyone on the show! Leave us a review on iTunes and tell us what you think of the show! Subscribe and connect with us on Twitter: @Stephen_Kent89 @BeltwayBanthas @RepDerekKilmer

Ep #21: You Might Be A Separatist If.... Jan 19, 2017

Show notes

This week on Beltway Banthas we discuss the Confederacy of Independent Systems AKA The Separatists. The theme of disenchantment with government is never more relevant than in 2017, so we dug back into the prequel era to discuss this movement, why it happened and who was involved. To better understand this era we are joined by Dennis Keithly of the podcast STARSHIPS, SABERS and SCOUNDRELS. Follow him on Twitter linked below. We are going to be launching bonus content soon for subscribers to a super not-so-secret email list. SIGN UP HERE: eepurl.com/cxPyoX You can reach us on the show by email at BeltwayBanthas@gmail.com On Twitter: @BeltwayBanthas @Stephen_Kent89 and our guest Dennis Keithly @DJKver2 Please share our show with a friend, review us on iTunes and shoot us some feedback. We grow in quality everytime someone reaches out to tell us what they liked.

Interview: Cheston Lee (Hillary For America) Jan 12, 2017

Show notes

This week as a continuation of our interview series, Stephen spoke with Cheston Lee, a listener of the show and fmr staffer for the Hillary Clinton 2016 campaign. It is an illuminating conversation on many levels regarding politics and Star Wars fandom, and we know you will enjoy it! Cheston Lee hails from Brooklyn, NY where he lives with his partner James, two mischievous cats and a lot of in box Power of the Force action figures. Cheston worked on the Hillary for America Technology team as a Software Engineering Manager and believes you can still enjoy the Empire while fighting to save The Republic. Cheston is currently trying to catch up on a year's worth of internet Snoke theories. You can reach us on the show by email at BeltwayBanthas@gmail.com On Twitter: @BeltwayBanthas @Stephen_Kent89 and our guest Cheston Lee @Cheston. Please share our show with a friend, review us on iTunes and shoot us some feedback. We grow in quality everytime someone reaches out to tell us what they liked.

Ep #20: The Politics of Rogue One Jan 04, 2017

Show notes

We are back! To kick off 2017 we catch up on all the feelings we have about Rogue One, the passing of Carrie Fisher, and we of course dive into the rich politics of Rogue One. Joining us for this episode is Tirso Perez, you might know him as the missing host of Beltway Banthas! For the main segment of the show, the politics of Rogue One, we discuss: Rogue One and multiculturalism Star Wars in the Trump era Meaningful quotes from the film with a political tinge Rogue One's portrayal of democracy and anti-establishment politics and lastly Faith in Rogue One and culture. Listener emails this week were from Ross Brown, Nick DiCo, Isaiah Leslie and Landen Kennedy. Thanks so much for your thoughts on galactic politics. And stick around after the show for a little song by Stephen. You can email the show at BeltwayBanthas@gmail.com Tweet us @BeltwayBanthas Or connect with us on Facebook Hosts can be found on Twitter! @Stephen_Kent89 @SwaraSalih1 @ItsJustTirso Beltway Banthas is a RetroZap podcast!

Ep #19: Rebellion & Radicals Dec 14, 2016

Show notes

It’s finally here! Our pre-Rogue One episode! As we get increasingly amped up to see the film, Stephen Swara, and special guest Brittany Hunter delve into a discussion of why rebellions and revolutions occur. To do this we look at case studies including the American Revolution and the Arab Spring, and compare these events to the formation of the Rebel Alliance. We also speculate on what motivates individuals to rebel, and at what point they may be compelled to join movements they were once reluctant to support. Social movements are complicated, so we attempt to dissect that in this special 90 min episode. Leading up the main segment of the show we welcome Joseph Tavano of RetroZap to the show to explain how he started up the website that is now home to Beltway Banthas. Stephen and Swara also address white supremacists and their attempt to boycott Star Wars using #DumpStarWars and also what it means that Bob Iger (Disney CEO) is lending his advice to the incomingTrump administration. Join Beltway Banthas in saying…. #IRebel and have a great week celebrating the release of Rogue One. FOLLOW US ON TWITTER @BeltwayBanthas @stephen_kent89 @SwaraSalih1 @Britt_the_wit Email the show at BeltwayBanthas@gmail.com and please leave us a review on iTunes. This makes a huge difference for the growth of the show. Beltway Banthas will take a holiday break and return on January 12th!

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