TV & Film
**Beltway Banthas**

Beltway Banthas is a monthly Star Wars podcast about the intersection of Star Wars and politics. Host, Stephen Kent, draws from politics IRL and connects the big problems we face to lessons in the Star Wars universe. Whether it be discourse about redemption, empathy, humility or hot button topics ranging from racial justice to cancel culture, Beltway Banthas takes it all on.

Latest Episodes:

Ep #49: The People's Star Wars ft. Anthony Breznican Feb 01, 2018

Show notes

In our latest episode delving into the politics of The Last Jedi, we are joined by Entertainment Weekly's Anthony Breznican to discuss populism in the film! Do we use this term correctly? Are we actually seeing what is traditionally known as "populism" in the film? What does it really mean for common people to rise to power? We tackle all these questions and more!

Beltway Banthas Interview: Star Wars author Ken Liu Jan 25, 2018

Show notes

Hello Banthas! This week we are excited to be joined by renowned science-fiction and fantasy author Ken Liu. His short stories have appeared in F&SF, Asimov's, Analog, Lightspeed, Clarkesworld and he recently debuted in Star Wars canon helming The Legends of Luke Skywalker. Ken joined our producer John Liang for a call where they discuss his background, Asian themes in Star Wars and the experience of adding to the new universe.

Ep #47: Wealth, War and Canto Bight Jan 18, 2018

Show notes

It's the first of our in-depth discussion on The Last Jedi. This week we discuss the politics of Canto Bight! Joining us to discuss is political scientist Seth Masket! We discuss war profiteering, socioeconomic inequality, whether we think the sequence carries apt allegories, partisan interpretations of the sequence, and much more!

Beltway Banthas Interview: Emperor Trumpatine Jan 11, 2018

Show notes

Hello Banthas and welcome to our first interview of 2018! This week we had the distinct honor of meeting the real humans behind the curtain of @RealTrumpatine, Twitters most prolific Star Wars and politics account. Every day the Emperor Trumpatine account pumps out amazing comedic content echoing whatever President Trump is Tweeting that day. It has kept us laughing from 2015 to today. This has been a year in the making, so meet Dan Udell and Tom Hunt, the two halves of the Trumpatine brain.

Ep #46: OMG The Last Jedi Jan 04, 2018

Show notes

We’re back from our holiday hiatus! Stephen and Swara FINALLY offer their first spoiler-filled thoughts on The Last Jedi. This is the first of many episodes we’ll be having on this deeply layered film. In this episode, we touch all our favorite parts and hangups. We also overview its many political themes and list out what we’ll be talking about in the coming weeks.

In this episodes Bantha Fodder segment, we kick off our new Patreon Bantha Fodder series patron Isaiah Leslie, who sent in his own Fodder from his home out in California.

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 | @SwaraSalih1

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We want to hear from you! You can send us your thoughts on the show and topics at BeltwayBanthas@gmail.com.

If you like this episode, check out our previous one!

Beltway Banthas & Friends: Live Show in Arlington Dec 14, 2017

Show notes

Beltway Banthas is all about bringing people together - so this week we did just that. Past guests of the show, GOP pollster Kristen Soltis Anderson (host of The Pollsters Podcast), Ben Domenech (The Federalist), Tamara Keith & Scott Detrow (NPR Politics) gathered at the Arlington library in Virginia to share their love of Star Wars.

Ep #45: Operation Cinder & Star Wars Polls Dec 07, 2017

Show notes

What did the Empire do in the days and weeks following Return of the Jedi? It's not a simple happy ending. The Emperor left orders for Operation Cinder, a brutal campaign that would leave countless dead and the groundwork laid for the First Order. This week we discuss Operation Cinder and real world parallels.

Ep #44: The Last Jedi's Political Intrigue Nov 30, 2017

Show notes

The galaxy is total upheaval! The events of Episode VII left the political order of Star Wars in a fascinating state of disarray. This week on Beltway Banthas the crew looks at The Last Jedi and it's political questions. This is an episode of speculation, intrigue and analysis about a movie we are all dying to see.

An Important Message From Beltway Banthas Nov 23, 2017

Show notes

Happy Thanksgiving! Beltway Banthas is taking this week off to connect with family & friends, but we did want to speak to you on this holiday. First, we want to thank you! This audience is amazing. We also share things we are thankful for in Star Wars and politics, as well as read your Tweets. Finally...some important announcements about the future of the show. Stick around for those in this holiday broadcast.

Interview: Clayton Sandell of ABC News Nov 18, 2017

Show notes

Clayton Sandell is a digital news reporter and correspondent for ABC News. You may know his work during the launch of Rogue One: A Story Wars Story when ABC went behind the scenes to see how Tarkin was brought back to life.

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If you like this episode, check out our previous one!

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