July 11, 2024 • 21 mins
In this episode, Karol interviews Siraj Hashmi, co-host of the Habibi Brothers podcast and creator of "The List." They discuss a variety of topics, including personal experiences, the influence of media on society, and cultural issues. Siraj shares humorous anecdotes about his friendship with his podcast co-host and their podcast's origins during the COVID-19 lockdowns. He also talks about the creation of "The List," a humorous ranking of social media blunders. The Karol Markowicz Show is part of the Clay Travis & Buck Sexton Podcast Network - ew episodes debut every Monday & Thursday.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:06):
Hi, and welcome back to the Carol Markowitz Show on iHeartRadio.
I'm still on vacation, so no monologue today, but stay
tuned for an interview with Siraj hush Me. Thanks for listening.
Welcome back to the Carol Markowitz Show on iHeartRadio. My
guest today is Siraj Hushmi, co host of the Hibibi
(00:28):
Brothers podcast and creator of the list The List comes
for all. Hi, Siaj, So nice to have you on.
Speaker 2 (00:34):
Hi, Carol, thanks for having me. You also forgot lover
of Mujahad.
Speaker 1 (00:38):
Well, I thought we weren't going to get into that,
but okay, that's the other brother on the Brothers podcast
is Jahead and he's been working out, so I I
you know, and I made the comment on his Instagram
with his like, you know buff picks that Siraj is
(01:00):
a lucky man.
Speaker 2 (01:04):
I am indeed a lucky man, as I got to
see that transformation firsthand.
Speaker 1 (01:10):
I hate my friends start working out.
Speaker 2 (01:12):
That's like the worst, right, Yeah, I'm I'm like basically
scrambling around to take care of an infant and he's
just going to the gym getting cut every day. And
my dad Bod is just you know, evolving into new
a new stratosphere.
Speaker 1 (01:28):
Really, but dad bods are in. I mean, they remain
in even though I can't.
Speaker 2 (01:34):
I can't front it's it's not the worst thing to
happen to me. If I had to get fat because
of having a baby, I'll take that.
Speaker 1 (01:43):
Yeah, it's pretty good, I mean, among all the reasons.
And again, apparently women are into it. You know, although
what I always found kind of like ridiculous about that
is that Leonardo DiCaprio is like the dad bod hero
and he has no kids. He is not a dad,
he's not married, like he just got for no reason.
Speaker 2 (02:01):
You would think that Leonardo DiCaprio's priorities would completely shifty
if he had kids. Like, my perspective on everything changed
since I had kids. And it's one of those things
where like I don't care about what anybody like thinks
about me. Yeah, I got I got my I got
my girls. I'm good.
Speaker 1 (02:21):
That's I mean, that's really what it is all about.
I you know, I think that that's the most amazing
thing that can happen to a person, that you end
up not caring about anything else, and it's you know,
pretty wonderful.
Speaker 2 (02:34):
So you, but it also like sets it. Yeah, it
also like kind of sets you see the dichotomy though,
between people who don't have kids and the people who do,
and the ones who don't oftentimes try to. I mean,
like you look at Randy Winingarten, head of the American
Teachers Union, like she's completely like like trying to take
(02:56):
control of everyone's kids. It's I mean, I don't understand,
like if only they had kids, they would I feel
like they would understand. Yeah, what it's like that everybody
who's opposing them actually thinks like because you don't know
it until you actually have one.
Speaker 1 (03:13):
Yeah. Absolutely, And you know she tried to paint like
her wife's kids, who were grown up by the time
they got married. She tried to be like I helped
raise them like they were thirty. You didn't help raise them.
Speaker 2 (03:27):
I paid for their college.
Speaker 1 (03:30):
I don't even think so. I think maybe she paid
for like their old age home because.
Speaker 2 (03:33):
Like they're they're the graduate school.
Speaker 1 (03:36):
Yeah, so how did you get into this world? How
did you become a Habibie brother?
Speaker 2 (03:40):
Oh wow, that's a long story. The too long dinner
reversion is I worked as a political journalist first kind
of several different startups. Eventually got a break at Serious
XM Radio ten years ago, back in twenty fourteen. Wow,
I can't believe it's been that long, as an associate
producer on the PO Channel, which they brand themselves as
(04:03):
a nonpartisan political channel, you know, political talk show channel.
But you and I both know that's pretty much just
like neo lib like soft liberal, soft left. But you know,
I loved everyone I worked with there. It was funny
because right before Trump hired Steve Bannon, I would run
into him in the hallways all the time, and it
(04:24):
was like a it was a five to nine am gig.
And then I went to do my full time job
at a different startup. So I landed at The Washington
Examiner in twenty sixteen, and that's kind of how I
built a bit of a name for myself. And I
worked on the commentary desk and under Tim Carney, who's show.
(04:46):
He's a great guy. Loved him, And basically I just
went independent in twenty twenty one because I was doing
I was doing my own podcast on on the Examiner
and during COVID lockdowns. Bb Bros sort of started up
in April twenty twenty, so Jay and I kind of
(05:09):
you know, I mean I remember COVID lockdowns, like everybody
was bored as hell, Like there was like nothing to
do with So Jay and I were like, you want
to just do you want to just like do a
stream and just see how it goes. We did the
first one, the first episode on Instagram Live, and then
we got some good tractions, are like, all right, let's
just keep doing this every week, see how it goes,
and then it just built into something like four years later,
(05:32):
an absolute monster. We we ended up taking a hiatus
at least in the around April and May this year,
just because I wanted to spend more time with family
and Jay had to focus on some stuff. Yeah so yeah, yeah,
like working out, it takes up a lot of time.
So we'll hopefully get back together. I'm hoping in the fall,
(05:55):
just in time for you know, when election season really
heats up. And yeah, it's it's It's been a joy
to work with with Jay because he's like he's we're
very yang and yang of each other. He's very he's
very laid back. But if you listen to his rants
on the show, you're like, my god, what is what
(06:18):
did this Guy's just drink like three monsters before the show.
Like he's just sometimes so intense, but it's great. I
love it.
Speaker 1 (06:25):
Do you guys? Were you friends like in real life
before all this?
Speaker 2 (06:29):
So here's a wild thing. Jay and I, uh, we
became friends on Twitter and we found out that we
had a lot in common, Like both of our mothers
are from the US. Who are who converted to Islam?
His mother's from Arkansas, minds from Connecticut. His dad his
dad is from Lebanon, and my dad's from Pakistan, So
like very similar like upbringing, Like he spent time abroad
(06:52):
just like I did. He spent time in Abu Dhabi
and the Emirates, while I spent a good part of
my upbringing in Lahore, Pakistan. Even though we were both
born in the US, we spent a lot of time
abroad and sort of so we have a lot of
a lot of that in common. In fact, it got
scarily close back in like two thousand and five where
(07:16):
because Jay grew up a little bit in Oklahoma and
my family moved to Oklahoma in two thousand and five
and ended up Yeah, we ended up going to the
same mosque, but like in different years of each other,
and we both knew the same mom at the time.
Who was there. I think he's still there, but it
was it was just it was early. It was very weird, funny. Yeahah,
(07:41):
so when my parents met his mom.
Speaker 1 (07:44):
It was like the family intro. You really are yeah,
and to be together.
Speaker 2 (07:48):
Yeah yeah, my wife thinks it's hilarious, but but yeah,
it was like, uh, this is this is a nice
boy here, and I want you to meet I want
you to meet my son. To me, he comes someone
go to family.
Speaker 1 (08:01):
So the parents liked each other and they liked they
liked him.
Speaker 2 (08:04):
Oh yeah, no, they love Jay. I think. Actually the
next time I think my folks saw Jay was probably
i'd say within the last six months because he was
he Yeah, because Jay came out to live with me
in Florida for a little bit and he's back in
California now. But during that time, it was like we
(08:27):
were trying to like really make the show happen before
we went on hiatus. And yeah, like my parents came
to visit a couple of times. So yeah, they still
get along great. It's just like it's like having it's
like them having an extra son. They love it.
Speaker 1 (08:41):
It's really really cool. So the list comes for all,
how did you start that? What's the.
Speaker 2 (08:49):
So getting all right? So it's almost it's almost a
five year running bit. Okay, so it started in December
twenty nineteen, December second, twenty nineteen. I don't know why
I know this. I'm probably slightly autistic, but are we all?
That's right, We're all on the spectrum George Conway. You
you know, the Conway is George and Kelly and Conway.
(09:10):
So this is like, you know, one of those things
is like I'm just goofing off, right, George ends up
dunking on his wife Kelly while during the first Trump
impeachment saga Yeah okay, And basically Kellyn posted the video
on Twitter basically saying, you know, like Joe Biden like
bumbling about, and her capture reads like, uh, we need
(09:34):
Ukraine's help to beat this guy, and George Conway quote
tweets her it says your boss apparently thought so. And
it's just like I'm like, you guys are married, you
shouldn't have to like have these squabbles in public. So
I'm like, yeah, that really deserves.
Speaker 1 (09:49):
Like you're palling your wife like yeah, and it's.
Speaker 2 (09:53):
Like not even like it's not even like you know,
joke dragging or joke dunking on her. It's like just
sounds like kind of like, oh, buddy, is a little
that there seems to be some issues there that I
don't even want to touch with a ten inch poll
or was it ten foot poll? It doesn't matter. That's okay, yeah,
but ten inch pole, you know that's you know, it's
(10:13):
distance is relative.
Speaker 1 (10:15):
I feel like you were going to make a dirty
joke there and decided.
Speaker 2 (10:18):
I don't know who. I don't know who your audience is, Carol,
So I'm trying to be as clean as possible. Okay,
but for that, but but just so you know, like
that was like the very first iteration of the list.
I just came up with like a power ranking, you know,
top five. I think Trump was on it. George Conway
was number one. I think I had Charlie Kirk Seth
Mandel just because I like to I like to h.
(10:40):
He and I were working, Yeah, he and I were
working at the Examle together, so he constantly dunk on
each other on Twitter. And then I was on it.
I was on the list for like the first month,
and then it expanded from five to ten, and I
like kept doing it every day, and then I sort
of asked the people. I was like, my followers, am
I taking up a more deserving spot for someone? And
(11:04):
people voted yeah. So I was like, all right, I'm
going to retire my jersey and I'm always a given
on the list because just by virtue of me making
the list, I need to take I need to have
my phone taken away, Like I'm spending too much time
on this website, aren't we all? Yeah?
Speaker 1 (11:18):
You know, I think we're all sort of on the list,
whether we make it or not. I've actually been on
the list one time, and it was an incorrect I
don't remember what the story was. I should have liked.
Speaker 2 (11:28):
I can't remember what it was either, but it was.
Speaker 1 (11:30):
Like an incorrect version of what I said, and I,
you know, I angrily took it up with you, Not
not really that angrily, but you know, I was like,
what the hell is this?
Speaker 2 (11:39):
I need I need to have to go not have
to go back into my DMS with you to figure
out what it was.
Speaker 1 (11:44):
I did it publicly, I didn't DM you. I was like, okay,
that makes the real stuff.
Speaker 2 (11:51):
You know, Okay, all right, that's that's fair. That's fair.
But if it makes you feel any better, Like, all
of my friends have been on at one point there
or another, so.
Speaker 1 (12:00):
That's how we know that we're loved.
Speaker 2 (12:02):
So yeah, don't don't take it personally.
Speaker 1 (12:04):
So you have a family, you're you have this really
successful podcast, you have the list, you have Jay, and
it's really so important. Do you feel like you've made it?
Speaker 2 (12:15):
Oh? No, not by a long stretch at all. I mean,
I'm very I'm I'm probably where I've gone, I've I'm
probably the progress I've made so far. But yeah, my
standard of success is it's a pretty high bar. So
it's good though, because I like it keeps me hungry.
I don't get complacent. I don't know exactly what the
(12:38):
sign would be for being successful. I think because so
my full time gig is I work at Rumble and
so I'm the head of creative partnerships there, so I
haven't quit my day job, like I think by the
time I can quit my day job because a bib Bros.
Podcast is doing so well that I can't, like I
don't have time to do anything else. I think that
(12:58):
would be a good barometer of success right there.
Speaker 1 (13:03):
That's a really good day job.
Speaker 2 (13:04):
I mean, you know, I mean, no, it's great. It's
actually funny because I was brought in in twenty twenty
one as a creator and a part of Habibi Bros.
And then I just talked to the team. I was like,
you guys need some help because they were moving down
to Sarasota where I am right now, and it just
worked perfectly. And now I just I work with a
(13:26):
ton of creators and I use the platform all the time.
So it's just like, well, who better to tell people
how to use it than someone who uses it for
their own things. So it's actually was like almost a
matchmate in heaven. Basically, that's awesome.
Speaker 1 (13:41):
We're going to take a quick break and be right
back on the Carol Marcowitch Show. What do you guys
normally cover on a Bibi Bros. What's the beat?
Speaker 2 (13:54):
The beat? Okay, So we rail against the media a lot,
and we rail against journalists no offense, Carol, not because
and mainly because of how dishonest they are. The corporate
media just really it's they've taken things to a level
(14:15):
where they specifically change people's perception of reality, and they
do it for whatever means that help whatever agenda that
suits them, and a lot of times is to serve
the democratic left wing agenda, and unfortunately that I think
(14:37):
is destroying the country. I mean it's not just the media.
I think it's a lot of things as well, but
they are probably one of the biggest to blame for
sort of the destruction and sort of the unraveling of
our society, the discord that's just been sown into people's communities,
(14:57):
into their homes. I mean, families are being divided the
part because apologies. I think I remember some study or
survey back in like twenty seventeen after Trump was elected
that people started caring more about when they look for
someone for a partner, for to you know, be in
(15:19):
the relationship or get married, the first thing they look
for is their political allegiance or their political ideology. Oh
and that was the first time it ever supplanted religion,
which is insane, right. So it's it's because and I've
seen it in my own family, because like I'm Muslim,
my wife's Jewish, and for my family, like my my
(15:40):
family's very liberal. Like they took I feel like they
took more exception to the fact that like my wife
was more conservative or like supportive of Trump than she
was Jewish. She is insane. And then like you look
at what's happening like right now with the Israel hamas war.
I mean that surprisingly hasn't like created more attension, but
like there are still like things that I think are
(16:03):
not so much addressed. Like I've lost a lot of friends,
Muslim friends because of this whole situation. And it's not
like I feel bad about it. Like I'm very principal
in my beliefs, and I think a lot of people
if they put sort of conditions on friendship, like it's
not a real friendship.
Speaker 1 (16:22):
Right. Yeah, I haven't lost friends in this go round,
but I lost a lot of friends in the Bush administration.
So oh really, I feel like I just I lost
them all back then and then that was it. I
don't know, they just didn't like the Bush existed, and
I couldn't help that.
Speaker 2 (16:39):
So you know, it's funny because I was not a
big Bush fan either. In fact, I was probably a
pretty big Bush hater. But like, looking back on it,
like they deal was just so funny.
Speaker 1 (16:50):
Right, Yeah, he was a good time. I liked him.
Speaker 2 (16:53):
It was a wild time.
Speaker 1 (16:54):
I have a warm spot for w I do. He's like,
you know, a quirky, you know, fun guy.
Speaker 2 (17:01):
Like I still don't think he was a good president,
but I think he was a funny, like like genuinely
nice guy. Yeah, but that's like politicians like one oh one, right,
Like oftentimes they're so charismatic, so nice to talk to.
Policies are terrible, hate all of the policies are awful,
but like and then it's like the opposite with Obama,
where like at the time I liked his policies, but
(17:22):
I thought he was kind.
Speaker 1 (17:24):
That's so funny. Really, wow, you liked his polity policies
but didn't think in the.
Speaker 2 (17:28):
Beginning, in the beginning, in the beginning, because again I
was again coming from a liberal Democrat, I was, I
was from a big love family. Uh So, like I
initially liked it because his original his original policy of
like getting out of you know, Middle Eastern wars, you
know wars and Middle East? Was like, yeah, who doesn't
who doesn't want to support that? And then of course
it didn't happen. He just basically expanded it. And now
(17:50):
it's like, yeah, all right, so I guess that's what
we're getting. So yeah, he lost me on that pretty quickly.
Speaker 1 (17:55):
So a question that I ask all of my guests
is what they consider our large cultural problem. And I
just feel like, is that the media, the media dividing
us or do you have something else?
Speaker 2 (18:09):
I think, oh, man, that's a loaded question because I
think a lot of it stems from I think how
I think respect general, like respect for other people has
sort of dwindled to the point where we don't see
(18:29):
other people as people. So I think the overall dehumanization,
regardless of whether it's you know, by political ideology, by
you know, any immutable characteristic that that person carries, I
think there's a lot of a lot of things that,
you know, we could fix as a society. I mean,
(18:53):
even what we're doing in public schools is I mean
terrible for kids, but it's it's if you didn't have
people who if you didn't have the COVID lockdowns, I
don't think people would be able to identify the issues
that exist in our public school system to be able
to address it, because you know, a lot of parents
(19:17):
weren't actually fully aware of what was happening until they
saw it for themselves. But the general lack of respect
for people's beliefs and wishes and things that they want.
I think is kind of sort of at the root
cause of a lot of things. You know. I'd say,
like the main difference between a good and bad person
is someone who's selfish versus someone who's selfless. And I
(19:39):
think there are too many selfish people in this world.
I love that. Yeah, I think if people actually took
the time to think about other people's thoughts and feelings,
I think you probably would see a lot of kinder,
more courteous, you know, society.
Speaker 1 (19:56):
I really like that. The selfless, you know, versus the
self I think that's a really pointed way to explain it.
So my last question to all of my guests is
to leave us with a tip on how to live
a better life. So what do you got for us?
Speaker 2 (20:13):
Family, If you have a support, if you have a
group of people who love you, it doesn't it never
is a waste of time to invest your time in them,
because you know, when the going gets tough, they'll always
be there for you. And if you're there for them,
I mean, people don't forget. And I think it's look,
(20:37):
it's all all fun and games, right, you know, life
is life is kind of kind of crazy, like that
everything happens for a reason, and I don't get upset
when things happen as much anymore, because you know, if
it's if it's meant to happen, it's meant to happen.
But I think if if you, you know, remain cognizant
of the people in your life who really care about
(20:58):
you and the ones that you care about, I think
if you know, kind of keep that as like one
of your top priorities, I think it'll take you much
further in life than I think you're then you can
really even imagine.
Speaker 1 (21:14):
I really like that. Keep your habibies and your bros
close right.
Speaker 2 (21:18):
Exactly, and your enemy's closer.
Speaker 1 (21:23):
Thank you so much for coming on. He is Suraj Hashmi.
His show is Habibie Bros. Check them out. It's so amazing.
Thank you for coming on. This is great.
Speaker 2 (21:32):
Thank you for having me, Carol, I really appreciate it.
Speaker 1 (21:35):
Thanks so much for joining us on the Carol Marco
with Show. Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.
Hi, and welcome back to the Carol Markowitz Show on iHeartRadio.
I'm still on vacation, so no monologue today, but stay
tuned for an interview with Siraj hush Me. Thanks for listening.
Welcome back to the Carol Markowitz Show on iHeartRadio. My
guest today is Siraj Hushmi, co host of the Hibibi
(00:28):
Brothers podcast and creator of the list The List comes
for all. Hi, Siaj, So nice to have you on.
Speaker 2 (00:34):
Hi, Carol, thanks for having me. You also forgot lover
of Mujahad.
Speaker 1 (00:38):
Well, I thought we weren't going to get into that,
but okay, that's the other brother on the Brothers podcast
is Jahead and he's been working out, so I I
you know, and I made the comment on his Instagram
with his like, you know buff picks that Siraj is
(01:00):
a lucky man.
Speaker 2 (01:04):
I am indeed a lucky man, as I got to
see that transformation firsthand.
Speaker 1 (01:10):
I hate my friends start working out.
Speaker 2 (01:12):
That's like the worst, right, Yeah, I'm I'm like basically
scrambling around to take care of an infant and he's
just going to the gym getting cut every day. And
my dad Bod is just you know, evolving into new
a new stratosphere.
Speaker 1 (01:28):
Really, but dad bods are in. I mean, they remain
in even though I can't.
Speaker 2 (01:34):
I can't front it's it's not the worst thing to
happen to me. If I had to get fat because
of having a baby, I'll take that.
Speaker 1 (01:43):
Yeah, it's pretty good, I mean, among all the reasons.
And again, apparently women are into it. You know, although
what I always found kind of like ridiculous about that
is that Leonardo DiCaprio is like the dad bod hero
and he has no kids. He is not a dad,
he's not married, like he just got for no reason.
Speaker 2 (02:01):
You would think that Leonardo DiCaprio's priorities would completely shifty
if he had kids. Like, my perspective on everything changed
since I had kids. And it's one of those things
where like I don't care about what anybody like thinks
about me. Yeah, I got I got my I got
my girls. I'm good.
Speaker 1 (02:21):
That's I mean, that's really what it is all about.
I you know, I think that that's the most amazing
thing that can happen to a person, that you end
up not caring about anything else, and it's you know,
pretty wonderful.
Speaker 2 (02:34):
So you, but it also like sets it. Yeah, it
also like kind of sets you see the dichotomy though,
between people who don't have kids and the people who do,
and the ones who don't oftentimes try to. I mean,
like you look at Randy Winingarten, head of the American
Teachers Union, like she's completely like like trying to take
(02:56):
control of everyone's kids. It's I mean, I don't understand,
like if only they had kids, they would I feel
like they would understand. Yeah, what it's like that everybody
who's opposing them actually thinks like because you don't know
it until you actually have one.
Speaker 1 (03:13):
Yeah. Absolutely, And you know she tried to paint like
her wife's kids, who were grown up by the time
they got married. She tried to be like I helped
raise them like they were thirty. You didn't help raise them.
Speaker 2 (03:27):
I paid for their college.
Speaker 1 (03:30):
I don't even think so. I think maybe she paid
for like their old age home because.
Speaker 2 (03:33):
Like they're they're the graduate school.
Speaker 1 (03:36):
Yeah, so how did you get into this world? How
did you become a Habibie brother?
Speaker 2 (03:40):
Oh wow, that's a long story. The too long dinner
reversion is I worked as a political journalist first kind
of several different startups. Eventually got a break at Serious
XM Radio ten years ago, back in twenty fourteen. Wow,
I can't believe it's been that long, as an associate
producer on the PO Channel, which they brand themselves as
(04:03):
a nonpartisan political channel, you know, political talk show channel.
But you and I both know that's pretty much just
like neo lib like soft liberal, soft left. But you know,
I loved everyone I worked with there. It was funny
because right before Trump hired Steve Bannon, I would run
into him in the hallways all the time, and it
(04:24):
was like a it was a five to nine am gig.
And then I went to do my full time job
at a different startup. So I landed at The Washington
Examiner in twenty sixteen, and that's kind of how I
built a bit of a name for myself. And I
worked on the commentary desk and under Tim Carney, who's show.
(04:46):
He's a great guy. Loved him, And basically I just
went independent in twenty twenty one because I was doing
I was doing my own podcast on on the Examiner
and during COVID lockdowns. Bb Bros sort of started up
in April twenty twenty, so Jay and I kind of
(05:09):
you know, I mean I remember COVID lockdowns, like everybody
was bored as hell, Like there was like nothing to
do with So Jay and I were like, you want
to just do you want to just like do a
stream and just see how it goes. We did the
first one, the first episode on Instagram Live, and then
we got some good tractions, are like, all right, let's
just keep doing this every week, see how it goes,
and then it just built into something like four years later,
(05:32):
an absolute monster. We we ended up taking a hiatus
at least in the around April and May this year,
just because I wanted to spend more time with family
and Jay had to focus on some stuff. Yeah so yeah, yeah,
like working out, it takes up a lot of time.
So we'll hopefully get back together. I'm hoping in the fall,
(05:55):
just in time for you know, when election season really
heats up. And yeah, it's it's It's been a joy
to work with with Jay because he's like he's we're
very yang and yang of each other. He's very he's
very laid back. But if you listen to his rants
on the show, you're like, my god, what is what
(06:18):
did this Guy's just drink like three monsters before the show.
Like he's just sometimes so intense, but it's great. I
love it.
Speaker 1 (06:25):
Do you guys? Were you friends like in real life
before all this?
Speaker 2 (06:29):
So here's a wild thing. Jay and I, uh, we
became friends on Twitter and we found out that we
had a lot in common, Like both of our mothers
are from the US. Who are who converted to Islam?
His mother's from Arkansas, minds from Connecticut. His dad his
dad is from Lebanon, and my dad's from Pakistan, So
like very similar like upbringing, Like he spent time abroad
(06:52):
just like I did. He spent time in Abu Dhabi
and the Emirates, while I spent a good part of
my upbringing in Lahore, Pakistan. Even though we were both
born in the US, we spent a lot of time
abroad and sort of so we have a lot of
a lot of that in common. In fact, it got
scarily close back in like two thousand and five where
(07:16):
because Jay grew up a little bit in Oklahoma and
my family moved to Oklahoma in two thousand and five
and ended up Yeah, we ended up going to the
same mosque, but like in different years of each other,
and we both knew the same mom at the time.
Who was there. I think he's still there, but it
was it was just it was early. It was very weird, funny. Yeahah,
(07:41):
so when my parents met his mom.
Speaker 1 (07:44):
It was like the family intro. You really are yeah,
and to be together.
Speaker 2 (07:48):
Yeah yeah, my wife thinks it's hilarious, but but yeah,
it was like, uh, this is this is a nice
boy here, and I want you to meet I want
you to meet my son. To me, he comes someone
go to family.
Speaker 1 (08:01):
So the parents liked each other and they liked they
liked him.
Speaker 2 (08:04):
Oh yeah, no, they love Jay. I think. Actually the
next time I think my folks saw Jay was probably
i'd say within the last six months because he was
he Yeah, because Jay came out to live with me
in Florida for a little bit and he's back in
California now. But during that time, it was like we
(08:27):
were trying to like really make the show happen before
we went on hiatus. And yeah, like my parents came
to visit a couple of times. So yeah, they still
get along great. It's just like it's like having it's
like them having an extra son. They love it.
Speaker 1 (08:41):
It's really really cool. So the list comes for all,
how did you start that? What's the.
Speaker 2 (08:49):
So getting all right? So it's almost it's almost a
five year running bit. Okay, so it started in December
twenty nineteen, December second, twenty nineteen. I don't know why
I know this. I'm probably slightly autistic, but are we all?
That's right, We're all on the spectrum George Conway. You
you know, the Conway is George and Kelly and Conway.
(09:10):
So this is like, you know, one of those things
is like I'm just goofing off, right, George ends up
dunking on his wife Kelly while during the first Trump
impeachment saga Yeah okay, And basically Kellyn posted the video
on Twitter basically saying, you know, like Joe Biden like
bumbling about, and her capture reads like, uh, we need
(09:34):
Ukraine's help to beat this guy, and George Conway quote
tweets her it says your boss apparently thought so. And
it's just like I'm like, you guys are married, you
shouldn't have to like have these squabbles in public. So
I'm like, yeah, that really deserves.
Speaker 1 (09:49):
Like you're palling your wife like yeah, and it's.
Speaker 2 (09:53):
Like not even like it's not even like you know,
joke dragging or joke dunking on her. It's like just
sounds like kind of like, oh, buddy, is a little
that there seems to be some issues there that I
don't even want to touch with a ten inch poll
or was it ten foot poll? It doesn't matter. That's okay, yeah,
but ten inch pole, you know that's you know, it's
(10:13):
distance is relative.
Speaker 1 (10:15):
I feel like you were going to make a dirty
joke there and decided.
Speaker 2 (10:18):
I don't know who. I don't know who your audience is, Carol,
So I'm trying to be as clean as possible. Okay,
but for that, but but just so you know, like
that was like the very first iteration of the list.
I just came up with like a power ranking, you know,
top five. I think Trump was on it. George Conway
was number one. I think I had Charlie Kirk Seth
Mandel just because I like to I like to h.
(10:40):
He and I were working, Yeah, he and I were
working at the Examle together, so he constantly dunk on
each other on Twitter. And then I was on it.
I was on the list for like the first month,
and then it expanded from five to ten, and I
like kept doing it every day, and then I sort
of asked the people. I was like, my followers, am
I taking up a more deserving spot for someone? And
(11:04):
people voted yeah. So I was like, all right, I'm
going to retire my jersey and I'm always a given
on the list because just by virtue of me making
the list, I need to take I need to have
my phone taken away, Like I'm spending too much time
on this website, aren't we all? Yeah?
Speaker 1 (11:18):
You know, I think we're all sort of on the list,
whether we make it or not. I've actually been on
the list one time, and it was an incorrect I
don't remember what the story was. I should have liked.
Speaker 2 (11:28):
I can't remember what it was either, but it was.
Speaker 1 (11:30):
Like an incorrect version of what I said, and I,
you know, I angrily took it up with you, Not
not really that angrily, but you know, I was like,
what the hell is this?
Speaker 2 (11:39):
I need I need to have to go not have
to go back into my DMS with you to figure
out what it was.
Speaker 1 (11:44):
I did it publicly, I didn't DM you. I was like, okay,
that makes the real stuff.
Speaker 2 (11:51):
You know, Okay, all right, that's that's fair. That's fair.
But if it makes you feel any better, Like, all
of my friends have been on at one point there
or another, so.
Speaker 1 (12:00):
That's how we know that we're loved.
Speaker 2 (12:02):
So yeah, don't don't take it personally.
Speaker 1 (12:04):
So you have a family, you're you have this really
successful podcast, you have the list, you have Jay, and
it's really so important. Do you feel like you've made it?
Speaker 2 (12:15):
Oh? No, not by a long stretch at all. I mean,
I'm very I'm I'm probably where I've gone, I've I'm
probably the progress I've made so far. But yeah, my
standard of success is it's a pretty high bar. So
it's good though, because I like it keeps me hungry.
I don't get complacent. I don't know exactly what the
(12:38):
sign would be for being successful. I think because so
my full time gig is I work at Rumble and
so I'm the head of creative partnerships there, so I
haven't quit my day job, like I think by the
time I can quit my day job because a bib Bros.
Podcast is doing so well that I can't, like I
don't have time to do anything else. I think that
(12:58):
would be a good barometer of success right there.
Speaker 1 (13:03):
That's a really good day job.
Speaker 2 (13:04):
I mean, you know, I mean, no, it's great. It's
actually funny because I was brought in in twenty twenty
one as a creator and a part of Habibi Bros.
And then I just talked to the team. I was like,
you guys need some help because they were moving down
to Sarasota where I am right now, and it just
worked perfectly. And now I just I work with a
(13:26):
ton of creators and I use the platform all the time.
So it's just like, well, who better to tell people
how to use it than someone who uses it for
their own things. So it's actually was like almost a
matchmate in heaven. Basically, that's awesome.
Speaker 1 (13:41):
We're going to take a quick break and be right
back on the Carol Marcowitch Show. What do you guys
normally cover on a Bibi Bros. What's the beat?
Speaker 2 (13:54):
The beat? Okay, So we rail against the media a lot,
and we rail against journalists no offense, Carol, not because
and mainly because of how dishonest they are. The corporate
media just really it's they've taken things to a level
(14:15):
where they specifically change people's perception of reality, and they
do it for whatever means that help whatever agenda that
suits them, and a lot of times is to serve
the democratic left wing agenda, and unfortunately that I think
(14:37):
is destroying the country. I mean it's not just the media.
I think it's a lot of things as well, but
they are probably one of the biggest to blame for
sort of the destruction and sort of the unraveling of
our society, the discord that's just been sown into people's communities,
(14:57):
into their homes. I mean, families are being divided the
part because apologies. I think I remember some study or
survey back in like twenty seventeen after Trump was elected
that people started caring more about when they look for
someone for a partner, for to you know, be in
(15:19):
the relationship or get married, the first thing they look
for is their political allegiance or their political ideology. Oh
and that was the first time it ever supplanted religion,
which is insane, right. So it's it's because and I've
seen it in my own family, because like I'm Muslim,
my wife's Jewish, and for my family, like my my
(15:40):
family's very liberal. Like they took I feel like they
took more exception to the fact that like my wife
was more conservative or like supportive of Trump than she
was Jewish. She is insane. And then like you look
at what's happening like right now with the Israel hamas war.
I mean that surprisingly hasn't like created more attension, but
like there are still like things that I think are
(16:03):
not so much addressed. Like I've lost a lot of friends,
Muslim friends because of this whole situation. And it's not
like I feel bad about it. Like I'm very principal
in my beliefs, and I think a lot of people
if they put sort of conditions on friendship, like it's
not a real friendship.
Speaker 1 (16:22):
Right. Yeah, I haven't lost friends in this go round,
but I lost a lot of friends in the Bush administration.
So oh really, I feel like I just I lost
them all back then and then that was it. I
don't know, they just didn't like the Bush existed, and
I couldn't help that.
Speaker 2 (16:39):
So you know, it's funny because I was not a
big Bush fan either. In fact, I was probably a
pretty big Bush hater. But like, looking back on it,
like they deal was just so funny.
Speaker 1 (16:50):
Right, Yeah, he was a good time. I liked him.
Speaker 2 (16:53):
It was a wild time.
Speaker 1 (16:54):
I have a warm spot for w I do. He's like,
you know, a quirky, you know, fun guy.
Speaker 2 (17:01):
Like I still don't think he was a good president,
but I think he was a funny, like like genuinely
nice guy. Yeah, but that's like politicians like one oh one, right,
Like oftentimes they're so charismatic, so nice to talk to.
Policies are terrible, hate all of the policies are awful,
but like and then it's like the opposite with Obama,
where like at the time I liked his policies, but
(17:22):
I thought he was kind.
Speaker 1 (17:24):
That's so funny. Really, wow, you liked his polity policies
but didn't think in the.
Speaker 2 (17:28):
Beginning, in the beginning, in the beginning, because again I
was again coming from a liberal Democrat, I was, I
was from a big love family. Uh So, like I
initially liked it because his original his original policy of
like getting out of you know, Middle Eastern wars, you
know wars and Middle East? Was like, yeah, who doesn't
who doesn't want to support that? And then of course
it didn't happen. He just basically expanded it. And now
(17:50):
it's like, yeah, all right, so I guess that's what
we're getting. So yeah, he lost me on that pretty quickly.
Speaker 1 (17:55):
So a question that I ask all of my guests
is what they consider our large cultural problem. And I
just feel like, is that the media, the media dividing
us or do you have something else?
Speaker 2 (18:09):
I think, oh, man, that's a loaded question because I
think a lot of it stems from I think how
I think respect general, like respect for other people has
sort of dwindled to the point where we don't see
(18:29):
other people as people. So I think the overall dehumanization,
regardless of whether it's you know, by political ideology, by
you know, any immutable characteristic that that person carries, I
think there's a lot of a lot of things that,
you know, we could fix as a society. I mean,
(18:53):
even what we're doing in public schools is I mean
terrible for kids, but it's it's if you didn't have
people who if you didn't have the COVID lockdowns, I
don't think people would be able to identify the issues
that exist in our public school system to be able
to address it, because you know, a lot of parents
(19:17):
weren't actually fully aware of what was happening until they
saw it for themselves. But the general lack of respect
for people's beliefs and wishes and things that they want.
I think is kind of sort of at the root
cause of a lot of things. You know. I'd say,
like the main difference between a good and bad person
is someone who's selfish versus someone who's selfless. And I
(19:39):
think there are too many selfish people in this world.
I love that. Yeah, I think if people actually took
the time to think about other people's thoughts and feelings,
I think you probably would see a lot of kinder,
more courteous, you know, society.
Speaker 1 (19:56):
I really like that. The selfless, you know, versus the
self I think that's a really pointed way to explain it.
So my last question to all of my guests is
to leave us with a tip on how to live
a better life. So what do you got for us?
Speaker 2 (20:13):
Family, If you have a support, if you have a
group of people who love you, it doesn't it never
is a waste of time to invest your time in them,
because you know, when the going gets tough, they'll always
be there for you. And if you're there for them,
I mean, people don't forget. And I think it's look,
(20:37):
it's all all fun and games, right, you know, life
is life is kind of kind of crazy, like that
everything happens for a reason, and I don't get upset
when things happen as much anymore, because you know, if
it's if it's meant to happen, it's meant to happen.
But I think if if you, you know, remain cognizant
of the people in your life who really care about
(20:58):
you and the ones that you care about, I think
if you know, kind of keep that as like one
of your top priorities, I think it'll take you much
further in life than I think you're then you can
really even imagine.
Speaker 1 (21:14):
I really like that. Keep your habibies and your bros
close right.
Speaker 2 (21:18):
Exactly, and your enemy's closer.
Speaker 1 (21:23):
Thank you so much for coming on. He is Suraj Hashmi.
His show is Habibie Bros. Check them out. It's so amazing.
Thank you for coming on. This is great.
Speaker 2 (21:32):
Thank you for having me, Carol, I really appreciate it.
Speaker 1 (21:35):
Thanks so much for joining us on the Carol Marco
with Show. Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.
Host
Karol Markowicz
Popular Podcasts
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
I’m Jay Shetty host of On Purpose the worlds #1 Mental Health podcast and I’m so grateful you found us. I started this podcast 5 years ago to invite you into conversations and workshops that are designed to help make you happier, healthier and more healed. I believe that when you (yes you) feel seen, heard and understood you’re able to deal with relationship struggles, work challenges and life’s ups and downs with more ease and grace. I interview experts, celebrities, thought leaders and athletes so that we can grow our mindset, build better habits and uncover a side of them we’ve never seen before. New episodes every Monday and Friday. Your support means the world to me and I don’t take it for granted — click the follow button and leave a review to help us spread the love with On Purpose. I can’t wait for you to listen to your first or 500th episode!
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com