60 acast.com The Side Room https://feeds.acast.com/public/shows/the-side-room en The Side Room The Side Room is hosted by Saf and Zoheb, two brown Muslim men from different parts of the UK: one from the city, one from the suburbs.


The name comes from the room you were sent to as a kid when the adults wanted to talk properly. Years later, those are still the conversations people avoid, or only have in private.


This podcast is about life in Britain, from faith and family to race, culture, marriage, masculinity, friendships, work, community, and the things that come with growing up between different worlds.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> The Side Room is hosted by Saf and Zoheb, two brown Muslim men from different parts of the UK: one from the city, one from the suburbs.


The name comes from the room you were sent to as a kid when the adults wanted to talk properly. Years later, those are still the conversations people avoid, or only have in private.


This podcast is about life in Britain, from faith and family to race, culture, marriage, masculinity, friendships, work, community, and the things that come with growing up between different worlds.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> false The Side Room info+6a45de05a736775b26ea3d2b@mg-eu.acast.com 6a45de05a736775b26ea3d2b the-side-room episodic https://assets.pippa.io/shows/6a45de05a736775b26ea3d2b/1783154567186-2d2dd41f-ef88-4ca7-8f02-ea5a572ec85b.jpeg https://feeds.acast.com/public/shows/the-side-room The Side Room 9aa443a0-7bf0-11f1-a53b-2142ad272f82 The trauma we call culture The trauma we call culture Fri, 24 Jul 2026 07:00:00 GMT 56:03 6a629c1144c9eabf3ccd0d60 false https://shows.acast.com/the-side-room/episodes/the-trauma-we-call-culture 6a629c1144c9eabf3ccd0d60 6a45de05a736775b26ea3d2b the-trauma-we-call-culture Body image, colourism and impossible expectations in Asian families full 1 3 How much of what we call culture is actually something we were simply taught not to question?


In episode 3, Saf and Zoheb look back at the expectations that shaped them: get the degree, do better than everyone else’s child, stay thin but not too thin, respect your elders and never talk back.


They get into emotional blackmail, cousin comparisons, colourism, comments about weight, physical punishment and colourism, including the belief that lighter skin automatically makes someone more attractive.


This is not about rejecting Asian culture or pretending their parents did not love them. It is about asking a harder question: which parts deserve to be passed down, and which should stop with us?

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> How much of what we call culture is actually something we were simply taught not to question?


In episode 3, Saf and Zoheb look back at the expectations that shaped them: get the degree, do better than everyone else’s child, stay thin but not too thin, respect your elders and never talk back.


They get into emotional blackmail, cousin comparisons, colourism, comments about weight, physical punishment and colourism, including the belief that lighter skin automatically makes someone more attractive.


This is not about rejecting Asian culture or pretending their parents did not love them. It is about asking a harder question: which parts deserve to be passed down, and which should stop with us?

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> <![CDATA[What does 'British' even mean?]]> Fri, 17 Jul 2026 07:00:00 GMT 56:48 6a597e50461a6a4190f8297a false https://shows.acast.com/the-side-room/episodes/what-does-british-even-mean 6a597e50461a6a4190f8297a 6a45de05a736775b26ea3d2b what-does-british-even-mean Racism, patriotism and belonging in modern Britain - guest starring Sharon Law. full 1 2 Saf and Zoheb planned to talk about racism in Britain. Before they get there, they spend a long time chatting like two guys who have completely forgotten the microphones are on.


Eventually, they get to the topic of the day, and the conversation turns to British identity, patriotism, Islamophobia, the language used by the media, growing up brown in Britain, and the strange contradiction of wanting the culture without always wanting the people.


It is funny, blunt and uncomfortable in places, which is probably exactly what this conversation needed to be.


Also, yes, Sharon Law enters the chat at one point.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> Saf and Zoheb planned to talk about racism in Britain. Before they get there, they spend a long time chatting like two guys who have completely forgotten the microphones are on.


Eventually, they get to the topic of the day, and the conversation turns to British identity, patriotism, Islamophobia, the language used by the media, growing up brown in Britain, and the strange contradiction of wanting the culture without always wanting the people.


It is funny, blunt and uncomfortable in places, which is probably exactly what this conversation needed to be.


Also, yes, Sharon Law enters the chat at one point.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> Hello everyone, Thanos is here Hello everyone, Thanos is here Thu, 09 Jul 2026 23:01:00 GMT 41:53 6a4edc8afe878dc8e252984d false https://shows.acast.com/the-side-room/episodes/hello-everyone-thanos-is-here 6a4edc8afe878dc8e252984d 6a45de05a736775b26ea3d2b hello-everyone-thanos-is-here This was supposed to be an intro full 1 1 Saf and Zoheb planned to introduce The Side Room podcast. What actually happened was football, family history, East London stories, growing up brown in the sticks, racism, school memories, getting jumped, and Zoheb explaining why he came home crying from a school that was not for him.


A messy first episode, but in the right way. You get the hosts, the humour, the tangents and the point of the show: honest conversations from two brown Muslim men who rarely stay on topic, but usually end up saying something worth listening to.


Also, yes - Thanos does enter the chat.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> Saf and Zoheb planned to introduce The Side Room podcast. What actually happened was football, family history, East London stories, growing up brown in the sticks, racism, school memories, getting jumped, and Zoheb explaining why he came home crying from a school that was not for him.


A messy first episode, but in the right way. You get the hosts, the humour, the tangents and the point of the show: honest conversations from two brown Muslim men who rarely stay on topic, but usually end up saying something worth listening to.


Also, yes - Thanos does enter the chat.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]>