Who knew gaming and desi culture could mix so well? On today's episode, my co-host Omar Najam and I, Sandeep Parikh, bring you a delightful combination of fun, culture, and gaming — like a hot, steaming plate of Biryani with a side of controller. Picture the scene: my hands clutching a gaming controller, Omar's voice providing a lively commentary, and between us, an intense debate — who's more desi, Mario or Link?
But that's not the only surprise we have in store for you. Remember Omar's mom from a previous episode, who's now an internet sensation? We're bringing you some more laughs and heartfelt stories from her side. From her hilarious debut on our podcast to her infamous chutney recipe dispute, it's a side-dish of humor you don't want to miss. And as if that wasn't enough, we also take you back in time to our early gaming days and how our confused parents finally discovered Wii.
Lastly, hold your breath, because we're diving into uncharted waters of creating a video game version of the Kamasutra. Can you imagine? We'll also discuss how gaming could serve as a brilliant medium to explore and experience Indian mythology. So, buckle up and get ready for a ride that's as thrilling as a Mario Kart race, and as flavorful as a helping of spicy samosa chaat! [END SHOW NOTES]
Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/effinfunny
Sign up for the ABCD Email List: https://mailchi.mp/effinfunnyproductions/abcd
Join the conversation on Discord: https://discord.gg/effinfunny-783006672439345154
Who knew gaming and desi culture could mix so well? On today's episode, my co-host Omar Najam and I, Sandeep Parikh, bring you a delightful combination of fun, culture, and gaming — like a hot, steaming plate of Biryani with a side of controller. Picture the scene: my hands clutching a gaming controller, Omar's voice providing a lively commentary, and between us, an intense debate — who's more desi, Mario or Link?
But that's not the only surprise we have in store for you. Remember Omar's mom from a previous episode, who's now an internet sensation? We're bringing you some more laughs and heartfelt stories from her side. From her hilarious debut on our podcast to her infamous chutney recipe dispute, it's a side-dish of humor you don't want to miss. And as if that wasn't enough, we also take you back in time to our early gaming days and how our confused parents finally discovered Wii.
Lastly, hold your breath, because we're diving into uncharted waters of creating a video game version of the Kamasutra. Can you imagine? We'll also discuss how gaming could serve as a brilliant medium to explore and experience Indian mythology. So, buckle up and get ready for a ride that's as thrilling as a Mario Kart race, and as flavorful as a helping of spicy samosa chaat! [END SHOW NOTES]
Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/effinfunny
Sign up for the ABCD Email List: https://mailchi.mp/effinfunnyproductions/abcd
Join the conversation on Discord: https://discord.gg/effinfunny-783006672439345154
Wow, wow, pew, pew, pew. Hey, welcome to ABCD As your host. Let me just get right into it and announce my co-host. He is the WASD to my arrow keys Omar Najam. Ladies and gentlemen, oh, thank you, thank you, thank you.
Speaker 2:And let me introduce your host. Wait for the air horns.
Speaker 1:Let me introduce your host, the man voiced by Chris Pratt himself.
Speaker 2:It's Sandeep Parikh, it is, it is a me, and that's pretty much how I think, chris.
Speaker 1:Pratt pronounces it. It is a me, it is greetings. You're correct, It is me All right, Chris you want to go ahead and give us that line reading. It is a me. We're going to have to take that one back. Chris, It's trying to come more times. Have you played the game? You're too famous for us to give notes to It's fine, we'll take that one. The holiday games from theaman. Remember that.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:Did you see it, did you see?
Speaker 3:the movie. I haven't seen it yet. I haven't seen it yet.
Speaker 1:The movie we're talking about for those of the uninitiated is, of course, galaxy two.
Speaker 3:Yeah, sorry, we both have not real movies.
Speaker 1:They're both real movies.
Speaker 2:They're real stories Great we're gonna review it.
Speaker 1:Great. So this is our show. Our show is ABCD. American born chatty daisies. It's a podcast within a live stream, within our lives. As to American born daisies, it's a pod ducking. Ladies and gentlemen, this is for anyone out there who, like us, are navigating our cultural identities, just want to chat it out.
Speaker 2:Yes, yes, yes, yes. And we even have a pseudo format, a podcast in three acts. Act one we start with a chakra check-in, where we hone in on a topic that's currently affecting our alignment. Today is Gaming in daisie culture. Then we pit our American born side against our daisies side in a death match debate. This week We're going straight for the heart of the matter Mario versus Link. Who's more daisie?
Speaker 1:So wait real quick, because we didn't adjust the copy for this. Obviously, yeah, this is not. This is not pitting our American born side versus our daisies side.
Speaker 2:This is that's true. That's, in a way, that's true.
Speaker 1:Yeah, we just wanted to do Mario versus Lincoln, and which one's more in or more daisie right?
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah, well, mario.
Speaker 3:Mario's American born and Link is born in Hyrule. So you've actually kind of set Nebo Mar.
Speaker 1:How dare you on this?
Speaker 3:one.
Speaker 1:Listen, his Mario's, i don't know. Mario's Back story has been retconned. He was born in the Mushroom Kingdom.
Speaker 2:Okay so, interesting, interesting, interesting, interesting. Okay, yeah, we'll settle this in the debate, yeah, and finally we nominate our daisie of the week And then blammo podcast over and you can go the rest of your life feeling a little bit more snug in that flying squirrel suit that you zip on and then, just you know, fly around everywhere.
Speaker 1:You dare finish that?
Speaker 2:sentence just fly around, fly around a little bit.
Speaker 1:I don't want to know what they do in there, a snuggly little.
Speaker 2:In your little raccoon suit, nope.
Speaker 1:And hey, we got our sponsors. Oh, daisie quest is our, is our sponsor. It's an actual play, ttrpg that we've been talking about since the inception of this show. It's set in a South Asian mythological universe inspired by, built by Jasmine, that bronze girl bowler, mm-hmm. It's got an awesome cast includes Anjali Bimani, rekha Shankar, me, omar. I mean, come on, those are four people. For more info on how and how to get on our mailing list, just hit up a daisiequestcom D-E-S-I quest Com. We'd love that. We'd love for you to get in that mailing list. You know, find out all about it. Our next Sponsor is you guys. Oh, this is the one that matters. Yeah, you guys. You guys patreon it up. He'll help us keep our lights on. He helped us keep us Alive. Bed like literally, we're all. We're both only alive because of these patron patrons. I'll be singing their names of the credits. If you want to be one of those people whose names are sung, please visit patreoncom. Slash effin funny. Join the joy.
Speaker 2:That's right. That's right. Join in. Speaking of joining, and why don't we join in on the show? Let's get started, Yeah let's head over to our chakra, check it All right. So gaming, gaming, talking about gaming and daisie culture. Are you much of a gamer? Sunday?
Speaker 1:Look, omar, i'm gonna take the sideways right off the top. Okay, i don't want to talk about gaming right now. Okay okay about is how, last the last episode, it wasn't here.
Speaker 2:Uh-huh, okay, i missed you.
Speaker 1:No, you didn't. You go over the stream. You took over the stream, took over the, the pod ducking and you brought on someone who is somehow funnier than both of us. Combined Times 20.
Speaker 2:Yeah, that's correct. That's, that's correct. All these points are correct.
Speaker 1:Why is your mom?
Speaker 2:the funniest human being on the planet the funniest person On the planet.
Speaker 1:That's. it's. it's offensive to me. Yeah, you know, i feel like That show got more comments in Twitter and our discord than all of our other shows combined, and being people being like man, i love that show and then, and then people immediately going like well, i mean like, except for like when, sunday, you know, it'd be great if he was there too, i guess, or whatever but like Omar's mom is so funny, how did you get a funny mom, like how did I think that's? what I need to understand is, how does an American blend this person, have a funny like, a genuinely funny mom?
Speaker 2:It's. This is the only setting in which it works. I want to be completely clear.
Speaker 1:It's all leading up to this because she's not funny like at home and stuff.
Speaker 2:No, no, no, she's the exact same, but in any other context, if we go to a restaurant, she's just like let me tell you a story. No, let me tell you, don't go do your work. Let me tell you a story.
Speaker 1:She was born to be a podcast host She was.
Speaker 2:She's been calling herself an influencer since the episode. She's been messaging like family chains and being like I'm an influencer now.
Speaker 1:That's so sweet.
Speaker 2:She asked me to check her cloud score. You remember that website?
Speaker 1:Oh, i do remember cloud scores. Let me just tell you, we're not even influencers, so no, there's no way. I doubt. I mean, you know, i guess people were that happy about it, but it was a fantastic episode. I was blown away. I was blown away. I felt like I got to know you more, get to understand you more. It was really cool. It was a really great episode. Your mom was just off the hook. I mean, i don't know that she answered a question, but it didn't matter. No, it didn't matter. Wow, it just, it was just amazing.
Speaker 2:And she's invited Delvin to stay with us at least seven times.
Speaker 1:I love that.
Speaker 3:Yeah, as well as for me to travel, you know, just across the border to the opposite side of Wisconsin. the long ways, oh yeah.
Speaker 2:To stay with my brother.
Speaker 3:Yeah, When they're basically in Canada Minnesota. Also welcome there.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I mean she also really took issue with my chutney attack.
Speaker 2:She did, but she kept saying your chutney recipe. I know I was like.
Speaker 1:I didn't listen to the app, but it didn't matter, She's, you know she's made up of mine She made up her mind and she was adamant that chutney should have dominated catch up And you know, she got a wish right.
Speaker 2:I mean I asked her to vote. I told I that was a great example of telling her for your age group. This is what happens when you upstain the.
Speaker 1:I loved the whole. Sorry, we're not going to just do a recap of the whole essence, but I did. I did love the. Like misunderstanding or like that, that the voting wasn't happening.
Speaker 3:Now that you're recapping old votes every time, every time it was so good.
Speaker 2:And every time she would be like, oh yeah, you're right. Okay, yeah, it's not live. And then she knew the previous bit.
Speaker 1:She's like they're against me, sorry. Well, anyway. So you've ever checked it out? It's definitely worth checking out. I know I'm not in it, but it's probably the best thing I'm not in. I'll just say that Go, go, go, enjoy that episode right before this one. All right, fine, let's talk about gaming and daisy culture.
Speaker 2:Let's do it. Are you? are you much? It's not like I have a script to go off of this, for I'm just going back to the one question that I'd prepared for this.
Speaker 1:Are you much of?
Speaker 2:a gamer. Are you a gamer guy? Do you even know me?
Speaker 1:Yeah, I'm gonna be on TV. I'm teeing this up.
Speaker 2:I'm teeing this up, Omar do you even know me? I'm teeing this up.
Speaker 1:I'm like I. I I'm known to game, but I wouldn't call myself a gamer. There's too many other people that are way more. Uh, they have like, like you know, they own that title in a way that's.
Speaker 2:You've done multiple shows that center around gaming, so I grew up on an NES.
Speaker 1:Okay, and that was my first system. My brothers, older brothers, had the uh, an Atari and had an Odyssey.
Speaker 2:And Oh, okay.
Speaker 1:What else is something else? A camera I'm blanking on right now, but, um, commodore 64. Oh, wow, classic. And then my older brother would play on an Apple to see, and he would like code his own text.
Speaker 1:text adventure games, which is cool, but I, so I played on that a bunch too. I'm old so I'm trying to say Um. So I grew up gaming, i have a lot of, but then I I think I was also still of the era where, like once you grow up, you stop doing the child stuff. Now, like I was sort of raised to be like okay, now you go to college and you don't do any more of this stuff. Yeah, um. That said, i did bring a dream cast to college, but I it's.
Speaker 1:It was sort of like only to play a couple of games and I I got out of the culture of gaming. Okay, i just felt like, oh, that was the recreational kid thing to do And and then I stopped really for quite some time And I think it was Prince of Persia that brought me back to gaming Really.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah, wow, jake Gyllenhaal himself.
Speaker 1:Definitely pre-jump in hall, definitely not the movie.
Speaker 3:That's what got me back into it. I don't know.
Speaker 1:I just thought that was such a beautiful game. Can I ask this?
Speaker 2:It's a beautiful game. The mechanics are so fun. I also like anytime you do something, you fail at something, it's like no, that's not real.
Speaker 1:Yeah, i really, i really Love that story mechanic to like give you the to give Credence to you, failing, yes, and starting. I love that.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah, that was fantastic, did you? did you like it? because it felt like a protagonist that kind of was targeted towards, not targeted towards us, but was kind of like, oh cool, this feels like a something to do.
Speaker 1:Set in the Middle East, not in India. Okay right. No, but I am. Maybe. Maybe I was like brown guy. Yeah, i don't know. I maybe I just think it was cool, like it was just so well done, great game. It was like a beautiful love story. I just like, narratively I thought it was gorgeous and then Visually thought it was gorgeous and then, yeah, i think it's all that. I was like whoa. This felt like another, like last of us felt like another version of that where I was like whoa.
Speaker 1:I thought they just felt like something totally new. Right, you know Emotionally playing the game The Zelda I think the original Zelda was that for me where I was like yeah shit, this is like a new experience. I never thought this possible kind of a thing. So I guess in that sense I'm Kind of a gamer. How about you, omar, you gamer.
Speaker 2:I'm like I played so Well. The first console we ever had in the house when I was growing up was a Sega Saturn. My dad came home one day and said we got you a Sega, and my siblings and I just threw a parade. We were so excited. And then he was like it's a Sega Saturn and we were like wait.
Speaker 1:Wait so I mean you mean Genesis. Remind me Yeah, i know, cuz Sega Genesis, that was the one say yeah. So what was this? I can't remember really. So Saturn was like the console that came after Genesis and sucked or something, or what was it? It was.
Speaker 2:I'm trying remember which one came first.
Speaker 3:So it there's Genesis. And then Genesis had Sega CD and 32 X, which would be like the add-on ones. Right, that required the Genesis. And then Saturn was the next standalone. Yeah, but I had a couple of like like stepping stone systems before that got it.
Speaker 1:Okay, but it was. it basically was a kind of a failure. There weren't, like, games available for it Until the dream cast Yeah right, there was no games. Yeah, that's brutal.
Speaker 2:So we were like we had difficulty with that, but then we played n64 for forever. Your dad, because your dad must have been so happy to get you something thought he had done the best thing in the world And we were just like. This is utter failure.
Speaker 2:Father, this is this is such a letter and we it wasn't that dramatic. We were definitely like upset because we were confused, because we thought that he had said that he was surprising us with the Genesis. And then we're like, yeah, our hopes, we. It was just a lot of like emotional whiplash. But we then played the game, the two demo discs that we had and later a scratched Beast Wars game. Like we burned rings in those CDs. We were very grateful for what we had. We just, you know, felt a little tricked at the get-go.
Speaker 1:But that's fair. That's very good into it It becomes Saturn heads. Yeah.
Speaker 2:Saturn, alias, is what we like to call it. But now what's? what's really cool is that I connect with a lot of my cousins and like nephews and nieces and and and non-binary family members Through links.
Speaker 1:Nibblings is the my nibblings term Generic, that is correct.
Speaker 2:My niece is my nephews and my nibblings Through games, where if they're talking about a game that they played, i at the very least have some cursory knowledge of it, and so that's been really cool. I feel like that's been a really nice connection that I've had.
Speaker 1:And like, in terms of like they see culture in gaming, i Don't know that there was a ton of crossover. I feel like there was like Dalseem In Street Fighter, right. Well, the thing is, okay they get it.
Speaker 2:Correct me if I'm wrong. Tell me if I'm wrong here, and I don't want to get to like stereotypical or anything like that, but like the games that we and this was younger, younger, younger. This is a different time. Anyone who's watching this who's like, oh, i'm Gen Z Cusp, you, you won't relate to this, but like the games nobody Gen Z Cusp is.
Speaker 2:Like the games that my parents were like. Yeah, you should play more of these. The computer games is what they were called at the time. We're like number munchers and like puzzle solving games. They're like you can do, like typing of the dead or whatever to that's how we fooled our parents into letting us play on the computer. That's how they treat me doing math.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I'm making you look like homework.
Speaker 2:I Had the opposite. I had the opposite experience where I was like sat down, i'd crack my knuckles and I was like, oh, i'm just doing algebra. This is great, this is very fun.
Speaker 1:Okay, so Sorry, where are you going with that?
Speaker 2:I thought I interrupted your thought so that's to me like the They see culture of it all, like I can't relate necessarily to, like the motherland through games, growing like now.
Speaker 2:I can, because I feel like there's a culture of gaming that we can all kind of like discuss and it's open. But at the time, like I felt like all the days the kids I knew, like I had friends who were just like, oh my god, i have every Donkey Kong game ever and my parents were like, if there's not math involved, you're not playing it. And that was kind of the the American they see experience was just people being like, yeah, you want to come over to my house and play that game where you know you learned to do your taxes.
Speaker 1:Right, it always just felt like a separate, totally separate thing. I didn't I never really felt my cult Like culturally connected in any way. like I said, right, there wasn't much representation, right Delceme, and then there was like the guy in punch out Like as his punch out, right, they're like dude with the big turbine.
Speaker 2:Yes.
Speaker 1:What was his name?
Speaker 2:oh man blanking on it whatever, but um searching Indian guy punch out and I'm worried about what I'm gonna get. Oh, great tiger the great tiger.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah, so I mean, there were just very stereotypical cursory Forms of representation. Yeah, so I just I don't think I ever really thought about about it in terms of like how it Although other than that, like it felt something very distinct and separate from like my parents and their generation, mm-hmm. There, i don't think my parents picked up a controller until I was much older, till they had grandkids, and the grandkids were like Come on, bob, play Mario Kart with us.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and she was like down to play.
Speaker 1:But, like you know, First of all I was like the last kid in in in town to get an NES. I got it like after everybody already had Super Nintendo's but I was so stoked to get in anyway didn't matter to me. I was like, yes, I'll take anything. This is insane And for my parents is like a big deal to get it for me, like they didn't. They're like We don't understand this at all. But here it is, You know we know you want it, so that was cool.
Speaker 1:I don't know. Let's say I have to say about that.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it's, it's, there's. There's a little bit of a fissure, i think there's a room for, there's a room for Connection here. There's a room for growth, right Like.
Speaker 1:I feel like it was nice to play Mario Kart with my mom. That was yeah fun.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah, i think if we can get more desi parents in now, i think it's a little bit different, like our generation is now having kids and stuff and I feel like everyone's just like right.
Speaker 1:Yeah, my kid is, you know.
Speaker 2:I got my kid. You know it needs to go to soccer, but I want to play Halo. So, like, i do feel like maybe that's amended, but like, for me it was when we got the Wii and my parents could understand Physic, how physical movement affected a game that changed everything because otherwise my mom's trying to steer the n64 Controller and Mario Kart. You know like it was one of those experiences now with the Wii Modes and stuff, She was just like able to like move, like bowl and she's like oh, do they?
Speaker 1:do they play anything regularly?
Speaker 2:Like not regularly, regularly, but like they like on holidays and stuff, we can like bust out the Wii or something like that or a switch, and they'll be like, oh yeah, we'll do this.
Speaker 1:Do you have cousins and stuff in in the motherland? Yes, yeah, I've still got a bunch of family back there and do you, do you guys ever play games together Like um, you'd like words with friends, or anything?
Speaker 2:or you know what we don't and we should. We should Because that's something that we can do, yeah, even like some online pool or something like that.
Speaker 1:Yeah, man, i know some uh uh. What's that train game that everybody likes to play?
Speaker 2:The subway, surfer Subway, i don't know. Ticket to ride.
Speaker 1:Yes, online chess, uh ticket to ride. That's what I was thinking of.
Speaker 2:Thank you, oh yeah yeah, some online ticket to ride, Yeah Yeah. games connecting people is what this is all about. We started at a place where we were all disconnected, and I think we can use games to connect to culture. Uh, I'm excited about that.
Speaker 1:I'd love to see more Indian stuff in games too. I just played this game. Raji. I played Raji before. I only played like the first couple hours, but it was a pretty great game and it was developed. It was like you know, that was set in a truly Indian universe with, like you know, gods from the Mahabharata and from our culture and stuff like that.
Speaker 1:So, like it was, that was cool, that was really fun to play. I feel like there's, i feel like it's uh, it's like a little bit of a white space for people to kind of get into and start, you know, developing from the culture and mythology and see it pop up more. You know, you know, i can just imagine a God of war, but it's uh you know, Hindu mythology.
Speaker 2:If you want to talk about some rated R content, if you want some stuff that's pretty out there and fantastical, we've got some intense stories.
Speaker 1:Yeah, Like I don't know, but it doesn't have to be rated.
Speaker 2:R, but it could be.
Speaker 1:We can do a, you know, a video game version of the Kamasutra. Let's do it, let's go, let's go there.
Speaker 2:I was going for like the violence, like in the mythology. But yeah, i guess that's Oh okay. Yeah, i guess it's playable.
Speaker 1:I don't know why rated R. my brain immediately went out. What's the Indian version of leisure suit? Leisure suit, wait right, leisure. I won't even say it. I won't even say it because I feel like it'll be banned from India if I say it. I was, yeah, i was going to say leisure suit Lakshman, but I probably, probably, probably should delete that.
Speaker 2:That's the next project on the dock. Yeah, i love that, i love this So using games to connect, i'm really into that. I'm really into the idea, yeah.
Speaker 1:All right, let's move on. Great, we did it. Now it's time for American born versus Desi. Except except, not really that this time I never looked forward to a segment more than this one.
Speaker 2:I need you to know.
Speaker 1:I'm excited. I'm excited, so we kind of change it up, right. We usually do like ketchup versus chutney or chai versus coffee. This week we're like, you know, like we weren't going to do Mario versus Dalseem OK, so like that just wasn't going to happen. So we're like what if, like, we just went with Mario versus Link And we have to argue which one of them is more Desi? I'm so excited And so maybe a surprise to people, because I created a show that basically Parodies Zelda.
Speaker 1:Yes basically it does Parodies, zelda, but I'm not taking the link side.
Speaker 2:I. I took that out of your hands.
Speaker 1:Yeah, omar wanted it And I was like, let's do it. It's a challenge, yeah, let's go for it. So we each take a side. We're going to, we're going to defend our side to the death. Then we do a live audience vote. For those of you who are listening to the podcast who are like, oh yeah, this is live, i forgot, we do a live audience poll, poll, poll. You guys can join us on twitchtv slash having funny.
Speaker 2:Ok, every Sunday seven or eight votes And don't be like my mom Don't have seen from voting Yeah In this. She can be that She goes, you can affect this because the stakes are huge.
Speaker 1:The winner obviously gets bragging rights, but also becomes next week's host. Loser gets relegated to lowly lame cohost. And then their subject is wipe up, wiped out the face of the earth. So are we saying wait, hold on.
Speaker 3:Is that still the stakes this week, or are you just going to make them honorary Desi?
Speaker 2:in this Canonically, that character becomes Desi.
Speaker 3:OK, the winner becomes the winner becomes Daisy. now OK.
Speaker 1:Yeah, ok, so we're changing that. Great, i love that. That's a very different message.
Speaker 3:You were just wiping out, which everything is not Desi. Yeah, the show is going to have a very different stance.
Speaker 2:Yeah, that's a little, yeah, that's a little problematic.
Speaker 3:Agreed All right, let me get your competitors up there.
Speaker 1:All right.
Speaker 3:All right.
Speaker 1:To see who goes first. Ok, odds, i go first.
Speaker 2:Evens Omar it's a board.
Speaker 1:We haven't even.
Speaker 2:It sounds like it's me.
Speaker 1:You're up.
Speaker 2:All right, folks. Link is obviously Desi, and let me explain to you why. Because Hyrule is India, that's right. You want snowy mountains filled with big birds, jammu, head over there. You want a desert with ancient ruins. How about check out the desert? How about you want the wonderful rainforest? Can I interest you in the Adaman Islands? You want an entire volcano situation? We'll go to the barren island. You want Hyrule? That's the. That's the rest of India. This Hyrule is so Indian. There are temples everywhere. Everyone is obsessed with fruit and they operate off of what monetary system? again, sandeep, that's right, rupees.
Speaker 3:Done and done.
Speaker 1:Done and done.
Speaker 2:We can stop the clock. It's over.
Speaker 1:Not bad. If you're an idiot, the rupees What is a good one? actually Listen If you're saying that, if we're arguing whether Hyrule or the mushroom kingdom were India you might. You might have something here. But basically what you're saying is Link is the white savior that comes to Hyrule to save all those Garuda desert people. That's fine. Listen, italians and Indians Reference Mario is way more desi than link. Okay, because Italians and Indians have a lot in common, right off the bat right, okay.
Speaker 1:We're all about family. We love family. Mario brings his brother everywhere he goes. That is our June, and his Pond of our brothers sound familiar to those of you who are into the mob Link is a loner man. Does he even have family? Right? He's just like, like I said, just traipsing around being the white savior in Hyrule. I mean, mario is jumping through pipes trying to clean up this poor sanitation situation in the mushroom kingdom, trying to modernize it. Right, that's very desi right now.
Speaker 2:Okay, i see, i see family values. Okay, interesting, interesting, interesting, interesting. Well, let me tell you something. Link is not only an Indian boy. Link is a good Indian boy. Okay, he gives offerings to the gods. He wears a curty, he doesn't speak unless he's spoken to. In recent games, combining ingredients allows you to make healing meals, doctor. In the next game, you get to combine mechanical objects to make machines engineer. And in a couple of games He's he's found a use for fallen stars Movie director. I rest my case.
Speaker 1:I'm glad you brought up food, because Mario is veg Okay, i'm not veg. Link is non veg Okay, mario eats mushrooms, flowers and stars, which is obviously a reference to star anise spice used in Indian cooking. Link, totally non veg. He eats fish Okay, and you can even make you know your meat stew Right, meat stew, the raw materials of which are dropped by that's right Water buffalo, which is basically a sacred cow. This guy is not this.
Speaker 2:That is a solid argument.
Speaker 1:Okay, great, not being south of south of India, we're done, but I was doing a little bit of research.
Speaker 2:Okay, because I want to step out of myself. I know I've got my reasons, i've got my own biases. I wanted to take this to the internet. I wanted to see, if you search, is Indian, is is link Indian, is Zelda Indian, is Hyrule India and is the legend of Zelda, indian mythology. You get swarmed with so many results. Because this has been confirmed over and over and over, i'm going to pull up a meme and I would like to refer, i would like to read this to you, if you don't mind. If your epic story is about the adventures of a bow wielding legendary hero connected to a sacred Trinity, who falls in love with the princess of an ancient kingdom, he gets kidnapped by an evil demon king plotting to rule the world and save said kingdom and rescue, is it said prince after a vast heroic journey of defeat of said demonic overlord, then that's not just the legend of Zelda, babe, that's the story of Ramma. So Yeah, going right back to the source, all comes down from Indian mythology.
Speaker 1:I'm not saying they didn't rip off Indian mythology, okay, okay, i'm not. That's what I'm saying. I'm saying that Mario himself is more they see. Then link. Okay, let's put this. He's got serious good. Drop the vibes to okay.
Speaker 3:All right.
Speaker 1:Not just this, he good, drop the all. Right, we're a cheap people, us good juice. Okay, i'm good, drop these. So I can say that. And Mario is running around grabbing loose change wherever you can get it. Okay, this guy will punch bricks to push out every last penny he can find. He just keeps punching them until there's no more pennies left. All right, that's all I'm saying.
Speaker 2:Okay. So now that I've established the world, let's focus on link. Very good, oh my gosh, let's talk about the most recent game, breath of the wild. Okay, and let's not. Let's talk about how. Link is the biggest Indian uncle anyone's ever met. What does he do? Okay, he goes for a walk. What's he do after that? He goes for more of a walk. What does he do after that? He goes for more of a walk. He talks to complete strangers, he collects things, he shares his interests, he dresses up and puts himself into their cultures a little bit too much. It's a little bit uncomfortable sometimes, and his biggest goal is chasing down the gory. So tell me that that is not the most Indian uncle you've ever met in your entire life.
Speaker 1:Listen, these are all mediocre at best arguments, but I think where I might have you.
Speaker 1:Yeah, truly Yeah. I think what's really good is that Mario is Harrier. Okay, he's got a mustache that would rival Salman Khan. That will rival any Bollywood star. Hollywood star mustache All right, okay, and link, he's probably pubeless, this guy. I mean, he's like he's got nothing going on, all right, and so I'm going to go ahead and have you take a look at these Bollywood stars. Okay, this is a J Dave Gunn, mm. Hmm, all right, who does that? Who's that starting to resemble? Does that look anything like link? That looks pretty link like a mirror con.
Speaker 3:Mm, hmm.
Speaker 1:Let's look at a mirror con here, not looking very linky to me.
Speaker 3:Look at the first thing you see is that big old stash.
Speaker 1:And then even a guy not known for his mustaches in movies, shah Rakan, is guys wielding the Mario mustache. Would you really be surprised that if this guy showed up in triple R too And for those of you listening, this is an a Bollywood dies version of Mario Has a picture here that maybe I made in mid-journey. Come on, omar, look at that. He has an Italian accent. Look at this guy is having. Look at this guy.
Speaker 2:Oh, could you create a completely different character. That's not Mario, that's make sense.
Speaker 1:That's This, this, this tracks man. That's that's. That's a mere collection. And then look at, here he is, after he's had some mushroom.
Speaker 2:Okay, that's pretty convincing, that's pretty convincing again for those listening.
Speaker 1:He now is shirtless And is showing off some more chest hair and some ripped pecs and and bulging.
Speaker 2:Come on. Um, you might have me at the mustache thing, but let me just say link is a child. And What Indian child have you known that hasn't just gone and run off in the hills at some point and scared everybody for at least a hundred years? I rest my case, thank you.
Speaker 1:Insane. All right, that's it, guys. Our time is up, so now it's up to the voters.
Speaker 3:Yeah, who is more? they see, is it gonna be?
Speaker 1:Link from from Hyrule, is it?
Speaker 3:gonna be.
Speaker 1:Mario from the mushroom kingdom Mm-hmm is actually more they see right now. It's pretty neck and neck. There's a slight edge to link. There's still time for you to get your vote in, you know? listen, you made some good arguments, omar.
Speaker 2:I'm not going to thank you. There's some good stuff in there.
Speaker 1:The Rama stuff hurt, rupees That hurt rupees is real solid. Again, you know, i'm saying, i'm not saying they didn't lift from our culture, i'm just saying Mario, like just Mario himself, if you person and very, very great voices, one of the biggest Indian characters in video games.
Speaker 2:I'll be so upset.
Speaker 1:I Mean I can't hear it the Indian accent. It's a me, it's a me, all right, it's a me everybody.
Speaker 2:I don't. I've never had a day see first and say, although I've heard like I've heard like Daisy, people just give like little noises, like link noises, like Yeah, i.
Speaker 1:Found it out this little bit of Reese when I was here and I didn't really know how to fit this in, but Mario's name meaning. I was like oh, name meanings, maybe there's something here. Uh-huh, his name just means manly. I don't know if you knew that Mario Disney's manly. That's what it is in in Italian.
Speaker 2:What does Luigi mean?
Speaker 1:I don't know how to look it up, but But this is as far as I got why you'll see very quickly. Why didn't include it in my arguments? I was like, well, you know India's very patriarchal.
Speaker 2:I'm like we're working on it, but I had, when you're talking about the whites, everything I did have a line about colorism And I was like I'm not doing this, i'm not bringing this heat on myself.
Speaker 1:Yeah, except we're doing it now on the in the way for the next to come in. Oh also weird, weird fact. Mario was named after the man who leased a building to meet to Shiguro Miyamoto really yeah That. Then that became Nintendo's first working space. Holy smokes. So, I'm just saying he's named after a landlord and landlord landmortem to supplement your income. Very busy, very busy.
Speaker 2:How old is Mario? again, this is 42, but I believe canonically Mario's 26.
Speaker 3:I don't know how they are man the internet.
Speaker 1:Your precious Google searches.
Speaker 2:All the since people are still voting. I don't want to. I don't sway votes too much, but when I was searching is link Indian? a lot of the results went no, there's no India in the game. He can't come from there.
Speaker 3:That is a fair argument. Canonically, india does exist in Mario's reality.
Speaker 1:Results are in Sunday.
Speaker 2:Please read them off if you don't mind, fine.
Speaker 1:Mario 47%, link 53%, edged it out by literally a vote.
Speaker 3:All right, which case we got a little something for link, link to, to share up here.
Speaker 2:Uh-huh, oh, look at that.
Speaker 1:I also made this in, just in case you want look at them.
Speaker 3:We also have.
Speaker 2:Look at that man right there. Wow.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I actually like this second one a little better.
Speaker 2:There's actually. If you go on Twitter, maybe I'll retweet some of these. There's a bunch of artists who have made, like they see Zelda character designs and they're so good.
Speaker 1:Yeah, i am not an artist, so I just typed it into a thing.
Speaker 2:Another results beg to differ. According to a lot of people on Twitter, you technically have all the resources that an artist Who's trained over years.
Speaker 1:Yeah, i can't copyright any of this though, according to the US government, so which is fine, but we will share these that they are pretty fun to look at, all right? Well, that is the really you know, tragic results of American born versus.
Speaker 2:Tragic. Next month We have one of the biggest Indian characters of all time having a game coming out. That's a huge deal.
Speaker 1:One of the canonically Indian characters.
Speaker 2:I will say Mario Sunshine Is pretty daisy because my dad spends the weekend hosing down floors for some reason. I don't know if you've ever experienced this, but just washing down the like, not watering the plants. He does that, but he'll just wash down the pavement and he's like it cleans it. So okay, he's a big power washer guy loves of loves, a power washer, oh yeah, indian, indian dads love a power love a power washer, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1:I think, all dads probably doesn't matter. Very dad thing. All right, i'll accept my defeat. You that those were well argued points.
Speaker 2:Thank you, thank you, thank you.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I'll eat my own feelings.
Speaker 3:All right, which means Omar also returned to the seat of host next week.
Speaker 2:That's right, he didn't have to remind me delvin. That's right.
Speaker 1:Fine.
Speaker 2:All right, no, no, no, i'll tee us up. Now. It's time for our day C of the week. This week. I am so excited about this. Are they see? the week is Burnama Seeth, a ramen who is one of the first and few game designers in India, paving the way for young folks who are designing games.
Speaker 1:Yes, she was inducted into the women in games Hall of Fame? Yes, women in games Hall of Fame.
Speaker 2:Pretty cool, it is wild. She's been a game designer for over 14 years and has been working on a ton of huge franchises. Let me just name two right off the bat here. Son, do you let me know if you ever heard of these farmville? Never heard of it. Okay, well, that's on you. bio shock.
Speaker 1:Yeah, i've heard of, i've heard of farmville. Fine, there you go, these are cool.
Speaker 2:She is a key architect in mobile gaming. She is an international treasure.
Speaker 1:Yeah, so very cool, very cool. We are happy to have, you know, hopefully shine the light on on some really great Trailblazers here on. They see the week and we were happy to count Pornima amongst them. So, hey, that that is the show. As always, if you want to see our lovely faces and our VOD and Find out all the ways that you can hang out with us online, all that, all those links are in the show notes. Please, oh, please, please, please, write and comment. We actually got a couple good comments and and rating reviews in Apple podcast and that really does help us Right you take a couple minutes right now.
Speaker 1:I know that we got we got 30 some odd people live right now. Maybe take a moment. Jump on Apple podcast, look up ABC, abc D pod, look for the one that has our Indian American flag merged And please drop us a review. That super helps Comment. Any other comments, suggestions or feedback can be sent to ABC D podcast show at gmailcom Or you can head over to our discord.
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Speaker 1:I'd like to thank uh-huh the patreon's who put money into our bank, which is Joshua, orion, tall, bm Carlo who's act?
Speaker 3:Benjamin low, brandon, pace. Hundred B Brown Legion 247. Miranda Holland.
Speaker 1:Survading like a long uh-huh Wow.
Speaker 2:I heard the guitar actually in the back of my head the entire time they were doing that. That's great. The show is produced by diggler. Now the show's technical director and sound designer is Dylan Neville. The show's executive producers are San D perique and anon Shaw. This is edited by Sean meager. The music is by Herschel Cisodia just for sing and Malik Zavari. This has been an effin funny production.
Speaker 1:All right, on behalf of our I guess future host, omar Najam, i'm gonna be the next episode's co-host. Sunday preak mayor chakras be aligned and smothered in chutney.