Beltway Banthas: Star Wars, Politics & More

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

It’s finally here! Our pre-Rogue One episode! As we get increasingly amped up to see the film, Stephen Swara, and special guest Brittany Hunter delve into a discussion of why rebellions and revolutions occur. To do this we look at case studies including the American Revolution and the Arab Spring, and compare these events to the formation of the Rebel Alliance. We also speculate on what motivates individuals to rebel, and at what point they may be compelled to join movements they were once reluctant to support. Social movements are complicated, so we attempt to dissect that in this special 90 min episode. Leading up the main segment of the show we welcome Joseph Tavano of RetroZap to the show to explain how he started up the website that is now home to Beltway Banthas. Stephen and Swara also address white supremacists and their attempt to boycott Star Wars using #DumpStarWars and also what it means that Bob Iger (Disney CEO) is lending his advice to the incomingTrump administration. Join Beltway Banthas in sa

Cabinet appointments, promotions, and castings...oh my! In this episode of Beltway Banthas, we discuss competitions for power taking place in both Star Wars and our own universe. Stephen and Swara discuss Rogue One’s embroilment in real world politics, the “controversy” it generated and the potential impact on its success. Next we dive into a discussion of how President Elect Trump is going about choosing members of his cabinet, and how some of it reminds us of the rat race within the Empire. We also discuss the latest canon novel Catalyst, its implications for the wider story of Rogue One, and how we both have a new favorite villain in Orson Krennic.

Stephen and Swara dig into the results of the 2016 election with guest Bobby Roberts! In the final days and hours of the elections, Star Wars references, memes and jokes abounded as Americans digested what they saw on the news. In this episode, Beltway Banthas seeks to understand why this happens and much more. This election season has been nothing short of exhausting. For some, the results of the election might be more troubling than the process that got us to this point. In this episode of Beltway Banthas, we unload all the feelings we have about the outcome and what it means, in the context of our Star Wars fandom. Star Wars teaches us about democracy, and also teaches us how to stand in the face of oppression and seemingly unsurmountable odds. THERE IS ALWAYS HOPE! Are you a rebel? What does that mean in culture, politics and Star Wars? Force Ghost Bobby Roberts joins the show to help us sort through it all. Follow us on Twitter @BeltwayBanthas @stephen_kent89 @SwaraSalih1 @bobbyrobertspdx

Stephen interviews Seth Masket, a professor of political science at Denver University, author and founder of Mischiefs of Faction (VOX). Seth has written a lot in the past about the politics of Star Wars and he was kind enough to come on Beltway Banthas and share his thoughts on the political aims of Star Wars.

Welcome to the 16th episode of Beltway Banthas! We had the privilege of visiting Richmond, VA for Virginia Comic Con, to do a panel titled "Star Wars Goes to Washington" So we captured the live audio to give you a glimpse inside the panel. Star Wars Goes To Washington is really the crux of this podcast. How has politics and government been impacted by Star Wars? Each generation of Star Wars interacts with the politics of its day in different ways, some that are subtle and some that are the opposite. From Reagan to Obama, election 1980 to election 2016. Enjoy! We'd love to hear from you! Send us your thoughts on the show and even questions at beltwaybanthas@gmail.com Find us on Twitter! @BeltwayBanthas Instagram @BeltwayBanthasPodcast Find us on RetroZap: wwww.retrozap.com/beltway-banthas Contact the Hosts on Twitter! Tirso Perez : @itsjusttirso Stephen Kent: @stephen_kent89 Swara Salih: @SwaraSalih1

Hello, And welcome to a Beltway Banthas holiday special discussion! This week Tirso, Stephen, and our new co-host Swara, take some time on Halloween to discuss costuming, and what it might mean when we all want to dress up as the bad guy. Enjoy! Catch our live video recording of this discussion https://www.facebook.com/BeltwayBanthas We'd love to hear from you! Send us your thoughts on the show and even questions at beltwaybanthas@gmail.com Find us on Twitter! @BeltwayBanthas Instagram @BeltwayBanthasPodcast Find us on RetroZap: wwww.retrozap.com/beltway-banthas Contact the Hosts on Twitter! Tirso Perez : @itsjusttirso Stephen Kent: @stephen_kent89 Swara Salih: @SwaraSalih1 And most importantly of all, have a Happy Halloween!

Hello There! And welcome new listeners and long time listeners alike; to the 15th Episode of Beltway Banthas. We had the privilege this week of getting to read Pablo Hidalgo's new book titled 'Star Wars: Propaganda' which offers a detailed look into the journey of the galaxy, through the eyes of propagandists and artists from around the Star Wars universe. And we take the time to discuss some major points, as well as aspects of the book that we found interesting regarding propaganda. Our guest today is Brittany Hunter; persuasive art expert who is well versed in the area of Nazi propaganda. And we have a brief chat with her on the science of persuasive art. So sit back! And enjoy this week's episode of Beltway Banthas Exicted for Star Wars Propaganda by Pablo Hidalgo? Order online here: https://www.amazon.com/Star-Wars-Propaganda-History-Persuasive/dp/0062466828 We'd love to hear from you! You an send us your thoughts on the show or even questions at beltwaybanthas@gmail.com Find us on Twitter! @BeltwayBantha

Stephen sits down to chat with Eric Geller of POLITICO pro, Cybersecurity writer and well known Star Wars aficionado. Leave us a review on iTunes and tell us what you think of the show! Subscribe and connect with us on Twitter @Stephen_Kent89 @BeltwayBanthas @ItsJustTirso and todays guest @EricGeller Beltway Banthas is part of the Retrozap Podcast network! http://www.retrozap.com/shows/beltway-banthas

Hello there. This is the 14th episode of Beltway Banthas, now proudly a member of the RetroZap family and podcast network! We are really excited for this next chapter in the podcast as we continue to explore the politics of Star Wars, and how Star Wars has impacted our own worlds politics. That is what this show is all about!! Our guest today is Mike O’ Connor, author of the piece “Sounding Like a Separatist” (Retrozap, Newsweek, RawStory) which offers a liberal interpretation of the Star Wars story. We loved the piece and brought Mike on to talk about it and have some fun banter around the topic. Beltway Banthas is a non-partisan podcast and we are committed to journeying through the many layers of Star Wars fandom and the sagas inner workings. We are committed to respectful, fun and honest discourse. No posturing. Star Wars is for everyone and there is room for lots of interpretations. Except for Mace Windu is Snoke. That may be a bridge too far. We want to hear from you! You can send us your thoughts on th

Hello Banthas! This is a special release of Beltway Banthas that we are excited for you to hear. Stephen has a chat with James Floyd (Club Jade, Big Shiny Robot and StarWars.com), the “force” behind the #WearStarWarsEveryday project. Find out more and get involved at www.GoFundMe.com/WearStarWars2016 and if you contribute, do so ON FRIDAY September 30th. Mention Beltway Banthas in your submission. We want to show the podcast world what awesome listeners we have on this show. May the Force be with you!

This week, we will have order! In this episode we delve into the character of Mas Amedda, that horned blue guy who lingers behind Palpatine throughout the prequels. Yes he is important. Yes he is powerful. His political career is meteoric and something fascinating that we discuss with Mike DeRose of the "You Seek Knowledge" podcast. Mike was an Amedda fan before it was cool. Connect with Mike on Twitter @LiveTheForce Tirso and Stephen also discuss Mark Hamill backing California legislation, Star Wars Rebels and dish bantha fodder. Our audience is amazing and so is this project. #WearStarWarsEveryDay founder James Floyd has a GoFundMe up to benefit the Collateral Repair Project, which helps urban refugees with emergency aid, education, and community building in Amman, Jordan. Please consider checking out this project and giving ON Force Friday, Sept 30th, that is ON Friday the 30th. Cite Beltway Banthas in the description of your donation! Let's show the Star Wars universe that the Force is strong with our aud