Yo..

Tehranto is an Iranian meet-cute which as the title suggests is set in Toronto. That’s…a lot to unpack.Your soon to be couple is Badi and Sharon. Badi is played by Sammy Azero while Sharon is played by the guest of this attached My Summer Lair episode Mo Zeighami.

Like every romantic-comedy you can’t just have a couple of good looking people meet and then cut to “they live happily ever after.” That’d be a short and dull movie. Interestingly this time the obstacles to their romance are cultural.

And not necessarily in a Romeo and Juliet kinda way: Sharon is a painter who lives in Richmond Hill; that’s her passion. What is not her passion is her culture; she’s indifferent to her Persian culture. If you ask her she’ll tell you she’s Canadian. And busy too…since she’s studying for her parental mandated real estate exam.

So complicating her life…in a good way is Badi who is enthusiastic about his roots and eventually…passionate about Sharon.

Interesting flavour, eh?

Like most people…you think of Iranian pop culture, usually it’s the classic Clash song Rock the Casbah that first comes to mind. (Just me??)

Which I know is strange…it’s a song about the ban on Western music (including and especially rock music) enforced in Iran since the Iranian Revolution.

Pop Culture is so connected and you get influences from everywhere and everything. So it’s hard for a culture to flourish when huge chunks of pop culture are banned.

At least now it’s been updated…when you think of Iranian pop culture you can think: Tehranto. (And/or The Clash song…)

My conversation with Mo Zeighami covers the burden of having immigrant parents; we question Canada’s multiculturalism claims…her favourite rom-coms (there’s comments below if you wanna disagree or agree) and…it all starts with me asking her to be totally honest about her feelings about…bacon. Mmm bacon.

Tehranto is now playing in select cinemas in Canada, it will be available everywhere on VOD on December 6, 2022.Enjoy the Tehranto trailer:

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The Five No Pants Love Languages

Speaking of love…here are the Five No Pants Love Languages; a helpful guide.

And the days when nothing goes right; when you come home bruised and battle weary those are the days the pants get bunched up by the front door after a frustrated slam. To hell with all y’all.

And the days when I’m exhausted; if I don’t set the alarm I’ll sleep for at least a year…maybe 2 years those are the days when the pants get bunched up by the tv couch. I typically fall onto the couch face first hoping my face mashes into the remote to turn on the TV.

And the days when it’s going smoothly; surprises are sweet those are the days the pants get bunched up somewhere along the way to my bedroom on the epic quest to claim my pjs. I’ll inevitable be late the next morning hunting for those discarded pants which still treasure my wallet.

And the days when it’s Summer and the Sun shines bright with promise and hope and youth and vitality; it’s a long weekend and road trips are being plotted those are the days the pants get bunched up by the front door as I multitask opening the door and pushing em down. What do I care what the neighbors think…this ain’t the 1950s. Mrs. Chan can’t speak English: gossip can’t hurt you if it’s not in English.

And the days when there’s an amazing NBA game on and I’m late I burst through the door like Batman through a Gotham skylight and I rush to the TV letting gravity do the work those are the days the pants get bunched up around my ankles and I’ll just stand there catching up on what I’ve missed until either a full timeout out or if I haven’t missed it a halftime. And then all I do is just sit down. I made it. I didn’t think I would. Life is good.

Nobody we love is complicated or difficult to love if we know how to read the pants.

“Look Dad: no hands AND side to side,” said the little boy at the urinal next to me, which is why I have fresh piss on my right shoe. Who goes side to side in 2022, way to go Dad…you just lost parent of the year!

#DownWithPants…Sammy Younan-28-

Sammy Younan is the affable host of My Summer Lair podcast: think NPR’s Fresh Air meets Kevin Smith: interviews & impressions on Pop Culture.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit mypalsammy.substack.com