Kareem Rahma

Rahma notes he started his on-camera career at 33, later than most comedians and social media creators.

“I also started doing this when I was 33, which is later than many people, like many comedians or these social media kids”

SmartLess: "Kareem Rahma" (May 11, 2026) · Listen from 50:46

Rahma describes his first failed venture, NYC.TV, as an attempt at internet public access television.

“the first swing and a miss was something called NYC.TV. And the idea was to do public access television on the internet”

SmartLess: "Kareem Rahma" (May 11, 2026) · Listen from 18:53

Rahma says the through line of the new season is learning how to be a better man from cab drivers.

“the whole kind of through line of the show is like how to be a better man”

SmartLess: "Kareem Rahma" (May 11, 2026) · Listen from 26:36

Rahma recounts that the first Keep the Meter Running video reached about two million views overnight.

“And I opened my phone, and it has like 2 million views”

SmartLess: "Kareem Rahma" (May 11, 2026) · Listen from 24:30

Rahma suggests the CIA has historically used films to build public support, such as for Middle East wars.

“I think that the CIA has been known to use, like, movies to, like, promote, like, oh, we're going to war in the Middle East”

SmartLess: "Kareem Rahma" (May 11, 2026) · Listen from 12:54

Rahma argues that an official confirmation of alien visitation would destroy society.

“I think the impact on society, I think it would destroy society”

SmartLess: "Kareem Rahma" (May 11, 2026) · Listen from 10:55

Rahma says he aims to make the smartest possible content within the constraints of vertical phone video.

“let me just be a little bit different and try to be the smartest version of what this thing limits you to, which is a phone, tiny screen, vertical”

SmartLess: "Kareem Rahma" (May 11, 2026) · Listen from 53:14

Rahma says he dislikes street art and graffiti and prefers looking at beautiful buildings.

“I don't like street art and graffiti. And I would rather just look at like nice, beautiful buildings”

SmartLess: "Kareem Rahma" (May 11, 2026) · Listen from 44:19

Rahma argues that being mayor of New York is the worst job in America because everyone is angry regardless.

“Well, being the mayor of New York is the worst job in America”

SmartLess: "Kareem Rahma" (May 11, 2026) · Listen from 33:46

Rahma explains that short-form shows are monetized by brands underwriting a series the way a network would.

“you'd want someone to underwrite the series in the same way that like a streamer or a production company or a network would underwrite”

SmartLess: "Kareem Rahma" (May 11, 2026) · Listen from 28:49

Rahma says he helped start Times Video at The New York Times.

“I like helped start Times Video, which now makes film and television and kind of the podcasting and all that stuff”

SmartLess: "Kareem Rahma" (May 11, 2026) · Listen from 17:49

Rahma recounts that Vice paid holiday bonuses in cocaine when he worked there.

“They actually do. At least holiday bonuses are paid in cocaine. I remember Christmas, it was like, here's a bag of blow”

SmartLess: "Kareem Rahma" (May 11, 2026) · Listen from 15:36