SubwayTakes

SubwayTakes, also Subway Takes,[1] is an internet talk show hosted by comedian and media personality Kareem Rahma. Similar to the "man on the street" style of video,[1] the show features interviews by Rahma of civilians and celebrities[2] in the New York City Subway, using a microphone clipped to a MetroCard.

Background

SubwayTakes is an internet talk show co-founded by Kareem Rahma and Andrew Kuo. The show is hosted by Rahma, who uses a MetroCard with a microphone clipped to it to interview people on a subway.[1][3] Rahma prompts the interviewee with "So what's your take?", after which they must "defend" their take in the face of Rahma's agreement or disagreement.[1][4][5]

Rahma and his guests have had brands including H&M, Urban Outfitters, KOTN, and J. Crew sponsor their outfits and has had Microsoft sponsor an interview.[1][4]

SubwayTakes has expanded to Chicago with their series, L Takes.[5]

History

SubwayTakes began in 2023. According to The New York Times, Rahma and Kuo created the show "almost as a whim", but it also served as a gamble to "need to turn this into something that might actually [financially] benefit [them]".[1]

SubwayTakes doubled the number of episodes that they produced from 2 to 4 in early 2024.[1]

In August 2024, SubwayTakes was invited to interview Kamala Harris and Tim Walz. During Rahma's interview of Harris, Harris surprised Rahma when she diverted from the pre-approved take against removing shoes on airplanes to a “Bacon is a spice" take. This take offended Rahma's Muslim beliefs, causing Rahma to ask to do the pre-approved take. But, after being advised by a staffer, Harris moved to a pro-anchovies-on-pizza take. This caused Rahma to quickly end the video. After Walz's interview was published, Harris's campaign apologized for the bacon take and offered to do a reshoot, which Rahma denied.[1]

SubwayTakes partnered with Talkhouse Network to release a long-form version of SubwayTakes in February 2025. The podcast was named SubwayTakes Uncut.[5][6]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h Ugwu, Reggie (November 4, 2024). "Kareem Rahma's American Dream". The New York Times.
  2. ^ "Agree or Disagree: The Hottest Celebrity Subway Takes, from Cate Blanchett on Leaf Blowers to Lil Nas X on Sleeping Arrangements and More". People.com. Retrieved July 4, 2025.
  3. ^ Watamanuk, Tyler (September 20, 2023). "How a Subway Talk Show Won Over the Internet (and Olivia Wilde)". GQ. Retrieved June 29, 2025.
  4. ^ a b Pandya, Hershal (May 28, 2025). "SubwayTakes Is Trying to Squeeze All the Juice". Vulture.
  5. ^ a b c Jones, C. T. (March 26, 2025). "'Subway Takes' Is a TikTok Hit. Kareem Rahma Planned It That Way". Rolling Stone.
  6. ^ Horowitz, Steven J. (February 20, 2025). "Kareem Rahma's 'SubwayTakes' Announces Podcast Launch in Partnership With Talkhouse Network (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved July 2, 2025.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 unless otherwise noted. Additional terms may apply for the media files.