We call her Emma
Summary
Host Basha Cummings introduces "We Call Her Emma," a new series by Chloe Hajimathayou investigating Asma al-Assad’s transformation from a London banker to Syria’s First Lady. The episode explores her curated public image, including a controversial Vogue profile, and interviews a former PR agent who managed dictators' reputations. It also features insights from childhood friends and relatives in Acton, questioning whether Asma was a willing enabler of the regime’s atrocities or a powerless figurehead.
Topics discussed
Intro ads for Acast and Counter Crisis podcast
Basha Cummings introduces 'We Call Her Emma' series
Phil Elwood's PR work for Gaddafi's sons in Las Vegas
The Vogue photo op and Asma's image as a reformer
Arab Spring, regime brutality, and Asma's complicity
Episode 1 trailer: The Girl from Acton
Asma's childhood in London and family background
School years, friendship, and the name 'Emma'
Meeting Bashar and the political marriage calculation
Bashar's personality and Asma's attraction to him
Leaving J.P. Morgan for Syria and becoming First Lady
Series credits, Counter Crisis promo, and Acast ad
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