The goofy web series Shugs & Fats is a great many things: a fizzy buddy comedy; a proud platform for Muslim feminism; a glittery hijab fashion show; a Gotham Award winner; and a source of unexpected takes on pop culture touchstones like Girls, Game of Thrones, and 50 Shades of Grey.
Given the scarcity of Desi and Muslim-American representation in the larger culture, Shugs & Fats’s desire to be as many things as possible isn’t surprising — there are so many gaps that need filling. Writers and stars Nadia P. Manzoor and Radhika Vaz don’t wear headscarves IRL, but they don them while playing their sheltered but curious alter egos in an effort to humanize hijabis, a vast group through whose perspective we rarely see the world.
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