Tallahassee family highlights Palestinian heritage while competing on Family Feud

Tallahassee will be represented this week on the Family Feud game show as members of the Kasem family take on the competition for a chance of winning up to $100,000.

The four cousins and a relative by marriage – each admitted Family Feud fanatics – came together after seeing a Facebook ad in September 2021 that none of them could resist. After sending in five separate applications, an audition video of the family playing the hit show in a family member’s living room, a Zoom interview in December and months of anticipation, the women got the invite of a lifetime.

“I don’t think any one of us ever imagined us being on it,” said Mirah Abulaban, a family participant and Florida State University graduate student.

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Joining Mirah Abulaban are Sabrin “Bina” Kasem, Noor Qasem, Afaf Qasem, and Ayah Abulaban, all of Tallahassee.

The family’s first appearance is scheduled to broadcast at 6 p.m. Wednesday on WTWC-TV channel 40. The second appearance will be 6 p.m. on Monday, October 17.

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The family raved during a virtual interview with the Tallahassee Democrat that their two-day trip to shoot two episodes at the Atlanta production studio in May was one of the best experiences they’ve shared as a family. The experience included a personal trailer, backstage access, and candid conversations with host Steve Harvey.

“He’s 10 times funnier in person,” Noor Qasem said, as everyone else nodded in agreement.

Despite all the anxiety they felt with the bright lights, cameras and the live studio audience watching, they cherished the casual conversations both on and off the set with the “personable” host.

“He’s really talking to us like we’re like friends, like I’ve known him for a long time,” Noor Qasem said.

The family members said the experience was nothing like they anticipated, including a studio that is much smaller than it looks like on TV, getting the chance to sit in the audience as two more episodes were taped, and even having their game plan fail as soon as the cameras started rolling.

“I understand when you’re just like screaming at the TV at home ‘you should’ve said this’ and then you realize when you’re in that moment you really can’t think,” said Kasem team captain and stay-at-home mom, Sabrin Kasem. “You’re just really nervous and excited and having fun at the same time.”

But game plans don’t matter if you have that Steve Harvey energy, the family said. They believe their high energy level was a critical factor in them standing out from other audition tapes.

“We also think that we are very entertaining,” said Afaf Qasem, a public health professional and designated Kasem team cheerleader. She was happy to hear the production staff advising contestants that “the louder the better” is encouraged.

Kasems wear traditional handmade thobes on Family Feud

And, while the lights, camera and action is all of the fun the family received from the experience, there is something even more fulfilling to them by way of the message they gave back to a national TV audience.

“We knew before going on the show that no matter what we did, we wanted to represent Palestine as much as we could. So, us incorporating it in the interview, us incorporating it on the show was very important,” said Sabrin Kasem with a smile and her head held high. “So even if people look at us and they don’t know who we are, at least knowing what we’re wearing they know we’re Palestinian and we’re representing them through us being on TV.”

The family decided it was important for them to display their culture using wardrobe. Dressed in traditional handmade Palestinian thobes, the family represented their culture and tradition in a variation of colors and styles they say is true to them.

Many supporters including family, friends and the Arab American Historical Foundation took to social media platforms to cheer on the Kasem family after seeing their post on Facebook.

“We’ve gotten a lot of nice posts and appreciation posts from huge platforms here in America and also the Middle East that we were not expecting,” Mirah Abulaban said. “That was all because we took our traditional dress and we took it out of its culture and presented it to American culture. That made me more happy than anything else. “

As for Wednesday, the family has an intimate watch party planned for the big premiere, where they are looking forward to watching their appearance, rewinding, and reliving the whole experience.

Democrat writer Kyla Sanford can be reached at ksanford@gannett.com.

How to watch 

You can see the Kasem family in action as they represent Tallahassee and Palestinians this Wednesday, Oct. 12, and the following Monday, Oct. 17, at 7:30 p.m. on WTWC-TV channel 40.

This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Tallahassee family to be on episode of Family Feud