This type of food taxonomy is always fascinating and disturbing, as it tends to spawn even more unhinged classifications (ravioli is a dumpling. A bowl of cereal is a salad).
That being said, the most politically neutral take would be that tamales are a pie.
As someone from the U.S. who grew up eating Mexican food in Texas, I agree. It is disturbing. The filling is very important to a tamal. They aren't bendy or thin either. Noodles are thin and bendy
i am new mexico af and i respect your carne guisada, but really. NM food kills it. Please come over to Santa Fe and check out green chile Carne Adovada. "Texas" lol