Ahmed Ali Akbar
Ahmed Ali Akbar is the host of Crooked Media’s Radiolingo. Follow him on Twitter here.
Explain Radiolingo to us in ten words or less.
How language shapes the world, a Crooked and Duo Collab
How do you tell people to pronounce your name?
Listen to the first episode and you’ll learn! It’s nearly impossible to explain in text. And unless you’re very familiar with North India and Punjab, it’s definitely not how you think!
Did you ever wish you had a different name?
When I was a kid, I wanted to be “Max.” X is such an exotic letter. And sometimes I’d prefer my middle name, Ali. But my name connects me to all the other Ahmed’s in my family and I love that!
If someone mispronounces our names, should we correct them?
This is something I didn’t get into in the show — but what IS a mispronunciation? When I interviewed my dad about my name, I was surprised to hear him say my name two different ways — with or without an emphasized “H.” Is one a mispronunciation? Or is there consistent natural variation in the way we speak?
I think a mispronunciation is when someone causes you discomfort in how they say your name. And if it’s that far to make you uncomfortable, then yes, you should consider saying something! In general, people with “difficult” names perpetually live with or accept that discomfort.
Fill in the blank: You will like Radiolingo if you like ______
The movie Arrival!
Why are you the perfect host for the show?
Because I spend a lot of my time thinking about language; it’s perfect that I get to spend the time to refine all my questions into a format that combines reporting, personal storytelling, and interviews with experts. All things I’m very good at!
How has the podcast space changed since See Something, Say Something?
There are just so many shows. So many shows. Independent podcasting and Patreon seem huge. Celebrity podcasts are also still continuing to grow.
How have you changed as a podcast host?
I started podcasting really as a digital media writer and I had no idea the amount of writing you could do in a podcast. I didn’t even really understand how radio was made; I just knew how to do an interview.
Now I’m way more interested in improving my writing as a host. I’m more comfortable reading a script. And I think a lot more about how the audience processes what they’re hearing.
Can you tell people about episode one and how you used it to introduce you and the show to the audience?
The pilot is the first thing we made for the show and it explores one major question: Can I help people pronounce my name closer to how I say it?
We really wanted to use science and linguistics to explore the things that make a name “difficult” and how that impacts your life. But it’s also optimistic: I feel quite sure, after the reporting for that episode, that I can help you pronounce my name correctly.
What’s the best thing about making a podcast?
It’s a very, very simple reality: but I love talking to people. And podcasting lets you highlight the beautiful nuance of all of our ways of speaking. It’s especially nice in a podcast about language!
Do your parents understand what you do? If I were to say, “what’s Ahmed’s job?” What would they say?
Absolutely. My dad is a huge advocate for me. He’d probably say “Ahmed is a journalist and hosts podcasts!” I’ll text him right now and see.
Ok, I’m back. Abu said,
“Freelance journalist
More into podcasts”
Full marks.
If you could start another podcast, your budget is $1M and don’t worry about logistics or whether or not anyone would like it, what would it be?
I think with that money, I would want to fund one show of my own where I get to do deep-dive reporting into a singular American Muslim story — I can’t tell you what the stories are because I am currently working on that! And then, I’d be interested in helping other Muslim storytellers work on their own stuff in the medium.
But I also would happily do a show where I talk about X-Men and fighting game characters.
What’s something exciting you learned making the show?
Babies know their own name by four months!! Sometimes I don’t even know someone's name when I’ve known them for four months. Babies are so smart.
What’s one show you love that everyone already loves?
Can I say Another Round? Old show, but still one of the best. But for a current show, Latino USA is like my lone star.
What’s one show you love that not enough people know about?
Well, in my mind the audience is quite powerful, but I love CEREBRO, the deep-dive queer X-Men pod.
Anything I didn’t ask you that you want to say?
This is such a robust concept for a show that we have so many future episodes that we could make. I hope you’ll all listen and we get to make many more seasons!
Thanks, Ahmed!