Shereen Lani Younes

Shereen Lani Younes is the co-host of Ethnically Ambiguous. Follow her on Twitter here, and follow Ethnically Ambiguous on Twitter here.

Describe your show in a tweet-length description.
Ethnically Ambiguous is a podcast about being a person of color in America hosted by two friends, one Syrian and one Iranian.

How did you and your co-host Anna Hossnieh connect, and what made you hatch the idea for the show?
Anna and I met in university but really become close friends when we found ourselves both living in Los Angeles working in comedy and film. We bonded over the fact that we felt like weird aliens growing up, specifically as women of color and children of immigrants, and we recognized the immense lack of representation for Middle-Eastern women in media. So we decided we had to do something to change that, creating a show to hopefully let other weirdos just like us know that they are not alone, and that being "weird" or different from the norm is ultimately a strength we should be proud of.

What do you hope the show does for people?
I hope the show connects with people and reminds them they are not alone in this crazy world. We discuss topics that are tough to talk about including mental health, sexuality, body image, immigration, politics, representation (to name a few) and we try to do it in a conversational, digestible way so it’s accessible to everyone, while also attempting to normalize some of these stigmatized topics we cover. Another big part of our show is covering news, so hopefully through our show people can understand just how skewed Western media outlets are and how they have helped dominate the narrative about Middle-Easterners and Muslims. I’d like the show to encourage people to seek out better sources for news (like the great Al-Jazeera) and not take every headline at face value without understanding how biased the West really is. BUT back to my original point, I ultimately hope our listeners feel less alone and more kind to those who are different.

How has the show changed for you over time?
Personally, I’ve learned to open up more about my personal struggles. When we first started the show, talking about certain things really made me nervous as a queer Middle-Eastern woman and a child of immigrant parents (topics like depression, suicide, eating disorders, sexuality, queer identity, my relationship with my body, etc). But the show slowly became a catharsis for me and I realized people really appreciated and connected with our candor on the show, and it emphasized how necessary it is to normalize these topics. The podcast has taught me a lot about myself, and I’m learning my voice is important. It’s a very empowering feeling. 

Do you over prep, under prep, or perfect prep for your episodes?
Definitely depends on the episodes and on my schedule! I’m a freelance filmmaker and there are some weeks my work schedule is so hectic that I’m forced to under-prep simply because I have no time to prepare anything beforehand. I prefer being able to prep, especially when we’re talking about important and fact-based topics, and I also walk away from the podcast feeling better about my personal performance when I’m more prepared. The episodes where Anna and I both agree to just come in and talk about personal topics, not necessarily news-based information, are the most relaxing for me because it’s just me and one of my best friends having a free-flowing conversation that just so happens to be recorded. But I also know the audience expects us to cover news, so it’s just about finding a balance without feeling like I’m stretching myself too thin or living in a constant stress bubble, which happens more often than I’d like to admit. But that’s the hustle! Our immigrant parents instilled in us ridiculous work ethic and I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Dream guest for your show?
One of our dream guests was on the show this year and it was truly a dream to meet him and interact with him – Reza Aslan! It was a surreal, amazing experience; Aslan is definitely one of our heroes. I’d also love to talk with Cher, Ana Lily Amirpour, Nadine Labaki, Jameela Jamil, Hasan Minhaj, Riz Ahmed, Bassem Youssef, Trevor Noah… just to name a few!

Who do you wish had a podcast?
My mom. This isn’t even a joke! My mom is absolutely hilarious and brilliant and wise. A podcast where she reviews movies and television with my dad occasionally joining in the background would be the best. I love my parents so much and I want everyone to love them too, one hot film take at a time.

Women are always criticized for their voices. What is your relationship with your voice?
Growing up I always despised my voice. I’ve dealt with a lot of self-hatred and my voice was no exception. It always sounded so strange when I heard it play back on a video and I got teased a lot as a kid (I also had a slight accent growing up, so that didn’t help). I remember someone in college affectionately telling me I sound like a muppet, which I now think is hilarious and a little true. But the fact that I speak on podcast twice a week is sometimes baffling to me. I still have a very hard time listening back to my voice when we need to edit something for the show (genuine self-love and self-acceptance is something I continue to work on) but I’ve grown to really appreciate my voice for its uniqueness. Yes, it might sound weird to some people or even to me at times, but it’s mine. Creating the podcast forced me to be okay with putting my voice out there, literally and figuratively. Especially as women, who are criticized for anything and everything on a daily basis since birth, I don’t want to let the bullies win by staying quiet. So I’m learning to love my weird voice and its occasional accent, stutter, and mumble included. Being weird is a gift! Embrace the weird.

I heard you once say that a woman of color speaking on a podcast is doing a radical thing. I love that! Can you talk about it more?
It feels like being a woman of color in a public field is an act of defiance, whether she chooses it or not. Existing in a world that continually rejects and fights against you is already a daily battle. So a woman of color is inherently a warrior in my eyes, because she goes into a battlefield every time she walks outside. Speaking on a podcast and owning your voice is so powerful because it’s so needed; personally, having the platform of this podcast is an immense privilege I never want to take for granted, especially as a queer Syrian woman. I want to be the representation I so desperately needed for my younger self and to do that I need to keep existing in this space and fighting for what I believe is right. As a director, filmmaker, artist, writer, podcaster – all these fields of expression and so many more have been historically dominated by white men. So to exist and create work as a woman of color is a radical thing. The most beautiful act of defiance.

Do you have any other dreams of what Ethnically Ambiguous could be? A two-woman show, a theme park, a book, action figures???
I would love the show to be a filmed production where we bring on guests, interview them, and play silly games. I love off-kilter interviews and creative ways to get to know someone (for example, I love the interview show Hot Ones where the host and the guest eat very spicy wings while answering questions). Hosting a fun interview-style show where we can get serious but also play a random round of truth or dare would be a dream. I’d also love for the show to have the ability to travel to different countries and interview people in their respective cultures. A dream! But having action figures would be pretty sick too.

If you were going to start another podcast that would be wildly successful no matter what (so don't worry about it succeeding...this is JUST for you...) what would it be?
Me exploring outer space and talking to filmmakers and artists and poets I admire about life and philosophy, while occasionally on shrooms, eating vegan cookies and donuts and petting cute animals.

Thanks, Shereen!