Pakistani Podcasts are highly politically oriented and dominated by narratives. Mansoor Ali Khan has also joined the club with his recent discussion alongside Hina Pervez Butt which has stirred the LUMS debate. Recently, I was actually denied an interview because the host holds opposing political views and claimed that I am too politically motivated. I contacted a podcast and, as a professional on the topic at hand, I understand the importance of not sharing my political and religious views. However, the host has refused to reconsider this.
You may not necessarily agree with my political opinions, but political opinions shouldn’t have anything to do with discourse. That’s really dumb and it’s everything that’s wrong with modern-day camp politics. Many Podcast greats such as Syed Muzammil Hassan, Taimoor Salahuddin aka Mooroo, Ghias Sheikh, Naeem Sikandar, Salman Saeed Khan, Hafiz Ahmed, Ismail Blogger, Abdul Basit Khawaja, Talha Ahad, and Junaid Akram respect the boundaries set by their guests and only operate within those limits. I have seen Nadir Ali of P 4 Pakao, Youth Club’s Ali E digressing a lot many times though. My personal favorite is Faran Rafi.
It is true that podcasts have become a popular form of media and a significant part of pop culture. Many people enjoy listening to podcasts as a way to stay informed, entertained, or inspired. Podcasts cover a wide range of topics, from current events and news to personal development and storytelling, and they can be a convenient and enjoyable way to consume content on the go. Some people even consider podcasts to be the new social media, as they offer a platform for people to share their thoughts, experiences, and ideas with a wider audience. However, it is important to note that podcasts are just one of many ways that people can connect and engage with each other online, and they should not be seen as a replacement for other forms of social media or communication.
Imran Khan’s First-Ever Podcast
Let’s talk about Muzammil’s, Talha’s, and Junaid’s combined podcast with IK. The overarching verdict was that the podcast with IK was a rendition of Shaan Shahid’s effort from the day before. Remember the ARY lighting vs Shaan’s lighting at HUM TV? This podcast was for the audience who preferred this medium over a news channel that specialized in creating dramas and may have been upset with the establishment for not giving them the opportunity to create Sinf e Aahan.
It is believed that any expectations HUM TV has with ISPR after the disaster that was Ehd-e-Wafa are simply wishful thinking. In this podcast, Syed Muzamil Hasan Zaidi and Junaid Akram’s job was to placate Imran Khan’s inflated ego. It is likely that the “selected-who-has-been-rejected” would have felt satisfied with themselves after the disgraceful fall from power in April, thanks to the efforts of these two media personalities who seem to champion hard-hitting questions, creativity, action, satire, and sarcasm, but were seen kneeling before the bravado of Kaptaan.
Many believe, that during the interview, both Syed Muzamil Hasan Zaidi and Junaid Akram failed to ask any tough questions, present any rebuttals or counter questions, and constantly framed the context in favor of Khan before asking a question in order to avoid damaging the expensive trousers that they had saved for the occasion. Junaid was already in “fan” mode and Muzammil was hesitant and nervous. Imran Khan cut him off many times and he couldn’t get over that. Talha Ahad from The Centrum Media was the only one who was not dressed to impress and the only one who was not seeking employment in Khan’s setup. He made the most of the opportunity and did not hesitate to make Khan uncomfortable throughout the interview, doing justice to his profession in the process. I would like to express my admiration and respect for Talha Ahad. I am now a fan of his.
People should have the space and opportunity to believe in what they do and have the opportunity to respectfully share why they believe that. Sadly we’re in a polarized nightmare. Hopefully things will be better once this generation boomers die across the board and we can move to a new leadership.
Hoping Milleneals will be better at building bridges.Syed Muzammil Hasan Zaidi
As for Imran Khan and the nonsense he spouted, it was the same old tired rhetoric. He was still beating the same drum with the usual ingredients: a dash of history, a pinch of cricket, large chunks of Riasat-e-Madina, a sprinkle of conspiracy, and a touch of arrogance in his belief that he knows more about any subject than anyone else – the result being a spoiled and stale broth for everyone to taste and for Patwaris to vomit on. Yes, I took a shot at myself. It’s important for reader engagement.
However, this time it was clear that Imran’s specific goal was to achieve a two-thirds majority in the upcoming elections. He came out against previous supporters and promoters, namely the establishment, Jahangir Khan Tareen, and Abdul Aleem Khan, reserving his harshest criticism for the military and their neutrality. He did not refer to them as “Janawar” this time, but he did compare himself to a donkey, so the mandatory animal reference was still there. It is unclear whether the incident reported by the BBC was true and if a software patch was involved.
If we can trust Fox News, why not BBC News? Turning to the issue of the absence of hard-hitting questions during the interview, the hosts (with the exception of Talha) did not ask any questions about the then-current pressing issues such as violations and constant disregard of the constitution, the Masjid e Nabawi incident, the defense of Farah Gogi, how he enjoyed the riches of Toshakhana, the narrative of hatred and polarization he promotes, economic failures, blatant corruption, and poor governance. In fact, Muzamil couldn’t stop praising him for his non-existent anti-imperialism narrative and Junaid was busy praising the man for his “strong nerves.” If both of them had been given a couch and a red and white set, I would not have been able to distinguish between them and the duo of Owais Mangalwala/Shiffa Yousafzai. Acha… please do not mind it if you have read this far. 😉
If you can’t be unbiased, then you should cancel “Thought Behind Things.” You would have earned more through this monetization project of yours if you had chosen to be brave. However, it is not your fault – it is the fault of your programmer. To conclude, this was a burger version (will come to that later) of Shan’s effort from the day before – a large chunk of meat placed between two buns that can’t wait to have a piece of the meat. The impact it will have? It will provide enough meat for the top two cadres of PTI Supporters to feast upon, leaving nothing behind for the Insaafian who values realism, performance, values, and rationality. For supporters of parties that oppose Khan, it will further strengthen their resolve to make this party and its leader a bitter reminder of our fascist history in the future.
While 1 million views do not necessarily mean that 1 million people watched, the viewership is still impressive. I am a fan of the Mango man stories, but believe me, this time… over a million people have listened to this podcast, so why would I care about what I thought? If I want to bring about change in society, no one is stopping me from creating a YouTube channel like those of the above three individuals.
Shaikh Ghias vs Syed Muzammil
First of all, we should all understand that everyone has their own nature – some people are aggressive and some are not. In my opinion, the behavior in this podcast went too far because it is not appropriate to disrespect someone on a show. I also think that hosts should not discuss personal issues in public as the host did with the intern’s wash basin joke. However, I believe that this type of discussion is important and should be open to both perspectives. While most of my family voted for PTI, I see bias in Muzammil’s treatment of PTI and Khan and he either doesn’t realize it or doesn’t accept it.
Probably the most mature take on this whole topic.
What kind of host is Shaikh Ghias? And what kind of questions were those? As a host, it is your responsibility to allow the guest to answer the questions. The guy was looking for controversy and he got it in the shape of a Burger meme. I do not know how Syed Muzamil Hasan Zaidi was able to endure those questions, especially the final question. The show could have ended smoothly, but the next guy just wanted to insult him.
I listened to the entire podcast and, to clarify, I respect Syed Muzamil Hasan Zaidi and usually listen to his podcasts whenever I can. People have been criticizing the host’s behavior (I did know Ghias as a standup comedian as I attended his skid at Olomopolo before, but this was my first time listening to him) and have been messaging me to ask for my feedback, so here it is. It’s only the surviving ‘certainty’ in the faith of Islam that removes ‘doubts’ created by Postmodern Liberals of the Left in Muslims’ minds and not the other way around when it comes to neocolonialism.
There are three types of people; one who you advise with hard evidence and objective Divine Truth, he takes it and follows – that is a man who’s modest and trustworthy and you go easy on him; another who seemingly accepts but keeps oscillating between right and wrong – for he’s a borderline hypocrite; the third type rejects the truth and looks down on others – because he’s either an arrogant or an ignorant – you leave him to his state of misery because you’re not his manager or a judge and because there is no compulsion in the matters that Muslim scholars have already reached their consensus or ijma. Our job is to just inform them of what’s right and that which is wrong precisely according to the Scripture and the Prophetic ways.
Is Syed Muzammil Hasan Zaidi considered elite?
Lastly, the middle-class topic that has gone viral is often overrated in every story. The definition of the middle class is subjective and can vary from person to person, and nobody has the right to question anyone else’s class status. The transition from middle class to upper class is a journey that can be a significant achievement for the person experiencing it, but this topic has been diluted so much that if anyone genuinely talks about this transition, it is often considered underrated or a “topi-drama” (not targeting anyone specifically). In conclusion, we should accept these types of conversations and society needs to hear both sides (unfiltered) so that we can make our own judgments about what is correct.
Reluctantly, Shaikh Ghias made this video addressing all the controversies surrounding the podcast. It was unrehearsed and unscripted, so he forgot to mention that the screenshot was not from a private group chat, it was from the TBT group. Shaikh Ghias hoped this would resolve all the issues and debates and everyone could move on. Did he do the podcast to settle scores? Did he reveal off-the-record information during the podcast? Did he post an out-of-context clip?
Are you needing a 2-place podcast setup?
You have been wanting to start up a podcast, but you are not really computer savvy and are unsure about what equipment is good quality. Whether you want a cohost or a guest for the second spot, your first podcast episodes will probably be terrible, especially if you don’t know anything about microphones or audio engineering.
Recording a single person is super easy, especially as you are learning. You can get an inexpensive headphone/mic combo and use Audacity or Garage Band. When you add additional mics, things start to get more complicated. You can’t just run 2 or more USB mics into a single computer, as delays within the USB subsystem can cause the audio to be out of sync. In this case, you will need to use some sort of mixer to handle the multiple inputs and output a single stream to your device of choice.
So, consider your first podcast a learning experience, and don’t worry too much about being perfect right away. You should get a TASCAM DR-40 and a set of headphones. It has good built-in mics and is a great little device that will last for a long time. You can also add better mics as you grow. Use a camera tripod to mount it, and start talking. It records to a flash card and can also be used as an external flash drive. The whole setup should cost less than $200. Just focus on improving and having fun.
As mentioned before, it’s a good idea to look at a simple headset/mic combo. If you are recording multiple people, you might want to consider using some of the Yeti Snowball mics, which are omnidirectional. You can put them in the center of a table and start recording. If you want to give your podcast the best chance of success, you might want to consider getting a decent setup. The best and cleanest option would be to get a RODEcaster Pro, 2 XLR cables, and 2 Shure SM58 microphones with pop covers. This simple setup will give you a high-quality sounding podcast.
For an advanced stage, the Scarlet 2i2 is a good unit with very clean preamps. The 2i2 is a good unit, but it’s best not to buy a bundle. These packages often offer poor value and do not include the right equipment for you, especially microphones. A good starting point would be an ATR2100 microphone, which can be plugged directly into your computer via USB and comes with its own mini mic stand and pop filter. No audio interface is needed. If and when you need to add a second mic, you can buy the 2i2 on its own and another ATR2100, and connect both mics to the 2i2 using the ATR2100’s included XLR cables. For headphones, use whatever you have available at first, and consider purchasing a nice pair of closed-back headphones when you have the budget.
Lesson Learned: Refrain from sharing your political and religious opinions on your social media so it does not affect your business. But I value freedom of expression above all else and cannot compromise on it too.
