Inappropriate Questions

By CBC

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Category: Society & Culture

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Subscribers: 71
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Episodes: 37

Description

Have you ever been curious to know the answer to a question that might be intrusive or too personal for other people? On their biweekly podcast Inappropriate Questions, now in its third season, cohosts Elena Hudgins Lyle and Harvinder Wadhwa make a space for curiosity where guests can unpack the tricky questions they get asked and learn stories about them—whether they ask if polyamorous people cope with jealousy in relationships, if Indigenous people are full Native, or brave the dreaded “have you lost weight” assumption. Created by Hudgins Lyle alongside producers Sabrina Bertsch and Cindy Long, the podcast was built out of a school project while they were studying Media Production in Toronto, Ontario. Bertsch, who’s mixed-race, had been asked a lot of questions about her background and ethnicity after studying abroad for a semester. Long and Lyle, both LGBT, would also get frequently asked about their identity and sexuality. Even if these frustrations served as a jumping-off point for them, they quickly realized that they could also learn about a variety of topics from others too—especially from their parents and older generations. So they auditioned a “dad-like” figure to be a counterpart as co-host. Wadhwa, a project manager with an engineering degree, was the unanimous choice. “Harv was the very first interview we did,” Lyle says. “After the interview, he was like, ‘All right, how many more of these do you have to go?’ You know I'm it, right? You can stop now.’” In each episode, guests share stories about being asked the week’s specific inappropriate question. Though, occasionally, they'll have an expert or academic who can break down more of the historical and social aspect of the question. Both Hudgins Lyle and Wadhwa bridge together their different generational perspectives to challenge themselves and their guests, having casual, yet meaningful conversations that are engaging, unpredictable, and humorous. “Though I've been in Canada for over 20 years, I consider myself an immigrant coming from India,” Wadhwa says. “So, what the show is also trying to do is also bring the balance. Because if everybody's thinking the same way, then we lose out a lot.” Even if they sometimes step into difficult territory, what they both hope to provide with each episode is a starting point for listeners to ease into these topics. “It could be that we've left you with some new ideas and perspectives from the guests who have this lived experience,” Lyle says. “You don't need to change and develop overnight, but hopefully, we've given you a starting place where you can then do your own research or reflection.”

Episode Date
Inappropriate Questions Introduces: Tai Asks Why - Season 4
Apr 20, 2022
Answering your questions and looking back on Season 3
Nov 24, 2021
Is “What are you going to do now?” good small talk?
Nov 17, 2021
Is it okay to ask an autistic person “Are you sure?”
Nov 03, 2021
Should we ask “Where are they now?” about former child actors?
Oct 20, 2021
Is it okay to ask formerly incarcerated people “Why did you do it?”
Oct 06, 2021
Is it helpful to ask a blind person “Do you need help?”
Sep 22, 2021
Should I ask someone with depression/anxiety “Have you tried _____?”
Sep 08, 2021
Can I ask a sex worker “What was your worst experience?”
Aug 25, 2021
Should I ask someone “Why are you single?”
Aug 11, 2021
Can I ask a Black friend “How can I do better?”
Jul 28, 2021
(Re-release) “Why don’t you drink?”
Jul 14, 2021
Is it okay to ask an adoptee “Do you know your real parents?”
Jun 30, 2021
Introducing: Telling Our Twisted Histories
Jun 23, 2021
Can I ask a polyamorous person “Do you get jealous?”
Jun 16, 2021
Should I ask my coworker “How much do you make?”
Jun 02, 2021
What does it mean to ask “How are you?” in a pandemic?
May 19, 2021
Is asking “Where are you from?” appropriate small talk?
May 05, 2021
Is it okay to ask an amputee “What happened to you?”
Apr 21, 2021
Season 3 is getting even more inappropriate!
Apr 14, 2021
“Can I speak to your manager?”
Jul 21, 2020
“How old are you?"
Jul 14, 2020
“Have you tried _____?”
Jul 07, 2020
“Are you full Native?”
Jun 30, 2020
“How did you get pregnant?”
Jun 23, 2020
“How are you?”
Jun 16, 2020
“Have you lost weight?”
Jun 09, 2020
We’re back with Season 2!
May 26, 2020
Bonus: Asked and Answered:
Mar 18, 2019
"Why don't you have kids?"
Mar 11, 2019
"Why do/don't you wear a headscarf?"
Mar 04, 2019
Bonus: "How did we get here?"
Feb 25, 2019
"Why don't you drink?"
Feb 18, 2019
"Can you have sex?"
Feb 11, 2019
"What are you?"
Feb 05, 2019
"Have you had the surgery?"
Feb 04, 2019
Episode 0: Trailer
Jan 21, 2019