Smart Girl Dumb Questions

with Nayeema Raza









On Smart Girl Dumb Questions, Nayeema Raza (New York Times, Vox) asks simple Qs to big thinkers, trying to make sense of the complexities of modern life. I helped launch the show and lead its production. I was responsible for research, writing scripts and copy, shaping the show's narrative, booking and running recording sessions, providing editorial notes, managing the audio and video editing process, helping guide the strategy for the show’s development, and managing the production process from concept to publication. 
































Select Episodes


 Is Cooking Art or Science?
with Kenji Lopez-Alt


Why are food memories so hard to recreate? Are eggs actually underpriced? Is brunch a scam? And does owning a rice-cooker make Nayeema a bad Asian?

Nayeema asks the dumbest food and dining questions she could think of to J. Kenji Lopez Alt, the James Beard award-winning chef, cookbook author and recipe developer who came to fame for his scientific understanding of food. Kenji dispels cooking myths, unpacks the reality of restaurant economics, explains if anyone needs 18 knives and shares insights from a fascinating background that fuses Asian and Western culture, East and West coast and science and music. Oh, and we learn what he’s cooking up in his kitchen (it involves rotten eggs, if you’d like a literal spoiler alert).





Is it Self-Care... Or Capitalism?
with Brooke Devard


Is beauty in the eyes of the beholder, or in the eye of the Kardashian industrial complex? What is Instagram face? How do we all agree what’s in or out? And why oh why are thin brows back in?! Nayeema asks the dumbest questions she could think of to Brooke DeVard, a beauty insider who worked at Ford Models, Vogue, Ralph Lauren and Instagram before leaving it all to pursue her Naked Beauty podcast and business full time.





Wait... What’s the Deal With This Economy?
with Paul Krugman


Are we in a trade war with China? Will BTC replace USD? What’s the latest on tariffs? And are millennials the most screwed generation? Also: can I blame the economy for my difficult dating life?

Nayeema asks the dumbest Qs she could think of to the most famous economist she could find: Nobel Laureate and former New York Times columnist Paul Krugman.