Let’s face it, most of us duck and cover if things get uncomfortable with the people we know. Most of us shy away from emotionally charged situations. You know the ones — ones like getting your dad to talk to his estranged brother; helping your friend patch things up with someone they feel denied them credit for an idea; and the trepidatious, locked and loaded meeting up with an ex you feel changed how you see relationships forever.
One man is not turning away from these types of scenarios. Heavyweight Host Jonathan Goldstein, armed with his recording devices, dives right in, prying open all that difficult emotional baggage we all carry around in hopes of fleshing out its origins and endeavoring to change things for the better. At first read, everything I’ve described thus far might be a big turn off for you. Trust me. Heavyweight has weight in the title and Goldstein handles these things scenarios and issues with a profound balance of brevity and depth with a wit that makes you glad to be a passenger along for the ride.
Each episode delves into the baggage of totally diverse people. You’ll find yourself rooting for Goldstein’s father to make that elusive connection with that cantankerous brother he hasn’t seen in years. You’ll keep tuning in to hear if the world renowned techno guru, Moby, can finally give credit where credit is due by acknowledging that his pal Gregor gave him an album that inspired one of his most beloved songs. When Goldstein himself can’t shake his curiosity surrounding a girl he saw crying in a video that he watched way back in school, you’ll be on pins and needles as you listen to see what he discovers when he finally tracks her down. The transparency that the host also exhibits when he reunites with his ex-girlfriend is an example to all of us not to leave any stone unturned in an effort to progress rather than regress.
Heavyweight is one in a phenomenal podcast line-up of Gimlet Media. If you haven’t tapped into Gimlet podcasts you’re missing out. They’re also home to another of my favorites I wrote about earlier this year, Homecoming. If you, like Goldstein, are interested in just what can happen when people start to unpack that emotional luggage they’ve been hauling around, then this is just the podcast for you and you never know, it just might cause you to crack open your own worse-for-wear, ever-growing rolling suitcase, give your arms a rest and finally put those clothes back in their rightful drawers.
