In this episode of Heavyweight, the host Jonathan Goldstein tries to connect the guest Jesse with the driver (Christian) who previously hit him with his car causing him to nearly die. Comparing the episode from my previous blog post, the host always makes the episodes have a fairly similar intro. The host draws in the audience by making an intro that is nowhere near to what the podcast talks about. The introduction always begins with a ringing sound, followed by a conversation led on by the host and his friend. It seems like the person who the host calls changes from here and there, but I find it intriguing because it adds some form of humor (as the host’s friends seem to somewhat poke fun at him in both episodes).
I like this podcast because it always seems like that host brings the story into a full circle. For instance, in this episode, we are introduced to Jesse, who describes his life as fortunate and is very thankful for the driver to have hit him because he got to recognize all the little things to be thankful for. Moreover, we are later introduced to Christian (the driver), and how his life got impacted as he suffered from PTSD. This episode was really wholesome, because of the aspect of going back in a full circle. We get to witness the details of the car crash and how it detrimentally impacted both of them in a negative way. However, the host brings it back into a full circle by showing the 2 people reconciling, mentioning how the car crash technically “saved” them in a way to be safer/more thankful, then finished by mentioning how Christian was going to a parade with his girlfriend and Jesse was seen with his friends at a shopping mall. This episode, as well as the first episode, brings this idea of wholesomeness and vulnerability to get past the idea of their own “safety.” I say this word “safety,” because, in this podcast, the people are leaving their “safety zone,” and are deciding to put themselves out there. For instance, in this episode, Christian’s family tried to discourage him from meeting Jesse as it can cause further pain. But, Christian decides for himself that by meeting Jesse, he is closing a certain chapter in his life that he never got to close.
I find this podcast really interesting because, like always, we are following the host on his journey (almost like the short stories we are reading in class about Sherlock Holmes). We get to witness the hardships the host experiences in order to “solve” the case. The host’s narration of the hardships and the questioning of certain actions add a form of mystery that we have to work through and try to solve ahead of time. The host does a good job to make everything understandable and always makes it so that all the questions that we end up having, end up being answered, as the host himself is also in the same boat as us.
This episode was way more serious than the last episode that I listened to. However, the host never fails to add a sense of humor to the episode. For instance, when Christian was not showing up to their meeting, he adds comedic music, which kind of foreshadows not only the host’s growing anxiousness and anxiety about the possible outcome of the meeting but also implies that Christian will eventually show up. I personally really like this podcast because by incorporating the voices and real-life conversations, it really brings a sense of sympathy as it is something that can actually happen to anyone at any time. Especially in this episode, it was heart-wrenching because Christian had this guilt lying in him all the time, and his real-life and first-time interaction with Jesse is so real and saddening to see. Their interaction ends with Christian and Jesse saying “I love you” to one another and hugging, then going their separate ways. The layout of this podcast was truly what I think is drawing, as it does a good job building up to their interaction, and I must say it was really eye-opening and heartwarming.
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Hi Jennifer, I have actually been listening to the same podcast “Heavyweight”. I have listened to a few different episodes across a couple different seasons, and so far, I have found it to be very engaging! I have not yet listened to “Jesse”, the episode that you discussed, but after reading your post it really sounds like something that I would be interested in. Just by reading your discussion post, I found that it was really fascinating to explore another person’s point of view on this podcast, especially in terms of how we analyze Goldstein getting his points across to listeners.
I thought it was fascinating how you mentioned the overarching idea of wholesomeness and vulnerability when it comes to this podcast. Overall, the theme of vulnerability seems to be brought up quite frequently in “Heavyweight”, and I personally think that by having the podcast guests be vulnerable, Goldstein creates narratives that the listeners can relate to. Following the stories of these individuals is, in my opinion, what makes the podcast so engaging and relatable. You mentioned that this podcast forces people to leave their “safety zone,” as they put themselves out there in ways that might make them uncomfortable. I thought this was a great point to bring up. By forcing these people out of a “safety zone”, it seems like Goldstein is able to create a narrative that both he and listeners can relate to on a much deeper level. After listening to multiple episodes and reading your response, it’s safe to say that the way Goldstein structures “Heavyweight” is effective and intentional, in that it builds itself into a story in which the listener is fully invested.
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