Heavyweight Checks In

Pushkin, Hey, everybody. So the season of Heavyweight isn't due 0:00:21.610 --> 0:00:24.369 to start until the fall, but we wanted to offer 0:00:25.009 --> 0:00:29.010 just a little check in. Production on the show has 0:00:29.370 --> 0:00:35.970 slowed to pretty much as standstill because of the coronavirus. 0:00:36.250 --> 0:00:38.129 I haven't been able to go out and talk to people. 0:00:38.810 --> 0:00:42.330 Everyone's keeping pretty much to themselves as they should be, 0:00:42.970 --> 0:00:47.890 and generally speaking, even on the phone, people just haven't 0:00:47.930 --> 0:00:51.890 been as interested in revisiting and talking about the past 0:00:51.930 --> 0:00:56.370 at the moment, and everybody's just more concerned about the 0:00:56.410 --> 0:01:01.370 present moment and the future. So my producers Khalila Holt 0:01:01.410 --> 0:01:04.729 and Stevie Lane are at home in Brooklyn, and I'm 0:01:04.850 --> 0:01:07.450 with my wife, Emily and our three year old Aggie 0:01:07.730 --> 0:01:12.170 in Minnesota. But every day Stevie and Khalila and I 0:01:12.290 --> 0:01:13.890 check in and we try to figure out what we 0:01:13.930 --> 0:01:17.050 should be doing at this moment, you know, in terms 0:01:17.090 --> 0:01:20.730 of work and also in terms of life. And a 0:01:20.730 --> 0:01:23.890 few days ago, even though we were apart, we decided 0:01:23.930 --> 0:01:27.210 to record the day that we were having and share 0:01:27.530 --> 0:01:30.410 that day with each other. I was going to get 0:01:30.410 --> 0:01:33.250 some groceries with Aggie, and Khalila was going to take 0:01:33.290 --> 0:01:35.930 a walk to get a prescription filled. Stevie was trying 0:01:35.930 --> 0:01:38.050 to figure out whether she'd keep a blind date that 0:01:38.130 --> 0:01:40.250 was weeks in the making. She'd never been on a 0:01:40.290 --> 0:01:43.090 blind date before. Khalilan and Stevie both checked in with 0:01:43.130 --> 0:01:46.930 their moms for little advice and mostly just for some comfort. 0:01:48.010 --> 0:01:51.210 Looking back on that day now, it already feels like 0:01:51.250 --> 0:01:54.010 an eternity ago, even though it wasn't long ago at all. 0:01:54.530 --> 0:01:57.210 Things are changing so quickly and every day feels like 0:01:57.250 --> 0:02:01.130 a new reality. So when we recorded this, bars and 0:02:01.170 --> 0:02:03.770 restaurants were still open and school was still in session. 0:02:04.930 --> 0:02:07.690 But anyway, this was that day only a few days ago. 0:02:08.049 --> 0:02:10.970 Feels like an eternety. We shared it with each other 0:02:11.370 --> 0:02:13.650 to feel less alone, and now we're sharing it with 0:02:13.690 --> 0:02:16.330 you guys, and we hope it makes you feel less 0:02:16.329 --> 0:02:35.850 alone too. Stevie, Hey, Khalila, Hello, So so how did 0:02:35.850 --> 0:02:36.570 it go you guys? 0:02:36.970 --> 0:02:38.570 Khalila, how was your day? 0:02:39.210 --> 0:02:39.410 Yeah? 0:02:39.410 --> 0:02:40.730 I had a pretty good day. 0:02:42.010 --> 0:02:45.250 Hello Hello, Hello, hello Hello. Okay, I'm putting on my 0:02:45.490 --> 0:02:51.770 ushes and then I'm gonna leave this house. First I 0:02:51.930 --> 0:02:52.730 called my mom. 0:02:53.170 --> 0:02:55.330 It's kind of like it has it all has this 0:02:55.410 --> 0:02:58.410 feeling of like a jack in the box, which I hate. 0:02:58.450 --> 0:03:01.290 I hate those things. Like, I feel like we're walking 0:03:01.330 --> 0:03:02.690 around and we're trying to work. 0:03:02.610 --> 0:03:03.929 Like do do do do do? Do? 0:03:03.930 --> 0:03:04.450 Do do do? 0:03:06.130 --> 0:03:10.530 Still went to the pharmacy. I waited in line to 0:03:10.570 --> 0:03:13.250 get my prescription, and the line was really long. 0:03:13.290 --> 0:03:19.730 So it took a while. I had to see big. 0:03:21.210 --> 0:03:23.889 I want to stop recording out of respect to other 0:03:23.930 --> 0:03:30.330 people laying in medical information. A couple people back from me, 0:03:30.410 --> 0:03:34.530 this woman started coughing, and everyone got really tense. And 0:03:34.570 --> 0:03:36.490 then I got up to the front. A woman who 0:03:36.570 --> 0:03:39.530 was helping me went over and put on gloves and 0:03:39.570 --> 0:03:41.530 she was like, I forgot to put on my gloves 0:03:41.530 --> 0:03:45.330 till just now. And then she got my prescription and 0:03:45.370 --> 0:03:48.330 then I started to pay for it and she was like, oops, 0:03:48.370 --> 0:03:51.290 I pressed the wrong button because of the gloves. And 0:03:51.330 --> 0:03:53.810 then she was like have a nice day, and I 0:03:53.890 --> 0:03:56.130 was like thanks you too, and she was like thanks, 0:03:56.170 --> 0:03:58.690 I'll need it, and her eyes got like really wide. 0:03:59.650 --> 0:04:03.410 So then I left the pharmacy. I saw a guy 0:04:03.450 --> 0:04:05.890 carrying two bottles of champagne down the street. 0:04:06.210 --> 0:04:07.650 I wonder what he has to celebrate? 0:04:11.650 --> 0:04:15.930 Nothing, probably, and I was like, I'm going to go 0:04:15.930 --> 0:04:17.770 to the ATM. And then on the eight way to 0:04:17.810 --> 0:04:19.849 the ATM, I passed the liquor store and I was like, 0:04:19.969 --> 0:04:24.569 I'm going to just go get a bunch of liquor. Okay, 0:04:25.169 --> 0:04:26.650 do you have bitter somewhere else? 0:04:26.690 --> 0:04:27.089 So I have. 0:04:27.969 --> 0:04:29.970 I think the thing that made it feel like, oh, 0:04:30.010 --> 0:04:31.609 it was like a good day to me, it was 0:04:31.729 --> 0:04:34.969 just that I wasn't just continuing to pretend that everything 0:04:35.049 --> 0:04:39.210 was normal when things weren't normal, you know, like to 0:04:39.330 --> 0:04:42.010 just acknowledge like, oh, it's like a weird time, and 0:04:42.049 --> 0:04:43.210 like things feel weird. 0:04:43.969 --> 0:04:45.770 So that was your day? What was the best piece 0:04:45.810 --> 0:04:48.369 of advice that your mom was able to give. 0:04:50.489 --> 0:04:54.689 I feel like I feel like times of stress, even 0:04:54.770 --> 0:04:59.369 though they bring out you know, their like it feels bad, 0:04:59.650 --> 0:05:01.810 I do feel also feel like it brings out the 0:05:01.810 --> 0:05:05.850 best in a majority of the people. Yeah, so I 0:05:05.890 --> 0:05:09.890 feel like people will pull together, like people will you 0:05:09.890 --> 0:05:10.489 know what I mean? 0:05:10.729 --> 0:05:13.289 Like will we will be okay? 0:05:14.289 --> 0:05:16.529 We will be okay. It may be rough for a 0:05:16.529 --> 0:05:22.489 little bit, there will be consequences, but again I do feel, ultimately, 0:05:22.810 --> 0:05:24.810 honestly like we will get through it. 0:05:25.690 --> 0:05:30.770 Like everyone's scared and it's legitimately scary, but also like 0:05:31.969 --> 0:05:34.129 you can only do the things that are in your control, 0:05:34.289 --> 0:05:35.490 and like people are going. 0:05:35.450 --> 0:05:38.450 To step up to help each other. Yeah. 0:05:38.570 --> 0:05:42.010 And in the meantime, it also feels like you can 0:05:42.089 --> 0:05:46.250 still find these like small moments of solace in the world. 0:05:46.969 --> 0:05:50.009 Like at one point, it was kind of windy, so 0:05:50.130 --> 0:05:52.370 my sound was all messed up, and so I turned 0:05:52.450 --> 0:05:57.330 this corner. Sorry, I shoul it worked so windy. Maybe 0:05:57.369 --> 0:06:07.170 I'll go down on more quiet street. Okay, can you 0:06:07.210 --> 0:06:08.169 hear the birds? 0:06:08.849 --> 0:06:09.089 Yeah? 0:06:09.369 --> 0:06:10.849 I was just about to ask you. 0:06:13.089 --> 0:06:24.369 Think it? Kids? 0:06:26.849 --> 0:06:29.250 And Jonathan, how is your day? 0:06:30.289 --> 0:06:30.409 Uh? 0:06:30.609 --> 0:06:36.890 My day was pretty mundane. Uh went with Aggie to 0:06:37.010 --> 0:06:41.049 get groceries, and he was really excited because I was 0:06:41.049 --> 0:06:43.770 presenting it as a mission. Are you ready for the mission? 0:06:44.369 --> 0:06:44.489 Ye? 0:06:45.049 --> 0:06:46.729 Okay, we got important work to do. 0:06:46.729 --> 0:06:48.370 I'll put you I'll wrap you in a blankey. 0:06:48.929 --> 0:06:54.010 We advised broccoly you like broccoli, Yeah I do, and 0:06:54.330 --> 0:06:58.769 klafalala and say I sink pasta. I did a little 0:06:59.210 --> 0:07:00.650 have pasta. 0:07:00.890 --> 0:07:02.969 And I think that's it. 0:07:03.770 --> 0:07:04.210 That's it. 0:07:04.489 --> 0:07:08.289 Yeah, And he fell asleep like five minutes into the mission. 0:07:09.570 --> 0:07:13.489 And I went to the grocery store. A lot of 0:07:13.530 --> 0:07:18.890 the rice was selling out. Oh, there wasn't a lot 0:07:18.890 --> 0:07:20.530 of toilet paper left. And there was a sign that 0:07:20.570 --> 0:07:22.970 said only one package per customer, and that kind of 0:07:22.970 --> 0:07:26.330 got me all randy for toilet paper. So I had 0:07:26.369 --> 0:07:30.530 to buy some toilet paper. And then I got to 0:07:30.610 --> 0:07:34.330 the cashier and she sort of toilet paper shamed me. 0:07:35.130 --> 0:07:38.970 Every customer has had a roll of toilet paper. I 0:07:38.970 --> 0:07:40.250 don't know if you actually mean it. 0:07:40.770 --> 0:07:45.170 In the grocery store, they were playing old songs, you know, 0:07:45.210 --> 0:07:49.490 like the Old East Station or classic rock. Right, they 0:07:49.489 --> 0:07:52.369 played this song that I hadn't heard in a long time. 0:07:52.929 --> 0:07:56.690 You guys know Tom Petty. Yeah, so he has a 0:07:56.690 --> 0:08:00.410 song that was kind of a hit in the super 0:08:00.450 --> 0:08:03.410 early eighties, like maybe nineteen eighty or something called The Waiting. 0:08:04.929 --> 0:08:05.930 Did you ever hear this song? 0:08:06.330 --> 0:08:08.010 Yeah? The waiting is the hardest part. 0:08:08.170 --> 0:08:09.249 Yeah, how do you know that song? 0:08:09.369 --> 0:08:12.330 Because it's Tom Betty Killeeli. I bet you do too. 0:08:12.330 --> 0:08:15.809 I'm gonna sing and this is never ever to be used. 0:08:16.210 --> 0:08:21.050 Be goes like the way is the hardest part, you. 0:08:20.970 --> 0:08:24.410 Know, entire rat It's times vaguely familiar, but. 0:08:24.970 --> 0:08:29.250 Every day you see one more card, you take it 0:08:29.330 --> 0:08:34.329 on faith, you take it to the heart. The waying is. 0:08:34.330 --> 0:08:37.010 The hardest part. 0:08:38.929 --> 0:08:39.729 That's beautiful. 0:08:39.890 --> 0:08:42.490 I don't think I ever really realized the lyric in 0:08:42.570 --> 0:08:45.250 the chorus was every day you see one more card. 0:08:45.530 --> 0:08:50.970 It's a nice lyric. But I remembered when I was 0:08:51.010 --> 0:08:55.210 a kid, I had this friend Michael, and when it 0:08:55.370 --> 0:08:58.690 was like professional days or days in the summer when 0:08:58.690 --> 0:09:00.730 there was no school and we were trying to entertain ourselves. 0:09:01.410 --> 0:09:04.810 We weren't like sporty kids, and so we would take 0:09:04.850 --> 0:09:08.090 on these weird projects together. And we decided to call 0:09:08.250 --> 0:09:11.650 random number and give them a choice of a song 0:09:11.730 --> 0:09:12.330 that they could. 0:09:12.210 --> 0:09:14.250 Listen to that fun. 0:09:14.890 --> 0:09:17.210 Yeah, you know, we thought that we sounded like very 0:09:17.210 --> 0:09:19.330 official and like it was our business, but we must 0:09:19.370 --> 0:09:23.450 have sounded like cartoon mice because we were like years old, 0:09:24.170 --> 0:09:27.650 and we'd be like, today's choices are Blondie's Heart of Glass, 0:09:28.330 --> 0:09:32.770 ABBA's Dancing Queen or Tom Petty's The Waiting, and everyone 0:09:32.810 --> 0:09:35.929 would just hang up on us. And one time there 0:09:36.010 --> 0:09:39.010 was one guy who like listened to us through and 0:09:39.090 --> 0:09:42.290 chose the Waiting, and we played it like one of 0:09:42.330 --> 0:09:44.250 us held the phone and the other one, you know, 0:09:44.810 --> 0:09:48.970 put it on the turntable, and we were just so excited, 0:09:49.210 --> 0:09:52.290 like high fiving each other silently, and then when it 0:09:52.450 --> 0:09:56.410 was over, he like he was like just a curious adult, 0:09:56.490 --> 0:09:58.690 and he couldn't figure out what our business model was 0:09:59.050 --> 0:10:00.410 like how we were earning. 0:10:00.210 --> 0:10:03.570 Prothem and that man. 0:10:03.770 --> 0:10:07.010 That man turned out to be Daniel Eck, who decided 0:10:07.050 --> 0:10:13.170 that that model would be turned into Spotify. But anyway, 0:10:13.290 --> 0:10:15.170 so it was like I hadn't heard that song in 0:10:15.170 --> 0:10:19.450 a really long time. The connotations about waiting back then 0:10:20.170 --> 0:10:23.410 were just like, you know, being a kid and being impatient, 0:10:24.770 --> 0:10:28.930 and just in this context it had this new connotation 0:10:29.010 --> 0:10:31.970 of just like the waiting is the hardest part, you 0:10:32.010 --> 0:10:34.210 know what I mean. It's about like just anxiousness. You know, 0:10:34.290 --> 0:10:36.330 you don't know what's going to come next. It's just 0:10:36.330 --> 0:10:38.050 the waiting, you know what I mean. It's just the 0:10:38.410 --> 0:10:39.290 waiting right now? 0:10:39.570 --> 0:10:42.130 Yeah, yeah, it's like the jack in the box. 0:10:47.970 --> 0:10:49.170 Stevie, How is your day? 0:10:51.770 --> 0:10:51.850 So? 0:10:53.490 --> 0:10:57.250 I called my mom? Sorry, I'm putting away some groceries 0:10:57.250 --> 0:10:58.290 while we talked. Is that okay? 0:10:58.890 --> 0:11:00.490 Okay? 0:11:00.610 --> 0:11:02.090 I don't know what I'm gonna do about my date? 0:11:03.010 --> 0:11:03.730 You're gonna go? 0:11:03.890 --> 0:11:05.370 I don't know. I don't know if I want to 0:11:05.410 --> 0:11:06.890 be out there and what if I do have an 0:11:06.970 --> 0:11:11.490 I give it to him. I don't know. It feels 0:11:11.530 --> 0:11:13.810 like not a promising way to start a relationship. 0:11:19.810 --> 0:11:23.090 Yeah, you don't even have to go into a bar. Yeah, 0:11:23.130 --> 0:11:28.250 want to walk outside, that's true, taking a walk that 0:11:28.290 --> 0:11:29.010 would be nice. 0:11:29.450 --> 0:11:35.690 I don't know whatever. And uh. I was telling her 0:11:35.690 --> 0:11:37.610 how I'm afraid to come home because I'm afraid of 0:11:37.610 --> 0:11:39.809 getting her sick, and she was like, Stevie, like. 0:11:40.050 --> 0:11:43.050 I'm not worried for myself at all. You know, I'm 0:11:43.090 --> 0:11:45.770 worried about my parents. 0:11:46.250 --> 0:11:47.530 Yeah. Have you talked to them? 0:11:48.610 --> 0:11:51.530 Yeah, and they seem to be very careful. 0:11:52.370 --> 0:11:54.650 We went to the gym. It was empty. 0:11:55.730 --> 0:11:56.650 How old are they again? 0:11:56.850 --> 0:11:59.850 They are ninety three years old. And I was like, Grandma, 0:12:00.210 --> 0:12:03.050 don't go to the fucking gym. Like did you wash 0:12:03.170 --> 0:12:06.570 your hands a lot and put purella on everything? 0:12:06.810 --> 0:12:09.610 Yes? We watched, We watched and be clean everything. 0:12:09.970 --> 0:12:11.010 That's insane. 0:12:11.290 --> 0:12:13.170 But you know, I think from her attitude, she was like, 0:12:13.370 --> 0:12:15.330 you know, we have to keep moving, like I have 0:12:15.370 --> 0:12:18.770 to keep your grandpa moving, Like we'll die of coronavirus 0:12:18.970 --> 0:12:23.490 or we'll die of you know, like yeah, we're old, 0:12:23.650 --> 0:12:27.210 Like we have to exercise. So yeah, and so like 0:12:27.250 --> 0:12:29.610 the whole call was just like that was the thing, 0:12:29.690 --> 0:12:32.970 Like she seemed so unconcerned for herself. But then she 0:12:33.090 --> 0:12:36.290 was like super worried about me, Like she kept telling 0:12:36.330 --> 0:12:38.330 me like not to go outside and to like wash 0:12:38.410 --> 0:12:39.010 my hands. 0:12:39.370 --> 0:12:45.370 But you're feeling okay, yeah, you know what what your temperature? Yeah, 0:12:45.610 --> 0:12:48.330 don't get sick. Oh no, don't get sick. 0:12:48.450 --> 0:12:51.570 To be hot. But then I told her about my 0:12:51.690 --> 0:12:54.970 blind day and she was like like her whole tone change. 0:12:55.770 --> 0:13:06.090 Oh oh oh a blind day. Huh that's interesting. Yeah, 0:13:06.370 --> 0:13:08.450 to miss a blind day, this could be the one. 0:13:08.850 --> 0:13:11.490 Oh stop listen at my age. 0:13:11.570 --> 0:13:15.130 I can't stop being a grandmother, can I. I'm waiting 0:13:15.130 --> 0:13:20.650 to be a great grandmother. The two of you can 0:13:20.730 --> 0:13:25.930 meet and talk six feet apart from each other. You know, 0:13:26.010 --> 0:13:28.450 if it works out, that's an interesting story to tell 0:13:28.490 --> 0:13:32.850 your grandchildren. I met your father and during that coronavirus outbreak. 0:13:34.650 --> 0:13:36.569 I think we're getting a little out of ourselves. 0:13:36.650 --> 0:13:38.650 And think of what a good story you can write 0:13:38.650 --> 0:13:40.650 for your for your right pad. 0:13:41.410 --> 0:13:43.410 Yeah, I mean of which. I just want to let 0:13:43.450 --> 0:13:45.650 you know I am recording this phone call. 0:13:46.810 --> 0:13:50.570 Oh, jod, I better not use any dirty words. I 0:13:50.610 --> 0:13:52.530 didn't know you'd do that. All right, you'll keep it 0:13:52.570 --> 0:13:56.050 for posterity, You'll remembered le twenty years from now, you 0:13:56.090 --> 0:13:58.809 could hear my voice. That would be nice. I don't think. 0:13:59.210 --> 0:14:01.130 I don't think you'll hear me from up in heaven, 0:14:01.210 --> 0:14:03.890 you know. Besides, I'm not sure that's where I'm going. 0:14:04.010 --> 0:14:11.130 So so, so wait, does this mean that you're going 0:14:11.210 --> 0:14:15.610 to go out on the day. I don't know. Yeah, 0:14:15.690 --> 0:14:18.930 I texted So. I texted him and he was like, honestly, 0:14:19.090 --> 0:14:21.250 I totally understand if you don't want to do it anymore, 0:14:21.290 --> 0:14:24.050 but I sort of feel like it might be nice 0:14:24.290 --> 0:14:28.010 before there's even more isolation, to like have less isolation 0:14:28.970 --> 0:14:34.090 and we'll just walk around and but yeah, I don't know. 0:14:43.570 --> 0:14:46.010 We're all trying to figure out what comes next, how 0:14:46.010 --> 0:14:48.810 we can continue to stay in touch, and how that 0:14:48.850 --> 0:14:50.930 can be a comfort to you and also to us. 0:14:51.210 --> 0:14:54.130 So if you'd like send us an email at Heavyweight 0:14:54.130 --> 0:14:59.090 at Gimbletmedia dot com. We're interested in hearing how you're doing, 0:14:59.770 --> 0:15:01.810 what this has been like for all of you, and 0:15:01.890 --> 0:15:04.170 what sorts of stuff you think you might want to 0:15:04.210 --> 0:15:07.890 hear in the future. Also, our friends at Science Versus 0:15:07.970 --> 0:15:11.210 are continuing to report out developing news about the virus. 0:15:11.450 --> 0:15:14.410 So if you're not already a listener, I encourage you 0:15:14.450 --> 0:15:17.330 to start now. Uh, they're working day and night and 0:15:17.370 --> 0:15:19.370 trying to keep on top of things so that you 0:15:19.450 --> 0:15:21.890 can stay on top of things too. It's really a 0:15:21.930 --> 0:15:25.370 hard time to keep the facts straight and they're doing 0:15:25.410 --> 0:15:28.250 their best to get to the truth of what's going on. 0:15:29.170 --> 0:15:31.250 So keep safe and keep in touch. 0:15:47.410 --> 0:15:56.730 I know, how are you