Radiotopia from PRX to Release “Weight For It,” A Personal Storytelling Podcast From Ronald Young, Jr.
The new podcast is a 2023 Tribeca Festival Official Selection
Radiotopia from PRX — an acclaimed podcast network for independent creators — today announced the release of a new personal storytelling series. Weight For It is created, produced, and hosted by acclaimed audio creator Ronald Young, Jr.
Weight For It was named a 2023 Official Audio Storytelling Selection by the Tribeca Festival and Vulture recently named Young, Jr. one of four podcasters to watch in 2023. Beginning Thursday, August 17, Weight For It will unpack the nuanced thoughts of fat folks, and of all folks who often think about their weight. Through a mix of narrative storytelling and memoir, Young Jr. will create a space for conversation that we tend to avoid when it comes to our bodies.
The new multi-part series composed of six weekly episodes will be brought to audiences by Radiotopia from PRX free across all major podcast platforms, including Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, Spotify, Pocket Casts, and Overcast. An audio trailer is available now:
“There are a lot of conversations about weight that we have in ways that aren’t necessarily as honest or forthcoming as they should be. There’s often no room to share in the experience of being fat and no stories from folks who have to navigate the world in a fat body,” said Ronad Young, Jr. “I want this podcast to be a space where those conversations are happening and those stories are being told.”
At the beginning of Weight For It, Ronald Young Jr. is looking for love, wondering if he can ever truly be desirable as a fat man. On his search he finds that even in seemingly the safest of spaces, he might not exactly fit in as well as he had hoped. Along this mental journey, he makes a discovery about himself that is not exactly comforting. Resulting episodes reflect on Young Jr.’s journey from college to today, through experiences with doctors, clothing, and highly personal decisions, while also processing what the future might hold.
Based in Alexandria, Virginia, Ronald Young, Jr. is also the host of the television and film review podcast Leaving the Theater. He is a regular contributor to Pop Culture Happy Hour from NPR, and has previously hosted podcasts or served on productions such as Solvable from Pushkin Industries, HBO Docs Club from Pineapple Street Studios, and Seizing Freedom from VPM. The Weight for It production team also includes accomplished producers Sarah Dealy (editor), who has helped to create audio for podcasts including The Void, Lost Hills, and Death, Sex & Money, and veteran sound engineer John DeLore of Starlight Diner (sound design), who has contributed to podcasts from Stitcher, WNYC, Gimlet, and more.
“Ronald Young Jr. is an incredibly talented storyteller, and we’re thrilled to welcome him to the Radiotopia network,” said Audrey Mardavich, executive producer of Radiotopia. “Weight For It, while deeply personal to Ronald, is a podcast that anyone who has thought about their weight — or anyone who has a body, really — can relate to. He’s brought together an all-star team who have helped to make this a deeply felt and beautifully soundful podcast that we know will resonate with listeners.”
About Radiotopia from PRX
Created in 2014, Radiotopia from PRX is the first network of its kind. As a network of independent podcasts, Radiotopia empowers audio creators with the artistic freedom to thrive on their own terms and to bring audiences inspired, high-quality, and well-crafted soundscapes. Programming from across Radiotopia has received recognition from the Peabody Awards, the duPont-Columbia Awards, the Tribeca Festival, and the Pulitzer Prizes. Radiotopia has also been named one of the most innovative companies in media by Fast Company and was named network of the year in the inaugural “Adweek” Podcast of The Year Awards.
Immerse yourself in stories and conversations of all kinds — intellectual and emotional, real and imagined, entertaining and thought-provoking. Be part of a community that values bold authenticity and boundless creativity. Discover award-winning audio with vision at Radiotopia.fm.
