It’s no secret that times are pretty rough for a lot of people right now, and checking the news can be an intensely depressing exercise. Husband and wife hosts Griffin and Rachel McElroy understood this when they decided to launch their podcast “Wonderful!” a little over a year ago.
Every week, the two hosts each pick two things which they find to be wonderful, and talk a bit about them for around 45 minutes. These things range from the very concrete and simple, like french fries, to the somewhat ephemeral and hard to describe, like the feeling of ease you have when you’re around a very charismatic person. Along the way, there are interesting tidbits of history to learn and many laughs to be had.
If I had to nail down “Wonderful!” with only one word, that word would certainly be “pleasant.” The hosts are incredibly funny, which should not come as any surprise to those who are familiar with the other works of the McElroy family, who host a variety of podcasts including the popular “My Brother, My Brother and Me.” Yet there are also deeply touching moments in it too, such as Griffin and Rachel describing touching and personal things that mean a lot to them.
Listening to the show has allowed me to remember how much I enjoy certain things I have either forgotten or have not engaged with in a long time. But not only does listening to this help remind me of things I already enjoy; it’s also a great place to discover new wonderful things.
Griffin in particular is a person with very broad and sometimes obscure tastes in music, and I really enjoyed more than a couple of the bands he’s brought to the show. However, it can’t be said that it’s only enjoyable when you’re hearing about things you like. Sometimes they bring things that I don’t enjoy, but it’s still nice and pleasant to hear them talk at length about their love for those things.
I often gain an appreciation and understanding of them that I didn’t previously have. For example, Rachel loves poetry, which is something that I am generally not a fan of. However, after 52 episodes of hearing her talk about different poems and read them, while I still don’t want to go out and buy a book of poetry, I have gained a newfound appreciation for the art.
I really can’t overstate the joy this show has brought me. Even on the worst days, it can manage to make me smile, and I think it’s something truly special and unique. I would beg anyone who’s even just a little curious about it to give it a listen.