Privacy is the New Celebrity EP 18: Benjamin Alexander

Surprise, it’s a bonus episode! On the eve of his first Olympic ski run, Jamaica’s first-ever alpine skier, Benjamin Alexander, joins Josh Goldbard from the Olympic Village in Beijing. He gives us a firsthand perspective of what it’s like to compete during a pandemic, how it feels to be the first Jamaican to compete in the sport at the Olympic level, and how he went from professional DJ (with Robot Heart) to alpine skier in just a few years.

Josh asks Benjamin how his experience as both a DJ and now as an Olympian has shaped his views on privacy. Benjamin explains how part of the reason he gave up his profession in music was because of privacy. He speaks about how the atmosphere in clubs allows for “incredibly free interaction with strangers” and how that atmosphere shifted when people began spending more time on their phones. “What I feel killed that (atmosphere) was phones and people taking photos and videos of every single moment”. He goes on, “the lack of privacy to do this thing without the prying sober eyes of the next day” really took the sheen off of it Benjamin says. “Certain things have to stay private because they only make sense in that moment.”

You can check out Josh’s entire conversation with Benjamin Alexander on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or Buzzsprout. While you’re listening, don’t forget to subscribe to Privacy is the New Celebrity Podcast on your favorite streaming service.

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