Radiolab – "The Gondolier" (June 15, 2017)
Podcast: Radiolab (WNYC Studios)
Hosts: Jad Abumrad, Robert Krulwich
Reporters/Producers: Kristen Clark & David Conrad
Main Guest: Alex Hayden
Episode Overview
"The Gondolier" explores the complex, deeply personal story of Alex Hayden—a transgender man who spent nearly a decade known around the world as the “first female gondolier” in Venice. Combining classic Radiolab storytelling and investigative journalism, the episode dives beneath the surface of an international media sensation to reveal a tale about identity, history, and the struggle to define oneself in a world determined to define you.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. The Story Behind the Story
- Opening context: Reporters Kristen Clark and David Conrad become interested in Alex Hayden after overhearing a story about a female gondolier in Venice—a supposed 900-year first (03:05).
- The media had widely reported Alex as the first woman to break into Venice’s male-only gondolier tradition, but offered little detail about the person behind the headlines.
2. Meeting Alex: Defying Expectations
- Upon reaching out, Alex insists reporters spend a full week with him to see the real Venice and his lived reality (05:12).
- First impressions: Alex is portrayed as enigmatic and exacting, dictating the terms of the encounter, immediately establishing that this will not be an ordinary interview.
3. The Media Narrative vs. Alex’s Lived Experience
- The press had universally cast Alex as a gender barrier-breaking heroine—but few quoted him directly or explored more deeply.
- Alex resists the media narrative, rebuffing repeated questions about being a female pioneer:
"It's an old story...it's all set already. Why keep repeating what’s already done?" – Alex (09:14)
4. A Moment of Realization: Alex’s True Identity
- During an off-the-record dinner, Clark and Conrad realize Alex is a trans man.
- This brings up powerful questions about media narratives, gender identity, and the intersections of personal and public storytelling.
5. Alex’s Early Life and Struggles
- Born in Germany, Alex knew he was a boy from as young as three (17:20).
- Family background:
- Parents (both doctors) were unsupportive, tried to “correct” his behavior, then eventually ignored him (18:45).
- Alex felt acute distress and alienation, running away at 15 and finding his way in Hamburg’s red-light district.
6. Coming to Venice and Being ‘Discovered’
- Alex is transfixed by the gondoliers when he arrives in Venice for a film location job (21:39).
- Quickly becomes an apprentice, integrating into the gondolier community by adopting their mannerisms and humor (23:22).
- The “best time” of his life—finally feeling a sense of belonging.
7. The Media Frenzy and Public Gender
- Journalist Consuelo Turin sees Alex rowing, insists his story is important, and publishes an article against Alex’s wishes—framing him as a woman breaking into a men-only world (24:46).
- The press coverage ignites a gender war:
- Gondoliers feel betrayed, many turn hostile.
- Feminists and women rowers try to recruit Alex as a symbol of their cause, which Alex finds alienating and inaccurate (31:58).
8. Gender, Belonging, and Community Conflicts
- The episode explores how women rowers saw Alex as a feminist icon, but Alex didn’t relate:
- “When I’m in a group of women… the minute they think I am one of them, it doesn’t amuse me anymore, and I feel uncomfortable. I’m a little alien there … When I’m with the boys, I feel comfortable.” — Alex (42:28)
- The city, the gondolier guild, the feminists—all want Alex for their narratives; few ask who he really is.
9. Legal Battles and International Celebrity
- After failing the formal exam (perhaps due to corrupt, patriarchal structures), Alex’s case and the ensuing lawsuit draw any global headlines (29:17).
- Alex eventually finds a loophole: working for hotels rather than as a licensed gondolier; new legal restrictions are passed, then overturned in court.
- International press continues to label him the “first female gondolier,” a role he reluctantly, strategically markets to survive (46:55).
10. Trapped by a Public Narrative
- For almost a decade, Alex lives with a split: publicly “prima gondoliera,” privately out to friends.
- Alex’s therapist compares his predicament to being “in a cage” (49:04).
- “I cannot change a label with twenty years of history… it’s a label.” — Alex (48:44)
11. Coming Out as Himself
- Nearing 50, dealing with menopause, Alex's discomfort with public misgendering intensifies:
“I was more and more every day unhappy about people telling me I was a she, not a he… I can't hear this anymore. This is so wrong.” – Alex (51:28)
- Begins testosterone, undergoes top surgery in San Francisco, and decides to publicly come out as a transgender man (52:16).
- Posts on his website:
“After holding myself back for three decades, it's time for me to depart from my wrong body. I am not changing who I am. I am becoming who I am.” (53:49)
12. Uncertain Future
- Returns to Venice unsure how his new openness will affect his life and job (54:18).
- Embraces the future, though fears (and accepts) new battles may be ahead:
“I don’t want to do another battle, but if I have to, I will, because I hope I can at least help one person out there.” — Alex (56:05)
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
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On media reducing complicated identity to a headline:
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On feeling at home among gondoliers:
- “It was really like, maybe the best time of my life.” — Alex (23:22)
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On misgendering and public perception:
- “You are, like, in a cage. This is like a cage for you. You can’t get really out of this… I’m tired.” — Alex (49:04)
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On finally taking hormone therapy:
- “After six hours, I get the first smile on my face in nearly a year.” — Alex (52:16)
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Final message to listeners:
- “I don’t want to do another battle, but if I have to, I will, because I hope I can at least help one person out there.” — Alex (56:05)
Important Timestamps
- 01:52 – Episode theme introduced by Robert Krulwich
- 03:05 – 05:13 – How David and Kristen heard about Alex/the project beginnings
- 09:14 – Alex resists typical media questions about gender
- 13:00 – 15:42 – Reporters realize Alex is a transgender man; reflect on implications
- 17:20 – 19:00 – Alex’s childhood and early experiences with gender identity
- 24:46 – 27:15 – The first media article and backlash from gondoliers
- 29:17 – 34:34 – Exam failures, legal disputes, and feminist calls for solidarity
- 41:00 – 43:55 – Alex’s views on gendered community
- 46:55 – 48:44 – Life and work as “prima gondoliera”; using the label to survive
- 49:04 – 51:53 – Feeling trapped and coming to terms with his public persona
- 52:16 – 53:49 – Testosterone, surgery, and public coming out
- 54:18 – 56:05 – Uncertain future and Alex’s message of hope
Tone & Style
The episode is candid, reflective, and at times, quietly heart-wrenching—balancing investigative rigor with the intimacy and complexity of individual experience. The voices of Alex, Kristen, David, and the various gondoliers and activists reflect humor, frustration, pride, and vulnerability.
Conclusion
Through compassionate, deeply reported storytelling, "The Gondolier" examines how a person’s true self can be lost, distorted, or commodified by public narratives—and what it means to reclaim that self against all odds. Alex becomes both more than and other than the media’s “first female gondolier,” offering listeners a powerful meditation on gender, identity, and survival.
Recommended for:
Anyone interested in stories of gender identity, media narratives, tradition, community outsiders, or the complexities of self vs. society. This episode provides a nuanced, unforgettable perspective on what it means to be seen—and to truly see oneself.