Jonathan Vs. Kalila on Smash Boom Best

June 25, 2026

AI Summary

5 min read

In a special episode of the podcast Heavyweight, hosts Jonathan and Kalila step out of their usual roles to appear as guests on Smash Boom Best, a children’s debate show. The episode presents a debate between two modes of communication: phone calls versus texting. Jonathan argues for the intimacy and efficiency of calling, while Kalila defends texting as considerate, private, and modern. The debate is judged by a teenage girl named Ella, who ultimately crowns texting the winner. The episode is framed by the hosts’ reflections on the experience, their respect for the children’s show, and their playful but genuine disagreement.

The Case for Phone Calls: Intimacy and Efficiency

Jonathan opens his argument by claiming that the sound of being loved is a phone call, not a heartbeat. He argues that a call says, “I like hearing your voice… I want to spend my precious minutes in real time with you,” whereas a text merely signals that someone remembered to reply while “finishing up on the toilet.” He emphasizes that calls are efficient: a 15-second call can settle a plan that might take hours of back-and-forth texting. He also points out that tone is lost in text—an emoji like a “cool guy with shades” is ambiguous, while a voice can convey laughter, sarcasm, or warmth. Jonathan invokes the first phone call in 1876, when Alexander Graham Bell spilled acid and called for his assi

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What you'll learn

1 (00:10) **Opening Banter: Jonathan and Kalila Introduce the Smash Boom Best Episode** - Jonathan and Kalila explain that they appeared as guests on a children's debate podcast called *Smash Boom Best*, which is a favorite of Jonathan's son Augie.
2 (05:40) **Smash Boom Best Intro and Judge Introduction** - Host Molly Bloom introduces the debate topic (calling vs. texting) and the debaters: Jonathan (pro-phone calls) and Kalila (pro-texting). Judge Ella, a 9th grader from Oregon City, is introduced.
3 (09:16) **Round 1: Declaration of Greatness – Jonathan’s Case for Phone Calls** - Jonathan argues that the sound of being loved is a phone call, which conveys real emotion and intimacy that texts cannot replicate.
4 (14:10) **Kalila’s 30-Second Rebuttal to Jonathan** - Kalila counters that being loved means respecting what the other person wants, and many people don’t like being called.
5 (18:56) **Round 1 Continued: Kalila’s Declaration of Greatness for Texting** - Kalila opens with a dramatic skit showing how an unsolicited phone call can ruin someone’s day, contrasted with a thoughtful text that brings joy without disruption.
6 (23:34) **Jonathan’s 30-Second Rebuttal to Kalila** - Jonathan questions the literary value of emojis and argues that the ephemeral nature of phone calls is a strength, not a weakness, comparing it to laughter and other fleeting human experiences.
7 (26:09) **Logical Fallacy Segment: Circular Argument** - The show’s educational segment defines a circular argument fallacy, using a dating profile debate about cats being mean.

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Show Notes

Jonathan and Kalila go toe-to-toe as guests on the children’s debate podcast, Smash Boom Best, where they debate the merits of phone calls vs. texting. We had a lot of fun doing it, and—if it’s not too bold to presume—we think you will have fun listening to it.

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