It's tempting to try to look for a reason why Joel Kim Booster, ordinarily a very funny and engaging person, feels dead inside, trapped in a persistent depressive state. His father recently died of COVID. The two hadn't been very close (Joel's dad was a conservative Christian, Joel is a gay Hollywood star) but were beginning to reconnect. You could point to the pandemic, which left Joel in an apartment he doesn't like for extended periods. But it's just as easy to point to things that aren't esp...
Aug 04, 2021•52 min
It’s easy for movies to get depression wrong, portraying a clinical disorder as equivalent to just being bummed out and, in the case of romantic comedies, curable with a magical kiss. People with actual depression know better and appreciate films that show the truth. In this episode, our listeners, the beloved THWoD-balls, give their picks, ranging from sci-fi to historical drama to comedy. We got moon men, bridesmaids, a couple of hobbits, and even a Babadook. Fill out your watch list! You can ...
May 25, 2020•45 min
As co-founder and co-frontman for the band Barenaked Ladies, Steven Page belted out a lot of up-tempo pop hits. But if you look at the lyrics to songs like "One Week" or "Pinch Me," you can see a lot of darkness and that's an approach that has continued with his solo work. We hear about his bipolar diagnosis, his drug arrest, and his penchant for creating multi-layered music. You can order John's book on Amazon ( amzn.to/THWoDBook ) or IndieBound ( bit.ly/IndieTHWoD ). Follow us on Twitter: @THW...
May 18, 2020•45 min
Monologist and comedian Mike Birbiglia has always had a mile-long dark streak. Even if he’s never been diagnosed with clinical depression, he’s recognized his own lack of capacity to feel joy and is constantly aware of a kind of existential dread that haunts him. But rather than shy away from all that, he picks at it. Mike fills us in on how he deals with that darkness and the inner meaning of a lot of his work. You can order John's book on Amazon ( amzn.to/THWoDBook ) or IndieBound ( bit.ly/Ind...
May 11, 2020•41 min
To celebrate the release of our book we are excited to offer you a sneak preview of the audio version, read by author and THWoD host John Moe. Hear how he started to unlock his own mental mysteries with the help of a productive relationship with a therapist, a lot of time with dogs, and some key decisions. The book is available on all platforms as of May 5, 2020. Check it out on Amazon ( amzn.to/THWoDBook ) or IndieBound ( bit.ly/IndieTHWoD ). Follow us on Twitter: @THWofD . Like us on Facebook:...
May 04, 2020•43 min
Standup comedian and writer Emmy Blotnick is a rising star in the comedy world. But along the path to success, she’s had to navigate a depression that manifested in some pretty unexpected ways, including culinary disasters involving pumpkin puree, kidney beans, and butternut squash soup. Thanks to some hard work, EMDR therapy, and more nutritious choices, she’s on the right track. You can pre-order John's book on Amazon ( amzn.to/THWoDBook ) or IndieBound ( bit.ly/IndieTHWoD ). Follow us on Twit...
Apr 27, 2020•47 min
Public radio and podcast audiences have been listening to Lulu Miller’s storytelling for years on Radiolab and on Invisibilia, a show she co-founded. Her work is generally about other people but on this episode, she shares her own story, which is by turns harrowing and triumphant. Lulu’s new book is “Why Fish Don’t Exist” (Link: https://bit.ly/2XNTnq4 ) and it’s about her history with depression, the scientific curiosity that helped get her back on track, and, yeah, why fish don’t exist. You can...
Apr 20, 2020•47 min
Some people don’t have short job titles. Dave Holmes is, among other things, a writer, MTV VJ (despite losing the contest that landed him the job), TV host, actor, and even a former advertising executive. He has dealt with anxiety, depression, and a thorny time coming out as a gay man. Just before our conversation, he received a new diagnosis of ADHD and suddenly a lot of things made a lot more sense. You can pre-order John's book on Amazon ( amzn.to/THWoDBook ) or IndieBound ( bit.ly/IndieTHWoD...
Apr 13, 2020•43 min
During this long stretch of just staying home, we decided to reach out to some friends of THWoD, hear their voices, and find out how they're holding up. Writer Ana Marie Cox is drawing strength from her sobriety, actor John Ross Bowie is balancing work and fatherhood, and comedian Solomon Georgio has found a soothing new hobby of driving to the airport and then turning around and going home again. You can pre-order John's book on Amazon ( amzn.to/THWoDBook ) or IndieBound ( bit.ly/IndieTHWoD ). ...
Apr 06, 2020•33 min
Having experienced therapy as a patient, a student, and an actual therapist, Lori Gottlieb has a lot of insight into what therapy is, what it isn't, and how to get the most out of it. We hear how she ended up in the profession after repeatedly putting a UPS guy in an uncomfortable spot and how, years later, she needed more therapy herself when her world fell out from under her. You can pre-order John's book on Amazon ( amzn.to/THWoDBook ) or IndieBound ( bit.ly/IndieTHWoD ). Follow us on Twitter...
Mar 30, 2020•50 min
She was one of the stars of NBC’s The Good Place , a tv and radio host in England, and she’s created a popular movement aimed at celebrating body positivity, all within the past few years. But Jameela Jamil has been through enough trauma, eating disorders, depression, and other calamities that she can’t feel much of anything. She’s working to change that. You can pre-order John's book on Amazon or IndieBound . Follow us on Twitter: @THWofD . Like us on Facebook: facebook.com/thwod . Support our ...
Mar 23, 2020•45 min
Hi, it’s John, and I’m sending you this recording from my makeshift office about what’s going on for us THWoD-balls during COVID-19, and ideas about how to get through it as best we can. You can pre-order John's book at bit.ly/HilariousWorldBook . Follow us on Twitter: @THWofD . Like us on Facebook: facebook.com/thwod . Support our show today: hilariousworld.org/donate If you or anyone you know is struggling, there's help available, any time. It's free and you'll reach a trained volunteer. You c...
Mar 18, 2020•16 min
Theo Fleury hit the ice at age five. He was a hockey phenom at 14, a Stanley Cup champion at 20 and an Olympic gold medalist at 33. He was also keeping a terrible secret. As a teen, he was sexually assaulted by one of his coaches. Hockey became an escape, but it couldn’t fix everything; he faced addiction and suicidal thoughts. Today, Theo is sober, and he talks with host Chamique Holdsclaw about what it took to get there. Subscribe to the podcast : Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Podcasts...
Jan 27, 2020•31 min
A special episode of our new sister program from the makers of THWoD. Tremendous Upside is a bit like THWoD, but instead of John Moe talking to artists, host and basketball icon Chamique Holdsclaw talks to big-name athletes about their struggles with mental illnesses. On the premiere episode, she interviews Metta World Peace, formerly known as Ron Artest. He had a long and storied NBA career but is still best known for his involvement in a violent incident that spilled into the stands during a g...
Jan 13, 2020•32 min
We are delighted to announce a brand new show coming your way from the THWoD team. Tremendous Upside is a series of interviews with athletes who have been at the top of their game and struggled with mental illness. In this mini-THWoD episode, John Moe talks with Tremendous Upside host Chamique Holdsclaw, winner of national championships, player of the year awards, and an Olympic gold medal. Hear how athletes like Metta World Peace, Briana Scurry, Suzy Favor Hamilton, Theo Fleury, and more open u...
Dec 16, 2019•7 min
It's helpful to know that depression lies to you, that it presents the world in a way that is false just to mess you up. It's even more helpful to know exactly what whoppers it tries to pull off. We enlisted our team of world-class investigative reporters, aka our listeners, aka The THWoD-balls, to blow the lid off lies about love, hard work, ignorance, staying alive, and even cookies. We can't stop you from lying, depression, but we can know a lie when we hear it. Also, hey, we have new stuff a...
Dec 09, 2019•49 min
Run-DMC was about as successful as recording artists could be. Packed concerts, multi-platinum selling albums, MTV, fame, fortune, the whole thing. But Darryl McDaniels, the DMC of the group's name, was a mess. He was drinking, using drugs, and not dealing with mental health issues that he thinks had plagued him since birth. With the help of some tough love therapy in a rehab facility he was able to face his problems and get to the bottom of what was really going on. Hear about his introverted c...
Nov 18, 2019•47 min
Filmmaker and actor Mark Duplass has been prolific over the course of his career. Along with his brother and creative partner, Jay Duplass, he's made films such as "The Puffy Chair" and "Cyrus," as well as TV shows like "Togetherness" and "Room 104." Mark's also an in-demand actor, starring on "The League" on FX and "The Morning Show" on Apple TV+. Depression threw a big wrench into his creative ambitions and he attempted to muscle his way through it. That doesn't work, of course, and Mark crash...
Nov 11, 2019•50 min
There's a lot of information being thrown at parents when a baby is on the way: how to make a birth plan, what kind of car seat to get, what shots the baby will need, and on and on. Comedian and actor Angelina Spicer thinks a frank discussion of postpartum depression doesn't get included in there nearly as much as it should. She recalls what happened when her driven and determined approach to her career ran head-first into a depression she never expected. You can pre-order John's book at bit.ly/...
Nov 04, 2019•45 min
Max Heller’s life was falling apart. He was drinking heavily, using every kind of pill he could get his hands on, and isolating from society. He was swimming in New York’s East River, walking through subway tunnels, and hooking up with whomever he could find. Then he met Bob the Drag Queen who, after weeks of cajoling, gave Max a complete drag makeover. Thus was born Miz Cracker, a confident and healthier self who looked beautiful in the mirror and who would rise to fame on RuPaul’s Drag Race. W...
Oct 28, 2019•49 min
Actor and writer Charlene deGuzman grew up thinking that women should be like the centerfolds her father had plastered all over the garage: alluring to men and ready for sex. As an adult, this led to a sex and love addiction where the line between sex and love got blurry. Eventually, she hit bottom amid a failed relationship, a disastrous reaction to that failed relationship, substance use, and suicidal thoughts. She got help and, this is a bit unusual, made a critically-acclaimed movie about he...
Oct 21, 2019•43 min
Can platforms like Facebook or Twitter or Instagram help with depression? They do offer a quick way to connect with other humans, after all. But then again, do they? Are you talking to a human or are you just alone and typing? Tech thinker and Glitch CEO Anil Dash has been addressing the benefits and problems of social media for twenty years, since before even MySpace and Friendster. He also has a history of depression, which made it hard to run his own business at times, a business he had start...
Oct 14, 2019•41 min
It took a long time for singer/songwriter Ryan Bingham to get to some stability in his life. Growing up, his parents had problems with drugs and alcohol, creating a lifestyle that kept the family constantly on the move or on the run all over the Southwest. Speaking of instability, his main outlet during childhood was riding bulls on the rodeo circuit. As he grew up, he tried to leave his past behind to be a traveling musician. When Ryan's parents died, he finally had to confront all that had hap...
Oct 07, 2019•42 min
Author and blogger Heather B. Armstrong ( dooce.com ) was in, by far, the deepest depression she had ever experienced and nothing was working to lift it. That’s when her psychiatrist told her about a study using powerful doses of the anesthetic Propofol. Heather had ten appointments where she was placed in a brief medically-induced coma. The idea is similar to electro-convulsive therapy (ECT) but without the electricity and, hopefully, without side effects like memory loss. She shares the story ...
Sep 30, 2019•42 min
While it was easy for audiences to enjoy Mara Wilson as a perky child performer in movies like Matilda and Mrs. Doubtfire, the young actress had mental health issues that weren’t enjoyable at all. Mara had been dealing with severe anxiety for as long as she could remember. Her mom was diagnosed with breast cancer just before Matilda started shooting and Mara developed symptoms of OCD. Then came depression, and eventually body dysmorphia, too. Mara Wilson is 32 years old now and has relegated act...
Sep 23, 2019•40 min
Whitney Cummings has had a lot of success in Hollywood as a comedian, actress, writer and director, and now she's finally having success in figuring herself out. She's been making connections between the addiction and mental illnesses in her house growing up, the eating disorders she developed, the depression that has persisted, and the codependency that emerged. Turns out when you are able to take a good hard look at things, you can get a pretty good view. You can pre-order John's book at bit.l...
Sep 16, 2019•49 min
You might know Pete Holmes from his many standup specials, his talk show, or Crashing, the HBO series he created and starred in. You might not know the long and varied spiritual path he's traveled in his life. Pete was an incredibly devout Christian, living by the Bible and obsessed with avoiding eternal damnation. Following traumatic life events, he arrived first at atheism and finally at a consciousness-based worldview influenced by thinkers like Ram Dass and Joseph Campbell. Sticking around f...
Sep 09, 2019•42 min
We asked our listeners for books they've read that give an accurate depiction of the reality of depression. Happily, we got enough great suggestions to weigh down a shopping cart at the bookstore or leave a library card smoldering. A name that came up a lot was author Jenny Lawson, who happens to be a friend of the show. On this episode, we talk with Jenny and get audio suggestions from a lot of THWoD-balls. Be sure to visit hilariousworld.org for a complete list of titles....
Aug 12, 2019•33 min
Taking a trip somewhere new can be wonderful: the new experiences, the exciting culture, the unusual foods. For people who deal with depression or anxiety, travel can also introduce a variety of problems. It necessarily involves getting out of the familiar and that can leave one feeling isolated, worried about negative possibilities, and unprotected in a world that sometimes doesn't work out all that great as it is. In this summer mini-sode, we hear from Jeremy Pelletier, a non-profit director a...
Jul 08, 2019•30 min
Look, we know that THWoD can get a little, I guess, intense at times. Depression is a heavy topic and stories about it are often packed with bummers. So in this special episode, we rounded up some of the funniest moments from our three seasons and packed them all together for a hilarity highlight reel. The laughs tend to come from unexpected places and within the context of the chat so you can be sure that none of it is corny and there are no jokes you've heard before outside the show. In the en...
May 06, 2019•41 min
