The Hilarious World of Depression

American Public Media

A show about clinical depression...with laughs? Well, yeah. Depression is an incredibly common and isolating disease experienced by millions, yet often stigmatized by society. The Hilarious World of Depression is a series of frank, moving, and, yes, funny conversations with top comedians who have dealt with this disease, hosted by veteran humorist and public radio host John Moe. Join guests such as Maria Bamford, Paul F. Tompkins, Andy Richter, and Jen Kirkman to learn how they’ve dealt with depression and managed to laugh along the way. If you have not met the disease personally, it’s almost certain that someone you know has, whether it’s a friend, family member, colleague, or neighbor. Depression is a vicious cycle of solitude and stigma that leaves people miserable and sometimes dead. Frankly, we’re not going to put up with that anymore. The Hilarious World of Depression is not medical treatment and should not be seen as a substitute for therapy or medication. But it is a chance to gain some insight, have a few laughs, and realize that people with depression are not alone and that together, we can all feel a bit better. American Public Media and HealthPartners’ Make It Okay campaign are committed to breaking the stigma around mental health.

#49 in the Top 100 comedy interviews Monthly chart

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Top 10 The Hilarious World of Depression Episodes

Goodpods has curated a list of the 10 best The Hilarious World of Depression episodes, ranked by the number of listens and likes each episode have garnered from our listeners. If you are listening to The Hilarious World of Depression for the first time, there's no better place to start than with one of these standout episodes. If you are a fan of the show, vote for your favorite The Hilarious World of Depression episode by adding your comments to the episode page.

Emmy Blotnick Once Ate a Whole Head of Cabbage. Alone. In Silence.

The Hilarious World of Depression

04/27/20 • 47 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 Twitter: @THWofD. Like us on Facebook: facebook.com/thwod. Support our show today: hilariousworld.org/donate

Visit MakeItOK.org to get resources, tips for talking about mental health, and more.

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 can reach the Crisis Text Line by texting the word HOME to 741-741, or call the Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK.

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Episode #4: Dick Cavett Tells Tales of Hollywood’s Secret Shame

The Hilarious World of Depression

01/02/17 • 34 min

Just about everyone who mattered in the '60s and '70s hung out with Dick Cavett. His talk shows were hilarious, candid, and culturally vital. They were snarky before David Letterman ever hit the air, and sharp before Jon Stewart showed up on anyone’s TV. Along the way, he managed to infuriate Richard Nixon such that the President plotted attacks against him, which is when you know you’ve really arrived. On this episode, Dick talks about his own struggles with depression as well as the struggles of people he knew, including Judy Garland, Laurence Olivier, Marlon Brando, and Groucho Marx.

2 Listeners

Mark Duplass Has Two Speeds: Go and Crash

The Hilarious World of Depression

11/11/19 • 49 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 crashed hard. Hear how he finally got help and how he approaches his life and work today.

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

Check out our sponsors this week:

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Bark Box - barkbox.com/WORLD

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Episode #3: Sam Grittner Finds a Funny Thing Happened On the Way to Suicide

The Hilarious World of Depression

12/26/16 • 39 min

It was an otherwise ordinary May morning when Sam decided it was the right time to die. In some ways it was a surprising decision. He had managed to kick most of the substance abuse problems that he had wrestled with for years. Oxy, ecstasy, crack, heroin, and booze were no longer part of his life. Depression was still there, though, and so was a lot of frustration about his comedy career and personal life. So he went for it and swallowed more pills than he would ever need to kill himself. Then something else happened.

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Episode #7: Jen Kirkman, Bad Therapy, Good Therapy, and Nuclear Invasion

The Hilarious World of Depression

01/23/17 • 42 min

Before she was a successful LA comic with a new Netflix special, Jen Kirkman was a somewhat confused kid growing up in Boston. Hear how she got screwed up by nuclear war anxiety, found her calling in comedy, and ultimately learned to leverage her creativity and imagination to take on depression and anxiety.

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Episode #1: Peter Sagal Opens Up

The Hilarious World of Depression

12/12/16 • 38 min

The longtime host of NPR’s Wait Wait...Don’t Tell Me has battled depression for much of his life but has never gone public with that struggle until now. Sagal recently went through what was for him a very painful and very messy divorce. He shares how he’s been able to move on and host a weekly comedy program even as his life was falling apart. Some of the methods: keeping very busy and listening to Amy Poehler. We also hear from Peter Sagal’s friend, the neuroscientist Daniel Levitin, on what helps and hurts a depressed person’s brain in times of crisis.

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Episode #5: Andy Richter on Youthful Melancholy and Twisted Entertainers

The Hilarious World of Depression

01/09/17 • 42 min

It’s not exactly normal for a 5-year-old kid to listen to Simon & Garfunkel’s “Bridge Over Troubled Water” over and over and over, but Andy Richter didn’t know that. It felt natural to him. The actor and longtime comedic accompanist to Conan O’Brien relates his childhood in Illinois, the impact of divorce on his nascent depression, and how he plugged away at finding both an effective treatment and who he really was. Also, are ALL people who go into comedy at least a little twisted? Here Andy’s answer.

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Episode #6: Supershow! Eight Comedians! One Chronic Mental Illness!

The Hilarious World of Depression

01/16/17 • 45 min

When it comes to struggles with depression, everyone’s story is different. But a lot of the time, the stories can be pretty similar. In this episode, we point out some common themes that seem to rise up in a whole lot of conversations with comedians. Join us for a journey through feeling awful and trying some things to feel better with Michael Ian Black, Aparna Nancherla, Mike Drucker, Jordan Carlos, Jenny Jaffe, Jake Weisman, Sara Benincasa, and Bill Corbett.

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Episode #2: Maria Bamford Talks Bipolar II While Her Pugs Eat Nilla Wafers

The Hilarious World of Depression

12/19/16 • 37 min

For some people, treating depression is a matter of going to a doctor or therapist, maybe getting some meds, and then feeling better. For comedian and actress Maria Bamford, the path to doing better was way longer and more complicated. She shares her experiences with depression, OCD, hypomania, and persistent, unwanted disturbing thoughts, as well as bad therapy, ineffective in-patient treatment, and breakdowns. A diagnosis of Bipolar II, which covered a lot of what was wrong with her, and some Googling helped put her on track to become the healthier person she is today.

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Lulu Miller Treats Her Depression With Fish Research, Finds Fish Don’t Exist

The Hilarious World of Depression

04/20/20 • 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.

Visit MakeItOK.org to get resources, tips for talking about mental health, and more.

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FAQ

How many episodes does The Hilarious World of Depression have?

The Hilarious World of Depression currently has 98 episodes available.

What topics does The Hilarious World of Depression cover?

The podcast is about Comedy, Podcasts and Comedy Interviews.

What is the most popular episode on The Hilarious World of Depression?

The episode title 'Emmy Blotnick Once Ate a Whole Head of Cabbage. Alone. In Silence.' is the most popular.

What is the average episode length on The Hilarious World of Depression?

The average episode length on The Hilarious World of Depression is 41 minutes.

How often are episodes of The Hilarious World of Depression released?

Episodes of The Hilarious World of Depression are typically released every 7 days.

When was the first episode of The Hilarious World of Depression?

The first episode of The Hilarious World of Depression was released on Nov 30, 2016.

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Comments

Lyle

@lyle

Oct 10

This is such a great podcast. Hearing people share stories of how they deal with depression and anxiety (often through laughter) is empowering and fills me with hope.