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Mental As Anyone

A podcast to promote and raise awareness of mental health issues in comedians and entertainers by exploring views on mental health (from personal experience, or observations of peers and loved ones, or society in general).
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Now displaying: July, 2015
Jul 31, 2015

Part Two of the MAA interview with Ari Mustonen (Part One was released last week, feel free to go back and have a listen if you haven't already).  Ari has been in Australia for only a few months but he's already storming the Melbourne comedy scene.  Ari is from Estonia, and has been doing comedy for about two years (in two different languages!). 

In Part Two of this podcast we discuss:Getting into marijuana via being a bouncer/waiter/bar tender, being social with drunk people, 'cures' for social anxiety, Athieism, the Joe Rogan Experience podcast, smart people smoking marijuana, researching marijuana before using it, theories on paranoia, positive influences of marijuana, medicinal marijuana and experiences of mental clarity, legalisation/decriminalisation, theories on cigarettes, drug messages in high school, prescription drugs and abuse/addiction, issue of insecurity while growing up, stage fright and keeping things in perspective, seeking a father figure, coaches and older comedians, isolation due to no one being open, introspective perspective, feeling guilty about porn, security of knowing someone has been through the same experiences, life changes when kids come along, kicking elders out of bars, unvisersal emotions, philosophy that Everything Will Pass, and the purpose of this podcast. Enjoy :)

Jul 24, 2015

Interview with Ari Mustonen, who has been in Australia for only a few months but is already storming the Melbourne comedy scene.  Ari is from Estonia, and also spent time in Poland and Finland growing up.  He's been doing comedy for about 2 years, and in at least 2 different languages so far.  

In Part One of this podcast we discuss: the size of Australia (for travel purposes), the challenge of changing languages in comedy, benefits of using English, accents, being fully immersed in a foreign language, Melbourne's cultural mix, mental preparation for new things, pressing the reset button, teaching independence, education options, quitting vs deciding otherwise, being a "C- or F-List" celebrity, Deal Or No Deal, deciding to travel, initiative to break a cycle, expecting the unexpected, less money = more relieved/happy, self-belief, anger and pressure, family background, growing up with your mum working in another country, record absenteeism, Mixed Martial Arts, live like there's no tomorrow vs who do I want to be when I'm older, headaches and potential brain damage from sparring, losing memory, and time limits with sporting careers compared to comedy.  Please enjoy, and listen out for Part Two next week.

Jul 18, 2015

Interview with James "normally funnier than this conversation*" Masters, who has been in the comedy game since 2008.  Originally from Perth, his comedy career grew in Vancouver, Canada and you can now find him in Melbourne where he does stand up around the place, including 2 years running at the MICF.  James also runs a couple of comedy shows in Victoria (Australia, not Canada).

We discuss the high percentage of Aussies at Whistler, comedians seeing the world differently, observations and challenges of Bipolar Disorder, manic vs depressive states, major stage fright, experiences with suicidal friends, experimenting with variables to quality-test jokes, Steve Hughes, the process behind James' MICF shows, the trap of doing what other people are doing (rather than what you're good at), Oscar Wilde's quote, comedic influences vs developing your own style, comedy beginnings and creative outlets, phases in the early days of stand up, the love of the career, down-playing successes so you don't get a big head, and being kind when you flop, the brutality of Edinburgh, extraneous factors affecting a show and the stars aligning, views on MICF and the theory of quality control, gaining experience and learning on the job, alochol and drugs and bumming cigarettes, "unaddictive personality", Movember vs "Just Moustache", and weight loss as an incentive to periodically stop drinking.

*I can attest to this, and you can find out for yourselves by checking him or one of his comedy nights out - look for Dirty Secrets Comedy Night on Facebook.

Jul 7, 2015

Interview with Matt Fennell, aka Melbourne's King of Food Porn, is a man of many talents including comedy, music theatre, cabaret, and general entertainer.  Matt hails from Brisbane and has been in Melbourne for the past 5 years.  We discuss: Matt's experience with depression which started about 7 years ago, reluctance of males to seek help for mental health issues, the impact of depresison on both entertaining and the day job, the happiness mask of "the show must go on", remaining friends with exes, unhelpful thinking during a break-up, premature "stage therapy", The Wound Analogy, self-help books and internet self-help options, "planting the seed" of seeking help, Amanda Palmer, black & white & grey, Lightning Bolt moments of change, practicing gratitude (cliched but helpful!), mindfulness, Acceptance & Commitment Therapy, acting in accordance with your values, the face of Ruby Wax, other coping strategies, Yoga in comedy, the brilliance of Zumba, the Comfort Eating Theory, love of sleep, carbon footprints, cycling safety, being a morning person (or not), #Grateful, #Blessed, reflecting things in the positive: "Flip That Shit!", Hannah Gadsby, Ending The Stigma of Mental Health, that movie guy and Uncle Willie, song writing and composing, musical comedy critics, and more useful references.

Jul 4, 2015

Interview with Brad Richardson, aka Rad Bitchin'son, who is a comedian and trivia host.  You can find him on stage around Melbourne, particularly at the Comic's Lounge, or at the Mountain View Hotel in Richmond if you'd like to test out your trivia knowledge.We discuss: the double positive of his stage persona, comedians opening up about mental health, diagnosis of depression, pros and cons of medication, fear of being average, walking through treacle, being (like) Kardashian-like, more on medication, the wider range of emotions, the vicious cycle of depression, the challenges of fitting in exercise, 'fighting with one arm' analogy, the solo nature of comedy, self-praise vs self-doubt, fitting in helpful coping strategies, 'the false economy', team sports and injuries, the new puppy, keeping things in perspective, the Melbourne Soundscape, views on counselling, juggling plates and changing channels, importance of rapport, mental health initiatives, wearing masks, relaxation, golfing tantrums, being surrounded by technology and screens, driving as downtime, yoga and Headspace app, questioning the type of laughter, "Westgating", finding a balance, amplification of the negative, constructive criticisim, getting runs on the board to get better at comedy, pressure to give people their money's worth, the notion of perfection, the myth of the perfect gig, giving good advice to ourselves, and June Northern Month*.

 

*Even though it's July, The Little Dum Dum Club (podcast) are extending June Northern Month for a little longer until they reach their 250th show.  The money they raise goes to Beyond Blue, so to find out more and/or donate, head to their Facebook page: The Little Dum Dum Club with Tommy Dassalo and Karl Chandler. 

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