Podcast Review: ‘Depression’ Can Be Funny
The Hilarious World of Depression, produced by American Public Media, and hosted by John Moe. Released weekly in a season format, with an approximate running time of 60 minutes. Started December 2016.
I have depression. While not officially diagnosed, I know I either have depression or bipolar and have been aware of this since the late 1990s at least.
Unfortunately, I remain undiagnosed partially thanks to the high cost of psychiatric help in America. Since entering the workforce, out of the 20 places I’ve worked (not including internships, but including temp agencies), I’ve had company-provided insurance that wasn’t outrageously expensive at 5 of them, 1 of which didn’t even cover mental health.
Additionally, very few providers are willing to make appointments in the evenings or on the weekends, which means I have to use sick leave for the appointments when I do have them. I did briefly see a psychologist in 2002 – 2003, before the weekly appointments were too expensive for me to maintain, and we were in the process of determining whether it was depression or bipolar.
I begin with this admission because the stigma surrounding depression and mental health is still a major issue, and one of the reasons The Hilarious World of Depression was created was to help counter this stigma.
But I could have easily started this review of how much a fan I am of John Moe, the host as well as the creator of the podcast. I first heard about him thanks to the radio show turned podcast Wits, which I still want to do a separate review of. He’s the exact kind of person I like: he’s smart, creative, and funny. So, when I heard he was doing a podcast about depression — with the intent of tackling the topic with that humor and creativeness I liked about him — I was in. Add in some of the people he had as guests, including Wait Wait … Don’t Tell Me‘s Peter Segal on the first episode opening up about his depression for the first time publicly, and I was hooked.
While not directly connected to the suicide of Robin Williams in 2014, Moe has acknowledged that many comedians deal with mental health concerns such as depression, and yet feel obligated to hide it. Heck — the theme song by Rhett Miller is a folksy rendition of the Pagliacci joke. However, the podcast was partially inspired by the suicide of Moe’s own brother. And I admit: having a good friend die by suicide is partially why I started to listen as well.
Not every episode is for me: I was actually angry by the time I finished the one with Gary Gulman, for instance. But overall, the show brings an openness to the concept of dealing with mental health. And it’s not just depression, despite the title. The show has dealt with imposter syndrome, substance abuse, trauma, sex addiction, and more.
Moe is smart enough to know that those with depression are typically dealing with other mental health concerns as well, as well as acknowledging that the conversation can be more diverse if the show deals with more than ‘just’ depression. Speaking of which: while the original concept (and first season) was strictly comedians, Moe was also smart enough to realize that limits the conversation and quickly branched out to other people — and not all of them celebrities.
The show is currently in the middle of its fourth season, and I look forward to every episode. My favorite has to have been Linda Holmes from Pop Culture Happy Hour, because it made me relate to her even more.
Is depression funny? Moe asks this question at the beginning of almost every episode, and I find the variety in answers fascinating. For myself, I think of humor as a defense mechanism. It’s how I got through two fires three years apart. It’s how I dealt with cleaning up the apartment of that friend who died by suicide. It’s how I got through my mother’s death in 2017.
I have to believe that while depression itself may not be funny, humor can be a great tool. Comedy can have a therapeutic effect when dealing with serious topics, breaking the tension and giving you a release. Making jokes in these times of trial is what gets me through them sane. I can either laugh or cry, and I’d much rather laugh.
The show isn’t just for people who have depression, but for anyone who knows someone dealing with mental health issues. Which, with the world being what it is, means pretty much anybody.
You can listen to The Hilarious World of Depression pretty much anywhere you normally listen to podcasts, and you can find out more about the show on their website. You can also go there to buy merch and support them financially. Which — in full disclosure, I did sign up last December to donate $5 a month in order to get these cool THWOD socks.