Today, on a special episode, Asif and Ali interview addiction expert Dr. Jason Giles. For over two decades, Dr. Giles has helped more than 10,000 patients overcome substance use disorders. Dr. Giles combines clinical expertise with personal experience, having navigated his own journey to recovery 25 years ago. Dr. Giles is the founder and Medical Director of Addiction Doctors, a leading telemedicine practice specializing in comprehensive addiction care.

Dr. Giles discusses his personal story with addiction and how this led him from anesthesiology to addiction medicine. Asif and Ali then ask Dr. Giles about whether certain jobs or personality types are predisposed to addiction, and then ask about some “hot button issues” including forced addiction treatment,decriminalization of illegal drugs, and if you should pay people to stay sober. They also discuss whether people need to “want” to stop using. They then ask Dr. Giles about inpatient versus outpatient treatment and the role of telemedicine and Ali asks about the role of organizations such as AA and NA. 

The opinions expressed are those of the hosts, and do not reflect those of any other organizations. This podcast and website represents the opinions of the hosts. The content here should not be taken as medical advice. The content here is for entertainment and informational purposes only, and because each person is so unique, please consult your healthcare professional for any medical questions. 

Music courtesy of Wataboi and 8er41 from Pixabay

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Today, Asif and Ali discuss the career of the legendary singer Billy Joel (1:08). They start off by discussing his accolades, how Joel is compared to his contemporaries and his early years. They then discuss some of his seminal songs that Ali and Asif experienced growing up, including ‘Vienna’, ‘Piano Man’, ‘My Life’, ‘Uptown Girl’, and ‘We Didn’t Start the Fire’. Then the guys each list their favourite Billy Joel songs.

Joel recently cancelled several tour dates due to normal pressure hydrocephalus, so in the second half, Ali asks Asif about this disorder (31:06). Asif describes what it is and how it differs from hydrocephalus in children. He describes the symptoms, the causes and how common it is. Then, Asif reviews how it is diagnosed and treated. 

The opinions expressed are those of the hosts, and do not reflect those of any other organizations. This podcast and website represents the opinions of the hosts. The content here should not be taken as medical advice. The content here is for entertainment and informational purposes only, and because each person is so unique, please consult your healthcare professional for any medical questions. 

Music courtesy of Wataboi and 8er41 from Pixabay

Contact us at doctorvcomedian@gmail.com

Follow us on Social media:

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Show Notes:

• Billy Joel's Life in Photos: https://people.com/billy-joel-life-in-photos-8754102

• The Stranger: https://www.nytimes.com/2002/09/15/magazine/the-stranger.html

• Billy Joel: Still a Stranger: https://www.avclub.com/billy-joel-still-a-stranger-1798214483

• Even Billy Joel Mocked ‘We Didn’t Start the Fire.’ I Loved It: https://www.nytimes.com/2021/08/23/arts/music/billy-joel-we-didnt-start-the-fire.html

• The 33 Things Wrong With Fall Out Boy’s Updated “We Didn’t Start the Fire”: https://slate.com/culture/2023/06/we-didnt-start-the-fire-fall-out-boy-lyrics.html

• What is normal pressure hydrocephalus, the brain disorder affecting Billy Joel? https://www.cbc.ca/news/health/normal-pressure-hydrocephalus-1.7542276

• Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus: https://emedicine.medscape.com/article/1150924-overview#a3

Today, Ali and Asif, after a digression about Paris restaurants and Reddit trolls, discuss the career of Bill Burr (7:33). They discuss his early life, starting out in comedy, his Philly rant and his podcast. They \then discuss his television cartoon ‘F is for Family’ and his acting roles, his film ‘Old Dads’  including his recent broadway turn in ‘Glengarry Glen Ross’. They then discuss Burr’s standup style, whether comedians can be “happy and funny”, and Burr’s recent special ‘Drop Dead Years’.  They then (under duress) discuss the recent interview which Howie Mandel conducted with Bill Burr, where Mandel brings out Billy Corgan (Smashing Pumpkins) who is allegedly Burr’s half-brother. 

Based on some topics brought up in his special, the guys discuss sudden cardiac death (SCD) (50:44). Asif starts off by differentiating between heart attacks, sudden cardiac arrest and sudden cardiac death. He then goes over how common it is and the major causes. Asif differentiates how the causes of SCD differ between young people and middle aged people. He then goes over the prognosis and first aid treatment if someone you know has a suspected sudden cardiac arrest. 

The opinions expressed are those of the hosts, and do not reflect those of any other organizations. This podcast and website represents the opinions of the hosts. The content here should not be taken as medical advice. The content here is for entertainment and informational purposes only, and because each person is so unique, please consult your healthcare professional for any medical questions. 

Music courtesy of Wataboi and 8er41 from Pixabay

Contact us at doctorvcomedian@gmail.com

Follow us on Social media:

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Show Notes:

• Asif’s reddit post on Paris restaurants: https://www.reddit.com/r/ParisTravelGuide/comments/1kt1jt6/spent_a_month_in_paris_here_are_my_restaurant_recs/
• Fresh Air, Comic Bill Burr [Extended Version]: https://www.npr.org/2026/01/01/1197998073/bill-burr-extended
• Bill Burr Philly rant: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S7OBn5tU65Q

• How Bill Burr Became a Voice of the People: https://www.gq.com/story/how-bill-burr-became-a-voice-of-the-people

• Bill Burr Does Not Want to Talk About Politics: https://www.newyorker.com/culture/the-new-yorker-interview/bill-burr-does-not-want-to-talk-about-politics

• Bill Burr slams Howie Mandel for surprising him with possible half-brother Billy Corgan: https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/celebrities/2025/01/28/bill-burr-howie-mandel-billy-corgan-half-brothers/77998404007/

• Sudden Cardiac Death: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK507854/

• Sudden Cardiac Death Treatment & Management: https://emedicine.medscape.com/article/151907-treatment

• Sudden death in young people: Heart problems often blamed: https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/sudden-cardiac-arrest/in-depth/sudden-death/art-20047571#:~:text=Sudden%20cardiac%20death%20is%20the,sudden%20cardiac%20arrest%20(SCA).

After a brief digression about popcorn throwing at ‘The Minecraft Movie’ and Ali’s connection to producer Evan Goldberg, Ali and Asif discuss the Apple TV hit series ‘The Studio’ (10:49). The guys start off by discussing the creation of the show by Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg and how it was influenced by ‘The Larry Sanders Show’.  They discuss the phenomenal cast and guest stars. Asif then gets Ali’s thoughts on the numerous “one take” shots, as well as the very small writers room. They then give their overall thoughts on the show. 

One episode of ‘The Studio' has Seth Rogen’s character feud with a group of pediatric oncologists at a charity event. This leads Ali and Asif to discuss the perception of doctors by the general public (32:52). After discussing their personal opinions. Asif goes into the studies regarding how patients view doctors, doctor ratings on the internet, and what patients desire in an “ideal” doctor. He then discusses how patients can sometimes perceive burnout in their doctors. 

The opinions expressed are those of the hosts, and do not reflect those of any other organizations. This podcast and website represents the opinions of the hosts. The content here should not be taken as medical advice. The content here is for entertainment and informational purposes only, and because each person is so unique, please consult your healthcare professional for any medical questions. 

Music courtesy of Wataboi and 8er41 from Pixabay

Contact us at doctorvcomedian@gmail.com

Follow us on Social media:

Twitter: @doctorvcomedian

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Show Notes:

• Seth Rogen Lands The 'Tragic' Job Of Studio Head: https://www.npr.org/2025/03/18/1239156802/fresh-air-draft-03-18-2025

• Racing Golf Carts and Talking Hollywood With Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg: https://www.rollingstone.com/tv-movies/tv-movie-features/seth-rogen-evan-goldberg-the-studio-sausage-party-strikes-interview-1235077161/

• ‘The Studio’ Bosses Evan Goldberg And Seth Rogen Talk Hollywood, Inspiration & Killing Martin Scorsese’s Fake Movie: https://deadline.com/2025/03/the-studio-evan-goldberg-seth-rogen-interview-1236350819/

• Seth Rogen on His New Series, “The Studio” & Writing From Life: https://sharpmagazine.com/2025/04/07/seth-rogen-the-studio-interview-2025/

• Inside ‘The Studio’ - The Showrunners Peter Huyck and Frida Perez On Making "A Sexy Version Of ‘The Office’" [Interview]: https://www.nexuspointnews.com/post/inside-the-studio-the-showrunners-peter-huyck-and-frida-perez-interview

• Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg Break Down the Best Celebrity Cameos in ‘The Studio’: ‘Who Would You Bend Over Backwards to Work with?’ https://www.indiewire.com/features/interviews/the-studio-seth-rogen-evan-goldberg-celebrity-cameos-1235114472/

• Hilarity for Charity: https://wearehfc.org/

• Findings at a glance: Medical doctors: https://www.pewresearch.org/science/2019/08/02/findings-at-a-glance-medical-doctors/

• Physician Gender and Patient Perceptions of Interpersonal and Technical Skills in Online Reviews: https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2830232

• How do patients' perceptions and doctors' images impact patient decisions? Deconstructing online physician selection using multimodal data: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2405844024045948

• Patients' Perspectives on Ideal Physician Behaviors: https://www.mayoclinicproceedings.org/article/S0025-6196(11)61463-8/fulltext

• Understanding how patients perceive physician wellness and its links to patient care: A qualitative study: https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0196888

This week, Asif is in France on his sabbatical. To commemorate this, the guys give each other a quiz on France. Ali starts off by quizzing Asif about French culture and cuisine (4:55). They discuss croissants, Bouillabaisse,  Versailles, and French greetings. Then Asif quizzes Ali about medicine in France (22:57) including the advent of teaching in hospitals, pasteurization, the guillotine (!), as well as a lightning round. 

The opinions expressed are those of the hosts, and do not reflect those of any other organizations. This podcast and website represents the opinions of the hosts. The content here should not be taken as medical advice. The content here is for entertainment and informational purposes only, and because each person is so unique, please consult your healthcare professional for any medical questions. 

Music courtesy of Wataboi and 8er41 from Pixabay

Contact us at doctorvcomedian@gmail.com

Follow us on Social media:

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Show Notes:

• Revolutionary hospital medicine: https://www.sciencemuseum.org.uk/objects-and-stories/medicine/revolutionary-hospital-medicine

• 10 Most Influential French Doctors Throughout History: https://medium.com/heritage-digest/10-most-influential-french-doctors-throughout-history-523cc4d99b15

If you are in crisis or concerned about someone text 9-8-8 in the USA or Canada or visit suicide prevention.ca 

This week is children’s mental health week, and so today Asif and Ali welcome physician and researcher Dr. Daphne Korczak to discuss the important topic of suicide in children and youth. They discuss the changing language around suicide, how common it is and the complex risk factors for it. They guys also ask Dr. Korczak about how the Covid-19 pandemic impacted suicide rates, as well as the differences between males and females . Dr. Korczak then gives practical tips for parents about how to address thoughts of self harm in their children. They then discuss ongoing efforts regarding suicide prevention. They also discuss the link between cardiovascular health and depression

The opinions expressed are those of the hosts, and do not reflect those of any other organizations. This podcast and website represents the opinions of the hosts. The content here should not be taken as medical advice. The content here is for entertainment and informational purposes only, and because each person is so unique, please consult your healthcare professional for any medical questions. 

Music courtesy of Wataboi and 8er41 from Pixabay

Contact us at doctorvcomedian@gmail.com

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Show Notes:

• Canadian Association for Suicide Prevention: https://suicideprevention.ca/

Today, Asif and Ali discuss the career of the late actor Val Kilmer (1:05). The guys start off by discussing the 2023 documentary about Kilmer entitled ‘Val’. They discuss Val’s early life and the tragic death of his younger brother from epilepsy. They discuss Kilmer’s early successes and how he was the youngest person admitted to Julliard in the drama department. They then go over their favourite Kilmer movies including ‘Top Secret’, ‘Top Gun’ (which Asif still hasn’t seen), ‘Willow’,’The Doors’, ‘True Romance’. 

‘Tombstone’, ‘Batman Forever’,  ‘Heat’, ‘The Island of Dr. Moreau’, ‘The Saint’, ‘Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang’, and ‘MacGruber’. 

They then discuss his battle with throat cancer  27:06) and how Kilmer’s Christian Science beliefs influenced his treatment decisions. Ali then asks Asif about throat cancer. Asif describes what it is, how commonly it is seen. He then discusses the common symptoms and risk factors. Asif goes over how it is diagnosed, the treatment and the prognosis. 

The opinions expressed are those of the hosts, and do not reflect those of any other organizations. This podcast and website represents the opinions of the hosts. The content here should not be taken as medical advice. The content here is for entertainment and informational purposes only, and because each person is so unique, please consult your healthcare professional for any medical questions. 

Music courtesy of Wataboi and 8er41 from Pixabay

Contact us at doctorvcomedian@gmail.com

Follow us on Social media:

Twitter: @doctorvcomedian

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Show Notes:

• Val: https://a24films.com/docs/val
• WTF with Marc Maron: https://www.wtfpod.com/podcast/episode-901-sean-penn-lynn-shelton

• Val Kilmer, star of Top Gun and Batman Forever, dead at 65: https://www.cbc.ca/news/entertainment/val-kilmer-obituary-1.7499709

• Laryngeal Cancer: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK526076/

• Laryngeal Cancer: https://cancer.ca/en/cancer-information/cancer-types/laryngeal

Today, Asif and Ali discuss ultraprocessed foods (no medical topic today). To start off, Asif quizzes Ali about his favorite snack foods (1:29). Then Ali gives Asif a quiz on ultraprocessed foods from the New York Times. They then discuss the obesity epidemic and the the theory that ultraprocessed foods may have contributed to this (25;17). They then go over the NOVA food classification system and give examples of ultraprocessed foods. Asif discusses how often people consume ultraprocessed foods and the scientific evidence that these might be detrimental to health. Finally, Asif and Ali discuss recommendations for trying to decrease your intake of ultraprocessed foods. 

The opinions expressed are those of the hosts, and do not reflect those of any other organizations. This podcast and website represents the opinions of the hosts. The content here should not be taken as medical advice. The content here is for entertainment and informational purposes only, and because each person is so unique, please consult your healthcare professional for any medical questions.

Music courtesy of Wataboi and 8er41 from Pixabay

Contact us at doctorvcomedian@gmail.com

Follow us on Social media:

Twitter: @doctorvcomedian/

Instagram: doctorvcomedian

Show Notes:

• Are the Foods in Your Cart Ultraprocessed? https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2025/01/05/well/eat/ultraprocessed-foods-challenge-quiz.html

• Why Is the American Diet So Deadly? https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2025/01/13/why-is-the-american-diet-so-deadly

• Ultra-Processed Diets Cause Excess Calorie Intake and Weight Gain: An Inpatient Randomized Controlled Trial of Ad Libitum Food Intake: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31105044/

• Ultra-processed food exposure and adverse health outcomes: umbrella review of epidemiological meta-analyses: https://www.bmj.com/content/384/bmj-2023-077310

• What doctors wish patients knew about ultraprocessed foods: https://www.ama-assn.org/delivering-care/public-health/what-doctors-wish-patients-knew-about-ultraprocessed-foods#

Today, Asif and Ali discuss the phenomenal Netflix series ‘Adolescence’ (1:28). They discuss the creation of the film and how star and co-creator Stephen Graham came up with the concept for the show to address misogyny and knife violence in the UK.  The guys discuss incel culture, the book ‘The Game’ and Andrew Tate and how adolescence tackles these concepts. They then discuss the direction of the series, with each episode being filmed in one take. Then then discuss the tremendous acting in the series, including newcomer Owen Cooper. 

Then they discuss the effects of social media on teenagers (24:14). They start off by discussing Australia’s new ban on social media for children until 16 as well as Vivek Murthy’s Surgeon General Report from a few years ago on teens and social media. Asif discusses some potential benefits of social media for teens before discussing the potential harms. He then discusses the evidence that is out there regarding whether social media is harmful to teens. Finally the guys go over some practical tips for parents regarding social media and their children. 

The opinions expressed are those of the hosts, and do not reflect those of any other organizations. This podcast and website represents the opinions of the hosts. The content here should not be taken as medical advice. The content here is for entertainment and informational purposes only, and because each person is so unique, please consult your healthcare professional for any medical questions. 

Music courtesy of Wataboi and 8er41 from Pixabay

Contact us at doctorvcomedian@gmail.com

Follow us on Social media:

Twitter: @doctorvcomedian

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Show Notes:

• The Rage of ‘Adolescence’: Inside the Single-Shot Sensation Blowing Up the Manosphere: https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-features/adolescence-interview-stephen-graham-owen-cooper-netflix-1236182905/

• ‘We’ve Got to Start Talking About This’: Stephen Graham on Making ‘Adolescence’: https://www.rollingstone.com/tv-movies/tv-movie-features/adolescence-stephen-graham-interview-1235299218/

• How Stephen Graham Carried the Weight of Adolescence: https://www.vulture.com/article/adolescence-stephen-graham-eddie-finale-ending-scene-interview.html

• ‘The younger me would have sat up and nodded’: Adolescence writer Jack Thorne on the insidious appeal of incel culture: https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2025/mar/18/adolescence-writer-jack-thorne-incel-culture-netflix

• The Game at 10: Reflections From a Recovering Pickup Artist: https://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2015/10/neil-strauss-the-game/409789/

• How Social Media Affects Your Teen’s Mental Health: A Parent’s Guide: https://www.yalemedicine.org/news/social-media-teen-mental-health-a-parents-guide

• Tween and teen health: https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/tween-and-teen-health/in-depth/teens-and-social-media-use/art-20474437

• Social media brings benefits and risks to teens. Psychology can help identify a path forward: https://www.apa.org/monitor/2023/09/protecting-teens-on-social-media

• Everyone Says Social Media Is Bad for Teens. Proving It Is Another Thing: https://www.nytimes.com/2023/06/17/upshot/social-media-teen-mental-health.html

• The great rewiring: is social media really behind an epidemic of teenage mental illness? https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-024-00902-2

Today Asif and Ali interview podcaster Kate Downey about period pain and her new podcast “Cramped”. The guys chat with Kate about why she wanted to start a podcast about period pain (dysmenorrhea) and her personal journey with what she calls ‘death cramps”. Kate then elaborates on why period pain is often treated differently than other types of pain and the relation between period pain and endometriosis. They then discuss how stigma and bias are intertwined with the lack of awareness of period pain. Finally Kate discusses new scientific breakthroughs in our understanding of period pain. 

The opinions expressed are those of the hosts, and do not reflect those of any other organizations. This podcast and website represents the opinions of the hosts. The content here should not be taken as medical advice. The content here is for entertainment and informational purposes only, and because each person is so unique, please consult your healthcare professional for any medical questions. 

Music courtesy of Wataboi and 8er41 from Pixabay

Contact us at doctorvcomedian@gmail.com

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Show Notes:

• https://www.katehelendowney.com/