Is Laughter the best medicine? We attempt to answer this and other pressing questions in Doctor Vs Comedian. Dr Asif Doja is a pediatric neurologist and Ali Hassan is a stand up comedian and actor (CBC‘s Laugh Out Loud, Designated Survivor, Goon) who are each fascinated by what the other one does. In each episode, Asif picks a topic for Ali from comedy and entertainment and questions Ali about it. Then Ali picks a topic from medicine and health and grills Asif on that subject. We talk about serious subjects in an unserious way. If you want to hear about comedy, entertainment, health and wellness and don‘t want to have to choose between being entertaining AND informed, then this show is for you.
Episodes
Friday Jun 25, 2021
Episode 17: Interview with Dr. Jen Gunter
Friday Jun 25, 2021
Friday Jun 25, 2021
On this special episode, Ali and Asif are joined by physician, OB/GYN, pain medicine specialist, blogger, podcaster and writer Dr. Jen Gunter. Topics discussed include:
- Asif and Dr. Gunter discussing attending Western University and Joe Kool’s
- Dr. Gunter’s past battles with Gweneth Paltrow and Goop
- A tangent about coffee enemas and the British military
- Dr. Gunter’s new Ted Audio Collective podcast “Body Stuff”
- Dr. Gunter’s new book “The Menopause Manifesto”
- Listener questions about menopause
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:
- “The Menopause Manifesto” by Dr. Jen Gunter: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.ca/books/652048/the-menopause-manifesto-by-dr-jen-gunter/9780735280786
- “Body Stuff”, Ted Audio Collective: https://www.ted.com/podcasts/body-stuff-with-dr-jen-gunter
Friday Jun 18, 2021
Episode 16: Can Comedy Affect Change? / Doctor Stereotypes
Friday Jun 18, 2021
Friday Jun 18, 2021
In this Episode, the guys discuss whether comedy can affect change (2:36). Ali discusses the Satire Paradox (Malcolm Gladwell) and whether laughter and social protest are friends or foes, including examples such as All in the Family, and Sarah Palin and Donald Trump on Saturday Night Live. He then talks about how Trump affected late night talk shows and the NY Times magazine article by Dan Brooks “How Present Trump Ruined Political Comedy”. Finally, Ali talks about comedians who were able to affect change such as Hari Kondabolu, Hannibal Buress, and Sacha Baron Cohen. Next, Asif uses the comedy videos of Dr. Glaucomflecken to illustrate doctor stereotypes in medicine (31:32). Asif discusses various examples of these stereotypes and how they represent examples of the hidden curriculum in medicine. Finally, he discusses ways to address the hidden curriculum and doctor stereotypes.
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:
- The Satire Paradox, Malcolm Gladwell: http://revisionisthistory.com/episodes/10-the-satire-paradox
- Dan Brooks, How Present Trump Ruined Political Comedy”: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/10/07/magazine/trump-liberal-comedy-tv.html
- Dr. Glaucomflecken, Hanging out with the neurologist: https://twitter.com/dglaucomflecken/status/1363600732155305985?lang=en
- Did you choose them or did they choose you, Postgraduate Medical Journal, 2016: https://blogs.bmj.com/pmj/2016/02/24/did-you-choose-them-or-did-they-choose-you/
- Specialty Stereotypes Held by Medical Students, Cambridge Medical Journal, 2018: https://cambridgemedicine.org/doi/cmj.2018.11.002
Friday Jun 11, 2021
Episode 15: Another Round / ‘Is It Wine O’Clock?’
Friday Jun 11, 2021
Friday Jun 11, 2021
In today’s episodes the guys discuss the Academy Award Winning movie “Another Round” (4:11). Ali starts out first by discussing his (tenuous) connection to star Mads Mikkelsen. He then discussed the development of the movie by director Thomas Vinterberg and the influence of his late daughter Ida on the film. They also talk about the influence of the Dogme ‘95 movement on the film and the announcement of a remake by Leonardo DeCaprio’s production company. Then Asif discusses the issue of increased alcohol use during the pandemic, particularly amongst women (24:25). After Asif calls Ali out on his “man-to mansplaining”, they talk about how joking with memes about drinking has become common. Asif then discusses whether alcohol is actually good for you, and how this needs to be balanced with the costs to society.
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
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The Year of Magical Drinking: Mads Mikkelsen and Thomas Vinterberg on ‘Another Round’: https://www.rollingstone.com/movies/movie-features/another-round-interview-mads-mikkelsen-thomas-vinterberg-1156357/
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'Another Round': How a film about a drinking experiment became a life-affirming Oscars hit: https://www.cnn.com/style/article/thomas-vinterberg-interview-another-round-spc-intl/index.html
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Thomas Vinterberg on Another Round and convincing Mads Mikkelsen to dance: https://ew.com/awards/oscars/thomas-vinterberg-another-round-interview/
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Functional Benefits of (Modest) Alcohol Consumption: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s40750-016-0058-4# https://www.harpercollins.com/products/drink-ann-dowsett-johnston?variant=32208103505954citeas
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Alcohol and COVID-19: How Do We Respond to This Growing Public Health Crisis? https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11606-020-06321-z
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Alcohol and cannabis use during the pandemic: Canadian Perspectives Survey Series 6: https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/daily-quotidien/210304/dq210304a-eng.htm
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Why I’m Tired of All the Wine Mom Memes: https://albuquerque.momcollective.com/parenting-wisdom/wine-mom-memes/
- https://www.canada.ca/content/dam/phac-aspc/documents/corporate/publications/chief-public-health-officer-reports-state-public-health-canada/2018-preventing-problematic-substance-use-youth/2018-preventing-problematic-substance-use-youth.pdf
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Why some women are pushing back against alcohol and the wine-to-unwind culture: https://www.cbc.ca/news/health/women-alcohol-consumption-risks-pandemic-1.5973004
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You Might Have a Drinking Problem—And Not Even Know It: https://www.chatelaine.com/health/women-alcohol-consumption-drinking-wine/
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Drink - The Intimate Relationship Between Women and Alcohol: https://www.harpercollins.com/products/drink-ann-dowsett-johnston?variant=32208103505954
- https://www.ccsa.ca/alcohol-canadian-drug-summary
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Rates of emergency department visits attributable to alcohol use in Ontario from 2003 to 2016: a retrospective population-level study: https://www.cmaj.ca/content/191/29/E804
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Excessive Drinking is Draining the U.S. Economy: https://www.cdc.gov/alcohol/features/excessive-drinking.html
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Alcohol: Balancing Risks and Benefits: https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/healthy-drinks/drinks-to-consume-in-moderation/alcohol-full-story/
- Association of alcohol consumption with selected cardiovascular disease outcomes: a systematic review and meta-analysis: https://www.bmj.com/content/342/bmj.d671
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Alcohol use and burden for 195 countries and territories, 1990–2016: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2016: https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(18)31310-2/fulltext
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No level of alcohol consumption improves health: https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(18)31571-X/fulltext
Wednesday Jun 09, 2021
Emergency podcast: London, Ontario Tragedy
Wednesday Jun 09, 2021
Wednesday Jun 09, 2021
Ali and Asif discuss the recent hate-inspired murders of a family of Muslim-Canadians in London, Ontario, Canada.
Friday Jun 04, 2021
Episode 13: The Tragically Hip / Goop
Friday Jun 04, 2021
Friday Jun 04, 2021
On this episode, after a brief interlude about McDonald’s Orange Drink, the guys discuss the legendary Canadian band, the Tragically Hip (2:50). They discuss the Hip’s new EP and their upcoming appearance at the 2021 Juno awards with Feist. They discuss the history of the band and their relationship to them, including Ali’s story of stage diving at a Hip concert in Montreal. They discuss the diagnosis of the lead singer, Gord Downie with glioblastoma multiforme and Asif’s connection to Gord Downie’s neuro-oncologist. Then then discuss the final concert by the Hip and the lasting legacy of the band and Gord Downie. Finally the guys discuss the new album by the band Saskadelphia. Then, Ali asks Asif about the controversy surrounding Gweneth Paltrow’s Goop (27:58). After a quick parental disclaimer, They discuss how Goop in the past has promoted “the Jade Egg” and “steaming” certain parts of the female anatomy. They discuss the origins of Goop and criticisms of the brand, particularly by Dr. Jen Gunter and Dr. Timothy Caulfield. They also discuss the “Goop PhD” portion of the Goop website. Finally, Asif gives his thoughts on several episodes of Netflix’s “Goop Lab”.
Show Notes
- An oral history of The Tragically Hip’s surprise new-old album Saskadelphia; https://globalnews.ca/news/7880540/tragically-hip-saskadelphia-interview/
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This Canadian doctor is going head-to-head with Gwyneth Paltrow over Goop: https://www.thestar.com/life/2017/07/18/meet-the-canadian-doctor-whos-taking-on-goop.html?rf
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Hey Gwyneth Paltrow, a GYN says stop scaring women about bras and breast cancer: https://drjengunter.com/2015/10/20/hey-gwyneth-paltrow-a-gyn-says-stop-scaring-women-about-bras-and-breast-cancer/
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Dear Gwyneth Paltrow, I’m a GYN and your vaginal jade eggs are a bad idea: https://drjengunter.com/2017/01/17/dear-gwyneth-paltrow-im-a-gyn-and-your-vaginal-jade-eggs-are-a-bad-idea/
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Goop to pay out over unproven health benefits of vaginal eggs https://www.theguardian.com/film/2018/sep/05/gwyneth-paltrow-goop-to-pay-out-over-unproven-health-benefits-of-vaginal-eggs
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NASA Calls BS on Goop's $120 'Bio-Frequency Healing' Sticker Packs [Updated]: https://gizmodo.com/nasa-calls-bullshit-on-goops-120-bio-frequency-healing-1796309360
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Edmonton Goop-debunker buoyed by renewed attack on Gwyneth Paltrow's wellness brand: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/timothy-caulfield-gwyneth-paltrow-1.4274452
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Voluntary activation of the sympathetic nervous system and attenuation of the innate immune response in humans: https://www.pnas.org/content/111/20/7379