Episodes

Today Ali and Asif discuss the critically acclaimed Netflix show ‘Mo’. They start off by discussing the life of the star and creator of the show, Mo Amer and Ali’s connection to Amer. The guys then give their spoiler free opinions on the show (hint: they loved it). Spoilers for the show follow at , including their thoughts on both seasons, the incredible cast and how the show relates to current events in the middle east. Then the guys discuss abuse of Lean aka Purple Drank which (mild spoiler) ...

Ali and Asif have their 3rd “emergency” podcast in as many weeks, as they discuss the controversy surrounding the Riyadh Comedy Festival. They first discuss their own perspectives on Saudi Arabia as they have both been there (and Asif lived there). They then go over the human rights concerns that have been raised over the years regarding Saudi Arabia. Finally they debate and give their thoughts on comedians participating in the festival. The opinions expressed are those of the hosts, and do not...

After debriefing about the return of Jimmy Kimmel (1:15), in the second emergency podcast in as many weeks, Asif and Ali discuss President Trump’s recent press conference linking autism to Tylenol use. Ali starts off by asking Asif about autism (8:27). Asif discusses what it is, how common it is, and the theories about why the prevalence of autism has been increasing over the past 2 decades. He then goes over the genetic causes of autism and the common questions he asks if he sees a patient who...

Today Asif and Ali discuss the suspension of ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live’ by ABC and Disney. The guys start off by discussing the career of Jimmy Kimmel, including his start in radio, ‘Win Ben Stein’s Money’ and ‘The Man Show’ (3:18). They then discuss the success and early years of ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live’. The guys then take an aside and discuss how Asif became a fan of Kimmel’s due to his advocacy for universal healthcare (15:09). They discuss how Kimmel’s son was diagnosed with congenital heart disease, ...

Today, after a brief mini-episode about Melissa Ethridge, Indigo Girls and vocal tremor (1:30), Ali and Asif discuss the new ‘Naked Gun’ movie (9:24). They start off by discussing the Zucker, Abrams, Zucker movies and go into a deep dive on ‘Airplane!’. Then then go over the past ‘Naked Gun’ movies and give their thoughts on the reboot, as well as stars Liam Neeson and Pamela Anderson. Then since some of the stars of ‘Naked Gun’ are getting up their years, in the second half, Ali asks Asif abou...

Today on a special episode, Ali and Asif interview comedians Rob Baker and Jan Caruana about all things Improv. They start off by asking Jan and Rob about how they originally got involved with improv and if there is a type of person who is drawn to Improv. They discuss what makes good improv and differentiate between short and long form Improv. They then go over “dramatic” Improv, the relationship between sketch comedy and Improv and “Whose Line is it Anyway”. Ali then asks Rob and Jan about the...

Today, Ali and Asif talk about comedian Nate Bargatze (3:03). The guys start off by discussing when they first heard of Bargatze as well as his early life. They then go over his work ethic and the fact that Nate is a “clean comic”. Ali and Asif then discuss Nate auditioning for The Daily Show, his failed ABC pilot, and a potential movie career. They then go over his amazing comedy style and his hilarious George Washington SNL sketch. Nate Bargatze struggled with alcohol abuse so in the second h...

Today, Ali and Asif discuss the new Marvel movie, Fantastic Four: First Steps (3:18). They discuss their background with the Fantastic Four as well as the Marvel Cinematic Universe as a whole. They both give their thoughts on the cast as well as the overall movie. Then since on ‘out of hospital’ birth occurs in Fantastic Four: First Steps, in the second half, Ali asks Asif about home births (28:40). Asif starts out by discussing how often home births occur in various countries. Ali then asks As...

Today, Asif and Ali discuss the news making comedy series ‘South Park’ (1:35). They discuss the show’s creation, early development and success (and why Ali didn't like it initially). They discuss famous episodes as well as other successes from Trey Parker and Matt Stone including the South Park Movie, Team America: World Police and The Book of Mormon. Finally, they discuss the recent $1.5 billion deal they reached with Paramount, as well as the show satirizing and skewering President Donald Trum...

Today Asif and Ali discuss late night host Stephen Colbert (1:12). The guys start off by going over when they first heard about Colbert as well as his early life and career. They go over his success on the ‘Daily Show’ and later the ‘Colbert Report’ (and his White House Correspondents dinner speech). After some more trivia, Asif and Ali discuss the recent cancellation of ‘The Late Show’ with Stephen Colbert. Then Ali asks Asif about a type of vertigo - called benign paroxysmal positional vertig...

Today, Ali and Asif discuss the original ‘Happy Gilmore’, as well as the new Netflix sequel ‘Happy Gilmore 2’ (1:50). They start off by discussing the original ‘Happy Gilmore’, which Asif only saw last week. They then go over the recently released ‘Happy Gilmore 2’ and in particular the numerous cameos in the movie. Then they discuss golf injuries (37:27). Asif talks about how common they are and the risk factors for injury. He then goes over the most common body parts injured as well as what go...

Today, after a brief discussion on the recent deaths of Ozzy Osbourne and Malcolm Jamal-Warner, Asif and Ali discuss the career and complicated life of Hulk Hogan (7:15). They guys start off by discussing when they first heard of Hogan. They then go over his meteoric rise to become the most famous professional wrestler of all time. They then discuss his controversies including videos of Hogan using racist language and the Gawker trial, and the ongoing repercussions of these events. Hogan had a ...

Today Ali asks Asif about the new ‘Superman’ movie by James Gunn, which Asif saw recently (1:11). After Asif gives his near spoiler-free review, he then gives Ali a quiz on all things Superman. Then in the second half, Ali asks Asif about genes that can give people “superhuman” powers (22:56). Asif talks about tetrachromacy, where people have an extra type of cone cell in their retina. He then goes over LRP5 mutations which in theory can give unbreakable bones (but which can also cause some othe...

Today, Ali and Asif discuss comedian and podcaster Andrew Schulz (1:05). They start off by taking about Schulz’ early life, his start in comedy and his successful podcasts. They then go into detail about a fascinating interview he did with the New York Times (and argue quite a bit about it). They then give their thoughts on Andrew's most recent special “Life”. Male infertility is a major topic in “Life” so in the second half, Ali asks Asif about this topic (35:25). Asif goes over what infertili...

Ali recently taught a class on “acting for the screen” at Queen’s University, so in our first half Asif asks him about this (1:24). They discuss how he was approached to teach this class as well as his IMDB resume. Asif asks about how Ali structured the class, ‘scene study’, filming auditions and the main take-home “tips” for screen acting. Then, they discuss the mysterious New Brunswick neurological illness which has been in the news as of late (39:28). Asif talks about how the cases were init...

Because Ali and Asif have been travelling a lot in the past few months, the guys chat about their favourite in-flight entertainment (5:17). They start off by talking about their typical “rituals” when flying. Then the guys discuss their go-to “comfort watches” when flying. They review movies and shows they have watched recently when flying. Finally, the guys each list their favourite movies related to air travel. Then, Ali asks Asif about in-flight medical emergencies (31:41). Asif describes ho...

Today, Ali and Asif are joined by family physician and the inaugural Primary Care and Health Policy Scholar at St. Michael’s Hospital in Toronto, Dr. Danyaal Raza. The guys start off by asking Dr. Raza about how healthcare is structured. Then, they ask him about a recent article he wrote in the ‘Toronto Star’ regarding the privatization of family medicine clinics, data brokering and how these developments can be compared to Saturday morning cartoons we watched as children. After a brief aside ab...

Today, Asif asks Ali about Ali co-starring in the CBC Gem TV show ‘You’re My Hero’ (2:21). Ali talks about how he was offered the role and co-starring with professional wrestler Chris Jericho. They talk about creator Sean Towgood, “disabled” vs “differently abled” and the (lack) of representation of people with disabilities on television. Asif then gives his thoughts on the show and the cast (Spoiler: he liked it!). In ‘You’re My Hero’, the main character has cerebral palsy due to lack of oxyge...

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 wi...

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 hydrocep...

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’....

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 giv...

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 ...

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 a...