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 Oct 28, 2022
Friday Oct 28, 2022
Today on a very special episode, the guys interview the trailblazing Canadian Music Icon Bif Naked. They start off by discussing Bif’s somewhat surprising connection to South Asia. Then then chat about Bif’s book from 2016 “I Bificius” and the challenges of opening yourself up in a memoir. Asif then asks Bif about her long standing fascination with medicine. Bif describes her lifelong interest in the field of medicine. Bif and the guys touch on her diagnosis of breast cancer and how that has informed her volunteer work as a death doula. Bif discusses her philanthropy, activism and how she thinks social media is actually a good thing (!). Then, in recognition of October being breast cancer awareness month, Bif highlights how important “the pink ribbon” movement is for those suffering from breast cancer and how vital it is to support charities that fund research into breast cancer. Finally, the guys discuss Bif’s new single “Rollerdome” and her upcoming album Champion, as well as the fact that she is the focus of the upcoming documentary by Jennifer Abbott entitled “Bif Naked: One of a Kind”. .
Catch Bif at her upcoming show on November 4th at the Bronson Centre in Ottawa, Ontario!
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:
-
Toronto Tabla’s new single with Bif Naked: https://www.rootsmusic.ca/2022/03/19/check-out-toronto-tablas-new-single-with-bif-naked-album-release-tonight/
- I Bificus https://www.harpercollins.ca/9781443419734/i-bificus/
- The Magnitude of All Things: https://www.themagnitudeofallthings.com/
Friday Oct 21, 2022
Friday Oct 21, 2022
Today, Ali and Asif discuss the career of the legendary actor and comedian Robin Williams. The guys start off by discussing their early exposure to Robin Williams including ‘Popeye’, ‘Mork and Mindy’ Robin’s early HBO specials (including Comic Relief). They then discuss some interesting facts about Robin’s early life. They go over some interesting trivia about Robin, his pivotal movies and his legacy in stand-up comedy. Then Ali asks Asif about Dementia with Lewy Bodies, which Robin suffered from. Asif starts off by defining what Lewy Bodies are and their connection to dementia and Parkinson’s disease. They then discuss the symptoms Robin suffered from and how these symptoms (retrospectively) fit completely the criteria for Dementia with Lewy Bodies.
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:
-
Robin Williams: Come Inside My Mind: https://www.hbo.com/movies/robin-williams-come-inside-my-mind
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Knowing: Robin Williams: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/knowing-robin-williams/id1482972205
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Robin's Wish review – sad salute to a master comedian: https://www.theguardian.com/film/2020/dec/30/robins-wish-review-robin-williams
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Robin Williams's widow: 'There were so many misunderstandings about what had happened to him: https://www.theguardian.com/film/2021/jan/01/robin-williamss-widow-there-were-so-many-misunderstandings-about-what-had-happened-to-him
- The terrorist inside my husband’s brain: https://n.neurology.org/content/neurology/87/13/1308.full.pdf
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Diagnosis and management of dementia with Lewy bodies: https://n.neurology.org/content/89/1/88
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Dementia with Lewy bodies: an update and outlook: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6341685/
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Lewy body disease or diseases with Lewy bodies? https://www.nature.com/articles/s41531-021-00273-9
Friday Oct 14, 2022
Friday Oct 14, 2022
Today in follow up to our discussion of “Sort Of” with Bilal Baig, we discuss how to improve the health care of trans and non-binary persons. The guys start off their discussion with Dr. Laura Stratton, a family physician with a specialization in 2SLGBTQ+ care who practices at the Connect Clinic in Toronto, Ontario (3:53). They discusses the challenge of trans and non-binary persons in accessing health care. Then they ask Dr. Stratton about how to improve the training of family doctors in 2SLGBTQ+ health during their their residency training. The guys then ask Dr. Stratton about where doctors should start if they are uneducated about 2SLGBTQ+ health and the Trans Health Guide for physicians created by Rainbow Health Ontario and discuss why health care for trans and non-binary patients is such an urgent matter.
Then the guys chat with Dr. Carys Masserella who is the lead physician at the transgender care clinic at Quest Community Health Centre in St. Catharines, Ontario (29:36) . They discuss how Dr. Masseralla decided on medicine as a career, specializing in emergency medicine, and how she started her transgender care clinic. They discuss how to improve the primary care of trans and non-binary patients including advice on when to refer for hormone therapy and surgery. Dr. Massarella also discusses the special situation of children who identify as trans and how to counsel parents in this situation. Asif then asks Dr. Massarella about the term “gender dysphoria” and about news reports that the diagnosis of gender dysphoria has been increasing over time. Ali then asks Dr. Massarella about her projects on Amazon Prime’s OUTtv channel “My Trans Journey '' and “Translating Beauty”.
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:
- Connect Clinic Toronto: https://www.connect-clinic.com/
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Trans Health Guide: https://www.rainbowhealthontario.ca/TransHealthGuide/index.html
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‘Trans-warrior physician’ raises awareness in new docuseries: https://newsroom.royalcollege.ca/trans-warrior-physician-raises-awareness-in-new-docuseries/
- Translating Beauty: https://yapfilms.com/project/translating-beauty/
- Encyclopedia Britannica: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Encyclop%C3%A6dia_Britannica
Friday Oct 07, 2022
Friday Oct 07, 2022
Today on a special episode, Ali and Asif interview Bilal Baig, star of the CBC and HBO Max series “Sort of” who made history by Made history by being the first South Asian, queer Muslim actor to star in a Canadian prime-time TV series. The guys start off by asking Bilal about their early life and growing up as a second generation South Asian in the Toronto area. Bilal talks about how initially they were a shy child but eventually found writing and theatre as a calling. Bilal then talks about the creation of their play “Acha Bacha”. They then describe creating ‘Sort Of’ with Fab Filippo. Ali asks Bilal about their comedy influences and their dry sense of humor displayed in ‘Sort Of’. All three then discuss the success and critical accolades given to ‘Sort Of’ (whose second season premieres Nov 15 on CBC and Dec 1 on HBO Max).
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:
- ‘Sort Of’: https://gem.cbc.ca/media/sort-of/s01
- Rotten Tomatoes ‘Sort Of’: https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/sort_of/s01
Friday Sep 30, 2022
Friday Sep 30, 2022
Today, Ali and Asif debate the best movies from 1982, one of the best years for movies ever (1:02)! See which ones they agree on, which ones they disagree on, which ones they shockingly have not seen. Then Ali asks Asif about meat allergies (39:20). Asif explains how the idea of mammalian meat allergies was first described and describes how they are caused by tick bites (and how they are NOT related to Lyme disease). Asif explains the allergic symptoms they develop and what meats provoke them. Asif then explains how to prevent it and how genetic engineering has now created pigs that do not cause this allergic reaction.
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 Best Year in Movies was 1982: https://filmschoolrejects.com/best-year-in-movies-1982/
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Cracking the meat-allergy mystery with the tick-bite link: https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-020-02783-7
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Delayed anaphylaxis, angioedema, or urticaria after consumption of red meat in patients with IgE antibodies specific for galactose-alpha-1,3-galactose: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19070355/
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An association between tick bite reactions and red meat allergy in humans: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19413526/
Friday Sep 23, 2022
Friday Sep 23, 2022
Today, Asif and Ali discuss polio and it’s recent resurgence. Asif starts off by discussing the history of polio from Egyptian times to the 20th century. He then talks about the symptoms of polio and how some people can suffer from ‘post-polio syndrome’ years after infection. Asif then discusses how vaccination efforts have lead (up until recently) to near-eradication of the disease worldwide. He then discusses the relationship between vaccines and the new cases of polio (its complicated) seen the UK, Israel and the USA. In the second half of the show, Asif then quizzes Ali about 4 famous people who had polio in the “Doctor Vs Comedian Polio Quiz”. As a postscript, the guys discuss how Franklin Deleanor Rossevelt likely did NOT have polio, but more likely had Guillain Barre Syndrome.
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:
- Poliomyelitis: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK558944/
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Poliomyelitis: Historical Facts, Epidemiology, and Current Challenges in Eradication: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4212416/
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Spate of polio outbreaks worldwide puts scientists on alert: https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-022-02233-6
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Public Health Response to a Case of Paralytic Poliomyelitis in an Unvaccinated Person and Detection of Poliovirus in Wastewater - New York, June-August 2022: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35980868/
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Opinion Polio is back. This is a warning not to forsake vaccines: https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2022/08/11/uk-polio-vaccine-children-london/
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Polio virus found in New York City wastewater, suggesting local transmission: https://www.cbc.ca/news/health/polio-new-york-wastewater-1.6549674
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Polio largely vanished thanks to vaccines. So why is it now back in more countries? https://www.cbc.ca/news/health/polio-spread-vaccines-1.6547267
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Hochul Declares Polio State of Emergency for New York: https://www.nytimes.com/2022/09/09/nyregion/new-york-polio-state-of-emergency.html
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Did FDR Have Guillain-Barré?: https://www.science.org/content/article/did-fdr-have-guillain-barr
Friday Sep 16, 2022
Friday Sep 16, 2022
Today on a special episode, we will be hearing a preview of Ali’s new book ‘Is There Bacon in Heaven’, published by Simon and Shuster, coming out Sept 27. Before Ali gets started Asif discusses summer entertainment he has consumed including ‘Prey’, ‘Archer’, ‘She-Hulk’, ‘Harley Quinn’, ‘Rings of Power’ and ‘House of the Dragon’. Ali then treats us to a funny and poignant chapter focusing on his father’s life and death. During the excerpt, they guys take a brief digression to discuss pulmonary fibrosis, a disease which Ali’s father suffered from. Asif talks about what it is, how it is diagnosed and the risk factors for developing it. He then discusses the prognosis and the limited treatments for the condition.
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:
- Is There Bacon in Heaven: https://www.simonandschuster.ca/books/Is-There-Bacon-in-Heaven/Ali-Hassan/9781982149178
- Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis: https://emedicine.medscape.com/article/301226-overview
Friday Sep 09, 2022
Friday Sep 09, 2022
Today, the guys discuss the life and career of Ashton Kutcher (1:07). They discuss his early life, his family and how he became a model and later an actor. They discuss his early career hits, including ‘That 70’s Show’ and ‘Punk’d’. They discuss his marriages to Demi Moore and Mila Kunis and the fact that his girlfriend he was dating in 2001 was horrifically murdered by a serial killer. They discuss his business and investing career and how he is in some way more successful in the ventures as opposed to in acting. They also discuss his controversial ad for “Popchips” involving an Indian accent and brownface. They then discuss how Ashton Kutcher disclosed on an episode of ‘Running Wild with Bear Grylls: The Challenge” that he suffers from a rare form of vasculitis which caused problems with his vision, imbalance and equilibrium (16:49). Ali challenges Asif to do ‘House MD’- style detective work to try and figure out exactly what type of vasculitis Ashton had. Asif speculates that Ashton may have had a rare type of brain vasculitis called ‘Central Nervous System Vasculitis (or Angiitis)’. He then briefly discussed how it is also possible he may have had two other even rarer diseases: Susac’s Syndrome and CLIPPERS (chronic lymphocytic inflammation with pontine perivascular enhancement responsive to steroids).
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:
- Ashton Kutcher Popchips advert: Racism storm after actor plays Indian man: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OW5aLNpiV-s
- Ashton Kutcher Couldn't See, Hear or Walk From Autoimmune Disorder (EXCLUSIVE):https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sxdti2eB-Ow
- The diagnosis of primary central nervous system vasculitis: https://pn.bmj.com/content/20/2/109
-
Cerebral vasculitis in adults: what are the steps in order to establish the diagnosis? Red flags and pitfalls: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3927902/
- Susac’s Syndrome: https://practicalneurology.com/articles/2020-jan/susac-syndrome
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CLIPPERS: chronic lymphocytic inflammation with pontine perivascular enhancement responsive to steroids. Review of an increasingly recognized entity within the spectrum of inflammatory central nervous system disorders: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3927899/
Friday Sep 02, 2022
Friday Sep 02, 2022
For part 2 of our discussion of ‘This Hour has 22 minutes’, the guys interview one of the stars of ‘This Hour’ Trent McLellan. Trent talks about growing up in Newfoundland and his love of soccer. He talks working for frat the Boys and Girls Club eventually moving to Calgary and pursuing comedy. Trent talks about racism but also the fact that he never used racism as a “crutch”. They discuss the highs and lows of comedy, the need for perseverance, and how Trent eventually got the call to be on ‘This Hour has 22 Minutes’. Trent talks about how they come up with material on ‘This Hour’ and how to not worry about the lens with which people interpret one’s comedy writing, and ignoring the “comments section”. He talks about the pace of the show and how once you are done one episode, you are on to the next as well as his connection to fans of the show. Ali then asks Trent about the access the show has to politicians and how this is unique when comparing Canada to other countries. Finally, Trent discusses what to expect in the upcoming season of ‘This Hour has 22 Minutes’, premiering Sept 13.
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
Friday Aug 26, 2022
Friday Aug 26, 2022
Today Ali and Asif discuss the Canadian comedy series This Hour has 22 minutes, which is celebrating it’s 30th season this year. They discuss the origins of the show and the original cast, including Cathy Jones, Rick Mercer, Greg Thomey, and Mary Walsh. They then discuss some of the other people who have appeared on the show in the past including Shaun Majumder, Colin Mochrie, Nathan Fielder, Gavin Crawford and Mark Critch. Then the guys bring up the groundbreaking nature of the show and how it influenced shows such as The Daily Show, The Colbert Report and Last Week Tonight. They talk about the classic bits from the show including Rick Mercer’s Rants, Talking to Americans and Raj Binder and how they seemed to always have intimate access to Canadian politicians. They then talk about some of the more controversial moments including Rob Ford calling 911 on Mary Walsh and Carolyn Parrish being forced out of the Liberal party after performing voodoo on a George Bush doll on ‘This Hour’.
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:
- This Hour has 22 minutes: https://cmf-fmc.ca/news/this-hour-has-22-minutes/
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22 Minutes at 22 Years: I Had No Idea I Shouldn't Have Done That: https://www.cbc.ca/player/play/2633201490
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22 Minutes at 22 Years: Seize the Doris Day: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MXAu9PFNP5E
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Mayor Rob Ford calls police after ambush by 22 Minutes actress Mary Walsh: https://nationalpost.com/posted-toronto/mayor-rob-ford-calls-police-after-ambush-by-22-minutes-actress
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SNL's Prophet Muhammad sketch is a lot like old 22 Minutes joke: https://www.cbc.ca/news/entertainment/snl-s-prophet-muhammad-sketch-is-a-lot-like-old-22-minutes-joke-1.3069201
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22 Minutes at 22 Years: What Could Possibly Go Wrong?: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UFRV3a5X_m8