Episode notes
It’s tempting to try to look for a reason why Joel Kim Booster, ordinarily a very funny and engaging person, feels dead inside, trapped in a persistent depressive state. His father recently died of COVID. The two hadn’t been very close (Joel’s dad was a conservative Christian, Joel is a gay Hollywood star) but were beginning to reconnect. You could point to the pandemic, which left Joel in an apartment he doesn’t like for extended periods.
But it’s just as easy to point to things that aren’t especially depressing about Joel’s situation. He’s got movie and TV deals, he’s taping an hour-long Netflix special, he has recently fallen in love, and he’s doing well enough that he’s about to buy a house.
The truth is that any of those factors might influence Joel’s mood and behavior but depression isn’t simple enough to be routinely caused or prevented by one’s fortune in the rest of life.
Depresh Mode host John Moe says this interview is the strongest representation of what depression is like that he’s done in all his years of interviewing people on the subject.
Visit Joel Kim Booster’s website here. For tour dates, visit his Linktree. Follow Joel Kim Booster on Twitter @ihatejoelkim and on Instagram @ihatejoelkim. Watch his Comedy Central Stand-Up Presents special here.
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Help is available right away.
The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-8255, 1-800-273-TALK
Crisis Text Line: Text HOME to 741741.
International suicide hotline numbers available here: https://www.opencounseling.com/suicide-hotlines
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John’s acclaimed memoir, The Hilarious World of Depression, is available here. https://read.macmillan.com/lp/the-hilarious-world-of-depression/
Find the show on Twitter @depreshpod and Instagram @depreshpod.
John is on Twitter @johnmoe.
In this episode...
Guests
- Joel Kim Booster
About the show
Join host John Moe (The Hilarious World of Depression) for honest, relatable, and, yes, sometimes funny conversations about mental health. Hear from comedians, musicians, authors, actors, and other top names in entertainment and the arts about living with depression, anxiety, and many other common disorders. Find out what they’ve done to address it, what worked, and what didn’t. Depresh Mode with John Moe also features useful insights on mental health issues with experts in the field. It’s honest talk from people who have been there and know their stuff. No shame, no stigma, and maybe a few laughs.
Like this podcast? Then you’ll love John’s book, The Hilarious World of Depression.
Logo by Clarissa Hernandez.
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