The comedian, writer and podcaster talks about being neglected as a child, his self-sabotaging and the out of control anger that almost destroyed his life. Dave has appeared on The Office, Entourage and in the film Recount. He has written for The Talking Dead and he co-hosts the podcast Walking the Room.
Lily and Paul discuss how sexual dysfunction can sometimes not present itself until years into a committed relationship and the necessity in dealing with uncomfortable or painful feelings to achieve intimacy. Lily also talks about her bulimia, her intense body hatred and the sexual assault that made her initially overly promiscuous and later completely shut down. They also talk about weight obsessions, perfectionism, and the difficulty in accepting and discussing flaws. Lily is a school psychologist for kindergarten thru 5th grade in Los Angeles. She is 30 years old, and married with one child.
Born to a fifteen year-old mother in the projects of Brooklyn, Dwayne was a fighter. Strong-willed, rebellious and intelligent, he eventually harnessed his temper so it could work in his favor. He sheds light on his statement “I lived my life to prove I wasn’t a mistake.” Dwayne’s standup has appeared on Conan, Comedy Central Presents and the Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson. Dwayne’s blog can be read at www.averyfunnyblog.com and he can be followed on Twitter @funnydp
When she was eight, there were whipsers in the neighborhood about her father and what he did. She could never get the truth from her mother. Ironically she would follow in her father’s footsteps though she swore she wouldn’t. Just your average suicidal, Bipolar addict.
The podcaster/ comic/ host/ writer/ entreprenuer opens up about finally using his obsessive nerd brain for constructive instead of destructive pursuits. He gets honest about his history of panic attacks, drinking issues, middle-school humiliations and a lost decade after hosting MTV’sSingled Out didn’t bring the success he had hoped for. Chris hosts the Nerdist (podcast and BBC America show), AMC’s The Talking Dead, G4’sAttack of the Show, and is the author of the book The Nerdist Way.
The bitter divorce between her sexually repressed mother and left-brained mathmetician father who openly complained of his ex-wife’s frigidity left an indelible mark on Michaela’s view of sex, intimacy and relationships. A moment of clarity changed her path when she realized the men she felt close and safe to had no sex appeal, and the men who had sex appeal made her insecure and crazy. Listeners may recognize Michaela from Saturday Night Live, Wanderlust, Curb Your Enthusiasm, The New Adventures of Old Christine and Enlightened. She is also a member of the Groundlings.
The photographer, podcaster and video artist opens up about his debilitating bouts with anger, mistrust of therapy, difficulty in asking for help and chaotic childhood, including spending a year in a cult, and living with a mother so spiteful towards her ex, she sacrificed the safety of her children. Listeners may also know Mike from his relationship with Dr. Drew Pinsky, who discovered Mike from his Five Minutes With Mike videos. Mike also co-hosts the Loveline After Disaster.
Dr. Jessica Zucker returns to help Paul and the listeners. Topics of course involve Moms and boundaries, but also the benefits of letting ourselves be fully known through therapy and learning to stick up for ourselves when nobody else will.
Raised by strict Evangelical parents who struggled to put food on the table, Lauren’s story is about what happens when dogmatic parents push their child scholastically (Vassar), but that critical thinking leads to the questioning of her belief and ultimately to becoming an atheist. She also talks about the politics of skin color within the African American community and the struggle of protecting a father’s image as a community leader when his actions didn’t match his words. Lauren is a freelance writer and artist living in Los Angeles. She can found @Vadarama on Twitter.