Doctor Vs Comedian

Today, Ali and Asif discuss Judd Apatow’s new Netflix documentary ‘Norm:The Tale of Norm MacDonald’. They discuss Apatow’s connection to MacDonald as well as Apatow’s approach to constructing the documentary. They then discuss the documentary itself, including the issue of MacDonald being an unreliable narrator. They also discuss Norm’s love of literature, religion and of course, his roast of Bob...

Today, Ali and Asif discuss the recent death of acclaimed actor Patrick Stewart (1:33). Stewart died quite quickly of Lewy Body dementia and Alzheimer's disease. Because of this, Asif does a mini- medical section at the start of the podcast discussing the rapidly progressive form of Lewy Body dementia. They then discuss when they first saw Patrick Stewart in the premiere episode of ‘Star Trek:...

Today, prior to the start of the actual episode the guys banter about Asif “mis-watching” the movie ‘Backrooms’ and Ali’s guest spot on ‘Law & Order Toronto: Criminal Intent. Then Asif asks Ali about the recent controversy surrounding Sebastian Maniscalco and Sirius XM. Ali first discusses his relationship with Maniscalco. He then goes over the history of the old Sirius channel, the re-brand t...

For this week, the guys will be re-airing one of their favourite episodes from our archives. Today, the guys discuss Hasan Minhaj’s new comedy special “Off With His Head” (despite Asif’s hesitation) (2:18). The guys start off by recapping Hasan’s background and the controversy that swirled around him in 2023, associated with a New Yorker article which resulted in Minhaj losing the hosting role of...

For this week, the guys will be re-airing one of their favourite episodes from our archives. The guys start off this episode with Asif reviewing Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings. Then Asif asks Ali about his thoughts on Larry David, ‘Curb Your Enthusiasm’ and cringe comedy. Ali talks about the influence of Ricky Gervais ( The Office ) and Sacha Baron Cohen ( Da Ali G Show ) on cringe come...

Today, Ali and Asif discuss the New York Times list of the top 100 shows of the 21st century and then they each give their individual top 10 lists (2:14). Listen to hear where ‘Breaking Bad’, ‘The Wire’, ‘Arrested Development’, ‘Succession’ and others land on their lists! Then, based on the recent Hyrox diarrhea incident involving Joanna Wietrzyk, the guys discuss runner’s diarrhea (39:33)– a comm...

The case of Lindsay Clancy recently ended in mistrial, so today Asif and Ali discuss post partrum depression and psychosis. The guys start off by discussing discuss postpartum depression/perinatal depression (3:58), a common and treatable medical condition that can affect parents during pregnancy or after childbirth. They explore how postpartum depression differs from the “baby blues,” how to reco...

Today Asif and Ali combine the medicine and entertainment subjects when they discuss “I Swear” – the BAFTA award winning movie about Tourette Syndrome (1:52). They chat about the background of the movie and how it is based on activist John Davidson, who has a severe version of Tourette Syndrome. They review how the film was developed, including discussion about director Kirk Jones and star Robert...

NOTE: This episode contains explicit language and discussions of sexual abuse and self-harm  Today,  Ali and Asif are joined by comedian and longtime podcast host Paul Gilmartin, former co-host of TBS’s Dinner and a Movie , stand-up comedian, and creator and host of The Mental Illness Happy Hour podcast. Paul talks about his journey into comedy and why so many comedians seem to have a co...

Today Asif and Ali explore the remarkable life and legacy of Dolly Parton (1:55)—from her humble beginnings in rural Tennessee and extraordinary career as a singer, songwriter, actress, and entertainer to her enduring impact far beyond music. They discuss some of her most iconic songs, including “Jolene,” “9 to 5,” and “I Will Always Love You,” as well as the business savvy that helped make her on...

In this episode, Asif and Ali examine the intense public scrutiny surrounding Ariana Grande and Jenna Ortega and what our fascination with celebrities’ bodies reveals about the culture we have created. They discuss why an eating disorder cannot be diagnosed from a photograph, Grande’s public comments about body scrutiny, Ortega’s reflections on her experiences as a child actor, and the ways celebr...

Today, Asif and Ali sit down with Dr. Mubin Syed, an interventional radiologist and neuroradiologist with more than 30 years of clinical experience, board-certified in vascular medicine and obesity medicine, health historian, medtech entrepreneur, and inventor with 28 patents. Dr. Syed shares his personal journey of suffering a heart attack and how this led him into a deep dive of trying to unders...

Today, Asif and Ali discuss all things vaccines with the author of ‘The Vaccine Bible’ Dr. Michael T. Myers Jr (1:23). A pediatrician and physician leader with more than 35 years of experience in primary care, medical group practice, public health, and health care consulting, Dr. Myers recently retired as Chief of Primary Care, Pediatrics, and Practice Transformation for Summit Health New Jersey....

Today, at the beginning of the episode, Asif and Ali discuss the recent passing of Irish singer Glen Hansard. Then based on recent “Popular Information” articles, Asif and Ali discuss Scientology, their war on psychiatry and SSRI’s and the connection to RFK Jr.  The  guys start by discussing L. Ron Hubbard, the pulp and science-fiction writer who developed Dianetics in 1950, introducing...

Only medical topics today! Today at the beginning of the episode, Ali asks Asif about the rising rates of head and neck cancer (1:42). Asif explains why smoking-related cancers of the mouth and voice box are declining while HPV-related cancers of the throat—particularly those affecting the tonsils and base of the tongue—are rising, often in younger adults who have never smoked. He discusses what h...

Hulk Hogan died one year ago this month, so today, Ali and Asif discuss Hulk Hogan’s legacy with “Why Hulk Hogan Matters” author David Shoemaker. They start off by discussing David’s early memories of Hulk Hogan and then segue into the complicated feelings we all have towards the legendary wrestler. They discuss “unreliable narrators” in wrestling and how Hulk Hogan was a prime example of this. Th...

Today, Asif and Ali cover TWO medical topics. First, Ali asks Asif about the  parasite Cyclospora which is causing outbreaks of explosive diarrhea in large parts of the US (4:13). He explains how the parasite spreads through contaminated food and water—most commonly fresh produce rather than person-to-person contact—why it has become an increasing concern with the globalization of the food su...

Today, Asif and Ali discuss their favorite movies from 1996 (2:15) and then they debate the best albums from that same year (28:05) (no medical topic today).  Listen to hear what made their list, what didn’t and what overlap, if they had. 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...

Recently, Bill Maher received the Mark Twain Prize for American humor. So today, Asif and Ali  give their thoughts on Maher (spoiler: they don’t like him) (1:40). They discuss their admiration for “Politically Incorrect” and the fallout for that show from Bill’s comments about 9/11. Then then go over his increasingly problematic views on libertarianism, the “Me Too Movement”, vaccines and Isl...

This month, Steven Spielberg’s 35th feature film , “Disclosure Day” hit theatres. In honour of this Ali and Asif discuss their top 5 Spielberg films (after some inane banter about gift giving). (5:00) Listen to hear what the guys think about “Schindler’s List”, “Jaws”, “E.T.”, “Raiders of the Lost Ark”, “Munich” and "Jurassic Park”.  Then, since Disclosure Day is about aliens, in our medical...

Today, Ali and Asif discuss the career of Mel Brooks and the recent documentary on his life and career “Mel Brooks: The 99 Year Old Man!” (1:25). The guys start off by discussing when they first started watching Mel Brooks and then go over how the documentary highlights some little known aspects of Brooks’ career.  They discuss his origins in comedy, his work with Carl Reiner and the ups and...

Today, Asif and Ali discuss the documentary on Martin Short “Marty, Life is Short” (3:47). They discuss director Lawrence Kasden and what led him to make a documentary on his friend Martin Short. They discuss how the documentary not only goes over Martin Short’s career, but also discusses both grief and the “joy” of being friends with Martin Short.  Then the guys discuss the concept of grief...

Today, Ali and Asif discuss their favourite entertainment of 2026 to date (1:51). Listen as they discuss “Nivanna the Band, The Show, The Movie”, “It Was Just an Accident”, “Beef”, “Wonder Man”. “His and Hers”, “Margo’s Got Money Troubles”, as well as stand up specials by Wanda Sykes and Ramy Youssef. And as usual, Ali lists some of his must read books and Asif talks about new music from Noah Kaha...

Today, Asif and Ali discuss something that seems closer to science fiction than reality –  using your brain waves to perform actions or communicate. They chat with guest Dr. Adam Kirton to discuss Brain Computer interface aka BCI. Dr. Kirton is Professor of Pediatrics and Clinical Neurosciences at the University of Calgary and an attending Pediatric Neurologist at the Alberta Children’s Hospi...

  TRIGGER WARNING: This episode discusses sexual abuse. Most of you have heard about the blockbuster success of the movie “Michael”. So today Ali  and Asif  discuss their thoughts on the resurgent popularity of Michael Jackson. Then we will “remix” in our conversation from 2024 discussion Jackson, his complicated legacy and his use of propofol. They start off by talking about Jackso...