Eyes Wide Open with Nick Thompson

TW: This conversation includes stories of gun violence, self-harm, and death by suicide. Our guest today is Katrina Brees, a New Orleans-based Mardi Gras artist and creator of "Donna's Law," a voluntary self-registry prohibition to gun sales for those who choose to create self-defense against gun suicide.   In this episode, Katrina and Nick discuss her career in costume design and her work in crea...

Our guest is Kit Cabello, the founder of Hard Lens Media, a Chicago-based independent news network.    In this episode, Nick and Kit delve into the burden of student debt and the need for affordable education. The conversation touches on the impact of technology on human connection and the dangers of AI without ethical considerations. They discuss the failings of the political establishment and th...

TW: There are moments in this conversation where we discuss suicidal ideation. Carrie Magnuson is a mental health advocate, mother of three, artist and founder of Rusty Lane Lettering, and host of the Carry on with Carrie podcast!   In this episode of Eyes Wide Open, Carrie shares her journey of self-discovery, sobriety, and finding purpose that led her to podcasting. She discusses her childhood d...

On this episode of Eyes Wide Open, we take a look at a few episodes of a new show from Nick and his friend Todd, dissecting mental health news and headlines. Subscribe to the weekly show every Thursday exclusively here on my YouTube channel! Subscribe: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@eyeswideopencontent Follow Nick:    Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nthompson513/   Podcast: https://podcast...

Ashley Love Richards, host of the cult-obsessed podcast "That's So F**ked Up," dives deep into the darkness with Nick Thompson in this unfiltered conversation about coercive control in cults, alcoholic anonymous, and reality TV. Buckle up as they dissect Ashley's passion for true crime, her journey from alcoholism to podcasting glory, and the surprising (and disturbing) connections between cults a...

****TW: There are moments in this conversation where we discuss suicidal ideation. In this conversation, Elana Van Deventer shares her journey of overcoming limiting beliefs and building confidence. We discuss the intersection of neuroscience and mental health, highlighting the importance of breaking the silence around emotions and mental health.  Elana emphasizes the significance of self-identity...

In this episode, licensed clinical psychologist Dr. Jessica Rabon and I discuss the impacts of social media and culture on the increasing mental health challenges faced by millennials and Gen Z. Dr. Rabon highlights the pressure and expectations placed on young adults to pursue certain career paths and the impacts of student loan debt on our lives. We explore the causes of worsening mental health,...

This week, we're continuing the best of 2023 by highlighting this year's guests from the world of reality TV. This week, we'll be highlighting conversations with my ex-wife Danielle Ruhl (Love is Blind), Alyssa Barmonde (Married at First Sight AU), Stephanie Davison (90 Day Fiance), Olivia Frazer (Married at First Sight AU), and Corrine Hatch (America's Next Top Model). In addition, we'll close th...

On this special episode of Eyes Wide Open, we're reliving the best podcast episodes of 2023 as part of a two-part series.   In this episode, we're going to highlight clips from Dr. Elizabeth Federick, Dr. Kirk Honda, Calley Means, Eli Weinstein, Macy Schuchart, Callie Ezell, Rushi Kota, and Danny LoPriore. In part two (out next week), we are going to focus on the reality TV industry and clips from...

What similarities are there between how documentary film participants and reality television cast members are treated by production companies and the public? How can we create these forms of media ethically and in a way that protects the dignity and humanity of those involved?   Today on Eyes Wide Open, we are speaking with producer and documentary participant Margie Ratliff to try to answer these...

Our guest today is Olivia Frazier, a content creator, model, and a cast member from season nine of Married at First Sight Australia. I wanted to have Olivia on the show today to share some of her experiences during production and after the show aired, because she has been through a lot. Olivia was edited into a villain character on the show, and it impacted her career, her relationship, her family...

This week on Eyes Wide Open, we're speaking with Calley Means, a former consultant in the food and pharmaceutical industries turned activist and advocate against them. Calley works to subvert big industry's poisoning of our food system and the corruption in regulating agencies enable this to happen. Calley is also the founder of a company called TrueMed, which is an organization that issues food a...

TW: This episode features stories of sexual trauma, addiction, self harm, and suicidal ideation. Avoid listening if these topics may cause you emotional or psychological distress.   On today's episode of Eyes Wide Open, we will be sitting down with mental health advocate Todd Rennebohm. Todd is a public speaker, author of the children's book, "Sometimes Daddy Cries," and host of the hit podcast, "...

Reality and unscripted television are often anything but that. Join us in demanding that producers add a mandatory disclaimer before and after each episode, underscoring that episodes are for entertainment purposes only, and the content can be edited, manipulated, and presented in any order for storyline purposes. https://sign.moveon.org/petitions/add-a-disclaimer-to-all-reality-television-program...

Today's guest on Eyes Wide Open is Emma Demar, also known by her nickname, "That Trendy Therapist." She's a licensed clinical social worker, former actress from Gossip Girl, podcast host, and bestselling author of the book, "The Truth Teller: The Truth Behind Our Masks."    In my journey to better understand myself and my internal motivations, I came across Emma and her book, which is all about ho...

Reality and unscripted television are often anything but that. Join us in demanding that producers add a mandatory disclaimer before and after each episode, underscoring that episodes are for entertainment purposes only, and the content can be edited, manipulated, and presented in any order for storyline purposes. https://sign.moveon.org/petitions/add-a-disclaimer-to-all-reality-television-program...

Reality and unscripted television are often anything but that. Join us in demanding that producers add a mandatory disclaimer before and after each episode, underscoring that episodes are for entertainment purposes only, and the content can be edited, manipulated, and presented in any order for storyline purposes. https://sign.moveon.org/petitions/add-a-disclaimer-to-all-reality-television-program...

Reality and unscripted television are often anything but that. Join us in demanding that producers add a mandatory disclaimer before and after each episode, underscoring that episodes are for entertainment purposes only, and the content can be edited, manipulated, and presented in any order for storyline purposes. https://sign.moveon.org/petitions/add-a-disclaimer-to-all-reality-television-program...

Today on Eyes Wide Open, we're going to start part one of a conversation with Danny LoPriore, a standup comedian, musician, and mental health advocate.    Danny got his start on Vine, and now hosts two podcasts, The LoPriore Podcast and Off the Cuff. I had the privilege of being a guest on Off the Cuff a few weeks ago, and Danny and I bonded over our shared passion for mental health and other comm...

Reality and unscripted television are often anything but that. Join us in demanding that producers add a mandatory disclaimer before and after each episode, underscoring that episodes are for entertainment purposes only, and the content can be edited, manipulated, and presented in any order for storyline purposes. https://sign.moveon.org/petitions/add-a-disclaimer-to-all-reality-television-program...

This episode takes a look behind the scenes of reality TV production, with first-hand insight from Lori Brown. Lori was on the cast of Canada's Farming for Love, which is their equivalent of FOX's Farmer Wants a Wife.    Lori was cast for season one of the show, and she did not have a great experience. In fact, she did not finish filming and decided to leave before the experience was complete. In...

Today on Eyes Wide Open, we're joined by Eli Weinstein. Eli is a licensed clinical social worker and therapist who specializes in couples and parenting, and joins me today for a conversation focused on men's mental health.   We dive in on the importance of human connection and the people that inspired him to become a therapist. Eli has become a pretty reliable friend to me, and his empathy, compas...

Today on Eyes Wide Open, our guest is Matthew Blades. Matthew is a self-care expert and motivational speaker, but before that, he spent 27 years as a morning show radio host.   In his radio career, Matthew would take every opportunity he got to get into bigger markets and advance his career, but along the way learned that he had not healed inside from some childhood wounds. He began experiencing p...

Get ready for a wild conversation! This week on Eyes Wide Open, we're joined by Stephanie Davison. You may know Stephanie from 90 Day Fiancé in 2021, where she was engaged to Ryan Carr.    Stephanie's 90 Day Fiance experience was wild behind the scenes, and her storyline was complete and total fabrication. She began speaking out about this before the final episodes even aired, resulting in her bei...

Today on Eyes Wide Open, we sit down with Rachel Wright, a non-monogamous queer woman and licensed therapist who specializes in sex and relationships.    When Rachel and I connected initially, I thought we were going to discuss her work as a therapist, but we ended up getting into a conversation about what she sees as a therapist in reality TV, including her take on The Ultimatum: Queer Love and t...