The Hilarious World of Depression (often abbreviated as THWoD) was a biweekly comedy interview podcast distributed by American Public Media and hosted by the writer and public radio host John Moe. Regular episodes of the podcast feature Moe in conversation with comedians and other entertainers who have dealt with major depressive disorder, or "Clinny D" as Moe occasionally abbreviates it. The podcast was supported by grant funding from HealthPartners and "Make it OK," a campaign to reduce the stigma of mental illness.[1] The end of the show was announced June 16, 2020.[2] John Moe announced that he would be hosting a new podcast, Depresh Mode with John Moe, which is on the Maximum Fun website,[3] and would cover additional mental health issues as well. The podcasts for The Hilarious World of Depression remain available online.[4]
| The Hilarious World of Depression | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Presentation | |
| Hosted by | John Moe |
| Genre | Comedy, Interview |
| Language | English |
| Updates | Every other week |
| Length | About 30-45 minutes |
| Production | |
| Opening theme | "Pagliacci" by Rhett Miller (episodes 1–present) |
| Ending theme | "Pagliacci" by Rhett Miller (episodes 1–present) |
| Publication | |
| Original release | November 30, 2016 – June 16, 2020 |
| Cited for | 2017 Webby Award Winner for Best Comedy Podcast |
| Provider | American Public Media |
In May 2020, Moe released a book, also entitled The Hilarious World of Depression, which includes highlights from some of his interviews for the podcast as well as detailing Moe's own experiences with depression.[5]
Reception
editNathan Rabin, on Vulture.com, called it "fascinating and essential."[6] Dr. Craig Bowron, in HuffPost, writes that he would "even prescribe it for folks who are not dealing with depression."[7] Writing for Mother Jones, Maddie Oatman described THWoD as "one part stand-up comedy and one part therapy session."[8] USA Today named it their weekly Podcast Pick in December 2016, calling the interviews "frank and often funny."[9]
References
edit- ^ "The Hilarious World of Depression Podcast". Make It OK. HealthPartners. Retrieved 5 March 2020.
- ^ "The Hilarious World of Depression Podcast/". Retrieved 14 August 2021.
- ^ "Depresh Mode with John Moe/". 15 March 2021. Retrieved 14 August 2021.
- ^ "The Hilarious World of Depression Podcast". Retrieved 14 August 2021.
- ^ Moe, John (May 5, 2020). The Hilarious World of Depression. New York: St. Martin's Press. ISBN 978-1250209283.
- ^ Rabin, Nathan (9 January 2017). "John Moe's New Podcast 'The Hilarious World of Depression' Is Fascinating and Essential". Vulture.com. Vox Media. Retrieved 5 March 2020.
- ^ Bowron, Craig (15 December 2016). "John Moe's "The Hilarious World of Depression"". HuffPost. AOL. Retrieved 5 March 2020.
- ^ Oatman, Maddie. "There's Nothing Funny About Depression, Except When There Totally Is: Podcaster John Moe Mines the Sweet Spot Between Laughter and Sadness". Mother Jones. Retrieved 5 March 2020.
- ^ Mallenbaum, Carly. "Podcast pick: A show that uses humor to tackle the stigma of depression". USA Today. Gannett. Retrieved 5 March 2020.