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March 14, 2023

Marc Maron: Humor Gave Relief from Grief

Marc Maron (stand-up comedian, host of WTF with Marc Maron podcast, actor, author) joins us to break down the arc of grief, the effects of growing up with detached parents, and his journey toward sobriety and defining himself. We discuss Marc’s foray into podcasting, how it enabled a generation of podcasters including MBB, and how his show has evolved over time. He reflects on his past struggles with alcohol and drugs including "cocaine psychosis", his experiences with rehab and therapy, and the positives and negatives of groups like AA. Maron explains how his mother influenced his disordered eating, his father’s narcissism and recent dementia diagnosis, and how his parents’ struggles denied him a fundamental sense of self. He reveals why he thinks he may have had undiagnosed borderline personality disorder, why he chooses to be so revealing in his creative pursuits, and the dangers of early exposure to adult content. Maron opens up about the sudden passing of his girlfriend Lynn Shelton, his inevitable attempt at using humor to relieve his pain, the interconnectedness of grief, the importance of showing up in his state of raw grief for his loyal audience, and the sense of comfort and control he has felt from sharing this experience. He considers his shortcomings as a romantic partner, what he got right with Lynn, and his take on separating the art from the artist.

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Marc Maron

Comedian, Writer

marcmaron
Mayim Bialik

Host

@missmayim
Jonathan Cohen

Co-Host

@jonathancohenofficial

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Humor Gave Relief from Grief

Marc Maron (stand-up comedian, host of WTF with Marc Maron podcast, actor, author) joins us to break down the arc of grief, the effects of growing up with detached parents, and his journey toward sobriety and defining himself. We discuss Marc’s foray into podcasting, how it enabled a generation of podcasters including MBB, and how his show has evolved over time. He reflects on his past struggles with alcohol and drugs including "cocaine psychosis", his experiences with rehab and therapy, and the positives and negatives of groups like AA. Maron explains how his mother influenced his disordered eating, his father’s narcissism and recent dementia diagnosis, and how his parents’ struggles denied him a fundamental sense of self. He reveals why he thinks he may have had undiagnosed borderline personality disorder, why he chooses to be so revealing in his creative pursuits, and the dangers of early exposure to adult content. Maron opens up about the sudden passing of his girlfriend Lynn Shelton, his inevitable attempt at using humor to relieve his pain, the interconnectedness of grief, the importance of showing up in his state of raw grief for his loyal audience, and the sense of comfort and control he has felt from sharing this experience. He considers his shortcomings as a romantic partner, what he got right with Lynn, and his take on separating the art from the artist.

Guest References

WTF with Marc Maron

Marc Maron welcomes comedians, actors, directors, writers, authors, musicians and folks from all walks of life to his home for amazingly revealing conversations. Marc's probing, comprehensive interview style allows guests to express themselves in ways listeners have never heard.

Marc Maron's New HBO Special, FROM BLEAK TO DARK
Legendary comedian and podcaster Marc Maron stars in his first-ever HBO comedy special filmed in front of a live audience at New York City's Town Hall. Over the course of a personal and provocative hour, Maron tackles such topics as getting older, antisemitism and faith, and his thoughts on having children – especially during the pandemic.
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Waiting for the Punch by Marc Maron
From the beloved and wildly popular podcast WTF with Marc Maron comes a book of intimate, hilarious and life changing conversations with some of the funniest, and most important people in the world like you've never heard them before.
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Dispatches from Maron
Catch up on check-ins from the main man himself, Marc Maron...
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Catch Maron on the Road
Checkout tour dates for Marc Maron and catch him in a city near you.
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