RISK! Podcast – “Fighting Back” (April 2, 2026)
Overview
This episode of RISK!, hosted by Kevin Allison, is titled “Fighting Back.” The central theme is resilience in the aftermath of trauma, told through the deeply personal, raw, and often darkly humorous stories of two women: actress Ellie Jackson and comedian Liz Stewart. Both recount their journeys through formative experiences involving abuse, shame, survival, and the uneven road to healing and self-acceptance. The episode is unflinching, blending moments of heartbreak with humor and catharsis.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
-
Introduction & Trigger Warning
- Kevin Allison opens with context: the episode is a replay of a 2014 fan favorite, featuring stories about “facing traumatic shit” and moving forward.
- [02:03] Kevin issues a content warning: “Today's episode features a few instances of abuse. And I know that for some listeners, that sort of thing can trigger stressful, traumatic sorts of feelings. So I wanted to warn everyone beforehand.”
-
Ellie Jackson: “I Can See Clearly Now”
-
[04:39–23:06] Ellie's story traces a journey from sexual naivete at band camp to an adulthood shaped by rape, shame, and cyclical difficulties with intimacy.
-
Band Camp Anecdote: Ellie reveals her sexual innocence as a pre-teen, quickly realizing such honesty makes her a target among her peers.
- “You guys, we have to warn her, because deep kissing can lead to other things.” – Ellie Jackson, [04:39]
-
The Frat Party Assault: At 18, Ellie is raped by a college senior after a frat party, despite her vocal protests and eventual disclosure that she is a virgin.
- “I just sort of realize that there's no way out of this situation and that I'm not going to be able to prevent what's about to happen.” – Ellie Jackson, [06:42]
-
Post-Assault Coping and Sexuality: Ellie internalizes blame, cycles through periods of sexual abstinence, casual sex devoid of emotion, and self-criticism.
- “I only ever sleep with people I don't care about because I can't be physically intimate and emotionally intimate with the same person." – Ellie Jackson, [21:01]
-
Empowerment or Denial? Her choice of emotionally detached partners is framed as “progress” until a Planned Parenthood visit prompts new self-realization.
-
Therapy Turning Point: A persistent social worker at Planned Parenthood challenges Ellie to reflect on the relationship between trauma and her romantic life.
- “This isn't what happened to other people. This is what happened to you.” – Planned Parenthood social worker paraphrased, [19:24]
-
Breakdown and Insight: Ellie’s cathartic moment hits in the waiting room, faced with the absurd coincidence of seeing the man she just slept with in a toothpaste commercial:
- “I just start laughing hysterically and crying hysterically at the same time because what, like no one will believe me when I tell them what happened?” – Ellie Jackson, [22:28]
-
Hope for Healing: Acknowledges that progress is slow, that seeking help is difficult but necessary, and ends with a moving affirmation:
- “It is okay to ask for help and that it's okay to want to fix what's broken, that we all do deserve to ask for help and to be okay.” – Ellie Jackson, [22:41]
-
-
Liz Stewart: “If You Hit Somebody In The Temple, They Will Fucking Drop”
-
[24:56–39:38] Liz delivers her darkly comic monologue of growing up as “the freaky one” in an abusive, dysfunctional family, blending sharp punchlines with harrowing details.
-
Outcast Status & Humor: Shares stories of social alienation, finding solace in comedy albums, and cynically organizing a petition to ban nuclear power in third grade.
- “I got one signature. Their name was ‘recess is cool, you have no friends.’” – Liz Stewart, [24:56]
-
Family Dynamics & Abuse: Jokes about her sociopathic father (“the only thing he hated more than black people was disobedient women”) and her paranoid schizophrenic mother, who claimed to work for the government and threatened sniper attacks for backtalk.
- “I was labeled as autistic because I would rarely speak. Turns out I wasn't autistic. I just didn't have shit to say to those people.” – Liz Stewart, [26:17]
-
Violence and Breaking Free: Details multiple, escalating incidents of abuse, culminating in a violent exorcism attempt by her mother at age 15.
- “She had a towel over my face and was like, you know, devil be out, you know, and all of the rest of the Lord's Prayer. I don't think the devil be out is actually part of it, but you get my point.” – Liz Stewart, [30:15]
-
Fighting Back: For the first time, Liz physically defends herself and her younger siblings—in an act that both marks her breaking point and catalyzes real change (her mother’s institutionalization).
- “I found out two things that day. One, nobody has the right to put their hands on you… And two, if you hit somebody right in the temple, they will fucking drop.” – Liz Stewart, [32:04]
-
Aftermath and Dark Humor: Escapes her home, supports herself, and reflects on trauma’s twisted “benefits”—a perspective sharpened by stand-up and a sense of belonging among other misfits.
- “By not being normal and by being such a freak. I have a home with all you fucked up people.” – Liz Stewart, [36:41]
- “If I can survive my family… I think I can handle a callback for Jurgens.” – Liz Stewart, [38:49]
-
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
- “If I hadn't said something so stupid, if I hadn't given up, then I could have prevented that from happening...So the best way to get over this is to just move on and forget about it and move forward.” – Ellie Jackson, [08:09]
- “I can't be physically intimate and emotionally intimate with the same person.” – Ellie Jackson, [21:01]
- “This level of freaky is not something that just happens overnight. It takes years. As well as both nurture and nature working in tandem to culminate what you see before you.” – Liz Stewart, [25:48]
- “Who bites somebody on the fucking face, man?” – Liz Stewart, [33:34]
- “All this time I thought I was the crazy one. Like, I thought I was what was wrong. Turns out it was everybody else.” – Liz Stewart, [35:16]
Timestamps for Key Segments
- [02:03] Content warning and episode framing
- [04:39–23:06] Ellie Jackson's “I Can See Clearly Now”
- [24:56–39:38] Liz Stewart’s stand-up monologue
- [41:37] Kevin’s closing remarks and workshop plugs
Episode Tone
- True to the RISK! format, stories are candid, uncensored, emotionally intense, and at times laced with dark humor. Both speakers mix vulnerability with wit, often using sardonic asides to diffuse tension or highlight the absurdity of their circumstances.
Summary
“Fighting Back” is an emblematic RISK! episode, placing listeners inside the secret, often painful, but ultimately empowering corners of storytellers' lives. Ellie Jackson’s narrative spotlights the silent, cyclical nature of trauma and the slow emergence of hope through asking for help. Liz Stewart’s tale confronts generational dysfunction with sardonic comedy, showing that even the most marginalized can find strength, perspective and community—while never letting go of the punchline. It’s an episode that is at once punishing and cathartic, daring listeners to confront what it means to truly fight back for one’s own identity, safety, and future.
This summary covers all primary content while omitting ad reads and non-narrative sections, and preserves the original language and tone of the storytellers.