TDS Time Machine | Mental Health Awareness

Summary

The Daily Show: Ears Edition – Episode Summary Title: TDS Time Machine | Mental Health Awareness
Release Date: May 30, 2025
Host/Author: iHeartPodcasts and Paramount Podcasts

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Introduction

In the "TDS Time Machine | Mental Health Awareness" episode of The Daily Show: Ears Edition, host Jon Stewart and the News Team delve deep into the multifaceted discussions surrounding mental health. This episode features insightful conversations with comedians, musicians, mental health experts, and actors, exploring personal experiences, societal impacts, and the evolving landscape of mental wellness.

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The Importance of Therapy in Comedy and Personal Life

The episode opens with a candid discussion between Jon Stewart and a comedian guest about the role of therapy in both personal growth and the comedic process.

• Comedian Guest: “[00:23] I've talked openly about how vulnerable you've become in some of your stand-up. And you spoke openly about some of the therapy you've tackled.”

• Daily Show Host: “[00:29] You get therapy and you get therapy and you get therapy. Talk to me about the love of therapy. Cause it's nice to have two men openly talking about therapy. Yes, it is.”

The comedian emphasizes the transformative power of therapy:

• Comedian Guest: “[00:43] It's changed my life in so many ways. I think it's made me a funnier comic because it's not everything from a very dark place anymore.”

This exchange highlights how therapy not only aids personal well-being but also enhances creative expression by allowing comedians to explore varied emotional landscapes.

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Music as Therapy and Addressing Mental Health

Transitioning to the musical realm, a featured music artist discusses the synergy between uplifting melodies and profound, vulnerable lyrics.

• Music Artist: “[01:45] One of the things that I appreciate so much about your music is the way that you juxtapose these big, joyful, big band, jazzy music along with lyrics that are really raw and vulnerable.”

The artist views music as a therapeutic outlet:

• iHeart Podcast Host: “[02:18] I think music is a safe space to kind of be raw and honest. And for me, that's my safe place. It's my therapy.”

This perspective underscores music's role in providing a sanctuary for artists to address and process complex emotions and societal issues.

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Personal Experiences with Postpartum Anxiety

A poignant segment features a mother and actress sharing her harrowing experience with postpartum anxiety, shedding light on a less-discussed aspect of maternal mental health.

• Mother and Actress: “[03:17] I woke up at 4am... I kept breathing like that all day long and I keep waking up like that every day at 4am for a year.”

Her narrative emphasizes the profound impact of postpartum anxiety and the broader need for societal compassion:

• Mother and Actress: “[03:45] People don't understand it enough and we're not compassionate enough about what it's like to be a mother... it was incredibly difficult. But I did make it through to the other side.”

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The Impact of Social Media on Mental Health

A critical dialogue unfolds between a social commentator and a psychologist, exploring how social media exacerbates anxiety and depression, particularly among younger demographics.

• Social Commentator: “[04:26] ...for news organizations to keep people watching, they have to ramp up the urgency and the existential nature of the crisis.”

The psychologist introduces the concept of productive versus unproductive anxiety:

• Psychologist: “[05:02] Productive Anxiety is, I'm going to do something about this.”

This distinction offers a framework for listeners to channel their anxieties into actionable steps rather than succumbing to paralyzing fear.

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The Evolution of Childhood and Its Effect on Mental Health

Delving into societal shifts, the psychologist discusses the transition from play-based to phone-based childhoods and its ramifications on mental health.

• Psychologist: “[06:19] We began to crack down on that, to lock kids up in the 90s, to not let them out... Act 2 is the arrival of the phone-based childhood.”

He highlights a surge in anxiety and depression correlating with the pervasive use of smartphones and social media among youth:

• Psychologist: “[07:15] In 2013, girls in America and many other countries suddenly become very anxious, depressed and self-harming.”

This analysis points to the critical need for balancing technological engagement with healthy, unsupervised play to foster resilience and emotional well-being.

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Open Discussions on Mental Health in the Entertainment Industry

An actor and comedian shares his journey of publicly addressing his mental health struggles, noting the unexpected positive reception from male audiences.

• Actor and Comedian: “[08:26] 100% surprised... As you well know, because I don't know if you guys know... there's an outpouring, particularly from men.”

His revelations challenge traditional masculine norms, encouraging men to openly discuss their mental health challenges:

• Actor and Comedian: “[09:37] It's really meaningful that you did that.”

This narrative underscores the importance of vulnerability in reducing stigma and fostering a supportive community.

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Conclusion

The "TDS Time Machine | Mental Health Awareness" episode of The Daily Show: Ears Edition serves as a profound exploration of mental health's intricate ties with personal experiences, creative expression, and societal structures. Through heartfelt testimonies and expert insights, the episode advocates for greater empathy, open dialogue, and actionable strategies to navigate the complexities of mental wellness in contemporary life.

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Key Takeaways:

• Therapy Enhances Creativity: Open discussions about therapy can lead to personal growth and improved creative output.

• Music as a Therapeutic Tool: Artists use music to process and communicate deep-seated emotions and societal issues.

• Postpartum Anxiety Needs Attention: Maternal mental health challenges, such as postpartum anxiety, require greater societal understanding and support.

• Social Media's Double-Edged Sword: While social media can foster connections, it also significantly contributes to anxiety and depression, especially among youth.

• Evolving Childhood Dynamics: The shift from play-based to phone-based childhoods has adversely affected mental health, highlighting the need for balanced developmental environments.

• Breaking the Stigma: Openly sharing mental health struggles, particularly by men in the entertainment industry, can inspire and support others facing similar challenges.

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Notable Quotes:

• Comedian Guest ([00:43]): “It's changed my life in so many ways. I think it's made me a funnier comic because it's not everything from a very dark place anymore.”

• Music Artist ([02:18]): “I think music is a safe space to kind of be raw and honest. And for me, that's my safe place. It's my therapy.”

• Psychologist ([06:19]): “We began to crack down on that, to lock kids up in the 90s, to not let them out... Act 2 is the arrival of the phone-based childhood.”

• Actor and Comedian ([08:26]): “I got this outpouring, particularly from men... it offers hope in that way.”

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This comprehensive summary encapsulates the episode's exploration of mental health from various perspectives, providing listeners with valuable insights and actionable reflections on fostering mental wellness.

Transcript

[iHeart Podcast Host]

This is an iHeart podcast.

[Daily Show Host]

You're listening to Comedy Central. You've been doing stand up specials.

[Comedian Guest]

Yeah.

[Daily Show Host]

And in this last special, well, you've talked openly about how vulnerable you've become in some of your stand up. And you spoke openly about some of the therapy you've tackled.

[Comedian Guest]

Oh, yeah, I love therapy.

[Daily Show Host]

Tell me about it.

[Comedian Guest]

I love therapy. Give it up for therapy.

[Daily Show Host]

You get therapy and you get therapy and you get therap. Talk to me about the love of therapy. Cause it's nice to have two men openly talking about therapy. Yes, it is.

[Comedian Guest]

There we go.

[Daily Show Host]

And those are the women that are trying to bring us down.

[Comedian Guest]

No, you know something? It's changed my life in so many ways. I think it's made me a funnier comic because it's not everything from a very dark place anymore. I'm able to like, just pretty much talk about anything. But therapy has been so beautiful. Like, I'm at the happiest I've ever been. Cause I've been able to unpack things over time.

[Mental Health Expert]

So.

[Comedian Guest]

Yeah.

[Daily Show Host]

You'Re a busy guy. Are you doing. Is it like phone therapy? Is it zoom? Are you in a, you know, on set, like, and this is the way it made me feel and you know.

[Mental Health Expert]

That type of thing.

[Comedian Guest]

Did a PA knocking.

[iHeart Podcast Host]

Hey.

[Music Artist]

Hey.

[Comedian Guest]

Time. I do both, actually. It depends on what my scheduling is. Cause I do like going in person. It just in person is always so crazy because like, especially if you've been crying a little bit, it's like awkward when you leave. Like, you could tell the therapist wants you to go. Cause it's time. They keep doing this. Yeah, yeah, but you like this. And so they like. Yeah, so.

[Daily Show Host]

That'S.

[Music Artist]

One of the things that I appreciate so much about your music and that I think sets you apart from so many other artists is the way that you juxtapose these big, sort of joyful, big band, jazzy music along with lyrics that are really raw and vulnerable and about very serious issues. You talk about body dysmorphia, you talk about mental health, sexual assault. How do you even begin building music around those lyrics?

[iHeart Podcast Host]

Well, you know, I do think. I think music is medicine. I always say that. I think, I think like even sitting here and talking to you about these sort of heavier subjects, I get nervous. I don't really know how to address it or what to say. And I think music is a safe space to kind of be raw and honest. And for me, that's my safe place. It's my therapy. And yeah, you know, I think there's a lot, a lot of us are really broken and a lot of us are hurting and a lot of us are dealing with things we don't know exactly how to speak about or express, even with the people that we love. And I think music is a safe space to do that, to find healing or talk about it or just, I don't know, process it. So that was really important to me as an independent artist. I just wanted to be honest about those things you're quiet about. You know.

[Music Artist]

You actually took quite a bit of time away from acting to spend the time with your family. You had Malcolm and you were very open about experiencing postpartum depression.

[Mother and Actress]

Yeah, postpartum anxiety anxiety.

[iHeart Podcast Host]

Yeah.

[Mother and Actress]

So I had, I had been prepared for postpartum depression because we hear so much about it. But postpartum anxiety came on and it was. I don't know if anyone here has gone through that or their partners have, but it is, it is one of the worst experiences of my life. It came on like a month or two after I had Malcolm and I woke up at 4am My eyes just pop open and I start going.

[iHeart Podcast Host]

And.

[Mother and Actress]

I keep breathing like that all day long and I keep waking up like that every day at 4am for a year. Oh my God, for a full year I just, I couldn't breathe. I just had so much anxiety and there was no actual thoughts and thank God I didn't have any thoughts of self harm or harming others. I have so much compassion and sympathy for mothers who are going through that and I think that people don't understand it enough and we're not compassionate enough about what it's like to be a mother and to birth a baby and everything that happens to your body and the hormones. But it was incredibly difficult. But I did make it through to the other side. Well.

[Social Commentator]

For social media to keep people engaged, for news organizations to keep people watching, they have to ramp up the urgency and the existential nature of the crisis. So you're sort of torn between these two impulses. One is to not. To not participate, which would be abdicating civic responsibility. But the other would be to bathe yourself in this existential crisis. What choice do you have?

[Psychologist]

Well, we do have a choice because. So look at anxiety. There's productive anxiety and unproductive anxiety.

[Actor and Comedian]

What?

[Psychologist]

Well, think about it. If you didn't have anxiety, you wouldn't be able to be saf. It was like, there's a bear. You better have anxiety. Your unproductive anxiety is. I'm just going to stand here. Productive Anxiety is, I'm going to do something about this.

[Social Commentator]

See, that's so weird because my anxiety has never saved me from bears. But it often convinces me I'm not lovable. So how, how I shared too much. How do you, I was just gonna say, how do you separate the two? Because I watch. I didn't want debates tonight, but I do work once a week now, so I have to. Because that, it's, it's toxic to me. I know that I have to participate, but how does that anxiety of watching it, how is that a relic of, of something that's good for me?

[Psychologist]

It's good for you because then you can take action. By the way, I hope you're taking action on the unlovable thing. I hope you're getting some help with.

[Social Commentator]

That little thing called mushrooms baby microdosa way. Sorry.

[Psychologist]

But it's helpful because you say, okay, there are two ways you can respond to this. You can say, I'm gonna put my head in the sand and not engage, which is, I hope not the option that people here are taking.

[Social Commentator]

Correct.

[Psychologist]

And you can also say, oh, I'm just spinning in anxiety, I'm doom scrolling. I'm just getting all worked up. Yes, that's not helpful. That's unproductive anxiety. And then there's productive anxiety where you say, what can I do? Well, you can get involved in a campaign, you can volunteer, you can please vote, you can get the people around you to vote. There are things that you can do. The thing that you want to do is you want to, what can I control here? And that's where you take your anxiety and you say, it's going to motivate me to do something productive.

[Mental Health Expert]

Something happened in the early 2010s and my argument in the book is a tragedy in two acts. The first act is the loss of the play based childhood. It's what anybody over 40 in this audience had. You were out with your friends after school, there was nobody supervising. You had to learn how to work out conflicts, how to face adversity. So that's what kids have had for tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands of years. It's part of being a mammal. You play, you develop skills. We began to crack down on that, to lock kids up in the 90s, to not let them out. So we're restricting what they most need, which is play from the 90s through the 2000s. But mental health doesn't collapse then. It's actually pretty stable. Then we get Act 2, which is the arrival of the phone based childhood. And what that is. Is in 2010, everybody had a flip phone. The iPhone had come out, but most teens had a flip phone. No front facing camera, no social media on the phone, no high speed Data. And by 20, 2015, everyone's got all those other things. Now suddenly everyone has a smartphone, front facing camera, high speed Internet, social media, especially Instagram, on the phone. And almost like someone turned a switch. In 2013, girls in America and many other countries suddenly become very anxious, depressed and self harming.

[Music Artist]

You mentioned that you've talked very openly about struggling with anxiety and depression. How did that feel to share that? Did that. Were you surprised by the reaction that you got?

[Actor and Comedian]

100% surprised. And here's the thing, it didn't feel weird to share because I live in Los Angeles amongst a group of artists where this is just dinner table conversation.

[Social Commentator]

Totally.

[Actor and Comedian]

We're all anxious and depress and we're always talking about it all the time. We're trading therapists.

[Music Artist]

Oh, yeah, my therapist is right under the set right now. She's just waiting on call.

[Actor and Comedian]

Yeah. And so it's like, what medication are you on? I'm switching over to Celexa now. You know, these are our conversations. But what I didn't realize is that, you know, as you well know, because I don't know if you guys know, Desi was with me on the league like 10 years ago as a guest star. It was amazing. But it's a great show and a lot of the men who watch that show are not the men who are comfortable with talking about their mental health because they're football dudes and whatnot. And so when I started going on my social media, I got this outpouring, particularly from men just being like, I can't believe you're saying this out loud. And it makes me feel really good to know that someone that I view as somewhat successful is still on their feet despite this, and it offers hope in that way. So I never really planned on being some sort of mouthpiece for it. I was just sort of whining on social media and then it kind of had this effect. So I'm like, oh, well, this is something.

[Music Artist]

Yeah, it's so not only brave, it's a generous thing for you to do to help support others. So it's really meaningful that you did that.

[Daily Show Host]

Explore more shows from the Daily show podcast universe by searching the Daily Show. Wherever you get your podcasts, watch the Daily show weeknights at 1110 Central on Comedy Central and stream full episodes anytime on Paramount plus.

[Psychologist]

Paramount Podcasts.

[iHeart Podcast Host]

This is an I Heart podcast.