Doctor Vs Comedian

NB: We will be off on Dec 26 and Jan 2 and will return with new episodes on Jan 9, 2026. Today, Ali and Asif review their favourite entertainment from 2025. They discuss the best movies, TV shows, movies and books from the year (2:32). Listen to hear what they thought about ‘Fantastic 4: First Steps’, ‘Happy Gilmore 2’, ‘Sinners’, ‘Weapons’, ‘One Battle After Another’, ‘A Nice Indian Boy’, ‘Once Upon a Time Gaza’, ‘Adolescence’, ‘Mo’, ‘The Pitt’, ‘The Chair Company’, ‘The Studio’, ‘North of North, ‘The Beast in Me’, etc. They also discuss some comedy specials including specials by Mike Birbiglia, Bill Burr, Steph Tolev and Roy Wood Jr. Then Asif asks Ali about the top medical news stories of the year (53:00). They discuss the good (the Nobel prize in medicine, CRISPR use in genetic disorders), the bad measles outbreaks) and the ugly (RFK Jr and MAHA). The opinions expressed are those of the hosts, and do not reflect those of any other organizations. This podcast and website represents the opinions of the hosts. The content here should not be taken as medical advice. The content here is for entertainment and informational purposes only, and because each person is so unique, please consult your healthcare professional for any medical questions.Music courtesy of Wataboi and 8er41 from PixabayContact us at [email protected] us on Social media:Twitter: @doctorvcomedianInstagram: doctorvcomedianShow Notes:Inside RFK Jr.’s first nine months leading HHS: https://www.statnews.com/2025/11/20/rfk-jr-hhs-track-record-examined-status-report/Tracking RFK Jr.’s promises to remake health in America: https://www.statnews.com/2025/09/10/rfk-jr-maha-promise-tracker-fact-check/Canada no longer measles-free as outbreaks spread: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/nov/11/canada-loses-measles-free-elimination-statusA huge outbreak has made Ontario the measles centre of the western hemisphere: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/jun/06/measles-outbreak-ontario-canadaFIFA’s Gianni Infantino faces ethics complaint over Trump peace prize: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/12/10/fifas-gianni-infantino-faces-ethics-complaint-over-trump-peace-prizeImmune system breakthrough wins Nobel medicine prize for US, Japan scientists: https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/brunkow-ramsdell-sakaguchi-win-2025-nobel-medicine-prize-2025-10-06/?utm_source=chatgpt.comInfant with rare, incurable disease is first to successfully receive personalized gene therapy treatment: https://www.nih.gov/news-events/news-releases/infant-rare-incurable-disease-first-successfully-receive-personalized-gene-therapy-treatment Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today, Asif and Ali discuss their favorite movies from 1995 (2:07) and then they debate the best albums from that same year (23:33) (no medical topic today). Listen to hear what made their list, what didn’t and what overlap, if they had. PLUS, they do a mini-medical topic, speaking about the stroke that musician Matthew Sweet had last year. The opinions expressed are those of the hosts, and do not reflect those of any other organizations. This podcast and website represents the opinions of the hosts. The content here should not be taken as medical advice. The content here is for entertainment and informational purposes only, and because each person is so unique, please consult your healthcare professional for any medical questions.Music courtesy of Wataboi and 8er41 from PixabayContact us at [email protected] us on Social media:Twitter: @doctorvcomedianInstagram: doctorvcomedianShow Notes:Ali’s 1995 Playlist: https://youtu.be/0wBDDAZkNtk?si=f6svpVWmV4KEJh_uAsif’s 1995 Playlist: https://youtu.be/8-r-V0uK4u0?si=z9Yv5xUzULH6pzLD‘I Had the Stroke, and It Was All Over’: Matthew Sweet’s Road to Recovery: https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-features/matthew-sweet-interview-since-stroke-health-update-1235354779/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Recently, actor Donald Glover announced that he had a stroke, so today Ali and Asif start off by discussing Glover’s career (1:16). They start off by discussing his early background and getting his break writing for ‘30 Rock’. They then talk about his breakthrough role on ‘Community’ and other acting roles such as Lando Carlissian in ‘Solo: A Star Wars Story’. Ali then speaks about Donald Glover’s alternate career as rapper “Childish Gambino. Finally they discuss Glover’s critically acclaimed show ‘Atlanta’. Then Ali asks Asif about ischemic strokes (30:09) (and how they are different from brain bleeds). Asif talks about what strokes are as well as how common they are. He talks about the risk factors, causes as well what people need to be looking for regarding symptoms (using the acronym B.E.F.A.S.T.). Asif then goes over how strokes are diagnosed and treated. Finally Ali asks Asif about Glover stating he had a “hole in his heart” and how that might be related to his stroke. The opinions expressed are those of the hosts, and do not reflect those of any other organizations. This podcast and website represents the opinions of the hosts. The content here should not be taken as medical advice. The content here is for entertainment and informational purposes only, and because each person is so unique, please consult your healthcare professional for any medical questions. Music courtesy of Wataboi and 8er41 from PixabayContact us at [email protected] Notes:Childish Gambino Freestyles Over the 5 Fingers of Death on #SwayInTheMorning | Sway's Universe: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Aw2kaBQMocoEvery Episode of ‘Atlanta,’ Ranked: https://www.theringer.com/2022/11/11/tv/atlanta-fx-episodes-ranked-best-worst-seasonDonald Glover Reveals Stroke And “Hole In My Heart” Forced Him To Cancel 2024 Tour: https://deadline.com/2025/11/donald-glover-stroke-hole-heart-forced-cancel-tour-1236626789/Ischemic Stroke: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK499997/B.E. F.A.S.T. to Spot a Stroke: https://www.universityhealth.com/blog/be-f-a-s-t-to-spot-a-strokePatent Foramen Ovale Management for Secondary Stroke Prevention: State-of-the-Art Appraisal of Current Evidence: https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/10.1161/STROKEAHA.123.040546 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Apple TV released a docuseries about filmmaker Martin Scorsese entitled “Mr Scorsese" so today Asif and Ali this series and their top 5 favourite Scorsese films. They start off by discussing the superb docuseries by Rebecca Miller (2:40), and the interesting facts they learned from it, including his childhood and early movies. The guys then each list their top 5 Scorsese movies. Spike Lee has been quoted as saying “Thank God For Asthma” regarding how this disease made Scorsese stay indoors and watch movies, so in the second half of the podcast, Ali asks Asif about this disease (35:10). Asif talks about what asthma is, how common it is and what causes/triggers it. Asif then talks about the symptoms, the different types as well as the treatment. The opinions expressed are those of the hosts, and do not reflect those of any other organizations. This podcast and website represents the opinions of the hosts. The content here should not be taken as medical advice. The content here is for entertainment and informational purposes only, and because each person is so unique, please consult your healthcare professional for any medical questions. Music courtesy of Wataboi and 8er41 from PixabayContact us at [email protected] Notes:Mr Scorsese review – five hours isn’t nearly long enough to do justice to history’s greatest film-maker: https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2025/oct/17/mr-scorsese-review-martin-netflix14 Memorable Quotes From ‘Mr. Scorsese’: https://thereveal.film/14-memorable-quotes-from-mr-scorsese/Asthma: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK430901/Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America: https://aafa.org/asthma/asthma-symptoms/Asthma Canada: https://asthma.ca/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Marc Maron’s podcast WTF recently ended its run, so today Asif and Ali discuss Maron and his influence on comedy and podcasting (6:18) (after a brief digression on a fundraiser Ali recently went to). They begin by discussing Maron’s early life and career. They discuss him getting involved in radio and all the acting roles he has done in the past 20 years. They then discuss Maron’s recent stand up special “Panicked”. Finally they discuss WTF, the importance of the show for comedy and podcasting in general and the most memorable episodes. In Marc Maron’s recent special he discusses SSRI’s (for his cats!)‚ so in the second half, they discuss these drugs (31:31). Asif talks about selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, how they work and what they are used for. He then goes over the common types of SSRI’s as well as their potential side effects. Asif then discusses how sometimes people can have a difficult time coming off SSRI’s. Finally Ali asks Asif about other things that can be used for depression such as natural products and exercise. The opinions expressed are those of the hosts, and do not reflect those of any other organizations. This podcast and website represents the opinions of the hosts. The content here should not be taken as medical advice. The content here is for entertainment and informational purposes only, and because each person is so unique, please consult your healthcare professional for any medical questions. Music courtesy of Wataboi and 8er41 from PixabayContact us at [email protected] Notes:Marc Maron’s Rawest Interview Yet. The Truth About Grief, Anger, and Connection: https://www.menshealth.com/entertainment/a65608892/marc-maron-wtf-podcast-legacy-interview/Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK554406/Many People Taking Antidepressants Discover They Cannot Quit: https://www.nytimes.com/2018/04/07/health/antidepressants-withdrawal-prozac-cymbalta.html?rref=collection%2Fsectioncollection%2Fhealth&action=click&contentCollection=health&region=rank&module=package&version=highlights&contentPlacement=6&pgtype=sectionfrontAdjunctive Nutraceuticals for Depression: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analyses: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27113121/Exercise as medicine for depressive symptoms? A systematic review and meta-analysis with meta-regressio: https://bjsm.bmj.com/content/57/16/1049?trk=article-ssr-frontend-pulse_x-social-details_comments-action_comment-textEffect of exercise for depression: systematic review and network meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials: https://www.bmj.com/content/384/bmj-2023-075847.abstractGreat Depresh’ Comedian Gary Gulman Has 5 Tips to Get Through Isolation: https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/big-depresh-comedian-gary-gulman-coping-isolation-1285949/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.