Doctor Vs Comedian

Today, after a brief discussion on the recent deaths of Ozzy Osbourne and Malcolm Jamal-Warner, Asif and Ali discuss the career and complicated life of Hulk Hogan (7:15). They guys start off by discussing when they first heard of Hogan. They then go over his meteoric rise to become the most famous professional wrestler of all time. They then discuss his controversies including videos of Hogan using racist language and the Gawke...

Today Ali asks Asif about the new ‘Superman’ movie by James Gunn, which Asif saw recently (1:11). After Asif gives his near spoiler-free review, he then gives Ali a quiz on all things Superman. Then in the second half, Ali asks Asif about genes that can give people “superhuman” powers (22:56). Asif talks about tetrachromacy, where people have an extra type of cone cell in their retina. He then goes over LRP5 mutations which in ...

Today, Ali and Asif discuss comedian and podcaster Andrew Schulz (1:05). They start off by taking about Schulz’ early life, his start in comedy and his successful podcasts. They then go into detail about a fascinating interview he did with the New York Times (and argue quite a bit about it). They then give their thoughts on Andrew's most recent special “Life”. 

Male infertility is a major ...

Ali recently taught a class on “acting for the screen” at Queen’s University, so in our first half Asif asks him about this (1:24). They discuss how he was approached to teach this class as well as his IMDB resume. Asif asks about how Ali structured the class, ‘scene study’, filming auditions and the main take-home “tips” for screen acting. 

Then, they discuss the mysterious New Brunswick neurological ...

Because Ali and Asif have been travelling a lot in the past few months, the guys chat about their favourite in-flight entertainment (5:17). They start off by talking about their typical “rituals” when flying. Then the guys discuss their go-to “comfort watches” when flying. They review movies and shows they have watched recently when flying. Finally, the guys each list their favourite movies related to air travel. 

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Today, Ali and Asif are joined by family physician and the inaugural Primary Care and Health Policy Scholar at St. Michael’s Hospital in Toronto, Dr. Danyaal Raza. The guys start off by asking Dr. Raza about how healthcare is structured. Then, they ask him about a recent article he wrote in the ‘Toronto Star’ regarding the privatization of family medicine clinics, data brokering and how these developments can be compared to Saturda...

Today, Asif asks Ali about Ali co-starring in the CBC Gem TV show ‘You’re My Hero’ (2:21). Ali talks about how he was offered the role and co-starring with professional wrestler Chris Jericho. They talk about creator Sean Towgood, “disabled” vs “differently abled” and the (lack) of representation of people with disabilities on television. Asif then gives his thoughts on the show and the cast (Spoiler: he liked it!). 

In ‘You’re My ...

Today, on a special episode, Asif and Ali interview addiction expert Dr. Jason Giles. For over two decades, Dr. Giles has helped more than 10,000 patients overcome substance use disorders. Dr. Giles combines clinical expertise with personal experience, having navigated his own journey to recovery 25 years ago. Dr. Giles is the founder and Medical Director of Addiction Doctors, a leading telemedicine practice specializing in compreh...

Today, Asif and Ali discuss the career of the legendary singer Billy Joel (1:08). They start off by discussing his accolades, how Joel is compared to his contemporaries and his early years. They then discuss some of his seminal songs that Ali and Asif experienced growing up, including ‘Vienna’, ‘Piano Man’, ‘My Life’, ‘Uptown Girl’, and ‘We Didn’t Start the Fire’. Then the guys each list their favourite Billy Joel songs.

Joel recen...

Today, Ali and Asif, after a digression about Paris restaurants and Reddit trolls, discuss the career of Bill Burr (7:33). They discuss his early life, starting out in comedy, his Philly rant and his podcast. They \then discuss his television cartoon ‘F is for Family’ and his acting roles, his film ‘Old Dads’  including his recent broadway turn in ‘Glengarry Glen Ross’. They then discuss Burr’s standup style, whether comedians can ...

After a brief digression about popcorn throwing at ‘The Minecraft Movie’ and Ali’s connection to producer Evan Goldberg, Ali and Asif discuss the Apple TV hit series ‘The Studio’ (10:49). The guys start off by discussing the creation of the show by Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg and how it was influenced by ‘The Larry Sanders Show’.  They discuss the phenomenal cast and guest stars. Asif then gets Ali’s thoughts on the numerous “one ...

This week, Asif is in France on his sabbatical. To commemorate this, the guys give each other a quiz on France. Ali starts off by quizzing Asif about French culture and cuisine (4:55). They discuss croissants, Bouillabaisse,  Versailles, and French greetings. Then Asif quizzes Ali about medicine in France (22:57) including the advent of teaching in hospitals, pasteurization, the guillotine (!), as well as a lightning round. 

If you are in crisis or concerned about someone text 9-8-8 in the USA or Canada or visit suicide prevention.ca 

This week is children’s mental health week, and so today Asif and Ali welcome physician and researcher Dr. Daphne Korczak to discuss the important topic of suicide in children and youth. They discuss the changing language around suicide, how common it is and the complex risk factors for it. They guys also ask Dr. Korczak ...

Today, Asif and Ali discuss the career of the late actor Val Kilmer (1:05). The guys start off by discussing the 2023 documentary about Kilmer entitled ‘Val’. They discuss Val’s early life and the tragic death of his younger brother from epilepsy. They discuss Kilmer’s early successes and how he was the youngest person admitted to Julliard in the drama department. They then go over their favourite Kilmer movies including ‘Top Secre...

Today, Asif and Ali discuss ultraprocessed foods (no medical topic today). To start off, Asif quizzes Ali about his favorite snack foods (1:29). Then Ali gives Asif a quiz on ultraprocessed foods from the New York Times. They then discuss the obesity epidemic and the the theory that ultraprocessed foods may have contributed to this (25;17). They then go over the NOVA food classification system and give examples of ultraprocessed fo...

Today, Asif and Ali discuss the phenomenal Netflix series ‘Adolescence’ (1:28). They discuss the creation of the film and how star and co-creator Stephen Graham came up with the concept for the show to address misogyny and knife violence in the UK.  The guys discuss incel culture, the book ‘The Game’ and Andrew Tate and how adolescence tackles these concepts. They then discuss the direction of the series, with each episode being fi...

Today Asif and Ali interview podcaster Kate Downey about period pain and her new podcast “Cramped”. The guys chat with Kate about why she wanted to start a podcast about period pain (dysmenorrhea) and her personal journey with what she calls ‘death cramps”. Kate then elaborates on why period pain is often treated differently than other types of pain and the relation between period pain and endometriosis. They then discuss how stigm...

Today, after a brief discussion of shows Ali and Asif have been watching lately – including ‘One Day’ and ‘Adolescence’ (as well as shows they bailed on… ‘Breaking Bad’ and ‘The White Lotus’) – they discuss ‘Apple Cider Vinegar’ and Belle Gibson (7:43). They go over Belle Gibson’s rise from Instagram “Wellness Warrior” to being exposed as faking having brain cancer. They then discuss the Netflix TV show based on Belle Gibson’s stor...

Today Asif and Ali discuss  the new critically acclaimed Disney Plus /Hulu series “Deli Boys” (1:15). They discuss creator Abdullah Saeed’ background and how he came to develop the series. They discuss what they love about the show including the superb cast including Saagar Shaikh. Asif Ali, and Poorna Jagannathan. 

Then, based on some recent news articles, Ali asks Asif about the dangers of Ayurvedic medicine (27:24). They discuss...