Margaret Cho & Nico Santos on harnessing the power of comedy and laughter to heal grief and division

The star of NBC’s “Superstore” and “Crazy Rich Asians”, Nico Santos, and Actress, Author and Comedian Margaret Cho join Dr. Judy to talk about the power of laughter, how to find joy in grief and how humor can heal. They also address the alarming rise in attacks against Asian Americans in the midst of the COVID19 pandemic. More than 1000 hate crimes against Asian Americans have been reported in just the past two weeks, prompting Congressional leaders to condemn racism and the FBI to issue a warning. Now, for the first time, Margaret, Nico and Dr. Judy share their thoughts, concerns and outrage about the xenophobia and racism that’s sweeping America with the coronavirus. From earlier pandemics to 9/11, humans look for someone to blame and Dr. Judy explains why blaming “the other” is a toxic phenomenon of convenience. It’s a conversation that gets real without getting angry. Then, for the first time, Nico opens up about the loss of his stepfather to COVID19. He shares what it’s like to lose someone without being able to say goodbye, mourn with family or have a funeral, as well as how he’s using humor to heal. From watching stand-up comedy to military homecoming reunions to Netflix’s docuseries “The Tiger King”, Margaret and Nico have plenty of tips to help you survive quarantine with a sense of humor. Find out how laughter can lower your blood pressure, boost your mood and improve your immune system. Score four SuperCharged Secrets to help you tap into the power of laughter and find your sense of humor, today!   In this episode, we discuss:  1. Xenophobia during the COVID-19 pandemic and our personal thoughts about crimes against Asians (1:45) 2. Why blaming “the other” is a phenomenon of convenience and toxicity (5:02) 3. Margaret and Nico’s journeys being active in the LGBTQ community (10:42) 4. What it really means to be Asian American – is there a right or wrong way? (14:32) 5. Margaret’s proudest achievement to date (17:25) 6. The science behind how laughter heals pain, trauma, and struggles (19:53) 7. How Nico is dealing with loss of his stepfather through comedy (23:58) 8. How humor has helped Margaret heal trauma (26:53)  9. Surprising facts about Margaret and Nico (34:20) 10. How Margaret and Nico deal with criticism (39:05) 11. Four tips to harness the SuperCharged secret of humor (42:17) https://www.drjudyho.com/ https://www.instagram.com/drjudyho/ https://twitter.com/drjudyho       https://www.facebook.com/doctorjudyho   https://www.instagram.com/stage29podcasts https://twitter.com/stage29podcasts https://www.facebook.com/Stage29Podcasts/ http://margaretcho.com https://www.earios.net/the-margaret-cho https://www.instagram.com/margaret_cho/ https://twitter.com/margaretcho https://www.facebook.com/officialmargaretcho/   https://www.instagram.com/nicosantos/?hl=en https://twitter.com/nicosantos/status/1246877229260443650 https://www.facebook.com/nicosantoscomic/  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices