Dr. Lisa Gives a Sh*t

James and I had a very deep therapy session about James relationship with his mother and his relationships with women in general. It was highly personal and too revealing to post — so if you didn't hear it live, you missed it — but enjoy this video of James as Artist-in-Residence of Lockheed Martin . Here's James show on Radio Free Brooklyn: James & Ibhan Radio Show: Hosted by James Azzaretti & Ibhan Kulkarni LIVE every Sunday at 11:00am James & Ibhan are Brooklyn Comedians who's lived and performed in the area for close to a decade. These golden voiced gods will regal you with wit, charm, smarm, and calm. Music, special guests, and special bits. Only here, only now. Insta: James Azzaretti: @snazzaretti Ibhan Kulkarni: @doublelagaan @jamesandibhan@chickenbigcomedy

Dr. Lisa delves into Tom's childhood and found out why Tom is driven to do something as crazy as start a new internet station. We find out all about Tom's family and his growing up.

Dr. Lisa attempts to psychoanalyze comic artist and New York Times art critic, Ken Johnson through his work, Ball and Cone. Ken weighs in on the analysis.

Gavin Rogers has the most genuinely positive vibe of anyone that I canpersonally think of. I think because his happiness is the real dealand hard won. He was diagnosed with non-hodgkin's lymphoma the dayafter his 7th birthday and was very sick, in and out of hospitals,doing chemo, and all the difficulties that go with that. Gavin was lucky and remains grateful today to his rock solid supportive family for getting him through all that and coming out ok. In my opinion, on an emotional development level, maybe even better. He's been inremission since then, some 20+ years. He's still processing hisexperience, since as he gets older his perspective changes, but he isone happy dude! He has found a passion for comedy in the past few years, performs regularly, has his own show @coldbeercomedy. And that's not all! Gavin met the love of his life 10 years ago (he's only 30 now!) and they are getting married Valentine's Day!!!! I just wish I could bottle the rare version of Gavin's positivitycause it is real and you can feel it-not like "influencer" fakepositivity.

This is the 3rd time I've had Lana on my show and we rocked it. Lana is a brilliant rapidly rising comedian whose doing the hard work it takes to get to where she is—performing at The Comedy Cellar and having her own special (shot—coming out soon) on DryBar comedy . We start talking about Lana's relationship with her mother and I suggest doing a "role-play" where I act as her mother and she says what she wishes she could say to her. I think we surprised ourselves on what came out of this. I know this sounds like a teaser, but it is seriously hard to describe. Absurd, hilarious and VERY REAL. Check out Lana at these spots:@drybarcomedy SPECIAL @amazonprime @nycomedyfest @comedycellarusa HEADLINING Peckville, PA 9/28; VA 11/1 ; MD 11/16 & lots more tba Instagram @lanasiebel Hear Lana talk about being a refugee from Ukraine to American at 7 years old. how she built her comedy career, her husband and now 11-year old son (destined for comedy, I think) on our previous episodes here: DLG277 Lana Siebel is a rare find in the comedy world: talented, hilarious, smart and KIND. DLG323 A funny/serious session with comedy mentor Lana Siebel.

Charles H. Traub is a photography legend. His accomplishments are vast. He taught my husband photography at SVA 25 years ago. I was grateful to have a chance to interview him (Charles H. Traub is the chair of the Photography, Video and Related Media department at the School of Visual Arts in New York City)—BUSY GUY), in conjunction with his solo exhibition, Something Funny in the STILLLIFE at the Dog House Gallery, which is a gallery I run to highlight funny artists such as Charles, housed in the offices of The Brooklyn Comedy Collective, 137 Montrose Ave., Brooklyn, NY. The show is up until Jan. 2, 2026. Gallery Hours: Monday-Wednesday, 1:00pm - 7:00pm. Sundays 12-6pm Since I am a pretend *shrink*, I wanted to talk to Charles about his life and emotional/creative development in relation to his work. After reading about Charles's family on his website, I was really curious to learn how his relationship with his father had a foundational role in Charles work as well as his relationships with mentors and students. It was really interesting to hear about, as a young man, Charles formed a lot of relationships with other older photographers, inspiring him to became an innovative leading educator and world-renowned photographer. A real treat was talking with Charles about the work he's making today. His face lights up with the childlike enthusiastic vibe thats as shiny and inspired as ever. Instagram: @charlestraub Charles Traub Bio Charles Traub Website

I had a blast with Kevin Allison in this session. At over a million downloads a month, live shows all over the country, a book and more-RISK! is described as, "a hit podcast where people tell true stories they never thought they'd dare to share." Listen to any episode and you will see what we're saying! It's sooooo exceptional. Kevin is a professional sharer, so he didn't hold back with Dr. Lisa. He talks about his gay group therapy that shrinks kept quitting, his current shrink, what he's really like vs. the onstage version of Kevin, some of his dating experiences, how relationships with his fellow members of "The State" developed throughout the show, and how there will never be enough downloads to make him happy.

I've always loved Brian Boucher's work and I was finally introduced to him by Ben Davis at the spectacular Zero Art Fair opening. Anyway, I immediately invited him to guest on the show. Doing research on Brian, I observed that in his writing, he was an art writer that often gave voice to the voiceless, writing in a compelling manner about issues at the intersection of art and social causes that might otherwise go unnoticed. This recent piece in ArtNet about a rediscovered David Wojnarowicz mural in Kentucky is a great example. The other observation I had about Brian is how he doesn't inject himself into his work or even his career. Unlike many other art writers, (NO JUDGEMENT) , you don't see him sipping drinks at lavish art parties, and dinners, although I am sure he's invited and likely attends them. Which spurred me on to find out why not—what in Brian's personality influences his work? I found out he was a drummer in a punk band, 2nd youngest of five boys and a hellofalot more. Cheers to Brian for being a good sport! Bio: Brian Boucher covers art-world news in New York. He has also written for publications such as the New York Times, Playboy, New York Magazine, Frieze, Art in America and ARTnews. He studied art history at Vassar College and Williams College. Insta: @brianbboucher

WARNING: This episode may inspire you to work harder. George Hayward is a brilliant guy and a brilliantly original comedian. I met him at a favorite open mic at @PineBoxRockShop run by @steve_malden and @bobby.condon. George is very smart and talented, but his work ethic is a super power with his LASER FOCUS on standup is phonomenal. George has quite a life story. His mother is black, his father is white. Education was the top priority in his family, George is a testament to that. He got a full scholarship to Phillips Exeter Academy, then a BA from Harvard and a AB/JD degree from Stanford. Here's a story about how a kid who once thought he might become an astrophysicist, put himself through a rigorus education and found himself exceeding at standup. George has been on many prestigious New Faces shows and is well on his way to a thriving standup career. Not bad for a guy who's been in NYC for only a year. Here's some of the videos we discuss in this session: Take Ya Time: George Hayward Live From Pine Box | Stand-up Set 14:00 George Hayward Delivers The Good News in 1997 First Communion 1:04 ( Clip of George lecturing as a child ) The Good News: George Hayward Addresses the 1Ls at Stanford Law School 25:00 The 25 min set to the Stanford law students that started it all Talk to Em: George Hayward Addresses the MBAs at Stanford Business School 1:10:24 - the 60-min set with no previous open mics that started George on his professional path

I saw Matt do a super interesting comedy show at a yoga studio last month called Misguided Meditation. It was great and he's doing another one January 22 at Yoga to the People – East Village TICKETS HERE He has a great newsletter too = sign up here: THE RUBESLETTER He's a really great comedian where you walk out thinking about what you were just laughing about. This episode stuck around in my head for a while—like a good acid trip. Matt really shared a lot of personal stuff. He’s has a very successful career as a comedian performing regularly at The Comedy Cellar. His comedy is hilarious! Plus exceptionally smart, thoughtful and his work has some great messages about toxic masculinity, which was refreshing to hear from a straight dude. I harassed him to share more specifically about the points he is making, why those issues speak to him and where they come from (a prosecutor dad and artist mom). Matt understand his feelings and is very articulate, There’s a lot to draw you in. More Matt: BIO Matt Ruby is a NYC comedian that tells smart/dark jokes for people with a finely tuned BS detector. He's a regular at the Comedy Cellar in NYC, in regular rotation on SiriusXlllllllM, his album "Hot Flashes" went top 10 at iTunes, and he's been seen on Laughs on FOX, MTV's Girl Code, and The Comedy Show Show on NBC/Seeso. He's also the creator of Vooza, a video comic strip about the tech world (called the "The Spinal Tap of startups" by Mashable) and co-producer of Hot Soup, one of NYC’s longest running independently produced comedy shows. H Outside of standup, he's the creator of Vooza, a video comic strip about the tech world that’s received millions of view and was called the "The Spinal Tap of startups" by Mashable and (SIGN UP FOR THIS!!! ) he’s the author of the Rubesletter, a weekly newsletter with over 15,000 subscribers.

Mick's special: Don't Be So Positive HERE. Mick's webseries HERE. Mick's previous episode on Dr. Lisa HERE. Mick DIflo has appeared on Amazon Prime’s ‘Hunters’, AXS TV’s Gotham Comedy Live, Inside Amy Schumer, and was a contributing writer to ‘The Idiot’s Guide to Jokes’, Jest Magazine, The Huffington Post and thecomedyconsultant.com. His webseries ‘Mick: Don’t Be So Positive’, written & directed by Roger Aylward, is based on Mick’s standup comedy. The webseries won Best International Webseries at Dublin’s International Comedy Film Festival and Mick received Special Mention for Best Actor. The series also received an honorable mention award at Worldwide Short Film Festival in London. More about Mick Diflo ⁠HERE⁠. Here's a bit of what we talked about: Mick started using drugs at 11, had hepatitis twice by 17, and became a successful boxer with 10 wins out of 13 fights. But addiction derailed his boxing career when he developed double vision from too many punches. He got sober at 28 in 1984 with his brother's help - that's 41 years clean now. After recovery, he worked as an addiction counselor for 15 years before accidentally falling into comedy. What started as an acting class in Philadelphia turned into sketch comedy, and when his group couldn't make a New York show, he went solo and discovered stand-up. Now he's been doing comedy professionally for 21 years, recently released an album called "Don't Be So Positive," and created an award-winning web series. His dark humor draws from his life experiences, which makes perfect sense. He's been married to Rita for 21 years - they met in recovery, got engaged after 9 months, and she now "heckles" him during his acts while working on her own novel. Despite everything he's been through, Mick has this calm, philosophical outlook and uses comedy to process his experiences.

Misha Wurman is a professional bartender and cocktail creator. If you want to get one of Misha's original cocktails, here's 2 options of where you can visit him bartending— Paradise Lost (Tuesdays) 100 2nd Ave., New York, NY, 10003 Public Records upstairs cocktail lounge (Friday/Saturday) 233 Butler St, Brooklyn, NY 11217 Misha Wurman is 27-year-old bartender who Dr. Lisa has basically watched grow up since he was born. He's got this really interesting mixed background - Afro-Caribbean on his mom's side and Russian/Swedish/Jewish on his dad's side. Growing up was pretty complicated because he'd spend weekdays with his mom and grandma in Spanish Harlem, then weekends with his dad in this fancy SoHo loft. When his mom got sick, he ended up living with his dad's parents in Rhode Island for over six years. How He Got Into Bartending Misha went to Hampshire College to study film, but while he was there, he discovered craft cocktails at this bar called The Dancer on the Lower East Side. Now he works at two spots - Paradise Lost and Public Records - making these fancy $18-28 cocktails. He's got this whole creative approach where he calls it "making potions" and comes up with wild combinations like a white mezcal Negroni with cold brew. Every drink he makes has its own story behind it. What Makes Him Good At It The thing is, all that bouncing between different family situations as a kid actually made him really good at reading people and handling different personalities. He sees bartending as more than just mixing drinks - it's about meeting people where they're at emotionally, whether they're out having fun or dealing with something heavy. He loves how collaborative the whole cocktail scene is, and you can tell he's found a way to blend his artistic side with his natural people skills.

⁠http://saraschaefer.com/⁠ @saraschaefer1 Crafting Through It on YouTube This is a great session with Sarah Schaefer, a comedian and artist who's created a fascinating art exhibit called "A Few Slight Concerns" - three miniature rooms at 1:12 scale representing her personal anxieties. There's a hotel room (from years of touring comedy clubs), a green room where comedians wait before performing, and her own craft room. She's literally "minimizing" her problems by turning spaces where she's had obsessive, anxious thoughts into art she can put on a shelf and walk away from. Sarah's been doing comedy for 23 years and has performed everywhere from Comedy Central to Netflix, but she's questioning whether to stay in the industry because of the moral compromises it seems to require. She grew up in Richmond where her mom ran an amazing charity operation feeding homeless people, which gave her strong values but also this sense that her own problems weren't "big enough" to matter. Recently diagnosed with ADHD, she now understands her obsessive, hyperfocused work style - like how she gets so absorbed making miniatures that her workspace becomes what her husband calls a "nest." The interview captures this really relatable struggle of being a creative person trying to figure out meaningful work when the world feels chaotic. Sarah's doing a solo show called "Going Up" that combines comedy with miniatures, and she's honestly wrestling with whether art matters and what direction to take her career next.

⁠Jen Dalton ⁠+ ⁠William Powhida⁠ are the founders of the ⁠Zero Art Fair⁠. The basic concept that drives the fair is to get great art that artists have in storage—out of storage and into people's lives, irregardless of their financial situation to purchase art. They started the⁠ fair upstate last year ⁠and this year, they were invited to present it at a highly respected institution in Chelsea, ⁠The Flag Art Foundation. ⁠ Bill and Jen explore and illuminate their ideas and innovations with Dr. Lisa. They discuss their various projects and processes, (their first project together was in 2008), leading up to this fair and where they are now—getting work into art lovers hands, especially if those folks don't have the disposable income to buy art. Such a fun talk to hear how Jen and Bill have really honed their thinking and process, keeping in mind the desire to make these fairs and interventions scaleable and sustainable simply so the plans can be implemented anywhere. I encourage you to listen to this episode as Bill and Jen describe this important project which seeks to go beyond an art fair and open a dialogue about so much more—such as what is the value of art and what is the social purpose of it? The basics of the Zero Art Fair ⁠HERE⁠ JEN DALTON https://www.jenniferdalton.com/ @jendalton_ Bio: Jennifer Dalton (born 1967) is an American artist. She received her Master of Fine Arts from Pratt Institute in 1997. Dalton's work has been exhibited in galleries and museums internationally, including the FLAG Art Foundation in New York, the Curator's Office in Washington, DC, Kunsthalle Wien (Vienna), Contemporary Museum in Baltimore and the Chicago Museum of Contemporary Art. She was also included in La Superette at Deitch Projects, Participant Inc. and The Cult of Personality: Portraits of Mass Culture at Carriage Trade, both in New York. She has been an artist-in-residence at numerous artist colonies, including the MacDowell Colony, Yaddo, Vermont Studio Center, Millay Colony for the Arts and the Smack Mellon Studio Residency Program. She was a recipient of a Pollock-Krasner Foundation Grant in 2002. WILLIAM POWHIDA https://williampowhida.com/ @williampowhida BIO: William Powhida (born 1976) is an American visual artist and former art critic.Powhida's work is critical and addresses the contemporary art world. Powhida received his Master of Fine Arts in painting from Hunter College in January 2002. He is currently represented by Postmasters Gallery (NY), Charlie James Gallery (LA), Poulsen Gallery (DK), and Platform Gallery (WA). He holds a BFA in Painting from Syracuse University and an MFA in painting from Hunter College. His work has been written about in the New York Times, Artforum, Art in America, The Los Angeles Times, Hyperallergic, ArtFCity, The Guardian, the New Yorker, New York Magazine, and October among other publications. His work in the collections The San Diego Museum of Art, The Henry Art Museum, The Crocker, The Orange County Museum of Art, Casa Maaud, and JP Morgan Chase.

Casey J Salengo has just released his special, "Welcome To The Jungle," so I wanted to hear about his experience and his feelings about completing such an awesome project. Casey is super talented and is hilarious to watch as well as listen to. This special, any special for a comic, is a HUGE project that involves great comedy but with a serious side of production. I really want you ro WATCH HIS SPECIAL cause I want you to be happy! Look for the stuffed fox when you watch it. Casey and I talked on Dr. Lisa in 2017, LISTEN HERE, when he was single and I was trying to get him a date from a call-in. Now he's happily married to great woman, also a comic, Courtney McGuiness. Courtney is funny but also really good at all the things that are valuable that make for a great career as a designer. with a good, consistent salary and benefits. We take a deep dive into how this relationship has facilitated his growth as a human. Let's face it—women rock! PS: My husband listened to Casey and I talking and it helped him understand me better. I actually did some good therapy for my own relationship on this one! Insta: @caseyjsalengo #comedy #unlicensedtherapy #comedians #caseyjsalengo #courtneymcguiness #therapy #creativework #creativestruggle #creativerewards #drlisa #drlisagivesashit

I invited comedian Casey James Salengo https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=StE2tnXqaU8 Montreal Fresh Faces-and a Comedy Central 1/2hr to come - tres talented and funny. He's also good-looking. I put it out there that the ladies should call in for a blind date and with him.... and well, I spent most of the time digging into his history and personality. He turned out to be a lot more substantial and mature than I was prepared for! #comedy #therapy #art

“When the war broke out, Konstantin and Vlada were both 29 years old. They had been together for eight years, and married for five. The Odessa couple originally planned to flee for safety when the full-scale invasion began. But with bags packed and ready to depart, they could not bring themselves to leave.” When would a fake shrink get to talk with a married couple with a career photographing from the harshest edges of the war in to talk about their relationship? What a privilege!!! Btw, they learned to do war photography when Ukraine was invaded. Literally trial by fire. When they were first together and married, they had an extremely successful, creative, wedding photography business. Konstantin and Vlada are in NYC on the last leg of their tour throughout the U.S. to accept an award from the US Embassy in Kiev. (I may have some award details wrong here, but you get the point.) As they agreed to be on the show, I told them I wanted to focus on discussing their relationship in such an intense situation, especially since they had begun their practice as wedding photographers. I mean talk about a growth experience! Beyond my imagination. I found them fascinating. And do you know what I found out? When they were first married Va was a chic princess. Always perfectly clean and perfectly coiffed. But then, trenches…. MORE INFO: THEIR INCREDIBLE PHOTO WORK: https://www.ukrainianphotographers.com/en/photographers/kostiantyn-and-vlada-liberov A detailed photo story about their experience during the invasion in Odesa, Ukraine: https://civilvoicesmuseum.org/en/stories/viyna-tse-ne-statystyka-a-konkretna-lyudyna-zi-svoim-konkretnym-strashnym-gorem A fantastic 14 min. doc about them: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SDt_PK1SU1c Instagram: ⁠@libkos⁠ Website: https://www.libkos.com/

Caroline is a really talented comedian who is very busy with her comedy career, partner and Vet School! Listening to Caroline talk about her childhood and having been home-schooled, she helped me understand why home-schooling can be a really damaging experience. And maybe that's one big reason why, when she moved to NYC, she went alcohol-crazy (who wouldn’t? + also simplifying) —if you want to know details, you have to listen. Anyway, here’s someone who really turned their life around and getting very close to achieving more of her goals. Her comedy is going great, she’s in a healthy 4-year relationship and soon, she will be certified as a  Vet Tech and making bank $$$.  @carolineblaircomic

NOTE: To get the full effect of who Tom was 10 years ago when he first started the station, listen to this episode with Tom at the very beginning of RFB: May 15, 2015—⁠ Dr. Lisa psychoanalyzes RFB co-founder Tom Tenney Tom Tenney, the station co-founder, (along with Rob Pritchard), was my first guest patient when I began my show on May 15, 2015 and this session with Tom is exactly 10 years later, this time Tom is my 10th anniversary guest patient so we have plenty to reflect on as well as looking forward. Tom's entire life was Radio Free Brooklyn for many years in an obsessive way, which as a fake shrink is why he was able to make something so major into an organization that currently thrives with other capable people now leading the charge.Tom's life has evolved during the last 10 years: from Bushwick to Washington Heights, new psych meds, from being single for a very long time, to a successful thriving relationship with a wonderful woman who he lives with in a nice place and a job in retail while he continues to evolve his new ideas. Radio Free Brooklyn had changed so many lives over the last 10 years, but possibly no one more than Toms.Tom's show:Previous May 15, 2015— Dr. Lisa psychoanalyzes RFB co-founder Tom Tenney May 14, 2020— Tom Tenney, Radio Free Brooklyn’s Executive Director return’s to Dr. Lisa’s couch in honor of RFB’s 5th anniversary and it’s on his birthday too! Nov, 2020—Breaking down the WALL OF LIES experience with creators Tom Tenney and Phil Buehler.

This is the way Wikipedia describes Machine Dazzle: "(born 1972) is the stage name of Matthew Flower, an American costume designer, set designer, performance artist and drag queen known for his excessive and fantastical camp, surrealist, queer and maximalist approach."This description doesn't do this creative person justice because his talent, skills and accomplishments are too vast and varied to describe. Pulitzer prize winning theater critic Hilton Als puts it this way in the New Yorker, "...a true theatrical genius, who, under his professional name, Machine Dazzle, has created some of the most inventive costumes and sets I have ever seen. " In this Dr. Lisa session we delve into Machine's immersive process as well as what it was like for him, growing up in a series of small towns as a queer person, how creative problem solving is part of his DNA plus why he doesn't go to therapy. Machine Dazzle was born Matthew Flower, in 1972 in Upper Darby Township, Pennsylvania. The middle child of three sons, Matthew was mostly raised by his mother Deborah, while his father James was away working as an engineer on oil tankers. The family moved to Houston, Texas and then eventually to Idaho Falls, where Matthew felt alienated amongst the predominantly Mormon community. “I was always the tallest and the gayest” Machine Dazzle told Hilton Als when speaking about this period of his life for a piece in The New Yorker. Machine cites seeing the 1980 Olivia Newton-John film Xanadu at the age of 8 as a defining moment that helped shape his view of himself. At the age of 19, he came out as gay to his conservative parents.[2] Machine Dazzle attended and graduated from the University of Colorado, Boulder, earning a degree in art. In 1994 he moved to New York City and joined the Dazzle Dancers. Machine Dazzle spent this time working a myriad of day jobs, including a position as a jewelry designer and at the non-profit cultural center Exit Art, to support his growing fascination with designing extravagant costumes to wear at night in New York City's clubs such as CBGB and Jackie 60. The origin of the name Machine Dazzle came from dancing in costume at one such club as a Dazzle Dancer. A friend referred to him as a dancing machine, which quickly morphed into Machine Dazzle. As Machine's costumes began to catch the attention of other club kids and eventually he began taking commissions from drag queens and dancers. Julie Atlas Muz asked Machine to design a full show in 2004. In 2008, Machine Dazzle designed the sets and costumes for Lustre, a Midwinter Trans-Fest, starring Justin Vivian Bond. In 2009, he designed Taylor Mac's five hour long The Lily's Revenge. Mac and Machine Dazzle would go on to collaborate extensively throughout their careers.[3]