Norm Macdonald on WTF w/ Marc Maron (2011) Full in-depth interview

Norm Macdonald on WTF w/ Marc Maron (2011) Full in-depth interview

[@xavierpaquin]

How lucky are we that we'll get to listen back to this any time we feel like it until we're dead

[@mohammadcastiel3901]

@Arlo Nathan yea, I have been watching on flixzone} for years myself =)

[@areyoutheregoditsmedave]

Unless some sort of horrible nuclear apocalypse happens. Let’s not go getting people’s hopes up

[@notsocrates9529]

@@areyoutheregoditsmedave Netflix has the rights to Norm's podcast, let's hope they don't erase/scrub it all from the web. $$$

[@paulfarmer1605]

PTP

[@martyduke3139]

.....until we're dead haha 😄! That is hilarious & very touching & I feel the same way! 😘

[@kwg5044]

This was the perfect interview. It cycled around to deeper issues until it finally came the most important and deepest of all questions. When Maron and Norm talked candidly about faith- it was a truly beautiful and honest conversation. Love them both in different ways

[@markhuntermd]

Genius interview uncovers all? Macdonald: “…(I have no faith because)..I think I’m not deep enough!” Does Macdonald reveal his entire persona in that single sentence? As a child, Norm Macdonald was extraordinarily fearful. (Perhaps poverty and lack of peers, etc.). Then one day as a child, Norm must take a blind man to the market: An overwhelmingly frightful prospect. But suddenly, in a flash he finds solace and refuge from his fear: He disconnects or disassociates from the environment. Unexpectedly, the fright evaporates and is replaced by laughter! Macdonald says in the interview he is frightened of nothing - Except death: the one thing he can’t escape by a process of mental gymnastics. Ironically, it is Macdonald’s dismissive style that makes his comedy so appealing to audiences. Years ago, I wrote a medical text on psychological pathologies and treatments. To write it I did a great deal of research including an examination of dissociative disorder: a condition arising as a solution to profound fear. In the most extraordinary & extreme cases, CIA spooks would electroshock a victim. Normally, as a matter of protection, a person undergoing such torture would pass-out. Our clever CIA men would drug the victims with an elixir that prevented them from passing out. What the CIA men discovered was their victims would ‘disconnect’ from the environment; and, yet remain awake. The victim would be there physically, but mentally as a means of survival, they had mentally disconnected from the pain: entering into a condition of abrupt dissociative or psychogenic fugue. Under these extraordinary circumstances, the CIA men could in some cases forge an entirely new persona into the victim. They could ‘autosuggest’ to the victim that their name was, “Mr. Brown”; they could convince the victim that he would escape pain anytime when he heard a particular phrase, (such as ‘somewhere over the rainbow’ - apparently a CIA favorite); and, this artificially produced victims’ persona would be extraordinarily suggestable. In some cases, they could induce this ‘Mr. Brown’ to go and assassinate so-and-so. On the day of the ‘hit’, the CIA would induce upon the victim by some phrase the appearance of Mr. Brown; together with the ‘kill instructions’. After the hit, the victim (the killer) wouldn’t remember a thing! This CIA derived example is an extraordinary case. However, it shows us how the human mind, under extraordinary fear, can undergo a dissociative or psychogenic fugue as a means of coping and survival. For many years I have come to examine many patients who learned to cope in life by performing a type of mental calculus whereby they mentally dissociate or disconnect from the environment as a means of safety. In nearly all cases, the patient was chronically suffering tremendous fear in childhood. Under those conditions the patient ‘learned’ this means of survival: they have disconnected psychologically in a way for which they are insulated from fear. My hypothesis about Norm Macdonald is based upon my intimate knowledge of dissociative disorders and Macdonald’s interview: His sudden & immediate mental transformation as a terribly frightened child to one who merely laughs it off; a lack of substantive fear in nearly all circumstances (such as being on stage); his abrupt, sudden and overwhelming emotional collapse over symbolism (eg, the 16th century painting of the beautiful woman); apathy over loss of father; inordinate reluctance to watch himself on TV; and, greatly fearing the loss of emotional control due to laughter (perhaps fearing at times that he can’t fully control the very dissociative mechanisms that shields him from a deeply rooted & profound fear of his environment). Perhaps too this would explain his apathy at three times losing the entirety of his wealth. In fact, he felt that ‘losing-it-all’ gave him a sense of well-being, levity, and a freedom from concern over the fundamental matters of survival: By losing all his wealth he felt blissfully disconnected from ‘life’s concerns’. Comedy saves us from a great many difficult things in life. It can be used as a shield. Maybe Norm Macdonald’s apathetic comedic style might be explained by my theory. Macdonald: “…(I have no faith because)..I think I’m not deep enough!” It might be too frightening for Macdonald to open up to vulnerability. It might just be too painful to immerse himself into the emotional void or to let-go and trust in ‘faith’. As a child, he learned and continues to disconnect from all things as a way to overcome social anxiety and fear. If this is true, then only a Super Human journey - Such as that illustrated in Joseph Campbell’s, “The Hero of a Thousand Faces” - can bring him out into the open and ultimately a cure. Many mythologies across time speak of how to treat this dilemma. There is a wonderful episode of the early 1970s TV series Kung Foo called, “One Step into Darkness”. In this episode Master Po tells Bruce Carradine’s character (Shalon Monk Kwai Chang Caine), "To run from your demon is to have him pursue you. Better to advance to meet your demon in his world than have him pursue you into yours." To be sure, we must all come out from behind our mother’s skirt, and face our demons. If you have enough faith to trust in the Universe, you will rise to the challenge; evolve; and, become one of the Hero’s of a Thousand Faces. If we refuse that journey, great anxieties will develop. Big pharma will profit wildly by selling us benzodiazepines. Benzodiazepines act as a torniquet around nerve bundles in the brain. In the short term this can lessen the pain of anxiety and so on. However, over the long term it causes large swaths of the brain to die. Soon the victim of long-term benzodiazepines becomes more and more weak-minded. As more and more of their brain dies, it becomes weaker and weaker. In time the typical patient will start abusing alcohol, opioids, etc., in an attempt to prop up their weakened emotional stability. Hundreds of celebrities over time have suffered and/or died as a direct and proximate result of Benzo’s: Michael Jackson, Anna Nicole Smith, Simon & Brittany Monjack, Paris Hilton, Courtney Love, Howard Hughes, Stevie Nicks, Whitney Houston, Bobbi Kristina Brown, Judy Garland, Lucile Ball, Tennessee Williams, DJ AM (Adam Goldstein), Brittney Murphy, Mike Starr (Alice in Chains), Ozzy Osbourne, Steven Tyler, Tara Connor (Miss USA), Kurt Cobain, Keith Moon, River Phoenix, Chris Benoit, Edward Fatu (aka Umaga), Karen Carpenter, Andy Irons, Janis Joplin, Natalie Woods, Billy Mays, Corey Haim, Maryland Chambers, Amanda Peterson, Misty Upham, American author David Foster Wallace, Carrie Fisher, Elizabeth Taylor, Dana Plato, Stephan Paul “Elliot” Smith, Prince, Don Cornelius, Sinead O'Connor, Heath Ledger, Robin Williams, Mary Anissa Jones, Elvis Presley, “Dimebag” Darrell Abbott, James Sullivan, Elisa Lam, Jimi Hendrix, Junior Seau, Elisa Bridges, Paula Yates, Amy Winehouse, Liz Taylor, tennis champion Boris Becker, singers Marc Almond, Liza Minnelli, comedian Freddie Starr, all-pro football star Junior Seau, comedian Sam Kinison, comedian Chris Farley, comedian John Belushi, comedian Phil Hartman’s wife Brynn, Marlon Brando’s daughter Cheyenne, Paul Newman’s son Scott, author Iris Chang, Larry Kings wife, Elisa Bridges (former Playboy Playmate of the Month for December 1994 who died of Xanax), creative director of fashion giant Dior, John Galliano, Ex-WWE Superstar Ashley Massaro & Chyna (born Joan Marie Laurer - Benzo’s and Z-drugs), and many more. The fact is that benzodiazepine drugs have been known to cause continual brain damage for over the last 30 years. Therefore, since the early 1980s, their long-term use has been banned in many Western countries. Meanwhile, in the USA, their use is never-ending as the manufacturer enjoys a several hundred percent markup over the international generic equivalent. However, it is just as likely that I am entirely wrong in my uninformed analysis of Norm Macdonald. No one in my position could possibly know for certain. My prejudgment’s here were merely meant to illustrate dissociative disorders, the profound dangers of social anxiety and long-term use of benzo’s, and to spark discussion. It is more likely that Norm Macdonald is not only an extraordinary comedian, he is extremely well-balanced. And people feel great comfort in the quiet reassured confidence, poise, and light-hearted nature of his comedic persona. I am far from perfect and continue to evolve as I embrace and work-through my own (many) imperfections. It is a wonderful thing - a reviving & saving grace - to benefit from the marvelous comedy of Norm Macdonald and Marc Maron! Humor saves us!

[@ZeroESG.goopootoob]

"Perfect?" Yikes. It would've been closer to 'perfect' if Marc Moron wasn't in it.

[@bigLdrones]

Normy Normy Normy, we love ya Normy!

[@SeishiZero]

Rest in Peace Norm.

[@DTRMtunes]

❤

[@dknox90803]

Rest in peace ? I didn’t even know he was sick!

[@JackBirdbath]

@@dknox90803April Fools! Former German Chancellor Helmut Schmidt is alive and well!

[@paulfarmer1605]

This guy actually listens to people. Love that!

[@andrewfoster883]

It's just Norm and Sinbad in Montreal. Buying socks.

[@peterthompsonfunny]

Would have been tough pressed to find a pair in my neighborhood

[@Kurdt1]

How Sinworse can it get!

[@bradmorgan856]

I dont know if its an odd form of humor, but Marc just comes off like he has a massive chip on his shoulder. Like a strange bitterness that Norm had some "real" success.

[@ZeroESG.goopootoob]

Right? Or, maybe not about success, per se, but merely a perpetual affect. Marc Moron is one offputting fella.

[@Hollywoodhat]

Great interview. Norm was having so much fun. He obviously connected with Marc. So strange to hear how Norm felt constantly anxious about death. Love both you guys. Past and present.

[@roddydykes7053]

I guess you probably never stop thinking about it once you have cancer once. Or get diddled by your uncle. Who knows what horrors were going on in Norm’s head.

[@Zelig2Cents]

"I used to be frozen on stage, where I... I still don't take a mic out of the stand..." I never noticed that about Norm before! Norm just made me realize on an even more intense level, how valuable it is to be honest to the point of vulnerability. On a side note, it has occurred to me how Norm would really benefit from certain aspects of modern technology, like wireless headset microphones. You know, those inconspicuous little mics? But then I realize... to Norm... that would be like trying to take a picture with a rotary phone. It'd just feel odd!

[@roddydykes7053]

I agree anything like that would’ve felt gimmicky to Norm probably

[@garrettwidner8199]

Marc's "Well maybe you should just get a job at Burger King" made me laugh just as hard as Norm did.

[@murderc27]

Goddammit Norm, you beautiful gd bastard.

[@OvernightCountFraud2024]

Honor Norms memory by pushing back against woke cancel culture censorship "Ashes to ashes, stuff to stuff"☺️ Thanks for so many laughs Norm. ✝️🛐😇

[@martyduke3139]

Hey, Question Authority! I've told God several times already that I would very much appreciate spending a lot of time with Norm in Eternity. See you 😘 there!

[@ZeroESG.goopootoob]

Yep. People need to learn the 5 basic, objective principles of the *Bill of Rights.*

[@tyler-pg6lm]

Norm is thoughtful

[@slay985]

cerebral, yeah. i notice a lot of the best ones are.

[@ZeroESG.goopootoob]

Yep. I can't say much of the same for the other fella.

[@joelfernandez536]

I love norm putting a stop to the politics because he could sense people not laughing

[@GrinningAries]

I'm no "whatthefuckarino", nor do I really know what that is, but this was a really good interview

[@HP-fn4bo]

I like how when they’re talking about being a homeowner and money they’re perfectly describing how we’re just a bunch of children pretending to be grown. Good people, anyway.

[@chadhansen9504]

Your gay!

[@NicholasNorway]

@@chadhansen9504 no dog house?

[@driftless7134]

More of a comment really...

[@ZeroESG.goopootoob]

You, maybe.

[@nobasementinthealamo3859]

I'm the second one to comment because I like Norm more than all of you except that guy who already commented first.

[@jonpayer2217]

I was going to comment before you, but i didnt have the courage. I am ashamed to admit i am a deeply, deeply closeted norm Macdonald fan

[@jonpayer2217]

@King White Knight no you fool! I said I am a deeply, deeply closeted Norm Macdonald fan

[@RoshDroz]

I like norm the most, as evidenced by my 2yr later comment.

[@colinjames2469]

🤣

[@corncobjohnsonreal]

This is the most revealing interview Norms done, he must have still been coming to terms with his bowel cancer, seeing how he was nearly letting it slip by alongside a bunch of other open stuff, gambling, spirituality

[@jeybird6276]

I like your comment and thought the same, but if this was actually from 2011, he was diagnosed in 2013, according to Wikipedia.

[@roddydykes7053]

@@jeybird6276he probably knew there was a possibility it was coming back, since he lost part of his stomach to cancer in his 20s

[@hurleyjc]

I'm listening to this thinking man Norm is really funny, he seems like a cool dude. I admire the work he's done, I'd really like to meet him some day.. oh fuck i forgot he's dead. Oh well

[@Kurdt1]

I see what you did there 😉 That Janice bit is one of my all time favourites

[@Andrew_ISA_ChiefsFan]

Marc's a fantastic interviewer. Miss Norm 😔

[@davit25]

Marckk Maron telling Norm he's good. Thanks Dr. Oz.

[@ZeroESG.goopootoob]

Haha! Yeah. And, you misspelled Marc's last name... replace the 'a' with an 'o'.

[@tylerm5774]

Rodney Dangerfield referring to Sam Kinison as little Nero is the hardest I have ever heard norm laugh.

[@roddydykes7053]

No kidding. Had to look up what Nero did, cause that was an obscure reference too

[@tylerm5774]

@@roddydykes7053 nero was just that short stalky ceasar toga guy. He was funny looking.

[@mehran7449]

Can someone tell me what it means 😭

[@kingofthefountain3091]

The problem with taxation isn’t the rates, it’s the tax collectors. Until you have people in govt that love the people, which we absolutely do not, the people will see little to none of that money. Corruption should be a bipartisan concern and our govt is entirely corrupt. Entirely.

[@ZeroESG.goopootoob]

All governments have always had corruption since the dawn of civilization. This is precisely what the *Bill of Rights* is about.

[@nystagmus]

Actually norm was handsome But his voice hilariously didn’t match

[@ZeroESG.goopootoob]

Yeah. Haha! Total schtick, and Marc Moron has no clue. He's the type of guy that, when you say something self-deprecating, he offers no cordial objection. A strange fella.

[@squaretriangle9208]

When they talk about comedians shouldn't be handsome, 😂, didn't Norm realize how handsome he was? He really was too self-conscious

[@MrChucksmith7777]

"Does she think Milhouse is sexy", you have some of the quickest wit, better than most regulars on Kill Tony. And I know that isn't saying much but it's the only example I could think of on my lunch break. Long Live Lord GH!!!

[@colleengugger9214]

Excellent!!!

[@l2ic3]

Fun fact: There was a huge chain of donut shops called Donut King, all started by a cambodian immigrant who came here to escape the genocide with nothing and he worked his way up to starting his donut shot. So I assume the Donut Prince is named in hommage to Donut King. Or else maybe its just a coincidence.

[@ZeroESG.goopootoob]

You just killed the joke. Everyone knows Donut King with the famously gigantic donut atop the stand... unless you're out in Timbuktu.

[@scottinglis8257]

Norm always was my #GOAT, I got kicked of Twitter the day he died in his honor #Shiva #Jesus #Krishna #Vishnu #Norm 🕉 🙏 🙏 🙏

[@mattmarzula]

Man... People really don't like Marc Maron. Between the cats, his malcontent yet superior attitude, and his yammering people just really think he's a real jerk. I don't know about all that. I like him though. He's an okay guy.

[@francisocoruiz6569]

I agree. I bet some of his malcontent is rooted in the fact that his friends first ball break is always hey " Mark Moron". There are a finite number of times one can be called Moron without it starting to chip away.

[@AndrewSpriter]

42:56

[@Zelig2Cents]

At 19:46 Norm says, "Like on 'Update' I was always saying, I always thought, the perfect joke would be if the setup and the punchline were almost identical..." I think this is the closest example to that that I've ever heard... "Did you hear about the cannibal that passed his neighbor in the jungle?"

[@happythedog2013]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/oamkf5Stfc6LqJI

[@Zelig2Cents]

@@happythedog2013 That's excellent! It DOES make me feel like I've got two mirrors pointed at each other!

[@aggrogator4045]

That's not even close at all

[@HP-fn4bo]

1:10:38

[@JimmyJamesJimbo]

I wish Mark had the balls to let this conversation go on further and ask even deeper questions. Don’t get me wrong this shit was gold. But fuck me I wish it went longer and deeper. Wow. I’m such a Norm whore. Or just a regular whore. Anyway, whatever.

[@paulkieffer1189]

It’s all shit”

[@bernardblack3124]

46:05 Can somebody explain that to me? Little Nero? What does that mean?

[@TPTnny]

Bernard Black read up on Nero. He was an emperor of the roman empire just a while after Caligula. Anyway, without being studious about it he was known for his tyranny and extravagance amongst other things. Remember, these guys read books! That makes you get to learn things better.

[@mt.treverest5465]

Dude.

[@saraw112]

Why does everyone hate the host?

[@gregkosinski2303]

Let me put it this way- he doesn’t own a doghouse

[@saraw112]

@@gregkosinski2303 what does that mean?

[@gregkosinski2303]

@@saraw112 he’s a Swedish-German if you catch my drift.

[@saraw112]

@@gregkosinski2303 sorry I don’t understand

[@Herodollus]

He’s gay

[@DGT73]

I hope more folk discover Maron and appreciate how the pros do podcasts.

[@ZeroESG.goopootoob]

Marc Moron has indeed been 'discovered,' and found wanting.

[@DGT73]

@@ZeroESG.goopootoob what’s your problem with him?

[@BrianScalabrineMVP]

33:14 norms biggest fears come true

[@myselfmyself3872]

It pisses me off that you’re stealing this. Yet, I want to make it clear how important Norm Macdonald was in my life. He was a father figure to me when I had nobody. I tried to stop my twin brother from being a coke head, and he stole all my money and followed Phish. Nobody believed me because I had my Mom die in front of me, followed by two friends being killed in a motorcycle accident within a week. I inherited from my Mom, and my family stole it. I reported it, and I dropped the charges against my entire family. If I didn’t have Norm… I’d be dead. If he’s a ghost that reads random KZbin comments….thank you Norm.

[@mrblack9791]

who is your dady are you a software

[@notsocrates9529]

I cannot stand Marc Maron's personality or any of his views, however, his podcast isn't half bad. I refuse to give that man any revenue, thanks for the upload.

[@connorlowis4774]

the guy used to be insightful. Sucks now. Went the way of colbert and all the other late show whos whos. Norm macdonald stayed true to himself this whole time. So did john stewart. I can't say the vast majority of funny guys did tho

[@pretorious700]

I can't stand Marc Maron, but I'll listen for Norm.

[@rolandjustice9860]

Clearly two dudes on two different planes.

[@GrinningAries]

What a terrible analogy, it reminds me of that tragedy

[@sordidboysavoy4243]

@@GrinningAries I had to walk thru ankle deep blood and bone .

[@ZeroESG.goopootoob]

Strange... Marc associated doing goofy, physical humor with appearing overly strong or rude.

[@ericsiggins254]

Yah doodoo

[@user-zf9babababa_soivebeentold]

At about 12.30 norm talks about how they hated SNL at the time of Sandler and Farley and Marlon just says "oh the critics". But really at the time I was in middle school during that era and every adult around me hated SNL, kinda like now I'm not a fan. Marc Marlon is kind of dismissive of his guests. As of May 1st 24, I heard him talking with Jimmy carr and still being dismissive. I love Maron but he gets on my nerves.

[@user-zf9babababa_soivebeentold]

HA marlon

[@ZeroESG.goopootoob]

26:00 If Marc has such an appropriately general disdain for politicians, then why is he a leftist? One cannot "land on the lefty side of things" 'ideologically' without an overarching pervasive government as a necessary entailment. Leftism is a subcategory of totalitarianism; a mere type thereof. Left-wing: pervasive government. Right-wing: limited government. "You can do right-wing wrongly, but you can't do left-wing rightly."

[@Gozerthegozarian1984]

I’ll never believe Norm was fired for OJ jokes. I’m convinced he was fired for Clinton jokes.

[@realChewky]

2:58 yes he can, voice plus dead pan demeanor, you cant tell whether he's actually telling a joke or not sometimes but you laugh regardless

[@ericsiggins254]

We Todd did I'm sofa king wee Todd did

[@nenasoriano5515]

maron likes to hear himself talk

[@phillypurcell5235]

The first two guys who commented have big feet so that means the comments they left are invalid so I am the true first comment, sorry Gentlemen Edit: better?

[@happythedog2013]

or I can just delete your comment...

[@phillypurcell5235]

I would

[@maknavickas]

no need to be course

[@tbagwell]

Marc your political views are awful

[@figuresk8z]

Gosh golly, this Marc Maron fellow is a real jerk!

[@saraw112]

Why do you write this? How is he a jerk?

[@jaredmclaren5571]

@@saraw112 I take it you're checking out norm stuff for the first time given the recent buzz with his death. A bunch of the comments on norm videos are like this; they're all norm's sayings that people love quoting. He's got the epitome of a cult following haha. Also I hope you enjoy his stuff, he's got hours and hours of great material. Enjoy!

[@ninacuntowiczaka2415]

Why do the poor need your self-righteous pretentious hand out?

[@saraw112]

To buy stuff

[@ninacuntowiczaka2415]

@@saraw112 they're given free drugs and food