Patton Oswalt's Success Hasn't Cured His Depression | CONAN on TBS

Patton Oswalt had a brush with suicide in the aisle of his local grocery store.
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Patton Oswalt's Success Hasn't Cured His Depression | CONAN on TBS
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[@JervisGermane]

That's the thing about depression - people assume that if they had everything they wanted, or that people say they should want, that they'll be happy. But depression isn't rational. So when you've got everything you set out to get and you still feel empty inside, you just don't know what to do next. That's why so many rich and famous people kill themselves: if a ten-million-dollar estate still won't make you happy, sometimes you just give up.

[@gorillanutswilson]

This comment is infused with so much fucking ignorance it epitomizes the average person's understanding of depression.

[@JervisGermane]

Jefferson Rambo III Well if you know something I don't, I'm all ears.

[@Connorslamevideos]

totally reminds me of the movie Megamind if you've ever seen that, where he apparently defeats the hero and takes over the city but has no idea what to do next

[@StarryStarryNocturne]

If you don't feel internally rich in life, no external amount of wealth is going to ever make you feel rich. No level of fame or affluence will make up for an impoverished soul.

[@SH-wk8hn]

There is no path to happiness, happiness is the path.

[@CrowClouds]

WOW! He's amazing that he can make a joke out of his depression like that. That takes finesse and balls!

[@chrisdibella257]

If enjoy seeing people do stuff like that, Maria Bamford's latest comedy album is great for that.

[@RoxxorzYourBoxxorz]

Chris DiBella Bamford is so good

[@tybo09]

It does take finesse and balls, but it's also a great coping strategy. Sometimes, throwing it all out there and laughing about it is how you tell yourself you're past it. So glad to see he pulled through it.

[@TimboVideo]

Finesse and Balls is the name of my new band.

[@stevesanzari7294]

That’s what all the Comedians do before killing themselves ! They give you A Sign !

[@TheGroucho66]

What's impressive is that he managed to talk about committing suicide in such a way that it didn't create a black hole of anxiety in the audience. Major props.

[@Tomatobasil-v9y]

MeanMisterWalrus george Carlin is the only other comedy I've ever seen do that

[@grizzly4171]

MeanMisterWalrus he's a comedy magician

[@seanmichaels8060]

I like how he makes fun of Nickelback.

[@AzaleaJane]

@@grizzly4171 I understood that reference

[@j.t.hartzfeld1368]

Someone should tell Patton Oswalt that he is not alone, in fact most of the grocery employee community would agree that Toto's Africa makes one blissfully suicidal, regardless of the presence of frozen food.

[@gooberfries6692]

One of my fav songs since I was 8; but yeah, it causes you to become very contemplative.

[@ArkaeaFCL3]

Funny enough, I was really struggling with my depression last night. And i didn't even have toto or frozen foods. Just my self centered family further alienating me away from them.

[@adafrost6276]

Man, this is painful to watch now after his wife has died and how devastated he is about it.

[@sudrashanracer]

I didn't see the date and my eyes teared up. I still remember the words he wrote.

[@h3artands0uLL]

what words?

[@adafrost6276]

He wrote an article after his wife passes that was really heartbreaking. He opened up about his feelings and said he was going into semi-retirement because of it.

[@h3artands0uLL]

thank you..so sad

[@spenser9908]

He remarried within a year, I think he got over her.

[@internziko]

Why is it that the funniest people are usually very depressed? Myself included.. I'm usually the one !making friends and family fall over from laughter but when I'm alone I'm filled with negativity?

[@z121231211]

paul Z I'd say it's insensitivity. A lot of comedy is "it's funny because it's true" and since you live with the horrible sad truths you're just used to them and have the audacity to make a joke out of them. Or maybe it's because in your depressed state you've questioned life to the point where you've found an obvious flaw that everyone can relate to but never thought about. I don't know the subject matter of your jokes but something as serious as depression can make you analyze benign things in a serious way or something that most people don't realize a lot of people are going through in a funny way.

[@ThatsNotIdris]

+paul Z Its because youe alone. Go hang out with those friends you make laugh and have a good time.

[@glennjoyce7682]

+paul Z it's because true comedy comes from looking into the darkness and showing everybody else that it isn't so scary. I am mentally ill and in a wheelchair but also doing comedy not just about that but the disturbing amount of horrible shit I have lived through. When you hone it you realize it can be cathartic. Hang tight dude, just remember that you have this for a reason and it will be made clear at it's own point

[@darkeons4688]

+paul Z comedy is a way to cope with things. Which is why from my experience a lot of people who come from dark pasts, have some sort of comedic talent. It sounds so corny, but I know I am funny and I make people laugh. However I am not depressed. I used to be for many years but I got my shit together. The humor is still there though.

[@CrumbyVirus34]

Usually people who try to make other people happy, are the most sad. They are always trying to impress, when they are not trying to make themselves happy.

[@ManateeMentality]

3:48 "Look at this photograph"

[@StoneBTH]

The brilliant standup comedy Patton gives the world is therapeutic for his depression. The depression often brings about the hilarious observations and rants, then expressing them in front of an audience is the remedy. I love the guy.

[@potsiiscool]

"It's so good to see you" "uh-YES"

[@ArkaeaFCL3]

😂😂😂😂

[@jokerwalker1337]

Here's a story. I watched this clip yesterday. Today I was feeling a bit depressed so I went to the shop to buy some snacks. I was browsing the cookies when Totos Africa starts playing. Normally that would make me even more depressed. But I couldn't help but burst out laughing it was so well timed.

[@nigelcarren]

Listening to Dire Straits whilst buying bathroom tiles has the same effect on me!

[@ghengooni]

I can relate to his story. Last month I was driving home. I became so relaxed in my car that I was seconds from just opening the door and rolling out without even giving a second thought. It was really weird when I realised what I was thinking.

[@stevesanzari7294]

Whacko ! Get Mental Help Now !

[@ghengooni]

@@stevesanzari7294 I'm good, thanks for the concern though

[@vamanosninja4143]

People close to him need to keep an eye on him.

[@oozecandy]

His not wanting to stir the lean cuisine is is pretty much the exact opposite of is Ratatouille character :)

[@SvenicusGermainus]

I understand what Patton felt when Toto came on now. I was driving home yesterday and Take Me to Church by Hozier came on. As soon as the chorus dropped I immediately had the feeling to just slam on the gas and see how fast I could hit a wall. I just imagined hitting the wall and I go flying out the windshield in slow motion. I would have the biggest smile on my face with the chorus played in the background. Of course I didn't do it but I completely understand how he felt at that moment now.

[@andromedaiscoming185]

I thought I had depression because I felt alot of sadness for a big part of my childhood up to my early 20's, social anxiety and low self esteem but I'm 27 now everything is starting to fall into place I love my job I feel good about myself I like everyone around me, I like where I am. the way they make depression sound is like no matter how good it gets you never feel happy. that's not my experience, i finally became hapy, did I not really have depression?

[@autumnatic]

There are different causes and experiences with depression. Some have it for long periods but not their whole lives, or on and off. I don't think anyone here can tell you that your experience was not 'real' depression without having lived your life. I hope you feel lucky to be one who came out of it, many never do.

[@joemosexual100]

I love how dark Patton Oswalt can get. It's very ballsy material

[@andrewcavett5691]

I get it. It's a chemical imbalance. I have the same issues. Even though my life is going fairly well, last week I almost went to the local "nervous hospital" to see if I could curl up in a fetal position for a day or two

[@nathangray4601]

You look like Louis CK my dude

[@andrewcavett5691]

@@nathangray4601, yup. I realized that. Old photo

[@kakashi76767]

The way I describe it is that depression is not about not having what you want, it is about not wanting anything. Just having no desire and not being able to take pleasure in anything. The opposite of depression isn't happiness, it is vibrancy. You can put on a happy face in public but you only want to do that because once people learn you are depressed they avoid you. Or else they tell you to snap out of it, which you can't because you cannot just create desire and ambition out of nothing.

[@FEGIII-sm1gu]

Sounds similar to how one of my bipolar depressive episodes can be triggered - music and certain smells can do it, among others. I sure hope he finds everlasting happiness with his new wife and raising his daughter; someone who makes us laugh like he does, deserves his own joy.

[@Macieks300]

Only Patton Oswalt can talk about depression and killing himself on prime time television and still look smarter than majority of the guests there

[@denisesimpson591]

Oh, God . . .it's so true! Taking one more step to get a microwave meal in that depressive moment is tantamount to being asked to scale Everest!! Thank you, Patton Oswalt!

[@chasbodaniels1744]

Amazing how that works. Absolutely true. Putting the lid back on the peanut butter jar can be too much.

[@SuperLotus]

I'm really happy for Patton and his success with movies. It's a shame I don't watch movies anymore. And I can totally relate about the depression. Yeah, sometimes negative thoughts can trigger depression, but most of the times it just happens. And usually it's the other way around where depression triggers the negative thoughts.

[@taitaisanchez]

We owe the entire band of Nickelback a medal.

[@TheCSJones]

+taitaisanchez Nobel peace prize.

[@themanicspectre]

Play Totos africa in the background as you watch this lmao

[@sarty]

I feel like you're the hero that KZbin needs. And I just wanted to say thank you:)

[@bastooo3]

Patton is different - and great with it.

[@DanHarkless_Halloween_YTPs_etc]

Oof, had to hunt up a sample of Toto's "Africa", but now I see what he meant. Kudos to Oswalt for getting his depression/suicide story past the pre-interview. 🙃

[@nersesarslanian3026]

his Chad Kroeger is spot on.

[@dustinjordan5530]

that nickelback bit is fuckin great. i guess ill stop picketing against them now. thanks patton LOL

[@RationalDischarge]

Patton is one of the funniest comics of his generation, so I earnestly hope and pray he finds the happiness he's looking for. There's nothing more tragic than a suicidal comic, especially one whose depression is so pervasive that he can't see all the lives he's touched and the many dark days of other people that he's brightened.

[@katie4623]

This was so sad and vulnerable.

[@lyn3483]

I don’t think I ever had true depression until my granddad died. I had depressive episodes before then, but now, it’s completely different. I’ve been suicidal in the past, but now I constantly fantasize about death.

[@swish007]

if i'm going to get a microwave meal the whole point is easiness.. any microwave meal is going to be meh (in my experience) so i totally am not going to waste time with something that wants me to stop it and stir it and all that crap. the trick is finding stuff that is not totally terrible that you can just cook in one go. marie calendars turkey pot pie isn't bad. also i've found that if your microwave is good a lot of times you don't actually have to stop it halfway and stir. it's fine if you just do it all in one go. it's sad that i know this.. and even more sad i guess that i am sharing this information here

[@Kuebel350]

It's even sadder that I appreciate your comment.

[@swish007]

i'm glad to have helped another sad person on the internet :)

[@Tracymmo]

I never stir the ones that say you need to, and they turn out fine. Yep, I'm so badass.

[@p3gnthunder141]

3:47 it is currently 1:48am where I live and my parents are asleep, and I was busting out laughing

[@erkperc]

Having to stir the lean cuisine is definitely an automatic deal breaker.

[@mayaro24]

Look, it's Happy! (Love the show)

[@ahhitsbehindyou18]

Saw the movie he filmed with Ben Stiller in like an advanced preview. He was the best character in the movie

[@UltimateP0wnage]

Please dont give this man a gun!

[@Javelin09]

No amount of success can defeat a chemical imbalance in the brain, unfortunately. Clinical depression is something many people have to deal with for their whole lives.

[@okaymckay]

Too dangerous... holy fucking shit andy is a genius!

[@Balloon410]

I saw his standup in Chicago and he used these bits. He's hilarious - I don't remember all of his jokes, but I don't even think these were his best from that night.

[@ralphyetmore]

As someone who's heard Toto, I know EXACTLY what he speaks of.

[@believiny0urself]

It's Remy!! Brings a smile to my face. :)

[@JonnyDIY]

That song is totally depressing!!! I don't know why its had such a popular resurgence in the last few years.

[@MaximusDowns]

I think a lot of folks would be surprised at how many people they consider to be genuinely funny or to have comedic talent get that talent due to a combination of pessimism which is validated by life experience and an unwillingness to kill themselves.

[@tehkoalainsurgency]

Patton is brilliant

[@josephmbarron]

Depression is a common trait among comics and it allows them to draw comedy from their depressing thoughts

[@sholland561]

I think there is, but I do not use that browser. I would run a google search for one. Good luck

[@999a0s]

everyone can see the negative sides of things, but depression is different - i'll try to describe how he feels, since i have clinical depression as well.. for normal people their experiences influence their emotions. for depressed people, their emotions influence their experiences. you constantly feel very stressed/angry/despair/sad, and it's often for no reason at all. people commit suicide just to be free of that pain.

[@AnarchistPoop]

I can relate. Depression is weird xD

[@wolverineiscool7161]

very weird

[@stephj505]

But depression is usually caused by bad experiences.

[@ArkaeaFCL3]

Yupp, I was having dinner with my family last night and someone said something that made me start spiraling down. I had to walk away from the table and go upstairs.

[@handman464646]

i doubt its depression allowing them to be funny, but to be funny you need to be in full touch with reality. and as fate should have it, reality is REALLY FUCKING DEPRESSING

[@sholland561]

Mozilla Firefox Browser and an Addon called adblockerplus. I haven't seen a commercial or ad for over a year

[@elusive.firstname.lastname]

patton is the best of all time

[@NerdStoryteller]

Lugga dih burh duh bur!

[@tybo09]

He makes a good point about Nickelback.

[@DirtyFrigginHarry]

spot on nickleback

[@SuperWing0]

he is still alive

[@juiceriver]

I watch this at least once a month

[@NoLMAOnade]

RIP patton oswalt

[@joeldomenichini1800]

More likely that neither stole (comics have a HUGE taboo about that) and that they both have had depressive thoughts while grocery shopping

[@benfrombelow]

Thai peanut noodles is the best fucking lean cuisine. I've purchased many at the Kroger at 3 am.

[@FuckGoogle2]

Toto has that effect on me too. Was standing around at work having a bad day, Totos Africa comes on and I think it cannot possibly get any worse, then it does, a moron supervisor shows up and does the air guitar...

[@omanflag]

The beauty in this comment is immeasurable. Not to mention everything you just said is true.

[@jtstevens3603]

"Your career is going places" lmao....just like Milk left out on the counter lol

[@p3gnthunder141]

Toto, I don't think we're in Africa anymore

[@xtcsx]

They were just looking for a plug to fill the void andy richter left...

[@AnalWave]

Agreed.

[@thefattesthagrid]

He will always be Spence Olchin to me.

[@McScreenName]

I did almost the exact same thing recently. Yeah, fuck those lean cuisines you have you take out, stir, and put back in!! Can't deal with that shit.

[@formusicplaylist1]

blissfully suicidal... i have never heard those two words with such relevance to one another... funny, but kinda scary. come to think of it a lot of his material is in some way negative. how would he continue his career if patton oswalt became a really optimistic and postive person? if he really needed to get help for himself would he have to sacrifice his career for it? this interview is pretty dark.

[@WildMessages]

I feel the same way when I see clips from "The View" :0

[@ordermind]

Sounds like someone has a case of the Mondays!

[@TADrummer3]

brilliant!

[@MsAnonymous103]

I can also relate

[@hamsterdoom360]

Nickelback is the hero we deserve, just not the one we want to listen to.

[@jasongr3219]

Interesting. Some of the funniest people are really depressed. Trying to stay above the depression is what makes them so overly humorous, because they need the laughter of others to stay above it. Robin Williams was like this.

[@Panghoulin]

Its a well known fact that comedians are the most depressed people.

[@thinkngskeptic]

Too real. Get this guy some help and stop laughing. He's gonna end up like Robin

[@Kuebel350]

"One comedian killed himself, therefore all comedians are suicidal!"

[@muraddiab6393]

+Kübel350 comedians have the sixth highest suicide rate of any profession. It isn't just "one comedian"

[@Tracymmo]

He's in treatment. A lot of us in treatment for depression find that joking about it is helpful. Actually, there's a three-day series of events going on in my city right now abuto how comedy is often really helpful for people with mental illness.

[@existenceisrelative]

Well, okay. But only because you asked so nicely. Alright, I cried for help and no one cared. Which I guess is good to know if my neighbors ever get a little too annoying. Cries for help go unheeded.

[@commentresurrection1841]

I can't tell if he is setting up his jokes or is close to the edge

[@rbourgoine1]

I kinda hate how whenever comedians come on talk shows all they do is retell jokes from their stand up routines... I love Patton Oswalt but was hoping for an actual interview.

[@tylerhudson7445]

Patron telling a Comedian this joke: so I was alone and... Other comedian: feeling suicidal? Patton: how'd you...? OC: know you wanted to die at that moment? PO: ohh now I...! OC: ...remember? PO: I forget at times we are both...! OC: Yeah. Remember next time before you come calling me at 1 am asking for notes on a Conan monologue. I'm doing letterman tomorrow, ass-hole. ///click. ////long dial tone then pause. ////silence.

[@PatrickPrejusa]

I've learned recently Nickelback is actually pretty good. Creed still sucks, but Nickelback is alright.

[@MeadeSkeltonMusic]

Hard to believe he's from Virginia. Thought he was a Yankee from NJ, lol.

[@djpunk555]

It's SPENCE!!

[@jonkussmaul3677]

two words: sky cake

[@boojoe1989]

So do people not listen to his old stand up? The lean cuisine thing was literally a bit he did years ago, almost word for word...

[@morsterful]

There's something wrong with that statement and I'm not talking about the grammatical error....

[@sirkowski]

Nickelback is an hero.

[@AGiTAOPR]

Thata sounded more like freakin megadeth or some crazy shit like that. Nickelback is more like regular shit, the kind I enjoy with a side of bacon, you know?

[@MichaelKerr71]

I guess if Patton did kill himself at the grocery store, the person on the intercom would be saying "Clean up in the frozen food aisle."

[@0xcryptofamous]

Now everytime i hear Africa by Toto i burst out laughing! XD

[@poststructure]

Sounds like perhaps Patton's been reading up on some postcolonial theory. There is something undeniably depressing about that situation that he described, but it likely requires far more description than 2012 allows to put it into words. So, of course, it's left unsaid; a person then makes of it what she wants to make of it, having a sickening sense of self-entitlement. Colonization occurs again. Sort of like what I'm doing in this very comment, in some respect.

[@brett1234]

funny, i dont think anyone knows what song he is referring to....

[@VN-tc8wq]

photograph is the song

[@brett1234]

Victor Newman all around no.

[@415s30]

I love you

[@valeriae6053]

Patton: [talks about his personal experience with mental illness openly and honestly] Conan: LEAN CUISINE! TOTO! I'M VERY UNCOMFORTABLE RIGHT NOW!!!

[@vbwx]

Anyone else get Toto's Africa as a recommended video? ROFL

[@Javer80]

Why can't I upvote this comment more?

[@bigbangzgaming4188]

I dont belive him i cant evan smile