I’ve been looking forward to this, you guys. First, I’m flying into Kansas City where I will be doing a run of shows with Pure Chaos Comedy, founded by the great Breck Gordon. Pure Chaos was originally started in NYC. Breck and company put on shows at all sorts of alternative venues. The crowds are fantastic. I would say sometimes they are folks who wouldn’t otherwise come out to comedy shows. They’d probably be more into hardcore music or fire-breathing or something lol. But those folks can often times be wonderful audience members IF the comedian is doing something interesting, unique and relevant. Weirdos like finding other weirdos is what I’m saying. It has been very fun to do Pure Chaos Comedy shows in NYC. I’m so excited to experience the Kansas expansion. In addition to doing some stand up shows, I even get to do a performance of my solo show on Sunday, May 10th at Farewell KCMO! Get tix.

After Kansas City, I’m flying to Los Angeles, California. LA, bayyybeee. I haven’t been there in YEARS. I’m stoked to do fun shows and get to see some dear old pals who I haven’t crossed paths with in a long time. In addition to getting to doing a spot at UCB on a show called SOLID run by the great Clare O’Kane and Joe Kwaczala, I will be co-headlining a show with Lee Camp at the Lyric Hyperion on Wednesday, May 13th! I’m SO stoked for this. Some of you know and some of you do not that Lee and I worked together for many years on the radical, leftist comedy news show, Redacted Tonight. Lee was the host, and I was one of the correspondents. We did great fucking work. Really kicking the evil empire in the throat with hard-hitting political satire. In my opinion, the people pushing back against the fascistic wave are the real patriots in this country. Lee and I will both be doing long sets that are going to be very (hilariously) politically charged. We would love to see some hardcore Redactivists at this very special reunion show! Get tix.

After Los Angeles, I will be headed to Boulder, Colorado. I’m going to be headlining a weekend at this totally freaking awesome club called Comic Cents on May 15th and 16th. It’s an intimate space that gets packed out with people, and the laughs bounce off the walls. I got to perform there a couple of years ago, and it was so much fun. I’m thrilled to be back. Get tix.

After Boulder, I will be doing a week of shows in Denver. It’s one of my favorite places in the entire country to get to perform. I’m doing a bunch of showcase shows that I’m very excited about. I’ll be on Thick Skin hosted by the great Matt Cobos and Mike Stanley. I’ll be doing a fun brewery show called Ratio. And I’m super stoked to be doing some Don’t Tell shows. The week in Denver all culminates with me getting to do spots at The Denver Comedy Lounge on May 22nd and 23rd. My dear friend and former NYC comedy show co-producer, Ben Kronberg, runs a wonderful comedy club. Little known fact, Ben is actually one of the original producers of Live From Outer Space, my weekly Friday night show at Cobra Club in Bushwick, Brooklyn. We started the show way back in 2013, and it’s still going strong. At this point, it’s the longest running show in all of Brooklyn. Not an easy thing to do. But I digress… The Denver Comedy Lounge is this super cool spot for comedy. And I’m quite stoked to return. The great Zach Peterson will be closing out all of these shows! Get tix.

And after Denver, it’s back to NYC!!! Soooo, if you live anywhere in the area of The Kansas, Cali, Colorado Tour, PLEASE come to a show. And if you don’t, PLEASE spread the word to anybody you know in any of these places who you think would enjoy what I do. I appreciate you all!!! Be well amidst the insanity!!!

Love,

JFOD

All show info/tix - jfodlovesyou.com

Hello friends! I’d love for you to watch the premiere of ‘Live at The Cobra Club’ alongside me tonight! The material is a combination of the personal (my struggles with bipolar disorder) and the political (a radical leftist perspective). Just click the above picture, so you can turn on the notification bell and make sure to subscribe. I’ll be in the chat early and throughout the premiere, if you’d like to join!

Love,

JFOD

P.S. If you can’t make the premiere, don’t sweat it, you can still watch it here anytime after!

P.P.S. This project was released through the DIY comedy record label, Burn This Records. Def check out all the great comedians on the label!

P.P.P.S. I’ll be on ‘THE KANSAS, CALI, COLORADO TOUR’ from May 7th - May 23rd. If you live in the area, come out to a show!!!

I’m pretty sure Americans’ mental illness is a remorseless punchline in other countries. And, honestly, rightly so. We live in the imperial core. We’re the war-profiteer country. We live off of the bloodletting of countless people all over the world who we will never see. At the very least, we SHOULD be psychologically disturbed about it all. We DESERVE to be… Anyway, see my show!!! Listen to my album!!! Make me famous!!! Blah blah blah!!!

It’s gotten flat-out ABSURD in my opinion to plug comedy projects amidst the fascistic nonsense rolling through our country. But I guess I’m doing so. At least my shit is about mental health advocacy and leftist politics. Here’s a new one…

“Do you guys fuck with bidets? I don’t use a bidet. You know why? Because I’m an American. And as an American, I don’t deserve a fully clean asshole! How about that? And neither do any of YOU! How about that? We live off of the suffering of countless people all over the world who we will never see. There are children in the Congo mining cobalt for our smartphones. We’re bombing Iran at the behest of Israel. We putting mentally ill people in prison. At the very least, we deserve to be bleeding from our assholes! At all times! There is no ethical consumption under capitalism! Burn the bidets! Burn the bidets, I say! We have blood on our hands, and we deserve blood in our assess!”

Here’s another new one…

“I find this interesting. The people who say they don’t want migrants coming into our country are the same people who say America is the greatest country in the world. That’s sending quite the mixed message. I think if these xenophobes really want to discourage immigration, they should stop using Trump-MAGA talking points and start using Bernie Sanders left-wing talking points. They should be like, “I’m so goddamned tired of these illegal aliens coming into our country! Don’t they know that 1% of the population owns 93% of the wealth?! Hello!… Don’t they realize that even though worker productivity has increased massively, real weekly wages for the average American worker are lower today than they were more than 52 years ago?! That ain’t good!… And don’t even get me started on how the entire American settler-colonial project has been built upon stolen land, genocide, slavery, white supremacy and manifest destiny! Y’all migrants really wanna come here?! Ya’ll insane?! Y’all sure you don’t wanna go to Norway or Sweden?! You know, one of them social welfare states where it actually appears that the government cares about their people?! Shhhiiittttt, I just gun-violenced myself to death!”… And that’s how you should deter immigration, y’all.”

Here’s one more…

(Note: Because my last name is O’Donnell, people don’t know that I’m Jewish. But I am on my mother’s side. Her maiden name is Leibowitz. That’s pretty Jewish. I even had a bar-mitzvah!)

Now the joke…

“People say that because I want a free Palestine, I’m as self-hating Jew. But the jokes on them because I hate myself for a whole bunch of OTHER reasons. Insert self-deprecatory rant. I’m a worm! I’m a worm! I’m a worm! Who needs the love and admiration of complete strangers! THAT’S why I hate myself. I don’t hate myself because I’m against an apartheid ethnostate that is enacting collective punishment against the indigenous population. In fact, I LOVE myself for being against that shit!”

Love,

JFOD

P.S. Be kind to each other!

Hello Friends! The pre-sale for my new album is now live! PLEASE purchase this thing on iTunes (let’s get me to #1 on the comedy chart) or Bandcamp! I’ve worked very hard on this! It would be nice to make a little bit of scratch! Support your boy!

I’m so excited to finally release this album. I recorded it quite a while back and have been sitting on it because I was working on my “I’M ON LITHIUM” solo show and wasn’t ready to develop a new stand up act. But now is the time for “Live at The Cobra Club” to shine!

The album contains material about my struggles with bipolar 1 disorder in the most honest and funniest way I can possibly present it. I’m proud of this material. It uses comedy to destigmatize mental illness. That’s something that I pride myself on trying my best to do. The album also contains political material because of course it does lol.

I’ve been performing and producing a weekly comedy show at Cobra Club called “Live From Outer Space” since 2013. That’s wild. At this point, it’s the longest running show in all of Brooklyn. Not an easy thing to accomplish. I love performing there. It’s a stage that I feel completely comfortable on. I feel like I can do stand up exactly how I want to. It’s my creative anchor in NYC, and I’m grateful for it. I’m also grateful to have gotten to record this album there.

Again, PLEASE buy this thing. I know you can just stream it eventually, but if you can afford to, actually buy it. There has to be a shift back to supporting artists’ albums. I’ve been a DIY comedian for close to 25 years. It’s YOUR support that keeps me going.

I want to give an extra special thanks to Daniel Louis Vezza for recording and mixing the album. He did an amazing job, and this project wouldn’t exist without him.

I hope everybody has a positive 2026 full of light and love, even amidst the fascistic nonsense sweeping though our nation. Fuck ICE.

Love,

JFOD

P.S.

The wide release is January 23rd. That’s when it becomes available on the evil streaming services. I’M LOOKING AT YOU, SPOTIFY!

Here’s the deal with Spotify: They exploit and devalue the hell out of all the musicians and comedians and whoever else uses the platform. The payout per stream is between $0.003 - $0.005. That’s insane. Also, artist who have less than 1,000 streams on a track get $0. Also, Spotify allows for ICE recruitment ads on the platform, saying that it doesn’t violate their advertising policy. Also, Daniel Ek, the head of Spotify, invested $700 million in an AI weapons company called Helsing. So he’s a war profiteer super villain. Yeah, Spotify is particularly fucked up!

I have an album coming out on January 12th (Presale) on the Burn This Records label!!! I’ll def be sending reminders, but PLEASE save the date!!!

This album contains most of my current headlining set. So I’m challenging myself to write a new act. I would say, at present, I have close to 20 minutes of new material. I’m still writing about mental health stuff, of course, but this next hour is definitely going to be more overtly political. I’m excited about that. My new opening bit is all about being self-aware about complaining about my life amidst the deep pain and suffering in the world. It’s also about me being playfully faux-bitter about my comedy career. I’ve realized that I need to process in a funny way how I feel about my struggles to find success as a comedian in order to keep any seeds of bitterness from really crystallizing. That would be the worst. Bitterness chokes off creativity. I think I figured out a way to provide myself with some genuine catharsis that renews my resolve to continue on into the comedy abyss lol. Anyway, here’s my new 4+ minute long opening bit. I hope you enjoy it as written, and I hope you get to see it performed live sometime. I would love that:

“This first piece is called complaining about your comedy career while your country has been actively supporting a genocide… Yeah sure, Israel is ethnically cleansing Gaza, using billions in US military aid… But why can’t I get booked in BLOOMINGTON, INDIANA?!?… Thank you. Thank you.

This next piece is called complaining about your comedy career while Donald Trump is the president of your country… Yeah sure, Donald Trump is ushering in a wave of MAGA fascism, and using ICE to break up families, and is terrified of the Epstein files because he’s a pedo… But why am I so BAD AT INSTAGRAM???… Thank you. Thank you.

This next piece is called complaining about your comedy career… Just complaining about your comedy career. AHHHH!!! I’ve been doing stand up since July of 2001! Pre-911! And I’m still not famous?! Are you kidding me?! Cut to 2005, I was one of Comedy Central’s ‘Fresh Faces of Comedy’… During George W. Bush’s 2nd term. Whatever!

Cut to 2007, I started comedy at The Creek and the Cave, alongside Timmy Williams from the Whitest Kids ‘U Know, ushering in the 3rd wave of alternative comedy in New York City. You’re welcome!

Cut to 2013, I helped pioneer the Bushwick comedy scene by starting one of the first shows in the neighborhood at Cobra Club. It’s called ‘Live From Outer Space.’ It still exists to this day!

Cut to 2014, I became a correspondent on the radical, leftist comedy news show, ‘Redacted Tonight.’ I did over 220 segments on the show, really kicking the evil empire in the throat with hard-hitting political satire. Yeah sure, the show was predominantly funded by the Russian government. I don’t wanna talk about it!

Cut back to 2010, I started talking publicly on stage and on podcasts about my struggles with bipolar disorder, using comedy to destigmatize mental illness WAY BEFORE IT BECAME COOL!!!

I currently have a CRIMINALLY UNDERRATED stand up comedy special on YouTube, entitled, ‘The Manic-Depressive Chocolate Fountain Operator,’ directed by Brendan Canty, the drummer from Fugazi, HELLO, and shot at the legendary DC Improv during Tig Notaro’s Bentzen Ball Comedy Festival… AND I’M THE ASSHOLE?!?

Also, I have a killer headlining stand up comedy routine, and a full-length one man show about a manic episode I had in Dublin, Ireland in 2008 where I thought that the CIA and descendants of the Nazis were trying to assassinate me, but I was being protected by the IRA and Bono from U2. And I promise you it is funnier and more meaningful than anything you are gonna see on or off Broadway. That is A FUCKING GUARANTEE!!!

But I guess none of that matters because I only have 3,733 followers on INSTAGRAM!!!

Also, it’s possible that my severe bipolar disorder may have contributed to some setbacks in my stand up comedy career…. Hard to know. Tough to tell.”

That’s the new opener, folks. Thanks for taking the time to check it out. I’m really riding that fine line between ironic bitterness and absolute self-indulgence with this one lol. But it’s what I need to express right now.

If you’d like to see me perform live and don’t live in NYC, reply to this email with where you live, and we’ll see if we can make it happen.

If you’re in NYC, there’s two wonderful opportunities to see me perform in December. I’m doing a special show at Cobra Club with the great Lee Camp on 12/12. And I’m performing my solo show I’M ON LITHIUM at Cobra Club on 12/19. You should come through!!! Click the pics to reserve tix!!!

Love,

JFOD

When it comes to trampling upon Americans’ civil liberties, NSPM-7 goes beyond even the repression of the Patriot Act. Basically, President Trump is ordering the Justice Department, the FBI and a number of other agencies to fight against HIS interpretation of political violence. WHAT COULD GO WRONG?! According to the directive, here is the list of terrorism “indicators.” THIS IS REAL:

• Anti-Americanism

• Anti-capitalism

• Anti-Christianity

• Support for the overthrow of the United States Government

• Extremism on migration

• Extremism on race

• Extremism on gender

• Hostility towards those who hold traditional American views on family, religion and morality

Well, at least the list isn’t particularly broad or vague or all encompassing or MY ENTIRE IDENTITY!!! Also, isn’t it highly anti-American to not allow an American to be anti-American?! This is crazy. And I’ll get into the insane way NSPM-7 is going to be enforced, but first, how about them upcoming comedy shows…

“ALWAYS BE PLUGGING COMEDY SHOWS, EVEN AS THE CONSTITUTION OF THE U.S.A. CRUMBLES.” - My deeply held belief

October 24th - 26th, I’ll be performing at the 23rd annual FEST in Gainesville, Florida alongside some amazing comedians and almost 300 kickass bands!!! Get tix.

November 7th - 8th, I’ll be performing at Dead Crow in Wilmington, North Carolina opening for the great Dina Hashem!!! Get tix.

November 14th, I’ll be performing at Live From Outer Space at Cobra Club in Brooklyn, New York alongside my hilarious co-producers, Casey James Salengo, LizaBanks Campagna, and Ali O’Neil + a fantastic lineup of other comics!!! Get tix.

November 22nd - 23rd, I’ll be performing at the legendary DC Improv in Washington, DC alongside some awesome comedians!!! Get tix.

December 12th, I’ll be performing at a special event at Cobra Club with the one and only Lee Camp!!! Lee was the host of the comedy news show, Redacted Tonight, that I was a correspondent on for 5 years. I’m thrilled to be doing a show with him alongside special guests Anders Lee and Ali O’Neil. Get tix.

Okay, now back to the fascism. I know the above wrinkled Joint Terrorism Task Force windbreaker may not look menacing, but don’t be fooled. The FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Forces (JTTFs) include over 4,000 members from more than 500 state and local agencies, as well as 50 federal agencies. The JTTFs are the main enforcement apparatus for NSPM-7. And here’s something quite troubling - The JTTFs are not beholden to the Posse Comitatus Act which greatly limits the U.S. military’s ability to partake in domestic law enforcement. So now the U.S. military can more broadly be used for domestic policing. This goes way beyond what the National Guard could previously legally do when deployed to U.S. cities (out of cruel political retribution) by the Trump administration.

Often times, National Security Presidential Memorandums are kept classified. The Trump administration decided to make this one public. I believe that they did so in order to try and intimidate and scare people into self-censorship and silence. I’ll tell you guys this - It’s certainly not going to work on me. I shall continue to let people know about my comedy shows. THAT IS A PROMISE!!!

Love,

JFOD

P.S. NSPM-7 is NOT a law. It’s a framework for law enforcement to follow that, on its face, is obviously unconstitutional.

Now I’m gonna tell you a tale of Bipolar mania that I experienced in Washington, DC in 2017, and then you tell me if this chronic mental illness should be freakin’ capitalized or not. I was manic out of my gourd, convinced that the National Security Agency (NSA) was after me because who knows why. During this time, I was burning through all of the money I had made from the show I was on, Redacted Tonight. That’s a symptom of mania - Reckless spending. Delightful.

One manic day, I found myself inside the fast-casual restaurant, Cosi. They’re known for their flatbreads. I tried to order said flatbread, and my card was declined. I BUGGED OUT. I believed that the NSA had frozen my funds. I thought to myself, “Fuck it. I’m hungry.” So I grabbed a garbage bag and started shoveling banana bread off of the shelf into the garbage bag while yelling something about hating the government.

Obviously, I was freaking everybody out. So what did they do? They all exited the Cosi, employees and patrons, alike. And, then, they locked me INSIDE THE ESTABLISHMENT. They locked me IN. Genius. And hilarious. Next, they called the cops who eventually showed up and arrested me.

The Banana Bread Incident led to one of about half a dozen arrests that occurred during this manic episode which lasted multiple months. That right there is some GODDAMN UPPERCASE BIPOLAR DISORDER TYPE SHIT!!! Am I wrong???

If you’re in NYC on Thursday, August 14th and haven’t yet seen my show, I’M ON LITHIUM, come support. I’m very proud of it, and the feedback has been incredibly encouraging. 7pm show at Baker Falls in the LES. Click pic to reserve tix.

And if you’re anywhere in the world, check out my new podcast with co-host Andrea Allan called ‘Episodic.’ It’s a comedy mental health podcast and it’s very fun. Click the pic and jump right in.

Love,

JFOD

Solo show performance - Thursday, June 12th - Doors 7:30 - LES/NYC - Get Tix Here

What Happened

When I was 19 years old, my thoughts started racing uncontrollably, and I started having grandiose delusions to the point where I thought I was the messiah. I also became very agitated and confrontational with my friends. I was forced to leave school. My family brought me to a psychiatrist. That's where I was first diagnosed as having bipolar 1 disorder. I was 100% in denial. I read everything I possibly could to try and find an alternative explanation for what had happened to me. The idea of having to cope with chronic mental illness for the rest of my life was something I just couldn't comprehend. And the truth is I was just so angry, saddened and terrified about it all. It actually took me years to be able to say out loud, without crying, that I have a mental illness. All of the stigma, both external and self-imposed, made me try to outrun my bipolar disorder for many years before getting proper treatment.

Unfortunately, that first episode in college was nowhere near my last. I've been dealing with bipolar disorder for over 20 years. I've had at least 10 severe manic episodes, almost all of which have been followed by equally powerful depressions. In 2008, I found myself running through the streets of Dublin, Ireland manic and paranoid out of my mind because I thought that the CIA and descendants of the Nazis were trying to assassinate me. I also somehow thought that the Irish Republican Army and Bono from U2 were trying to protect me. It sounds funny now. But try to imagine how intense and scary it must feel to actually believe something like that. It's a lot. There’s a misconception that mania is just this exhilarating, ecstatic, fun experience. But for me, it's an emotionally overwhelming wrecking ball. It makes me burn my life to the ground and then it leaves me in total despair and shame to think about what I've done. But, as painful as it has been, I've found a road toward wellness and happiness.

What Helps

It took me a long time to make my mental health central to my life. I don't think I was ever actively trying to make myself unwell, but I certainly wasn't doing everything I could to try and stay stable. Not doing so ended up destroying an important relationship and causing me to lose a job I worked very hard to get. If I'm going to be honest, these experiences were a big part of the reason I finally accepted my mental illness and got proactive about a treatment plan. And finding this plan has been empowering for me. I'm excited about the prospect of staying well for the longterm and being able to continue to accomplish my goals. So here’s what works for me: I’m on medication. I’m sober. I make sure to get proper sleep. I have a support system of family and friends. I have a great psychiatrist. I’ve done a lot of great talk therapy. And I have my creative outlet of performing comedy.

And it might sound silly, but from my perspective, getting to be a comedian is just as important as all of the other pieces. I honestly think that it has saved my life. Being able to laugh and make comedy out of all of this pain and literal insanity; that’s been a blessing. Getting groups of people to laugh with me on my terms about everything I’ve been through has had the effect of helping to heal my vulnerability and shame. It’s helped me regain my confidence and sense of self. Also, talking publicly about bipolar disorder has had the effect of making other people feel less alone about something they may be going through. And that means the world to me. If I can use comedy to help destigmatize mental illness and maybe save some folks from going through some of the heartache that I’ve gone through; that sounds pretty good to me. That makes me feel good about myself. I find redemption in that. For me, there is a road to self-forgiveness by trying to help others.

Love,

JFOD

(Note: What you just read is an excerpt from the presentation I give for my volunteer work with NAMI-NYC (National Alliance on Mental Illness-New York City). NAMI is the largest grassroots mental health advocacy organization in the country, led by people with lived experience with a mental health condition who are in recovery and are actively helping their communities. There are more than 650 NAMI chapters all over the country offering free mental health resources, support and education programs. It’s really a great organization and worth checking out if you or a loved one is dealing with a mental health issue.)

But, even with all of this adversity, I’ve managed to carve out a comedy career spanning nearly 24 years. In fact, I started doing stand up within less than a year of my first episode. It actually helped pull me out of my depression. And it has continued to do so many times over the years.

Getting to be a comedian, while living with bipolar disorder, is a real silver lining. It’s been a life saver. Being able to make comedy and laugh at all of this pain and literal insanity has been a blessing. Getting groups of people to laugh with me, on my terms, has had the effect of helping to heal my pain and vulnerability. It’s helped me regain my confidence and sense of self. Also, owning my bipolar disorder in such a public way shows that it’s not defeating me. I’m not a broken person. Nobody feels compelled to walk on egg shells around me. That’s important to me.

I haven’t had a manic or depressed episode going on 5 years now. My psychiatrist and myself are optimistic that I can stay well for the long haul. This makes me feel proud of myself. I’m very excited to see what I can accomplish moving forward!

If you’ve read this far, thank you so much for taking the time. Please forward/share this with anybody you think would get something out of it.

Love,

JFOD

I’m performing my solo show at the legendary DC Improv! If you live in the area, please come through. I’m super proud of the show, and I’d love to share it with you. And if you don’t live in the area, but know anybody in DC, please spread the word. Click the artwork or here to reserve tickets.

(Note: This is an excerpt from a longer piece I wrote for a stellar publication called Recovery Diaries that is working hard to destigmatize mental illness.)

In early 2007, my friend, Timmy, and I started hosting a comedy show called the ‘Kingdom of Heaven’ at a venue called ‘The Creek and the Cave’ in Long Island City, Queens, just north of Greenpoint, Brooklyn. This show became a favorite amongst comedians, and it really allowed us to develop a community. The Creek and the Cave became the comedy clubhouse for all of us weirdos and misfits to hangout and develop our craft. I can’t overstate how pivotal KOH and The Creek were for countless comedians to get their footing in the NYC comedy scene. Eventually, The Creek would develop into a full-time comedy club, and I’m very thankful to have been a part of its origin story, having helped to start comedy there.

Of course, it was heart-wrenching when I eventually got kicked out of The Creek when I was manic in the summer of 2008. I got kicked out because, after months of erratic and bizarre behavior and performances, I finally went too far. Drunk off of red wine and full of self-righteous insanity, I aggressively demanded that a large group of patrons immediately come into the performance space to watch the show. These people weren’t even there for comedy. They were having a celebratory birthday dinner in the restaurant portion of the venue downstairs. I proclaimed to them that the comedy show was meant to combat autism in children; something that I completely made up! They still refused to attend, so I accused them of hating children and castigated them for being Republicans. The owner of The Creek, Rebecca, was infuriated. Also, her father, who is a no-nonsense hardass, happened to be in town. In addition to being a hardass, he’s also the head of the Suffolk County, Virginia Republican Party. He rushed over to the venue with the intention of punching me out. When he arrived, though, I was now on stage weeping incoherently into the microphone. Rebecca’s dad was confused by the pathetic display he was witnessing and decided not to fight me.

My bizarre behavior saved me in this particular instant; certainly a rarity. The large group of patrons left The Creek and did not pay, and I got banned. I wish this event had a sobering effect on me, but it certainly didn’t. It just became one in a string of destructive incidents that further pushed me out of the community that I cared about so much. When I came back to the comedy scene in the Fall of 2009, after a year-long absence that was full of depression and self-loathing, The Creek and the Cave was the last place I felt comfortable returning to because I was so full of shame and embarrassment. I didn’t go back there until May of 2010. To this day, I’m deeply humbled that I received a true comedian’s welcome back. More on that later.

Thankfully, before I was manic, I had given out so much goodwill in the scene over the years that a lot of comics were rooting for me to come back. They were incredibly supportive. I’m eternally grateful for this. I also decided that I didn’t want to be a pitiable person that people felt like they needed to walk on eggshells around. So I decided that I was going to address everything that happened with my manic episode head on in my stand up and on podcasts. I really decided to own my experience with mental illness by being funny about it publicly. I seemed to instinctively understand that, if I could show people that I was able to laugh about what I had been through, nobody would have to feel bad for me. In my mind and heart, that was an important thing for me to do. I didn’t want people to feel bad for me because I didn’t feel bad for myself. I knew I wasn’t a defeated person, and I didn’t want to be perceived that way.

Now back to May of 2010. I finally decided that I was ready to return to The Creek and the Cave. Rebecca, as well as the comedians, were ready to have me back a number of months before, but I was so full of shame that I couldn’t return yet. So when I was ready, the community decided to do something amazing. My friend, Sean, came up with the idea of all the comedians putting on a ROAST of me for my first time back. Instead of watching me limp back into The Creek, full of timidity and embarrassment, my fellow comedians were going to tear me a new proverbial asshole by roasting me! In the culture of comedy, getting roasted by one’s peers is a huge sign of respect. This was a beautiful thing they were doing for me. It reintegrated me into the scene in the best way possible. Looking back on it today, all these years later, I can’t even remember any of the jokes that were hurled at me, but I do remember the feeling of the evening. I remember it being magical and redemptive and just plain fun. That was something I desperately needed. Again, what a beautiful thing!

I mentioned earlier that when I returned to the NYC comedy scene after my destructive manic episode, I decided to address everything that I went through head on in my stand up and on podcasts. This forced me to become a better comedian through challenging myself to make deeply personal experiences funny. This had the effect of making almost all of the stand-up that I wrote pre-manic episode to be no longer viable. My comedy voice had changed. I was actually forced to grow as an artist. Comedy now, for me, became a tool to both process personal pain AND to try and destigmatize mental illness for others. I began going on podcasts and explaining my experiences with bipolar disorder in an honest and vulnerable way while also being funny about it. This had the effect of a number of folks reaching out to me in appreciation for me sharing my story. This had the effect of making other people feel less alone about something they may be going through. That means the absolute world to me. That makes me feel good about myself. I find redemption in that.

These days, I hope to be living proof that Bipolar Disorder is not a death sentence. I hope to show that somebody with Bipolar Disorder can not only survive but can thrive.

Love,

JFOD

P.S. The Creek and the Cave is now located in Austin, TX. If you live in the area, DEF go check out the awesome shows they have there every night!

I wrote a new joke about Bitcoin. I knowwww Bitcoin blahhhh. Anyway, here it is:

“Currently, 1 Bitcoin is worth about $100,000. Round of applause if you have any Bitcoin.”

(Light applause)

“Round of applause if you don’t have any Bitcoin.”

(Heavier applause)

“Round of applause if you didn’t applaud because you actually do have Bitcoin, but you’re too embarrassed to admit it.”

(Reluctant applause)

“Bitcoin is bullshit, aright! Maybe it started off as an idealistic, alternative payment system to keep us from getting ripped off by the big banks. Maybe. But clearly, it’s been hijacked by crypto bros and turned into a pump-and-dump Ponzi scheme that creates nothing, yet uses an absurd amount of energy, leaving in its wake what can only be described as a grotesquely immoral and unnecessary carbon footprint… Says the guy who sold all of his before it became really valuable… DAMNIT!”

“Why did I sell it?! Why?! I want my Bitcoin back! I want my digital gold back! I wanna hoard my digital gold like a troll living underneath a bridge made out of ones and zeros! Give me back my Bitcoin!”

“Now I’m gonna die poor and alone, just like the rest of all of you!”

That’s my new joke. It cost me tens of thousands of dollars to be able to write that one lol. Sooooo please come out to a show in Seattle or spread the word if you know anybody who lives there!!!

I’m very excited to be performing my mental health advocacy solo show, “I’M ON LITHIUM: A Comedic Journey About Bipolar Disorder,” at this great comedy festival that highlights hilarious comedians with disabilities. The show is Saturday, January 25th at 8:30pm. Click the pic to reserve tickets!

I’m also very excited to be performing a headlining stand up set at the awesome Capitol Hill Comedy/Bar. The show is Sunday, January 26th at 8:30pm. Click the pic to reserve tickets!

My solo show and stand up routine are my two main creative offerings for the world, at present. Seattle folks, you have the special opportunity to see one or both of them. Come on through! Don’t break my lil heart!

Love,

JFOD

P.S. New York folks, I’m performing “I’M ON LITHIUM” this Friday, January 17th at Cobra Club with the great Mike Lebovitz as the special guest opener. Click the pic to reserve tickets!

Sooooo this is exciting:

‘50 First Jokes,’ a show that I co-created with Claudia Cogan and Jiwon Lee in NYC now takes place in 20 cities nationwide. If you’re not familiar with the concept, 50 comedians are all booked on one big show, in the beginning of January, where they tell the 1st new joke they’ve written for the New Year. It’s really fun! The show started back in 2006 in the Lower East Side in the back room of the legendary dive bar, The Parkside Lounge. At first, 50FJ was just a bunch of comedians getting drunk and making each other laugh with their newest material, but the show has grown so much. Now, in NYC, we perform at The Bell House every year to sold out crowds. The show also happens in wonderful ways in the comedy scenes of Los Angeles, Denver, Ann Arbor, Cleveland, Portland, Seattle, Chicago, New Orleans, Columbus, Athens, Raleigh, Pittsburgh, San Francisco, Austin, DC, Atlanta, Covina, Lafayette, and Philadelphia. Pretty freakin’ cool! Please get out there and support live comedy this year! A great way to start is by checking out 50 First Jokes in your city!

Here’s to a kickass 2025!!!

Love,

JFOD

PLEASE COME OUT + SPREAD THE WORD if you live or know anybody in Austin!!! I’ll be performing “I’M ON LITHIUM: A Comedic Journey About Bipolar Disorder” on Saturday, November 16th at 7pm at the Fallout Theater. You can reserve tickets here or by clicking the photo above. Discount code: LITHIUM

I’m also very excited to be performing at the Altercation Comedy Festival. My showcase set is Thursday, November 14th at 9:15pm at the Kick Butt Cafe. The festival is full of amazing comedians. You can get a pass for the entire 4 day fest or tickets for individual nights. Click here or the photo above.

November marks FOUR YEARS since I’ve had a manic or depressed episode. I don’t even know what to say. I don’t even know how to express my gratitude for being in a prolonged recovery from such a serious mood disorder. This is really cool. I’m optimistic that I can stay well for the long haul if I stay the course and continue to make my mental health central to my life. If I do have another episode, I know that I have enough of a support system in place to hopefully nip it in the bud quickly and minimize any fallout. Again, though, I am optimistic that I’m done with this mania bullshit. My psychiatrist is also optimistic. People can be in recovery from Bipolar Disorder for many years, even for the rest of their lives, if they get a handle on it. I’m hoping that can be me.

Now I want to continue to be helpful to others. It took me way too long to get with the program and stop trying to outrun Bipolar Disorder. I’ve created many setbacks and undermined my life over the years. I’ve caused lots of heartache for others. I still have lingering regrets and shame because of this. I do find redemption, though, in trying to be helpful. I’ve been volunteering with NAMI-NYC (National Alliance on Mental Illness-New York City) as an ‘In Our Own Voice’ presenter. I go to inpatient units, outpatient programs and other locations, and I tell my story of mental health recovery to provide living proof that somebody can come out the other end of experiencing mental illness. It’s not a death sentence.

I also pride myself on using comedy to destigmatize Bipolar Disorder. I think this is what I can uniquely contribute as a mental health advocate who has been performing stand up comedy for over 20 years. In the name of honest self-expression, I’ve been forced to dig deep to make very painful and personal things funny. Getting groups of people to laugh with me about those things has had the effect of helping to heal my vulnerability and shame. It’s also had the effect of making other people feel less alone about something they or one of their loved ones may be going through. That means a whole lot to me.

The truth is there’s a mental illness epidemic in our country. I really believe that it is all hands on deck to help each other out however we can. I’m happy to play my part.

Love,

JFOD

For some strange, strange, strange reason, multiple times when I was manic over the years, I became OBSESSED with reggae and Rasta culture to the point where I truly and deeply believed that I was the reincarnation of their messiah. The second coming of Haile Selassie. This is funny. This is objectively funny. I have a bit about it in my act. It’s one of my favorite jokes. It’s a staple. I basically talk about how disappointed the Rasta community would be if it turned out that I, an off-putting, little white guy from New Jersey, was their messiah. An absurdity of the highest order. A let down for everybody.

It took me years, though, to be able to write this joke and perform it publicly. It took me years to get over being paralyzed with embarrassment for actually believing such a bizarre notion. The shame and self-stigma surrounding Bipolar Disorder was very real for me. Losing control of my brain was terrifying both during and after. After, there remained a very justified fear in the (not so) back of my mind that the insanity could and, very likely, would return. And it did, again and again and again. Over the past 23 years, I’ve had a least 10 severe manic episodes leading to about a dozen psychiatric hospitalizations. Don’t feel bad for me about that. I don’t feel bad for myself. Feel bad for me about THIS:

A beyond sad byproduct of my Rastafari delusions was that, when I was back in my right mind, I couldn’t listen to Bob Marley anymore for years without becoming emotionally crippled. I was actually triggered by the beautiful, soothing sounds and positive vibrations of Bob freakin’ Marley. That’s both heartbreaking and hilarious at the same time. He literally has a lyric in the song ‘Three Little Birds’ where he sings, “Don’t worry about a thing. Because every little thing is gonna be alright.” NO BOB! Every little thing is NOT gonna be alright. I have a chronic mood disorder due to, apparent, chemical imbalances in my brain. People with Bipolar Disorder have a 19% suicide rate and a 50% attempted suicide rate. It’s the 6th leading cause of disability in the country. Things are FAR from alright, Bob! He has another song, ‘Trenchtown Rock,’ where he sings, “One good thing about music, when it hits you feel no pain.” Uhh, I AM feeling pain, Bob! A lot of pain. Do you know how hard it is to process and bounce back from being clinically insane?! Do you know what it’s like to alienate yourself from all of your friends and family and explode loving relationships? Do you know what it’s like to burn your life to the ground? Do you know how scary it is to be so grandiose in your thinking that you believe the weight of the world is on your shoulders? Do you know how scary it is to be so psychotic that you believe the CIA and the Nazis are trying to assassinate you, Bob? DO YOU, BOB?! (Well, maybe he does, concerning the CIA - There is a conspiracy theory out there about that - An agent named Bill Oxley supposedly confessed to injecting Marley with cancer - All the fact checking sites say it’s been debunked - But you can’t trust the fact checking sites - We need fact checkers for the fact checkers, mannnn - I DON’T WANT TO TALK ABOUT THIS - SLIPPING DOWN RABBIT HOLE - PLEASE HELP - lololol j/k)

These days, though, it’s all good. I’ve gotten over the shame. Time passed can be a beautiful healer. I’m actually listening to Bob Marley RIGHT NOW as I write this. A triumph!

Having the tool of creating comedy has been very helpful for me to cope with living with Bipolar Disorder. I’ve been performing stand up for over 23 years. I started 6 months after my 1st manic episode. I’m still at it. I haven’t had a manic or depressed episode in going on 4 years. I’m so thankful for this. I’m so optimistic for what the future holds for me creatively. I’m currently performing a one man show called ‘I’M ON LITHIUM: A Comedic Journey About Bipolar Disorder.’ Since the NYC premiere back in December of 2023, hundreds of people have come out to see it at sold out shows. I’ve also been touring with it. This is exciting. Here’s what a rockstar mental health professional who was kind enough to come out to my show twice said about it:

"John describes a euphoric manic episode with incredible detail and insight, pulling the listener into his globetrotting quest and the characters he meets along the way. You will root for him, you will laugh (often to the point of tears) and you will come away with a new understanding of bipolar disorder and appreciation for the human condition." - Dr. Kat Nordgren, Psychiatrist, Bellevue Hospital

I’m grateful.

Upcoming performances of ‘I’M ON LITHIUM’

October 17th in Ypsilanti, MI at Ziggy’s

October 25th in Brooklyn, NY at Cobra Club

November 16th in Austin, TX at Fallout Theater

Love,

JFOD

If you’re in NYC, come check out I’M ON LITHIUM on July 17th!!! You can reserve seats here.

"John describes a euphoric manic episode with incredible detail and insight, pulling the listener into his globetrotting quest and the characters he meets along the way. You will root for him, you will laugh (often to the point of tears) and you will come away with a new understanding of bipolar disorder and appreciation for the human condition." - Dr. Kat Nordgren, Psychiatrist, Bellevue Hospital

WARNING: This one is saddddddddd…

It’s April of 2003. The bottom has dropped out. I’m clinically depressed. In an act of undeserved graciousness, the Rabbi and the roommates let me move back into the Jewish student housing where I wreaked utter havoc. I’m humbled and full of shame. I slink into my room. I lay down on the floor, and I cry.

I now have an all too powerful grasp of reality that is misery manifested. I’m paralyzed by my acute memory of the insanity. My marbles have come back with a vengeance. It’s certainly a strange phenomenon to lose my marbles and then get them back and be left to reflect upon how I could have possibly lost them in the first place. In other words, it’s weird to be crazy and then not be crazy. It’s jarring. It’s humiliating. It demands introspection of the darkest order. Also, it’s almost unfathomable to my sane-again mind that such insanity could have possibly infiltrated my psyche. It’s a bizarre and uneasy feeling that never fully goes away.

My depression sucks. Everybody’s depression sucks. It’s hard to explain it in an interesting way. It’s hard to relay the details of the minutiae without succumbing to platitudes. After mania, the brain slows down. It slows way down. It was working overtime, to put it lightly. Now it needs to heal. Unfortunately, for me, the healing process involves debilitating emotional pain, self-hate, embarrassment, shame, exhaustion, brain fog, and a deep desire for isolation. It also takes time. And that time passes slowly. Depression sucks.

For many years, I’ve described the feeling of the fall from mania into depression as being, “A lion who has been reduced to a worm but is tortured by the memory of what it was like to be that lion.” When depressed, I feel like I’m a rumor of a husk of my former self who is hauntingly aware of what I was like when I still had the spark of life inside me. It feels terrible. I also believe that I’m going to be stuck as this loathsome version of myself forever; as though cursed to live out the rest of my days as a broken thing. My depressed mind does not leave room for me to glimpse the possibility that this too shall pass. When I’m depressed, I’m unable to perceive that I won’t always be depressed. This errant belief is a symptom of depression.

Another symptom of depression is suicidal ideation. People with Bipolar Disorder have a 19% suicide rate and a 50% attempted suicided rate. I feel very lucky to be alive, and I’m grateful that I’ve never attempted suicide. I have, though, experienced ideations of suicide. That is where I have been comforted by the fact that suicide is an option; that the possibility of checking out permanently is a sort of kindness to relieve all of the pain. And something that I think is really important to understand is that when somebody is depressed, their brain may be trying to trick them into taking their own life. That can be another symptom of depression. And if people can be aware of that and realize that it’s a symptom and symptoms will pass and symptoms don’t have to be acted upon, maybe that little bit of insight and understanding can save somebody’s life. One can hope.

Yeah, depression sucks. It’s so intense and banal at the same time. When it comes to Bipolar Disorder, the medical authorities used to say that Bipolar 1 Disorder was more severe than Bipolar 2 Disorder because Bipolar 1 involves full-blown manic episodes, while Bipolar 2 involves hypomania (aka mania-light). However, because the depressions in Bipolar 2 can be so much longer and potentially more treatment-resistant than the depressions in Bipolar 1, the current thinking is that both versions of the mood disorder are of equal severity. Fair enough. I do have to admit, though, that for many years I’ve maintained a twisted sense of pride about having a Bipolar 1 diagnosis compared to a Bipolar 2 diagnosis because of the epic highs I’ve traversed. It’s so silly. I think it’s time I remove that perverse badge of honor lol.

Something I’ve come to learn about depression is that, ultimately, it is irrational. Yeah sure, it makes sense for me to be sad after I’ve exploded my life and the life of those around me, due to a manic episode - But that doesn’t mean I should believe that my personality and spirit won’t ever come back. It doesn’t mean I should believe that I can’t find a path to recovery and self-forgiveness. It doesn’t mean I should believe that I’m unworthy of love and incapable of happiness. And it certainly doesn’t mean I should believe that I deserve to die. That’s bullshit.

I remain depressed in Dublin for all of April and May. Somehow I manage to complete my studies. I return home to America in June. My depression continues throughout the entire summer and into the fall. In September of 2003, I return to Ann Arbor, Michigan for my senior year of college. I’m miserable. But, due to my pre-manic performances in Ireland, I’m now somewhat funny at doing stand up. So that’s something.

We’ll get into it in the next chapter.

Love,

JFOD

P.S. If you want to read past entries, go to jfodnews.com

Hey there, Psychos!

Here’s the latest entry in my “Insanity in Ireland” series. If you’re new to the newsletter or want to catch up, you can jump into the beginning of this particular chapter right here.

Also, I’ll be performing I’M ON LITHIUM on Sunday, June 9th at The Denver Comedy Lounge. Reserve seats here.

Now I’m institutionalized. I’m in St. Patrick’s Psychiatric Hospital for the entire month of March 2003. Irish people who have been committed nickname it the “Pencil Factory.” That’s what they call all psych wards. I don’t know why. It sounds cool, though. St. Pat’s is the oldest private hospital in Ireland. Compared to my 2008 stay at Elmhurst State Hospital in Queens, New York, St. Pat’s is a dream vacation.

I can’t remember the first few days. I’m heavily sedated. I sleep. I sleep. I sleep. I wake up. I’m still manic, but I’m not acutely psychotic. Slowly, the coming down has begun. My Uncle Patrick travels from America to Dublin and stays with me for the entirety of my hospitalization. For years, after the fact, I can’t talk about this display of love without breaking out into tears of appreciation and reverence. He brings me a portable cassette player along with tapes. “Astral Weeks” by Van Morrison and “Blood on the Tracks” by Bob Dylan. He brings me midnight purple Hyacinths. Their scent calms me. To this day, they’re my favorite flower.

Most of the other patients in the hospital are depressed. I’m still elated. My relentless positive energy demands a target. I find that target in Andrew. Andrew is 18 years old. He has long red hair and a long red beard. His wrists are bandaged. When I meet him, he’s close to comatose. A zombie. I play him some of the music that my Uncle brought me. I sit with him and try to make him laugh. I tell him this too shall pass. Over the course of the next week, hints of his spirit return. He begins to regain his balance. He whispers coherently. He reciprocates my kindness by presenting me with a mango. Where did he get that mango lol?! I’m still coming down from being manic. Andrew’s coming up from being depressed. We meet in the middle. Beautiful.

I certainly don’t want to glorify my mania, but I’m a force for love in St. Pat’s. My Uncle bears witness to this. Due to a combination of my now approaching hypomanic state and kind-hearted nature, my empathy receptors are working overtime. (Hypomania is mania light. There’s still elation and hyperactivity, but there’s typically no psychosis. For people with Bipolar 1 Disorder, hypomania is a precursor to full-blown mania. When somebody is hypomanic they may still have some self-awareness of their condition. Once the threshold is crossed, however, that insight is gone. For me and many others, hypomania occurs on the way up and the way down.) My empathy receptors deduce that the other patients need to learn my family’s favorite card game, ‘Pitch.’ After an initial skepticism of my jarring exuberance and insistence, they take to it. We proceed to play everyday. We pass the time. We become friends. We make the best out of a rough situation. We smoke Johnny Player Blue cigarettes. That’s what real Dubliners smoke. We have fun.

Not everybody wants to play, though. Not everybody is having fun. There’s a young man with long, curly blonde hair in a ponytail, dressed all in black, wearing massive buckled boots. I can’t remember his name. He has a terrible case of OCD and agoraphobia. I know exactly what he needs: A flower. I attempt to hand him one. HE COMPLETELY FREAKS OUT! He screams at me to get away. I do so. I feel bad. I never in a million years want to scare him. My idealism has, yet again, become misguided and frustrated.

Sure, the “Young man with OCD and the flower” incident is minor, but it still reflects the broader theme of my mania manifesting as misguided, frustrated idealism. It’s misguided in the sense that it’s insane. It’s frustrated in the sense that I can’t convey it to others. It’s idealistic because it comes from a place of love. The underpinnings and intentionality of my mania are to create a better version of reality for humankind. The thoughts, however, that compose my mania are racing, spurious, grandiose, and delusional to the point of psychosis. I believe that there is an impending “Heaven on Earth” scenario OR “Hell on Earth” scenario about to occur in the world, and it’s up to me to make sure that “Heaven on Earth” is ushered in and “Hell on Earth” is thwarted. I feel like the weight of the world is on my shoulders. It’s not fun. It’s important to understand that mania certainly isn’t always euphoric. Sometimes it’s emotionally overwrought. Sometimes it’s terrifying.

Throughout my 2003 manic episode, I truly and deeply believe that I’m supposed to stop the impending invasion of Iraq by the United States. Of course, that’s deeply delusional and patently absurd, but it comes from a humanistic place. It comes from a desire for world peace. Also, I believe that I have the understanding and skillset necessary to become the megalomaniacal overlord of the world. But I have the enlightened insight to understand that Mother Earth can strike down my hubristic self at any time. Therefore, I have to prove my humility by shedding all of my possessions and walking the earth as a homeless beggar. The underpinnings of this delusion are a rejection of the corrupting nature of absolute power. During my first manic episode in 2000, I crash a Hindu woman’s 50th birthday party. She’s a spiritual leader in the community. At the time, I believe that I’m a spiritual leader, as well. I deduce that we need to get together to combine our forces to help others. My intent is kind-spirited. My intent, again and again, is misguided, frustrated idealism.

Now it’s the end of March. I’m back in my right mind. I get released from the hospital. I don’t plan on being medication compliant. Depression is right around the corner.

Love,

JFOD

P.S. If you’re in Denver or know anybody who is, come check out the show and/or spread the word! I appreciate ya!

Hey there, Psychos!

Here’s the next entry in my “Insanity in Ireland” series. I haven’t done one of these in a few months (and some of you are super new to the newsletter), so you can jump into the saga here and here.

I get kicked out of the flat in Glasnevin. Not good. I’m too manic to be worried, though. I’m too preoccupied with my newfound perceived reality that I am, in fact, the spiritual embodiment of the 16th century Irish warrior, Red Hugh O’Donnell. Red Hugh is a real historical figure. He kicked the shit out the English and is a symbol of Irish nationalism to this very day. Also, WE HAVE THE SAME LAST NAME! It makes perfect sense that I should be the one to inherit all of his powers in my quest to stop the 2003 invasion of Iraq and manifest Heaven on Earth. Still, I do need to find a place to live.

I connect with my friend, Ben. He lives in Jewish student housing. In an attempt to foster community, only Jewish students are allowed to live there. The house is big and beautiful and in Rathmines, a trendy neighborhood. There’s an empty room. I want in. The landlord is Rabbi Zalman. I have to convince him I’m Jewish, which I AM! My mother’s Jewish. So I’m legit. But my last name is O’Donnell. Everybody is skeptical. I get the Rabbi on the phone with my mom. She proclaims my Jewishness. The Rabbi is thrilled. I move in. I don’t last long lol.

I’m so manic that the first night I don’t even stay at my new place. Instead, I roam the streets of Dublin singing Bruce Springsteen songs at the top of my lungs, while I search for my soulmate, Sophia. Eventually, I get bored of walking, so I hail a cab. I get dropped off at Trinity College. I don’t have any money. I swear to the driver that if he gives me his address I will mail him the fare. He believes me. I never send it. A permanent mark against my integrity. Now it’s raining buckets. I sit outside the gates of Trinity, leaning against the bars. I scream and writhe. I’m exhausted. I cry myself to sleep amidst the downpour.

I return to my new place the next day. Ben asks me where I’ve been. I tell him I was out all night singing Springsteen. Weird behavior, indeed. It only gets weirder. There’s another roommate named Julien. He’s a French hippie of sorts who loves to smoke hash. When I meet him, he’s wearing red Moroccan-style pants with patches sown along the sides. I immediately say, “Hey man, you have got to EARN those pants!” What I mean is, if he’s going to dress like an eccentric, he better BE an eccentric. Normalcy is forbidden with a wardrobe choice like that. Those pants demand of the wearer an extraordinary, kickass personality trait. At the very least, Julien better have some juicy and debaucherous stories in his social arsenal. Ben finds my comment to be hilarious. Julien has no idea what I’m talking about, which is for the best.

That night Julien has some of his fellow French friends come over. Everybody is in the living room. Julien and his friends, along with Ben, play a soccer video game. I watch. At some point, I demand to play, but I don’t know how. I just mash the buttons like a child. Out of politeness, everybody else ignores my ineptitude. As I “play” the game, my manic mind races. The thoughts bubble over. I can’t help but incessantly talk to myself out loud. I ramble about who knows what. Perhaps about my mission to stop the impending invasion of Iraq? Perhaps about my newfound responsibilities now that I’m the spiritual embodiment of Red Hugh? Perhaps about my destiny to marry Sophia so we can conceive the Messiah? I honestly can’t remember.

I DO remember that Julien passes around some extremely potent French hash. I smoke it. My insanity goes into hyperdrive. My brain is now scrambled eggs being struck by lightning. Nonsensicality manifested. It is my complete undoing. I somehow, though, cling to a shred of narrative distance that allows me to find this extreme level of bonkers to be unacceptable. I become self-aware that the craziness that has now been thrust upon me is offensive, insulting, and all-powerful. All I can do is lean into it and turn myself into a cliche. So I go into the kitchen, and I grab a pot and a wooden spoon. I put the pot on my head, and I start banging it rapidly and repeatedly. As I traverse through the house, I yell, “In a good way! In a good way! In a good way! In a good way! In a good way!” Out of sheer desperation, I have become a cartoonish depiction of a crazy person. I continue to yell, “I’m Rabbi Super J! I’m Rabbi Super J! I’m Rabbi Super J! I’m Rabbi Super J! I’m Rabbi Super J!” Ben, Julien and the French friends are all scared. They have no idea what to do. They decide to go to bed and stay away from me at all costs. They just want this to be over. But I continue to rant and rave late into the night. My energy is boundless.

Eventually, Ben calls Rabbi Zalman for help. He shows up with a doctor of some sort. They tell me to get in the car with them. I do so. I trust the Rabbi. He must be aware on the down low that I’m this special being. He must have my best interests in mind. He and the doctor take me to St. Patrick’s Psychiatric Hospital. I don’t resist. A minor miracle. I get admitted.

We’ll delve into St. Pat’s in the next entry…

Love,

JFOD

P.S. If you’re in NYC, I’m performing my new solo show I’M ON LITHIUM on Wednesday March 20th. Doors 7:30pm, Show 8pm at the Knitting Factory inside Baker Falls in the East Village (101 Avenue A, New York, NY 10009). $10 suggested donation. With special guests Janeane Garofalo and Dave Hill!!! Click the pic to reserve tickets.

“50 First Jokes” is happening in over 15 comedy scenes nationwide in 2024! Pretty damn cool! I’m so thankful and proud to have helped contribute something like this to the greater comedy community!

I’m quite psyched to be at the DC Improv this weekend! It’s one of the best comedy clubs in the country! And it’s where I was lucky enough to get to shoot my first stand up special some years back! Click the pic for tickets!

I’m performing “I’M ON LITHIUM” again! Last month was the NYC premiere, and it was a blast! The audience was amazing, and I got some really positive feedback! If you’re in NYC, I’d love for you to roll through! Click the pic to reserve seats!

Love,

JFOD