Back again this week with what is quickly becoming a fan favorite, the Bevisode! In this third installment we go a little meta with Bev breaking down her own episode… breaking down other guests’ episodes. Bev goes on to share her admiration for us getting a ‘down to earth’ millennial like Sofia Franklyn on the show along with her lack of enthusiasm for the mindful, philosophical conversation we had with Sam Harris. Later Bev reflects on the sadness she felt during Jaleel White’s openness about the realities of being a child star and the similarities she saw in Mayim. And finally, we breakdown her thoughts on male nail polish in AJ McLean’s episode, plus the correlations around the idea of ‘chaos’ that she experienced in her life.
Author: Mayim Bialik
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Hunter McGrady: Redefining Beauty, Mantras & Body Positivity
Hunter McGrady, the lovely and talented trailblazer for plus size modeling, shares the ups and downs of her career including her journey to be on the cover of Sport Illustrated’s Swim Suit issue in nothing but body paint! Mayim and Hunter discuss the anxiety and depression that both men and women face in response to unrealistic societal body standards. Hunter opens up a dialogue on the important role that therapy has played in helping her to learn self love and build her confidence! She even gives Mayim some mantras to work on.
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Bevisode with Mayim’s Mom! Mindfulness, Self Esteem & Psychedelic Experiences
Bev is back! This week we breakdown our recent episodes with Kunal Nayyar, Ricki Lake & Abby Epstein, Glennon Doyle, and Rick Doblin alongside Mayim’s mother Bev. After contemplating whether or not Kunal was deeply profound or just acting the part of ‘Buddha in Jeans,’ we tackle the idea of ageism in Bev’s critique on our first show addressing women’s health. We also discuss the idea of ‘self esteem’ in today’s age of empowerment and how our show on MDMA brought back some old experiences with Bev’s undulating Mescaline trips.
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Wil Wheaton: Trauma, Depression & Self-Discovery
Wil Wheaton is a well seasoned actor, recognized for his work on The Big Bang Theory, Stand By Me, Star Trek: The Next Generation, and countless other classics. He joins us this week to talk about his lifelong battle with depression and anxiety. Mayim dives into the neuroscience behind depression and explores the importance of social support. Wil shares about growing up in the industry, his tumultuous relationship with his parents, the unexpected way he met his wife Anne, and the breakdown that leads to him getting help.
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Sal Khan: Emotional Stress, Standardized Tests, & A New Approach to Education
Salman “Sal” Khan, acclaimed educator and philanthropist describes his journey through the educational system and his plans to change it for the better. Originally an analyst at a hedge fund, Sal decided to leave his cushioned career in order to focus on his true passion, education. This is when https://www.khanacademy.org/ was born. Mayim and Sal discuss his vision of a world where everyone has the opportunity to receive individualized, compassionate education without the fear, stress, and anxiety of standardized tests and ranking systems. Mayim shares about her own experiences in the education system as a student and as a teacher to her children. Sal and Mayim discuss the “natural curiosity” of all human beings and comment on how the traditional education system has failed many students in many ways.
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Brian Posehn: Gentle Giants, Weed, and Dungeons & Dragons
Mayim and Brian discuss their life experiences and dissect Brian’s transformation from “nerd” to famous comedian and the impact of being a big man. Brian recounts his time working with Mayim on the Big Bang Theory and his excitement playing Dungeons and Dragons with Mayim and other members of the team! Mayim examines recent scientific research on the therapeutic potential of this socially engaging tabletop game! The conversation leads into a discussion of coping mechanisms and subsequent discussion of Brian’s use of marijuana. Both Brian and Mayim examine the risks and benefits of marijuana use.
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Elizabeth Bachner: Alternative Medicine, Acupuncture & Adrenal Failure – Doulas Do it Right
Elizabeth Bachner, acclaimed midwife, acupuncturist and healer, explains how her life was seemingly perfect on paper but simply didn’t feel right. By unraveling this thread, she was guided on a path of personal and spiritual transformation that many will relate to. Elizabeth brings her extensive exploration of Easter healing and Mayim and Elizabeth delve into the neuropsychological underpinnings of naturalistic medicine. Elizabeth even leads us in group meditation (Prepare to smell some lemons)! The show examines the hardships of human experience, from cancer, birth, death, and much more.
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Bevisode with Mayim’s Mom! Anxiety, Sexuality & Mind-Body Connection
Oh boy, let’s see how this goes. Introducing the first of many to come, the Bevisode… where Mayim and her mother sit down to analyze previous episodes and how the topics within them relate to their shared and individual experience in life. This week Bev dissects a few core topics from some of our earliest releases. Namely, anxiety as it relates to Grace Helbig’s episode, honesty about depression shared by Leslie Jordan, the idea of holding and the mind body connection explored by Iliza Shlesinger, plus Bev’s deep connection to the testimony shared by Cheyenne Jackson during his appearance.
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AJ McLean: Backstreet’s Back! Rehabilitation, Sobriety & Relapse
Mayim accompanies AJ along his journey from addiction to rehabilitation. Mayim and AJ discuss alcohol and substance use as an ongoing battle between sobriety and relapse. AJ goes into depth on the genesis of the Backstreet Boys and how his bandmates/friends helped him to see he needed help. Mayim and AJ talk about the pressures of growing up in the public eye and the difficulty of switching between “stage” personas and their own personas. The conversation segues into self-care, and AJ talks about his mountain biking, golfing, and nail painting escapades. Mayim and AJ get down to the crux of addiction: It is not about the substance, it is about why sober living is so painful.
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Jaleel White: Did I do That? A Case Study of a Young Star
Mayim opens up about her days on Blossom, how she started in the industry, and the huge pressures and expectations she faced. Jaleel discusses the path which led him to fame as a teenager and talks about what it was like to have so much power at a young age. Both experienced a sense of being owned by the industry and the public and share how they were trained to be deferential to adults. While they both experienced unique opportunities, including stories of 90’s NBA all star games with Michael Jordan, and stories with Karl Malone and Penny Hardaway, the conversation turns to one about Jaleel’s identity as a young black man in a predominantly white industry and the impact this had on his mental health and his outlook on his career.
