32 episodes
Uncomfortable Truths Pradeepa Timmermans
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- Comedy
Uncomfortable Truths is hosted by Melbourne comedian Pradeepa Timmermans. She interviews interesting local comedians and regular people here in Australia. Each podcast briefly discusses or delves right into at least one uncomfortable truth. These include topics like being a comedian, writing comedy, sex, addiction, corruption, experiences of failure as well as success, mental health - you know, the stuff we don’t talk about. The only thing we find more uncomfortable than these subjects is trying to hold them in! Let's release the shame and fear by talking and laughing about it, together.
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Ep34 Blaise White (Geelong comedian, travelling Europe, Edinburgh festival, weed culture)
Blaise White has been doing comedy since high school, and started performing on the comedy circuit here in Melbourne when he was just 17 years old! He has recently returned from a 3 month journey around Europe, where he started the trip by proposing to his girlfriend! And thank goodness, she said yes. He’s performed shows in multiple Comedy Festivals, has performed at Edinburgh Festival, was a regular at Station 59 and became Kieran Butler’s apprentice/partner in running and MCing The Highlander comedy room up until March 2022. He now runs his own entertainment company “Anything Goes” in Geelong, which runs a weekly comedy night at The Brewery and several trivia nights around Geelong. He, like myself, is also a big weed enthusiast. We talk a lot about weed laws and regulations in Europe. I’ve know Blaise for years, and it was great to get to know him on a deeper level. Give it up! For Blaise White.
Blaise White
Instagram | Facebook | Linktree
Pradeepa Timmermans
Instagram | Facebook | pradeepa.com.au | pradeepa.deep@gmail.com -
Ep33 Joel Temperly (Comedy in China, travelling, lockdowns, running a room, economics!)
Joel Temperly started doing stand-up comedy when he was teaching English in China. He’s also lived in Moscow and has recently been to London to ‘hang out with some mates’. Joel loves to travel, and fortunately he ended up back in Melbourne just before the lockdowns hit back in 2020. He first hit the Melbourne Comedy scene back in 2019, and started his first comedy room in 2020. He’s also an economist, believe it or not! We talk about how he started in comedy, his travels, his role as an economist, running a comedy room, learning not to take things personally and his new comedy room that has just opened up in Collingwood – The Gem. Joel himself is a gem to chat with, with heaps of interesting experiences and views on life and the world. Have a listen – it’s a good one!
Joel Temperly
Instagram | YouTube
Pradeepa Timmermans
Instagram | Facebook | pradeepa.com.au | pradeepa.deep@gmail.com -
Ep32 Rain Ferndale (Visual artist, ex-Hare Krishna, child abuse within religions, cult behaviour, dangers of guru worship)
Rain Ferndale was brought up as a Hare Krishna from the age of 5, in Murwillumbah, Northern NSW. I have known Rain since the time she was a baby. I recently watched “Keep Sweet, Pray and Obey” on Netflix, the documentary on the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. I noticed some striking similarities between what I saw in the documentary and what I had observed of Rain’s family, all Hare Krishnas.
These were similarities such as idolisation of women becoming mothers at a very young age and limiting their education. I also noticed that both religions ask you to believe what you are told by the guru, no matter what, even if it doesn’t make sense. This also often happens in a dictatorship.
Rain tells us in what ways they are similar, and gives us a unique insight into what it’s like growing up as a Hare Krishna, here in Australia. I watched most of the documentary “Faith and Fear – The Children of Krishna”, which outlines the horrific child abuse that went on in the USA and India at Hare Krishna boarding schools, aka Gurukalas. I ask Rain if she witnessed any of this kind of abuse, or if she was subject to anything similar. Her story is captivating and horrifying.
She was kicked out of home when she was 13 and has been estranged from her mother ever since. She is now 26. None of her family are Hare Krishnas anymore. Despite this, her 19 year old younger sister, who was born into being a Hare Krishna, has recently become pregnant to a 35 year old man. She has a Year 10 education. This has all transpired with her mother’s encouragement and support. You’ll hear that this is exactly what she was brought up to do, and despite the fact that they are no longer Hare Krishnas, the conditioning runs deep, it would seem. This conversation will blow your mind. You won’t believe that this is happening with no investigation or transparency, right here in Australia. Hang in there. It’s worth it. -
Ep31 Jameel Rehman (Melbourne comedian, Footscray Comedy Club, Aussie Comedy Network, podcaster, self-awareness, overcoming trauma)
Jameel Rehman is a Melbourne comedian, room runner extraordinaire and co-creator of Jambo Comedy night in Footscray. We discuss his background as a musician, using his sales and entrepreneur skills to run a great room, facing and transforming himself during lockdown, his podcast Binge Thinker, overcoming past trauma and where to now with Aussie Comedy Network?
I’ve been listening to his podcast Binge Thinker for a while now, and I dig it! Jameel thinks deeply, honestly and is very open in his podcast. A good podcast for the self reflective, critical thinker. We had a really cool convo – and a very educational one! Well worth the listen.
Jameel Rehman
Instagram | Facebook | YouTube | TikTok
Pradeepa Timmermans
Instagram | Facebook | pradeepa.com.au | pradeepa.deep@gmail.com -
Ep30 Jess Pearman (Melbourne comedian, next level, giving up drinking, comedy for self development, cognitive dissonance, self care)
Jess Pearman, comedian in Melbourne since 2016, is killing it on the comedy scene. We talk about her breakthrough in comedy this year, since she stopped drinking. We discuss cognitive dissonance, dark humour, using comedy to work on your own insecurities and 'faults' and how the social aspect of the being a comedian is a huge part of why we do this. Jess and I both come from a music and band background, so we have a fair bit in common. We're also both passionate, so this is a convo where we both get right into it. I loved it - I think you'll love it too. Enjoy!!
Jess Pearman, Melbourne comedian
Jess Pearman
Instagram | Facebook | YouTube
Pradeepa Timmermans
Instagram | Facebook | pradeepa.com.au | pradeepa.deep@gmail.com -
Ep29 Billy Stiles (Comedy philosophy, having ADHD, medication, comedy for personal growth, finding the balance)
Melbourne comedian since 2015, Billy Stiles has been gigging regularly, both in rural Victoria and in Melbourne. After being dragged to RAW Comedy by his sister, Billy started gigging on the open mic circuit. We've known each other since 2015, and I've seen him rise from strength to strength. With several Comedy Festival shows under his belt, numerous rural tours and regular gigging in Melbourne, Billy has recently been performing at Dave O'Neill's comedy room "Dave's Comedy Fun House". Billy has also been making guest appearances on Dave's radio program on Nova FM. We talk about how Billy got started, the impact comedy had on him, being diagnosed with ADHD, life after starting medication, learning to not be so reactive in comedy, walking the middle line and comedy philosophy. It's a great conversation with Billy - enjoy!!
Billy Stiles
Instagram | Facebook | YouTube
Pradeepa Timmermans
Instagram | Facebook | pradeepa.com.au | pradeepa.deep@gmail.com