10 Craziest Stories Told On Marc Maron's WTF Podcast
4. Todd Hanson's Suicide Attempt
Todd Hanson first rose to prominence as a comedic voice during his time as head writer for the legendary parody magazine The Onion. He is also a close friend and colleague of Marc Maron, which made his 2011 appearance on WTF all the more meaningful and intimate.
On the episode, as well as discussing the standard topics of career and comedy, Hanson's interview takes a darkly comic, albeit devastating, turn when he reveals why he chose to record his episode in a particular hotel.
He confides in Maron (and the audience) about his suicide attempt in that very hotel when he swallowed 60 Xanax pills with scotch. Hanson comes across as simultaneously level-headed and highly vulnerable as he tells his story powerfully and sincerely.
The interview is overwhelmingly emotional as Marc and Todd discuss the agony of living with depression and the pain of having survived such a traumatic event.