Shows
Smart Funny TorturedRed Wine in a Coffee Cup – The Birth of Smart Funny TorturedFive years ago, Paul Chamberlain stood at a crossroads. Sobriety wasn’t just about quitting drinking—it was about confronting the deeper truths lurking beneath the surface. In this raw and deeply personal episode, Paul takes us back to the moment that changed everything: a red wine-stained coffee cup, a painful reckoning, and a journey to reclaiming his true self.From a transformative coaching retreat in Santa Cruz to a life-altering conversation that gave birth to Smart Funny Tortured, this episode is an unfiltered look at what it means to break free from self-sabotage, embrace your contradictions, and...2025-02-2612 min
Smart Funny TorturedSmart Funny Tortured: A ManifestoI was given a challenge: write a manifesto—a call to arms for a new kind of renaissance.A world where wit, depth, and resilience aren’t just tolerated but exalted.A world where being Smart, Funny, and Tortured pays the toll and gets you across the bridge.And that challenge? It forced me to face something bigger than words.Backstory:My business coach didn’t just ask if I believed in my own framework. He called my bluff. “Is this a movement? Is this a hill worth dying on? Then...2025-02-1902 min
Smart Funny TorturedElissa Strauss on Care, Codependence, and InterdependencePaul sits down with Elissa Strauss, a prominent journalist, essayist, and author. A leading voice in the conversation surrounding society, parenting, and caregiving for over 15 years. Her work has been featured in top-tier publications such as The New York Times, The Atlantic, Glamour, Elle, and The American Prospect, as well as on CNN and Slate's DoubleX.In her new book, "When You Care: The Unexpected Magic of Caring for Others," Elissa delves into the history and power of care in our lives and communities. Drawing on extensive research and her own experiences as a mother, Elissa presents...2024-05-0850 minSmart Funny TorturedCurious Refuge: Caleb & Shelby WardPaul sits down with Caleb and Shelby Ward, Co-Founders of the World’s First Home for AI Storytellers, Curious Refuge. From western Texas to the mahogany boardrooms of Hollywood studios, Caleb and Shelby are at the center of the AI filmmaking revolution. Artists and educators first, this new generation power couple, share their thoughts and feelings on what is going to keep this technology... human.Curious Refuge is dedicated to those who seek to harness AI tools for crafting exceptional art, pioneering a new era in the future of storytelling. They blazed a trail with the creation of...2023-11-281h 00Smart Funny TorturedTimothy Morton: Eco-philosopher and ArtistPaul sits down with Professor Timothy Morton, an eco-philosopher, artist, and author of 25 books, translated 40 times into 18 languages. They explore the connection between philosophy, ecology, spirituality, fascism, and shame. Their discussion centers on the notion that acknowledging our existence within the biosphere is a profound spiritual encounter. Professor Morton's broad range of work spans philosophy, literature, music, art, and more, resonating not only with scholars and philosophers but also with artists and creative minds who cherish the interconnectedness of the natural world. [00:00:35] What it is to be a life form[00:05:53] The jungle is a cathedral[00:10:12] I...2023-09-211h 00
Smart Funny TorturedThe SFT Podcasts of 2022 - the look back epsiodeWell, it's 2023 - we made it! As we gather receipts and do an audit on times past while looking forward; I wanted to gather bits and pieces of the past year's conversations in which my guests' brilliance took us places profound, hilarious and enlightening.What we talked about...Bisexuality and coming out (with Zachary Zane)Understanding Happiness (with Tal Ben-Shahar)Undeniable wisdom from a retired sex worker (with Rylee Rabbit)the warnings about the slow rot of American authoritarianism (with Sarah Kendzior)Finding one's Self (with John Kim)How our biographies directly affect our biology (with...2023-01-011h 11
Smart Funny TorturedRankin Bass Christmas Specials - the SFT takeWhat is the Christmas season without thinly veiled trauma and dysfunction in the form of beloved animated family television specials? With the help of trauma research professor, Dr. MC McDonald, sex/love addiction coach, Sean Cardinalli and Life Coach, Carllie Jaxxen, we take an irreverent but nostalgic look at the classic Rankin Bass Christmas Specials: Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer, Frosty The Snowman, Santa Claus is Comin’ to Town and The Year Without a Santa Claus.Follow MC McDonald on Instagram: @emseyphdRead MC McDonald on MediumVisit MC McDonald, PhD Alchemy CoachingListen to the...2022-12-161h 11Smart Funny TorturedRena Martine on Intimacy, Non-Monogamy and shame-free sexPaul sits down with women's intimacy coach and former sex crimes prosecutor, Rena Martine to discuss ethical non-monogamy (ENM) and her mission to help women love their bodies, experience deep intimacy and have great sex, shame-free.Rena Martine is a fascinating and dynamic woman who, at first glance at her career track from then to now, could be seen as a massive divergence. But upon closer examination, her evolution is both logical and beautiful.Rena Martine was a Los Angeles County Deputy District Attorney for 14 years, where she specialized in sex crimes, child abuse and...2022-12-0148 min
Smart Funny TorturedThe Marvel Traumatic UniverseThe Marvel Cinematic Universe isn’t powered by vibranium, sorcery or infinity stones...it's powered by trauma and grief. With the help of research professor, Dr. MC McDonald and the incomparably urbane satirist, George Hahn, we break down how the MCU has pulled off a superhuman feat in depicting the impact of these very human experiences.In honor of the release of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, Paul, MC and George take an informed heartfelt look at Avengers: Infinity War, Avengers: Endgame, WandaVision and the latest MCU installment of the Black Panther saga. While laughing a lot and cr...2022-11-181h 43Smart Funny TorturedKat Courtney on Ayahuasca, integration and the resistance to living an authentic lifeKat Courtney is a woman of exceptional power, perspective and wisdom. She is an 18 year veteran of Plant Medicines: Meaning she has been traditionally trained to administer the psychedelic medicinal brew Ayahuasca and the botanical cousin of Peyote, Huachuma or San Pedro cactus. She is an integration coach and her expertise extends to crises of the soul and addiction recovery. And she is an author with her first book out now, The Plant Medicine Mystery School Volume 1: The Superhero Healing Powers of Psychotropic Plants. She is a certified Death Doula honored to help people make peace with th...2022-11-141h 01Smart Funny TorturedJeffrey Gurian on Comedy, Fate and DentistryPaul sits down with Jeffrey Gurian to talk about being one of the most beloved people in the world of comedy, self-limiting beliefs and picking the right outfit before the ambulance arrives.People often refer to him as a “Renaissance Man”, because he’s involved in so many things. But he’s really a Mensch. A wonderful Yiddish term that defines a person as someone who can be relied upon to act with honor and integrity. Who is kind and considerate; admired within the small circle who know them well. Well, that small circle includes people li...2022-10-2844 minSmart Funny TorturedDr. Habib Sadeghi on Love and MedicinePaul sits down with Dr. Habib Sadeghi to talk about love, medicine and what we can do to regain our health and happiness despite a broken medical system.It’s fair to say that one area of our life where we find ourselves tortured is when we have to navigate the traditional American medical system for ourselves or a loved one. Enduring the feeling that we are only to be quickly seen, prescribed and dispatched to the next test, doctor or calendar year.Imagine having a doctor who listened to you. Who was inquisitive from th...2022-07-071h 08Smart Funny TorturedJohn Kim AKA The Angry Therapist on finding Self, the power of Coaching and how motorcycles, CrossFit and donuts made it all betterPaul sits down with The Angry Therapist, John Kim, LMFT to talk about finding Self, the power of Coaching and how motorcycles, CrossFit and donuts made it all better.In a departure from the usual format, Paul sets up the interview by sharing his very personal connection to one of John’s books (I Used to Be a Miserable F*ck) and how it helped him during an extremely dark time*. Spoiler alert: there’s a happy ending for everyone on this episode.John Kim, LMFT, (AKA The Angry Therapist) and co-founder of Lumia, pioneered the...2022-05-1248 minSmart Funny TorturedSarah Kendzior on authoritarianism, corruption and life's simple pleasuresPaul sits down with best-selling author and scholar, Sarah Kendzior to talk about staying vigilant while trying to enjoy life’s simple pleasures as authoritarianism and corruption continues to accelerate.Sarah Kendzior darkly refers to herself on Twitter as a non-fiction horror writer. That description, while hilarious, is spot on. She is also a journalist, holds a PhD in anthropology and a Masters in Central Eurasian Studies focusing on the authoritarian states of the former Soviet Union. Her two books, The View From Flyover Country and Hiding In Plain Sight are celebrated bestsellers and must reads...2022-04-191h 08Smart Funny TorturedRylee Rabbit & Sex Work/EntrepreneurshipPaul sits down with Rylee Rabbit to talk about sex work, entrepreneurial hustle and finding things that are beautiful in people. Through sheer resourcefulness, fearlessness and grit she has grown her Rylee Rabbit brand into a budding enterprise with over a million followers across multiple platforms while employing several creatives and becoming an advocate for her industry and the health and welfare of those who work in it.Follow Rylee Rabbit on Instagram: @downtherabbithole.tvFollow Rylee Rabbit on Twitter: @MsRyleeRabbitVisit RyleeRabbit.comHost: Paul ChamberlainGuest: Rylee Rabbit2022-03-3057 minSmart Funny TorturedTal Ben-Shahar & HappinessPaul sits down with best-selling author and lecturer, Tal Ben-Shahar to discuss the science of happiness, how to become happier and how the pursuit of happiness is all wrong.Tal Ben-Shahar taught two of the largest classes in Harvard University’s history, "Positive Psychology" and "The Psychology of Leadership." His books have been translated into more than thirty languages, and have appeared on best-seller lists around the world. His latest books are “Happiness Studies” and “Happier, No Matter What.”Tal consults and lectures to executives in multinational corporations, the general public, and at-risk populations. The topics he...2022-03-1053 minSmart Funny TorturedZachary Zane & BisexualityDespite more and more people identifying as bisexual, stigmas remain, leaving many not feeling fully accepted by their communities. This includes your host. During my interview, Zachary Zane held a special space where I felt safe to finally come out and present my authentic self to the world. I never thought that when I did do it, I would be recording and distributing it on the Internet; but here we are...Smart, Funny and a little less Tortured.16:30 - Paul comes out19:40 - When Zachary came to terms with being bisexual37:00 - Zachary goes to t...2022-02-2259 min
Smart Funny TorturedJames Bond & George HahnJames Bond is smart, funny, tortured: Paul and George Hahn explain why and also list their favorite and not-so-favorite franchise elementsIn honor of the long overdue release of No Time To Die--the 25th installment of the James Bond franchise--Paul sits down with fellow 007 megafan, George Hahn, to discuss why the ever-evolving, functional alcoholic crack-shot misogynist remains a titan of pop culture. Hahn, a celebrated satirist, sartorialist and urban raconteur, joins Paul to indulge their shared appreciation by ranking the best and worst elements of Bond, from favorite films, best opening themes and worst lines from sixty year...2021-10-151h 22Smart Funny TorturedJonathan CapehartPaul sits down with Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist, Jonathan Capehart to talk about being black, gay, finding the gray, and the day when America was as close as it ever was to realizing its national ideals.Jonathan Capehart is anchor of “The Sunday Show with Jonathan Capehart” on MSNBC. He is also an opinion writer and editorial board member of The Washington Post, where he hosts the “Cape Up” podcast and anchors Washington Post Live’s “First Look,” and a commentator on “The PBS Newshour.”Follow Jonathan Capehart on Instagram: @CapehartJFollow Jonathan Capehart on Twitter: @Capehart...2021-09-0349 minSmart Funny TorturedPaul WilliamsPaul sits down with Paul Williams to talk about never not being starstruck, three decades of sobriety and why his heart is the fullest it has ever been.Paul Williams is one of the most beloved and respected music creators in the world today. A lyricist and composer who has won an Oscar Award, three Grammy Awards, two Golden Globe Awards and earned induction into the Songwriters Hall of Fame, his songs, from “We’ve Only Just Begun,” “Rainy Days and Mondays” and “You and Me Against the World” to “An Old Fashioned Love Song,” “Let Me Be the One” and “The...2021-07-1438 minSmart Funny TorturedApril WinchellApril Winchell has experienced about seven different lifetimes, each one funnier - and up until now - more tragic than the last. The one she lives now is her best life, and she has a hilariously biting perspective on how she got there. The daughter of a famous Dad, April found her own success as an award-winning advertising industry star and acclaimed voice actor. She was also a prolific satirist, L.A. radio personality and monumental hot mess. But today, her creativity and happiness come not from just a very different place, but a far healthier one.
2021-06-2356 minSmart Funny TorturedRob Paulsen on depression and the redemptive power of cancer and cartoonsRob Paulsen is one of Hollywood’s busiest, most talented, and most passionate performers who specializes in the art of voice acting, a career that has earned him a Daytime Emmy, three Annie Awards, and a Peabody. He is the voice of Pinky from “Pinky and the Brain”, Yakko from “Animaniacs”, Raphael from "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles", just to name a few. His accolades and “sunny disposition” stand in stark defiance to the battles he has waged and triumphed over. From a crushing bout of depression at 54 years old to the diagnosis of stage 3 metastatic throat cancer, Rob remains one of the nic...2021-06-0958 minSmart Funny TorturedGeorge Hahn on sobriety, tenacity and Cary Grant's suitPaul sits down with the charming and ascendant George Hahn to talk about sobriety, tenacity and Cary Grant's suit.George was recently featured in the New York Times and given the designation of “Urban Raconteur.” Spot on considering how the satirist, humorist, sartorialist, minimalist, bicyclist, urbanist, humanist, soloist and coffee elitist is becoming essential viewing on social media with his hilarious and intimate live-streamed morning walks through Central Park with his dogs. But what made this podcast so rich and meaningful was the discussion around George’s 19 years of sobriety. Where he was at the turn of the cen...2021-05-2153 min