BONUS: Inside "Do-Over"
Summary
Host Jonathan Mitchell interviews writer Mary McDonald about her story "Do-Over," exploring social anxiety, CBT therapy, and the ethical pitfalls of commercialized mental health AI. The episode concludes with a lighthearted segment where Mitchell’s daughter, Sadie, interviews him about his creative process, favorite episodes, and the origins of the podcast.
Topics discussed
Intro: Upcoming stories and episode structure
Sponsor: Quince wardrobe reset
Sponsor: Gatorade Zero Powders
Mary McDonald: Origin of 'Do-Over' and social anxiety
Personal anecdotes: Ordering food and fear of mistakes
CBT therapy and the concept of exposure
Misuse of the app: Predictability vs. unpredictability
Commercialization of mental health and AI ads
The haunting nature of the AI and data mining
Why the technology mostly works in the story
Mary's background: Writing and acting
Improv, anxiety, and finding comfort in performance
Transition to Sadie's interview
Sponsor: Hyman Brown's Radio Mystery Theater
Sponsor: Gatorade Zero Powders (Spanish)
Sponsor: Accenture and Spotify
Sadie interviews Jonathan: Favorite parts of the process
Recommendations and Sadie's experience with the show
Favorite episodes and recording pinball sounds
Graphic novels and the origin of The Truth
Outro and sign-off
Sponsor: Uber Eats back-to-school
Sponsor: SimpliSafe Home Security
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