for a certain type of person, is the permission to find humor in grief. Episodes like Ep. 115: How Humor, Grief, and Loss Go Together (with guest stand-up comedian Nick Simmons) highlight how laughter can coexist with sorrow. “Grief and joy are not mutually exclusive,” Ferrugio tell us. “You might feel guilty to even find joy amongst grief. But to me, you give yourself permission for both of those things—permission to grieve and permission to find joy.” By blending vulnerability with humor, Ferrugio challenges the notion that grief must always be solemn and serious, creating a space where healing can happen in unexpected ways. “I think life is just one big dark comedy, if you will. Everything could be laughed at in a certain light, but there are moments when laughter isn’t the point,” he explains. This thoughtful approach allows him to carefully thread humor into conversations where it fits naturally, without forcing it. “I gently throw in humor where I see fit—it’s not planned; it’s just a natural reaction,” he says. The balance of levity and empathy enables Ferrugio to connect with listeners on a human level, showing them that even in the darkest moments, a little light can shine through. Humor, joy—whatever gets you through the day. But no matter how you talk about death, he says the point is simply to be able to talk about death. And perhaps society is shifting more in that direction. “COVID was a big shift,” he says, “in the revolutionary aspect of going back to the age-old question... ‘Who are we? Why are we here? What is death, this, and the afterlife?’”
“GRIEF AND JOY ARE NOT MUTUALLY EXCLUSIVE. YOU [MUST] GIVE YOURSELF PERMISSION FOR BOTH OF THOSE THINGS.”
The pandemic forced many to confront their own mortality in a way they hadn’t before, bringing discussions about death back into public consciousness. The podcast taps into this moment, offering listeners a chance to explore these questions in an open and honest way, free of judgment or discomfort. So, what advice does a man with nearly 200 episodes on death and over a million combined social media followers (as of this writing) have for you or your loved ones who may be grieving? He emphasizes the importance of being present and gauging the emotional readiness of someone in grief. “The way people receive information is different. It’s about reading the room and understanding what they’re ready to hear,” he shares. For him, grief is as much about connection as it is about timing: “Just being there is better than anything I could ever say,” ●
DEAD Talks Podcast is available on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.
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