MC and Tracy kick things off with a fun chat about the joys of compression socks and readers (because we're all about comfort here), before diving into the real stuff — grief myths! Wasn't grief already hard enough without a bunch of myths? Yes. Yes, it was.

First on the chopping block is the idea that “time heals all wounds.” Yeah, not so much. Grief isn’t something you just “get over” with time—it’s a lifelong thing, and that’s totally okay. They also debunk the myth that kids don’t grieve. Spoiler: they do, duh. Next, they tackle the whole “the first year is the hardest” myth. Guess what? That’s not a one-size-fits-all truth either. Grief’s timeline is different for everyone. They also bust the myth that you’ll eventually go back to being the “old you” after healing. Truth is, grief changes you — and that’s part of the process. Oh, and about therapy? Not all therapists are created equal, so finding the right one is key.

In the final part, they keep things real and hilarious as always, mixing in stories about dental work and angels (yes, it all connects!). They chat about how grief isn’t just endless tears —it can come with moments of laughter too. And angels.

Check out⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Keep Grief Weird on Substack⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for exclusive episode notes, resources, and opportunities to connect!

Instagram:

-⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@keepgriefweird⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

-⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@mc.phd ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

-⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@shutterbean⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

-⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@thehandwritingclub⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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Facebook:

-⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@tracyshutterbean⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

-⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@emseyphd⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Music kindly provided by⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Tom Rosenthal⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. The song excerpted at the beginning and end of each episode is "⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Have We Met Before? feat. Fenne Lily"⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ from the album⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Z-Sides⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, released in 2018.

MC McDonald and Tracy Benjamin host Keep Grief Weird, produced by Tracy Benjamin. For questions, stories, or comments, please reach out via DM on Instagram (⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@keepgriefweird⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠) or email at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠keepgriefweird@gmail.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

In this episode, we dive headfirst into the world of celebrity deaths and the intriguing emotional rollercoaster they stir up. Inspired by Billy Joel’s hit song "Only the Good Die Young," we ask: why are we so fascinated by celebrity death? Why does it seem like so many of our icons, from Amy Winehouse to Kurt Cobain and Heath Ledger, leave us too soon? And what’s up with the infamous 27 Club?

We take a deep dive into parasocial relationships—the one-sided (but totally normal!) bonds we form with celebrities we’ve never met but feel like we know. It’s wild how deeply we can grieve someone we’ve only seen through a screen or heard through speakers, but it’s real, and we’re here to explore why that happens. Social media has turned these experiences up to eleven, giving us constant access to tributes, memorials, and even AI-generated versions of our lost icons. Could AI and holograms change the way we grieve in the future? Will we still mourn when we can ‘see’ a performer on stage after they're gone? Through some personal stories and relatable reflections, we’ll look at how mourning celebrities can mirror our own grief for loved ones, and how these public losses shape the way we navigate our private grief. Join us for a thought-provoking and maybe even healing conversation about the lasting influence these stars have on our lives, even after they’re gone. Check out⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Keep Grief Weird on Substack⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for exclusive episode notes, resources, and opportunities to connect!

Instagram:

-⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@keepgriefweird⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

-⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@mc.phd ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

-⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@shutterbean⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

-⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@thehandwritingclub⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

TikTok:

-⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@mc.phd⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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Facebook:

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-⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@emseyphd⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Music kindly provided by⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Tom Rosenthal⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. The song excerpted at the beginning and end of each episode is "⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Have We Met Before? feat. Fenne Lily"⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ from the album⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Z-Sides⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, released in 2018.

MC McDonald and Tracy Benjamin host Keep Grief Weird, produced by Tracy Benjamin. For questions, stories, or comments, please reach out via DM on Instagram (⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@keepgriefweird⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠) or email at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠keepgriefweird@gmail.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Get ready for an especially lively and heartfelt episode as Tracy and MC dive into your letters! This time, they're tackling an eclectic mix of topics that will have you laughing, reflecting, and reminiscing. They start out as randomly as ever, talking about theater warm-up exercises and those nostalgic AOL chatrooms that shaped our early internet lives. Tracy and MC share some seriously cathartic swearing stories as well as their original AOL handles.

But it’s not all laughs — things get real as they open up about their experiences with grief. Through listener letters, they explore the bittersweet moments that come when you recognize pieces of your lost loved ones in yourself. From the uncanny resemblance in the mirror to the traits passed down through generations, they delve into the complex emotions that come with aging and the desire to carve out their own identities. This episode also touches on the fascinating intersections of genetics, societal pressures, and the modern obsession with filters and cosmetic tweaks.

As always, it’s a conversation that’s as deep as it is diverse, highlighting how grief weaves its way into every corner of our lives—even the way we see ourselves. Tune in for a mix of fun, nostalgia, and raw, honest reflections!

Join⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Keep Grief Weird on Substack⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for exclusive episode notes, resources, and opportunities to connect!

Instagram:

-⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@keepgriefweird⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

-⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@mc.phd ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

-⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@shutterbean⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

-⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@thehandwritingclub⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

TikTok:

-⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@mc.phd⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

X:

-⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@shutterbean⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Facebook:

-⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@tracyshutterbean⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

-⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@emseyphd⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Music kindly provided by⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Tom Rosenthal⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. The song excerpted at the beginning and end of each episode is "⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Have We Met Before? feat. Fenne Lily"⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ from the album⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Z-Sides⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, released in 2018.

MC McDonald and Tracy Benjamin host Keep Grief Weird, produced by Jake Youmell. For questions, stories, or comments, please reach out via DM on Instagram (⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@keepgriefweird⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠) or email at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠keepgriefweird@gmail.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.