If laughter really was the best medicine, Gavin Crawford would have cured his mother of Alzheimer’s disease. As a son, his mother’s dementia has been devastating. As a comedian though… it’s been sort of funny. Honestly, how do you respond when your mom confuses you with her teenage crush and wants you to take her to the high-school dance? Well, you laugh. Because it’s the only thing you can do. In this seven-part series, Gavin tells the story of losing his mother — his best friend and the inspiration for a lot of his comedy — to a disease that can be heartbreaking, but sometimes also hilarious. He’s joined by comedian friends who share their experience caring for family members with dementia. The result is a cross between an improv act and a support group. Part memoir, part stand-up, part meditation on grief and loss, Let’s Not Be Kidding is a dose of the very best medicine for anyone dealing with hard times. Listen ad-free by subscribing to the CBC Stories Premium channel on Apple Podcasts (apple.co/cbcstories). For more content from Gavin, check out Because News: cbc.ca/becausenews
Introducing: So Your Parents Are Old from Campside Media
Today we’re sharing a preview of the new podcast So Your Parents Are Old from Campside Media. On the show, journalist Vanessa Grigoriadis talks to friends, experts, and celebrities about the chaos of dealing with aging parents. From Medicaid nightmares to emotional meltdowns in storage units, it’s a brutally honest, often hilarious look at one of life’s most disorienting stages. Come for the catharsis, stay for the gallows humor and unfiltered conversations. If you’re currently the parent to your parents, this is your group chat in podcast form. Find more episodes of So Your Parents Are Old here: https://link.mgln.ai/letsnotbekidding (https://link.mgln.ai/letsnotbekidding)
26 Nov 2024
Let’s Not Be Kidding Introduces | Personally: Short Sighted
Master storyteller Graham Isador shares intimate and irreverent stories of accessibility and vision loss, revealing what it sounds like to be human.
16 Sept 2024
Let’s Not Be Kidding Introduces: Personal Best Season 3
Personal Best is a podcast that celebrates small ambitions, half-wins and the quiet satisfaction of getting less bad at things. Each week they help ordinary people work through the little things they’d never bring to a life coach — like having the courage to dine alone at a fancy restaurant or getting less awkward at handshakes. Let them be your self-improvement sidekicks! More episodes from the brand new season of Personal Best are available at: https://link.chtbl.com/KezSSUcc (https://link.chtbl.com/KezSSUcc )
4 Jun 2024
Let’s Not Be Kidding Introduces: Come by Chance
If you’ve ever been to Newfoundland, you know it’s a place where fog can envelop you so deeply, you don’t know where you’re going or where you came from. When two men, born in the same rural Newfoundland hospital on the same day, discover an unbelievable 52-year-old secret, it changes the way they see themselves forever. But this isn’t the end of the story. Because it turns out these men are not alone. A series of other close calls and near misses have begun to emerge, and not only at Come by Chance hospital. Come By Chance is a story about what it means to belong in a family — and how a twist of fate can upend the life you thought you knew.
More episodes are available at: https://link.chtbl.com/d8nMWqJ1 (https://link.chtbl.com/d8nMWqJ1)
19 Jun 2023
The story Gavin never thought he’d tell: On stage at Hot Docs with Aurora Browne
Let’s Not Be Kidding is a raw and darkly funny exploration of a painful time in Gavin Crawford’s family life. In this live conversation on stage at the Hot Docs festival, Gavin chats with Aurora Browne about how and why they decided to bring such emotional stories to life through a comedic podcast.
16 Jun 2023
Introducing: Because News with Gavin Crawford!
Let's Not Be Kidding may be over, but Gavin isn't going anywhere! Hear him, joined by his funniest friends in the biz, every week on Because News: the funniest news quiz out there. Find the show here: https://link.chtbl.com/9DpgoSe9
In this episode: Cliff Cardinal, Jan Caruana, and Craig Lauzon take the news quiz with host Gavin Crawford.
1 May 2023
Episode 1: Another Day, Another Donna
Gavin shares what it was like to come to the realisation his mom, Donna, was losing her memory and sense of her place in the world. And how being able to find the funny moments is vital to surviving the slow tragedy of Alzheimer's disease.
Hear all 7 episodes of Let's Not Be Kidding now by logging in to CBC Listen or by subscribing to the CBC Stories Premium channel (apple.co/cbcstories), where episodes are also ad free.
For transcripts of this series, please visit: https://www.cbc.ca/radio/podcastnews/let-s-not-be-kidding-transcripts-listen-1.6824953
1 May 2023
Episode 2: Certified Mother’s Boy
Gavin’s mom, Donna, was his protector and champion growing up. This episode zooms in on the experiences of gay kids and their fiercely protective moms. Featuring Scott Thompson, Aurora Browne, and surprising entries from Donna Crawford's journal.
Hear all 7 episodes of Let's Not Be Kidding now by logging in to CBC Listen or by subscribing to the CBC Stories Premium channel (apple.co/cbcstories), where episodes are also ad free.
For transcripts of this series, please visit: https://www.cbc.ca/radio/podcastnews/let-s-not-be-kidding-transcripts-listen-1.6824953
1 May 2023
Episode 3: Just Roll With It
Gavin talks about Donna’s “looping phase.” People with dementia repeat the same questions, fixate on things…and drive their loved ones crazy. Featuring Jann Arden, Aurora Browne, Gavin's husband Kyle, who – according to Donna – invented the Christmas tree.
Hear all 7 episodes of Let's Not Be Kidding now by logging in to CBC Listen or by subscribing to the CBC Stories Premium channel (apple.co/cbcstories), where episodes are also ad free.
For transcripts of this series, please visit: https://www.cbc.ca/radio/podcastnews/let-s-not-be-kidding-transcripts-listen-1.6824953
1 May 2023
Episode 4: Children and Art
As the Sondheim song goes, our legacy is principally children and art. This episode is a portrait of Donna Crawford, artist & mother–and an exploration of what happens when the traits that define us dissolve altogether.
Hear all 7 episodes of Let's Not Be Kidding now by logging in to CBC Listen or by subscribing to the CBC Stories Premium channel (apple.co/cbcstories), where episodes are also ad free.
For transcripts of this series, please visit: https://www.cbc.ca/radio/podcastnews/let-s-not-be-kidding-transcripts-listen-1.6824953
1 May 2023
Episode 5: Hide the keys!
Denial is no longer an option when your loved one drives the wrong way down a highway. This episode is full of driving horror stories, and advice from an Alzheimer's expert on how–and when–to take away the keys.
Hear all 7 episodes of Let's Not Be Kidding now by logging in to CBC Listen or by subscribing to the CBC Stories Premium channel (apple.co/cbcstories), where episodes are also ad free.
For transcripts of this series, please visit: https://www.cbc.ca/radio/podcastnews/let-s-not-be-kidding-transcripts-listen-1.6824953
1 May 2023
Episode 6: The Bus Stop at the End of the World
There’s no place like the home. There comes a point when living at home becomes dangerous for someone with dementia. And too much for their family to handle. Gavin and producer, David Carroll, talk about the angst of coming to that decision.
Hear the finale of Let's Not Be Kidding now by logging in to CBC Listen or by subscribing to the CBC Stories Premium channel (apple.co/cbcstories), where episodes are also ad free.
For transcripts of this series, please visit: https://www.cbc.ca/radio/podcastnews/let-s-not-be-kidding-transcripts-listen-1.6824953
1 May 2023
Episode 7: Good Grief
Gavin and Kyle take Donna on one last trip to NYC in this final episode.
For transcripts of this series, please visit: https://www.cbc.ca/radio/podcastnews/let-s-not-be-kidding-transcripts-listen-1.6824953
6 Apr 2023
Introducing: Let's Not Be Kidding with Gavin Crawford
Join comedian Gavin Crawford on his journey through laughter and tears in the seven-part series Let's Not Be Kidding. As he navigates the heartbreak of watching his mother’s battle with Alzheimer’s disease, Gavin finds humour and comfort swapping stories with fellow comedians, friends and family who have experienced the same struggles.
Silly, sweet, hilarious, and harrowing, Let’s Not Be Kidding is a guiding light for anyone dealing with the challenges of caring for a loved one with dementia. Released weekly on Mondays, starting May 1, 2023.
Reach and audience
Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.
Apple Podcasts (US)
4.9 / 5
178 ratings
Spotify
5.0 / 5
240 ratings
Contact Let's Not Be Kidding with Gavin Crawford
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