The Berlin Patient is a podcast hosted by Australian comedian Joel White that ran from 2016 to 2017. The show is centred around unearthed recordings of White's rambling "audio postcards" to an ex-girlfriend that he originally recorded in Berlin during the aftermath of a breakup in 2010.
| The Berlin Patient | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Presentation | |
| Hosted by | Joel White |
| Genre | Comedy |
| Publication | |
| Original release | 2016 – 2017 |
In each episode, White invites friends, fellow comedians, relatives and mental health professionals to listen back to the recordings with him and try to make sense of this period in his life, and the psychology of breakups in general.
As of 2024, the original podcast feed has gone dark and episodes no longer work on iTunes. However, the complete series has surfaced on YouTube and Internet Archive.
Reception
editThe Berlin Patient was critically successful. By the release of its second episode, it was the second-most downloaded podcast in Australia. Ben McLeay of Pedestrian wrote that the show is "a cringeworthy, extremely funny, no-holds-barred look into just how fucking crazy we get after shit hits in the fan in a relationship."[1] Mamamia's Jessie Stephens called the show "a time capsule, a moment in time, a completely raw depiction of what it's like to unravel after being dumped", and added that White was "more of a genius than even he realises."[2] Olivia Lambert for News.com.au wrote that the show was "proof of somebody acting crazy due to a broken heart."[3] The New York Post called the show "cringeworthy" and the result of "catastrophic mistakes."[4] Paisley Gilmour of Cosmopolitan mentioned the show's "delightful personal topics including [White's] genitals, eating pizza, and how he was wearing her socks" and found the show "somewhere in between cute and creepy."[5] White appeared on the Nathan, Nat and Shaun program on Nova 93.7 and was told by the hosts that "your misery makes us happy."[6] He was also featured on the ABC programs Hack[7] and The Drawing Room.[8]
References
edit- ^ McLeay, Ben (24 October 2016). "New Aussie Podcast Airs Poor Fuck's Breakup Files & We Can Def Relate". Pedestrian. Retrieved 19 February 2024.
- ^ Stephens, Jessie (14 November 2016). ""This guy just went through the craziest public break-up of all time. And I know how he feels."". Mamamia. Retrieved 18 February 2024.
- ^ Lambert, Olivia (30 October 2016). "Joel White's heartache laid bare in new podcast". News.com.au. Retrieved 18 February 2024.
- ^ Saul, Emily (30 October 2017). "I tried to win my ex back with creepy audio messages". New York Post. Retrieved 18 February 2024.
- ^ Gilmour, Paisley (18 February 2024). "This guy recorded his (very desperate) attempts to win back his ex and turned them into a podcast". Cosmopolitan. Retrieved 18 February 2024.
- ^ "Joel White Nova 93.7 Interview". YouTube. The Berlin Patient YouTube. Retrieved 18 February 2024.
- ^ McVeigh, Sarah (26 October 2016). "Rambling, desperate 'audio postcards': What not to do after a breakup". ABC. Retrieved 18 February 2024.
- ^ "Surviving a relationship breakup". The Drawing Room, ABC.