Why Adam Conover Chose Dropout Over a Big Streamer for His ‘Very Personal’ Standup Comedy Special About ADD: It’s Where People Are Going to ‘Give a Shit’

As a supporter and someone who has followed Adam Conover‘s career since his CollegeHumor days, I couldn’t be more excited about his new standup comedy special, “Adam Conover: Unmedicated.” The fact that he’s delving into such a personal topic – his history with ADD and Adderall addiction – makes it even more compelling.

This week, Adam Conover goes back to his beginnings at CollegeHumor by releasing a fresh standup comedy special titled “Adam Conover: Unmedicated.” In this performance, he opens up about his past struggles with Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) and his subsequent addiction to Adderall.

Starting from yesterday, the show can be found streaming on Dropout, an independent platform owned by the revamped CollegeHumor company, as part of their fresh “Dropout Presents” collection of stand-up comedy specials. This series made its premiere earlier this year, with Hank Green’s special airing in June.

Conover confided in EbMaster that he’s harbored a desire to work on this project for fifteen years. So, what prompted the “Adam Ruins Everything” star to choose a niche streamer for his debut standup special instead of established platforms like Netflix, Hulu, Max, or Amazon – beyond his connections with Dropout CEO Sam Reich and the CollegeHumor team he started his journey with?

First, the subject matter.

Conover is often recognized as an informational comedian, focusing on significant topics through humor, but he’s not commonly known as a standup comedian. Stand-up comedy is his original passion, and he wanted to present a traditional stand-up performance rather than delivering information. Instead of discussing ways to change the world or providing facts, he chose to share jokes about his personal experiences and life. The special revolves around his childhood diagnosis with ADD, making it a deeply personal narrative. He was among one of the first individuals in the country to be diagnosed with ADD, or at least very early on.

Performing a “customized” special for Dropout, rather than a mainstream broadcaster, allowed Conover to execute it according to his preferences and ensure it was presented as he intended.

Conover expressed that it’s quite unusual for a comedian today to pay attention to every detail and present the work on an outstanding platform where viewers are expected to appreciate it deeply. Unlike having to upload the special on YouTube for free, hoping people will watch, or depending on a streaming service’s algorithm to show it to viewers.

In “Unmedicated,” Conover describes his personal experience with Adderall, explaining that it had a similar impact on him, just like amphetamines (speed), from his childhood right through to his adult years.

He expressed that the situation was causing him significant distress, leading him to clench his teeth, consider smoking cigarettes, and suppressing his appetite. Additionally, he had trouble sleeping properly and experienced various other discomforts. However, they don’t make it clear that giving a nine-year-old amphetamines is involved. If we were more open about what’s happening here, acknowledging that the medication isn’t a cure-all and exploring alternative solutions with awareness would be ideal. He also mentioned that if one finds themselves consuming excessive alcohol to fall asleep, as he once did, it might be time to reconsider the current approach to treatment.

During the discussion, Conover refrains from advocating for either approach when it comes to managing ADD through medication or non-medication methods. Instead, he shares his personal experiences with the drug Adderall.

Conover stated that the special is titled ‘Unmedicated,’ not as a criticism of prescription treatments for ADD, but because such medications didn’t work for him and had negative effects on him. He explained that he experienced addiction to these drugs for some time and developed other addictions as well. Despite turning out okay, Conover noted that others might not be so lucky. He believes there is an issue of overmedicalization and overprescription in our society, but also acknowledged that many people find genuine benefits from these drugs. His friends and loved ones are among those who benefit, so he’s not against them. Instead, he encourages a more open discussion about this topic.

During his special, Conover ensures his audience is aware of the true components of Adderall by humorously pointing out that although it’s prescribed as Adderall, it contains amphetamines. He adds a touch of irony by mentioning that even the bottle label reads “amphetamine salts,” but people might not realize it means straight-up amphetamines.

2024-09-20 01:16

Why Adam Conover Chose Dropout Over a Big Streamer for His ‘Very Personal’ Standup Comedy Special About ADD: It’s Where People Are Going to ‘Give a Shit’

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