Gent’s Talk: Ep 27- A Sit-Down w/ Dave Merheje

Welcome to Episode 27 of Gent’s Talk, where we sat down with Canadian comedian Dave Merheje. The 2019 JUNO award winner for ‘Comedy Album of the Year’ took some time to discuss a few matters close to his heart while calming the room with his comedic presence. Dave spoke on relationships, self-talk, acting, generational trauma, and normalizing emotions.

Therapy

It didn’t take long for therapy to come up, and Dave, no stranger to a therapy session, described the positive role therapy plays in his life. He believes therapy gives us the tools our minds need to function correctly. It helps “punch up our minds,” as he uniquely put it. Therapy is a part of life; we love that Dave can be so calm when discussing the topic. It helps break down the stigma that we should be afraid of talking about therapy.

When asked what keeps him focused even when he’s got minimal left in the tank, he mentioned that he has to revert his focus to the end goal. He’s confident in himself and knows he has much more to accomplish, and that continued focus keeps him on track.

Generational Trauma

Not afraid to admit his anxieties, he knows the onus is on him to tackle his pain points. He is cognizant that he has inherited some of his fears and traumas from his parents. As he unpacks and processes, he doesn’t hold any resentment because he’s aware that his parental issues were because they didn’t have the help they needed to recover from their traumas; they unknowingly passed them down. He also mentioned that it’s been difficult to articulate that he’s not mad at his parents for this.

Toxic Masculinity

As for the definition of what it means to be a man in 2023, we know it has nothing to do with strength, being tough or fighting. Dave believes it has more to do with our ability to care for our people. If we can say, “Hey, I am weak right now; I’m not doing well,” Dave believes that will make our lives safer and healthier places.

“If you are in pain, Can you express that? Can you be more open with yourself?”
Dave Merheje on the idea of what a man should be

Vulnerability

Please tune into Episode 27 for the entire conversation with Dave Merheje, who also speaks on the importance of vulnerability. He stated, “the more vulnerable we are with each other, the more beauty that’s going to come out of it. If there’s restrictions, I’m not giving 100%.”

About Gent’s Talk

Gent’s Talk is available for streaming on Youtube, Spotify, Goodpods, iHeartRadio, Apple and Google Podcasts! Episode 27 of Gent’s Talk is presented by Bulova Canada, supported by Ride Rude and filmed at StartWell Studios in Toronto. Your continued support throughout this journey is appreciated. Thank you!