When I found out that Marc Maron had a new stand-up comedy special coming to HBO, I made sure to add it to my watchlist and check it out as soon as humanly possible. Shortly after the special hit the 2025 TV schedule, I fired up my HBO Max subscription and prepared myself to take in the WTF Podcast host’s observations, complaints, and anecdotes from his wild and neurotic life. While the whole 70-minute Panicked routine was outstanding and some of the best comedy I’ve seen in a long time, there was one bit that hit me the hardest.
No, it wasn’t Maron’s critique of politics, celebrity, or relationships that got me. Instead, it was when the Stick star started sharing anecdotes about living with anxiety, or his “intrusive catastrophic thinking,” that both hit me like a ton of bricks and a warm pillow. Let me explain.
