Nurtural Disasters

Murders of Mean Girl Mackenzie

In 2022, Mackinzie Shirilla drove full speed into a brick wall, killing two passengers including her boyfriend, Dominic Russo. What was originally reported as an accident ended up being much more sinister when Mackenzie’s perverse and callous behavior became the topic of two separate crime documentaries: The Crash and Mean Girl Murders. Did permissive parenting lead to the breeding of a murderer? Classmates painted a picture of a mean girl who was entitled and self-centered. Even after being imprisoned, Mackenzie showed little remorse and prioritized clout-chasing demeanor. Lisa recalls her relationship with an entitled friend who exploited her behavior. Red flags were abundant as the hosts navigate their past relationships with their own personal Regina Georges. Gentle parenting, where parents are permissive and enabling, lays the groundwork for a cavalcade of escalating behaviors. Where will it end up? We are all dying to know! Credits/Thanks: Theme Song: "Clouded" by Megan Morrow. IG: @meganmorrowmusic Sound Editing: Ken & Lisa Cover Art: Ken Follow us on: Instagram: @nurturaldisasters Substack: https://nurturaldisasters.substack.com Linktree: https://linktr.ee/nurturaldisasters

Just Beat It! Michael Jackson Tells Joe to Beat It!

(This is the second part of the episode, "Smooth Criminal: The Dad of Michael Jackson". Please listen to Part 1!) When we look at successful celebrities, who were victims of child abuse, do the ends justify the means? Does survivorship bias alter public perception of the actual rarity of people who transcend being abused by their parents? On this episode, Ken and Lisa continue discussing the blockbuster film, Michael, diving deeper into Michael Jackson’s psychological damage after weathering years of abuse from his vicious father, Joe. Underneath the success, Michael suffered myriads of issues such as body dysmorphia and eating disorders. At the climax of the film, Joe Jackson conjures his final act of villainy to guilt Michael into a final Jackson5 tour. Despite its commercial success, the critics panned the film, referencing its omission of scandals that plagued the King of Pop’s later career. Yet, fans saw it as a love letter to Michael’s genius that blossomed in spite of constant abuse from Joe Jackson. Cry, laugh, and enjoy the episode! Credits/Thanks: Theme Song: "Clouded" by Megan Morrow. IG: @meganmorrowmusic Sound Editing: Ken & Lisa Cover Art: Ken Follow us on: Instagram: @nurturaldisasters Substack: https://nurturaldisasters.substack.com Linktree: https://linktr.ee/nurturaldisasters

Love or Limerence: Songwriter's Guide to the Universe

(This is the second part of the episode, "Musically Enmeshed". Please listen to Part 1!) Welcome back to the second part of our interview with Megan Morrow, where she expands upon her motivations for songwriting and performing for live audiences, using creative process to turn trauma into art. She discusses how her inspirations for one of her future releases dealt with limerence that was birthed from her relationship with her parents. As a special treat, there is a clip of “The Ted Song”, a song dedicated to her late uncle. For levity purposes, there are talks about inappropriate songs, Ken’s problem with his birthdays, and Lisa’s insecurity of her voice. Yes, even this can be silly. Then, the hosts spend the rest of the episode trying to decompress from the heavy topics by talking about recreational drinking and prescription drug use. Apparently, putting yourself out there to create art and content does cause significant disappointment and burnout, but that won’t stop this trio from world domination! *Please contact 988 for if you are in crisis or need of emotional support. Credits/Thanks: Theme Song: "Clouded" by Megan Morrow. IG: @meganmorrowmusic Sound Editing: Ken & Lisa Cover Art: Ken Follow us on: Instagram: @nurturaldisasters Substack: https://nurturaldisasters.substack.com Linktree: https://linktr.ee/nurturaldisasters

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Smooth Criminal: The Dad of Michael Jackson

The Man. The Myth. The King of Pop. On this episode, Ken and Lisa go to the movies to discuss the new hit film, Michael, a biopic that chronicles the ascent of Michael Jackson as a world-class performer and pop cultural icon. All the while, his abusive father, Joe Jackson, controlled and manipulated his children to fulfill his own narcissistic and self-serving vision. How was Michael able to escape the cycle of abuse created from cultural and historical means and propel himself into superstardom? A major accident while filming a cola commercial could have ended in tragedy, but Michael uses this opportunity to forgive his mother, fulfill his obligation to his siblings, and finally severing his tumultuous relationship with his brutal father. He transcends generations of violence and escapes the clutches of his dad, but the emotional and traumatic toll might be even too much for Michael to overcome. Trigger warning: Discussions about child abuse. Credits/Thanks: Theme Song: "Clouded" by Megan Morrow. IG: @meganmorrowmusic Sound Editing: Ken & Lisa Cover Art: Ken Follow us on: Instagram: @nurturaldisasters Substack: https://nurturaldisasters.substack.com Linktree: https://linktr.ee/nurturaldisasters

Musically Enmeshed

"[Mom], you're not my friend." Megan Morrow, the singer of the show’s theme, joins the dynamic duo, Ken and Lisa, in the studio to discuss how her life experiences and familial relationships contributed to the creative process of songwriting. It might not have been the most ideal childhood, as she recalls having arguments with her mother only to have a literal door slammed in her face. Forming friendships during her formative years was a difficult proposition as her father did his best to assist young Megan, while enmeshment with her mother continued to be a lifelong concern. No longer attached at the hip, how will Megan navigate her future without the presence of mom? Tune in for loads of tears, both happy and sad! "Clouded" is available for purchase on Bandcamp. https://meganmorrow.bandcamp.com/ Credits/Thanks: Theme Song: "Clouded" by Megan Morrow. IG: @meganmorrowmusic Sound Editing: Ken & Lisa Cover Art: Ken Follow us on: Instagram: @nurturaldisasters Substack: https://nurturaldisasters.substack.com Linktree: https://linktr.ee/nurturaldisasters

Golden Child in a Red-Pilled World

“The favorite child isn’t always the most responsible one.” Toxic parenting created the ultimate monster: the unempathetic and entitled Golden Child. What happens when parents fail to check bad behaviors of their children? In this episode, the hosts investigate how the perpetuation of favoritism and entitlement contributed to the warped personality of Lisa’s biological brother, a person filled with rage and hate. Ken and Lisa journey into the Manosphere with the help of Louis Theroux’s new documentary, hoping to make sense of it all. When a narcissistic mother plays favorites, a broken wrist during swimming pool accident becomes the ultimate karma for all those involved. Get ready for a well-rounded workout or be doomed to the dreaded chicken legs. Credits/Thanks: Theme Song: "Clouded" by Megan Morrow. IG: @meganmorrowmusic Sound Editing: Ken & Lisa Cover Art: Ken Thank you to all of our supporters! Follow us on: Instagram: @nurturaldisasters Substack: https://nurturaldisasters.substack.com Linktree: https://linktr.ee/nurturaldisasters

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The Gaslighting of Kathy Bates

Kathy Bates might have won the biggest prize in acting but couldn’t win the approval of her mother. For decades, she misremembered not thanking her mom during her Oscars speech. Likewise, Lisa misremembers some of the characters in the hit movie, Titanic. Ken discusses his disdain for bullies and truly believes empathy is the secret in finding satisfaction in everyday life. A lifetime of gaslighting and narcissistic abuse has made Lisa unable to trust her own intuition and often deals with emotional and mental hurdles to function normally in society. Ken holds out hope his “real” parents will come save him one day. Meanwhile, Lisa’s mom is somewhere in the country sporting some botched plastic surgery that makes her as ugly on the outside as she is on the inside. Credits/Thanks: Theme Song: "Clouded" by Megan Morrow. IG: @meganmorrowmusic Sound Editing: Ken & Lisa Cover Art: Ken Thank you to all of our supporters! Follow us on: Instagram: @nurturaldisasters Substack: https://nurturaldisasters.substack.com Linktree: https://linktr.ee/nurturaldisasters

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Trailer

The age old debate: Nature vs. Nurture. But what if you grew up with a disaster of a parent? This is a podcast for those of us with toxic or emotionally immature parents. We might not have a bunch of credentials next to our names, but we do have PhDs from the Hard Knocks University. Basically, we want this to be a validating space for adult children of parents who had no business having children. Credits/Thanks: Theme Song: "Clouded" by Megan Morrow. IG: @meganmorrowmusic Sound Editing: Ken & Lisa Cover Art: Ken Follow us on: Instagram: @nurturaldisasters Substack: https://nurturaldisasters.substack.com Linktree: https://linktr.ee/nurturaldisasters

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This is the Visit That Doesn't End...

"...Yup it goes on and on my friend." Hey, the podcast was famous in Vietnam, for a week. Was Lisa able to keep her sanity when her autistic father visits and stays with her for 10 days straight? She recalls memories of him struggling with social cues and showing empathy to friends, family, as well as strangers. Sure, understanding and patience are crucial in dealing with neurodivergent individuals. But there must be a limit to what is acceptable, right? The hosts discuss how the neurodivergent individuals have to take extra precautions in family planning, such as giving birth to a high-support-needs child. Peer into the twisted mind of Ken as he creates analogies for people who constantly get divorced, like Lisa’s dad. Spoiler alert, it has something to do with fingers and thumbs. Credits/Thanks: Theme Song: "Clouded" by Megan Morrow. IG: @meganmorrowmusic Sound Editing: Ken & Lisa Cover Art: Ken Thank you to all of our supporters! Follow us on: Instagram: @nurturaldisasters Substack: https://nurturaldisasters.substack.com Linktree: https://linktr.ee/nurturaldisasters

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Is it Autism or Narcissism?

"Feelings are like a beach ball, you can push it down but eventually it's gonna come right back up." Right before Lisa and Ken were set to record this episode, Lisa received a random message from her old boss who had been listening to the podcast. Her old boss told Lisa how he had a heart to heart with this adult children and genuinely apologized to them about anything that he did that was hurtful in their childhood. The random messages did not stop because Lisa received yet another message from her dad’s ex-wife #5 telling her that she and her therapist think her dad is a narcissist. Lisa explains how her dad’s high-functioning autism has a lot of similarities to vulnerable narcissism. She tells how her dad’s autism was misdiagnosed by an inexperienced psychology student. Ken relays his own story of being misdiagnosed and prescribed the incorrect bipolar medication and the deleterious effects it had on him. Later, they weighs the pros and cons of ABA therapy and its controversial nature. Lastly, they chat about the abominable cooking of their narcissistic parents! Seriously, it’s disgusting! Credits/Thanks: Theme Song: "Clouded" by Megan Morrow. IG: @meganmorrowmusic Sound Editing: Ken & Lisa Cover Art: Ken Thank you to all of our supporters! Follow us on: Instagram: @nurturaldisasters Substack: https://nurturaldisasters.substack.com Linktree: https://linktr.ee/nurturaldisasters

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