Dopey: On the Dark Comedy of Drug Addiction

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A special guest joins us for the teaser!  (echoes of COVID-era recordings). The duo catches up casually — We recall recording in the attic back in the day, Dave mentions Linda guesting once and shares a wild memory of a bum flicking a cigarette that hit him in the mouth outside CVS.

Spotify Comments Segment Dave reads listener comments from the previous Tuesday episode (Ray & Alan guest-hosted):

• A new listener (another Ray) appreciates the Nick Reiner discussions and hopes for more old interviews.
• Mucho Gringo teases Zoe’s Patreon critique of Dave’s Nick handling.
• Richard calls the Reiner focus a “pathological obsession” and threatens to unsubscribe by spring 2026.
• Romanil agrees it’s sensationalizing and suggests smudging the attic with sage.

Dave reveals he depublished the Nick Reiner compilation episodes due to backlash and personal guilt (“It’s haunting me”).

Listener Email: Andrew Zane’s Wild Pitch Dave reads a lengthy email from Andrew Zane asking how to guest on Dopey. Highlights of Andrew’s story:

• Groomed into drugs as a child (huffing Freon, mouthwash, morning glory seeds, intro to heroin).
• Teen oxy → heroin addiction, crime spree across Midwest with a girlfriend (scamming hospitals for Dilaudid, policy changes in North Dakota(?)).
• Prostitution, prison for her, desert life in Arizona (licking psychedelic Sonoran Desert Toads, first meth).
• Arrested drunk pushing daughter’s stroller, divorce, more rehab, dope sick on xylazine-laced street heroin.
• Grindr hookup turned near-sex-trafficking + months-long psychosis.
• Overprescribed Vyvanse gone wrong; now mostly sober using kratom (harm reduction) and occasional toad psychedelics.

Andrew wants to discuss drugs + human trafficking on dating apps and stimulant overprescription.

Discussion: Sex Trafficking & Dating Apps They dive into the dark side of apps like Tinder/Grindr — coerced prostitution, pimps forcing partners, shades of consent, why victims don’t just leave. Dave admits struggling to understand the coercion aspect until reading the legal definition.

Cliffhanger & Patreon Plug Dave teases that he and Ray are starting to work on a movie script together — details only available to Patreon subscribers (patreon.com/dopeypodcast). The free teaser ends here.

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This week on Dopey! We start wrapping up 2025 with a candid check-in: feeling under the weather amid a family stomach virus, craving a Sopranos binge, and doubting plans for "Five Days of Dopey" in January (Wednesday/Thursday shows likely intermittent—send opinions to [email protected]). We share the ultimate post-Christmas blues remedy: a trip to Elizabeth A. Morton National Wildlife Refuge in Sag Harbor, NY, where chickadees, titmice, and woodpeckers eat seeds straight from your hand in the snowy quiet—described as magical, healing, and the true "opposite of addiction."

Dave addresses backlash from replaying Nick Reiner episodes (including harsh comments like "Narcissist Grifter" and "Exploitative Jew"), explains his intent to share old conversations without commentary, notes new listeners discovered Dopey through them, and mentions turning down media interviews. He plugs ad-free listening on Patreon (patreon.com/dopeypodcast) and urges positive iTunes reviews.

Listener Emails (Oldies Read Aloud)

• Wendy: Proposes a dedicated recovery-focused social media platform to avoid bans for "junky" content.
• James D. Hart: Highlights interracial bands like Prince and the Revolution (inspired by Sly & the Family Stone), Jimi Hendrix Experience, and Smashing Pumpkins.
• Christy Adams: Celebrates 3 years clean, praises an older neuroscience/meth/GLP-1 episode, and misses the original Dave/Chris dynamic.

Stickers or socks for anyone whose email/voicemail gets read—email [email protected].

Main Feature: Classic Darrell Hammond Interview Replay (2017) The legendary SNL cast member (longest-tenured before Keenan) gets raw about:

• SNL highs/lows, iconic impressions (Clinton, Connery), working with Lorne Michaels, and celebrity encounters.
• Childhood trauma and abuse, flashbacks, and blaming himself to protect the idea of parental love.
• Alcoholism starting at 14 (first beers felt like "the world turning from black-and-white to color").
• Self-harm as a "problem solver" and crisis creator during prolific periods.
• Wild Harlem crack house story (mistaken for a cop, defended as "that motherfucker old TV," spotting the St. Francis Prayer on the wall).
• Multiple relapses, including after a sponsor's suicide.
• Stroke-ward epiphany that finally led to lasting sobriety—seeing patients struggle to speak inspired desperation for change.
• Recovery tools: St. Francis (11th Step) Prayer, connection with others, cognitive therapy, yoga, meetings, and the "law of threes" (expect ⅓ great days, ⅓ okay, ⅓ rough).

Wrap-Up Dave re-reads old Spotify comments on the Hammond episode (debates over "This or That," therapy questions, possum facts, etc.) and closes with his heartfelt acoustic cover of "Good So Bad"—the song from the first Dopey episode he heard that inspired him to get clean.

All that and more on this weeks installment of that good old Dopey Replay Show!

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This week on Dopey! For our post-Christmas Dopey episode we kick it off with a Christmas gift review and we read Spotify comments on the Alec Baldwin episode we shout out NANA/Lili Coffin hitting 6 years sober, and weaves in sponsor love. The return of White Tighties Jeremy Turner accidentally shooting Viagra and an email all about meth-fueled multi-day porn marathons that destroy skin and phones another about brutal long-term benzo withdrawal horrors, and a wild prison-submitted bath salts tale full of paranoia and fake-reality glitches.

Then, at 25:42, Yellow Balloon recovery powerhouse Jen Dawson takes over with her unforgettable Southern story – from feeling like an outsider in a "normal" family, early prescribed Adderall and wild "nipple" psilocybin mushrooms, diving headfirst into '99 Phish tour life, crystal meth insanity, toxic soulmate drama (including a pistol-whipping incident), a venomous spider bite leading to near foot amputation and a pain-clinic fentanyl jackpot, research chemicals, shooting heroin, the devastating stillbirth of her son Dakota, a suicide attempt, multiple jail stints, and finally true surrender in a strict year-long program. Now 11 years sober, Jen shares how sweat lodges helped her connect with Dakota's spirit, rebuilding life with daughter Cyprus (now 18 and thriving), going to college, and finding lifelong community in the Yellow Balloon sober jam-band scene. Raw, funny, tragic, and deeply inspiring – peak Dopey.

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This week on Dopey! It is Christmas (STILL) as the 5 days of Dopey continues! We start with me alone reading spotify comments and considering not doing 5 shows a week! Then we play he replay where comedian Jessa Reed calls in and tells us all about her tweaker days. Stories include carrying a dead owl around for weeks and trying to breathe life into it via meth smoke, and drinking her own piss (repeatedly) because it had traces of methamphetamine. Jessa, a dopey hall-of-famer, also tells us how she finally got clean after a decade of pure debauchery. Check out Jessa's podcast, the Mormon and the Meth-Head. We play a voicememo from Korey about the time he shot a goofball and ran from the non-existant police for three hours straight and tore his MCL. 

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This week on Dopey! It's Christmas Eve! Wishing all the listeners a Merry Fucking Christmas! This week we open the show reminding everyone about patreon and reading a note from incarcerated Dope - Montana about prison life, Toastmasters, college aspirations, and his badass DIY cubicle decor.

We reflects on Christmas's universal meaning – love, hope, togetherness – while sending love to the Reiner family. The main interview features longtime friend and DopeyCon organizer Rachel Hechtman (@soberincentralpark), recorded the day the Nick Reiner news broke. Rachel shares her wild journey: early drinking and coke at 14, boarding school antics (including Paris Hilton-sourced coke), dealing at Dartmouth, drug-induced psychosis, a secret marriage to an Italian guy (Giuseppe!), massive weight loss (80 lbs), and getting sober through daily Central Park walks with her dog George during COVID – no 12-step, just determination, walking, and community-building.

All that plus copious Nick Reiner Spotify comments on this brand new Wednesday version of that good old dopey show!

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This week on the teaser! We begin in a chaotic pre-Christmas Eve update filled with last-minute shopping woes, mediocre Chinese food reviews, and reflections on recent controversial episodes. Dave teases the full Patreon show featuring the return of the legendary Downtown Ray Brown (Stephen Ray Brown) and a reluctant appearance by Dave's dad, Alan Manheim. The trio discusses everything from name pronunciations and stage names to the Nick Reiner aftermath, Hamilton Morris drama, and Ray's Bushwick Book Club adventures.

The episode wraps with holiday cheer: Dave and Ray perform classic Christmas carols like "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen" and "Silver Bells," plusRay does GSB!

Dave reminds listeners about the weekly Dopey recovery Zoom, monthly Patreon Zoom, free Dopey Nation meetings, and encourages joining Patreon for bonus content, including upcoming Christmas songs.

ALL THAT AND MORE ON A BRAND NEW TEASER OF THAT GOOD OLD DOPEY SHOW!

Length: ~24 minutes Vibe: Holiday chaos, recovery talk, family banter, live music, and Dopey charm.

This episode perfectly blends Dopey's signature mix of dumb shit, deep recovery insight, family dynamics, and unexpected musical moments – a great holiday treat for Patreon supporters!

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In this Dopey replay, We revisits rare and unfiltered moments with Nick Reiner and Chris O’Connor from early episodes of the show — recorded years before the tragic events surrounding the Reiner family.

The episode reflects on a time when addiction and mental illness had not yet fully hardened into catastrophic consequences. Dave explains why he chose to release this material now, reading listener reactions and grappling with the complexity of showing who Nick was before everything went wrong.

What follows is a raw, chaotic, often funny, and deeply human stretch of Dopey history: arguments, drug stories, recovery talk, basketball injuries, relapse temptations, seizures, rehab memories, and one particularly moving story of Nick tripping on LSD and being cared for by his father through the night.

The episode closes with a reflection on recovery, connection, and the importance of reaching out — both to those struggling and to those we love — alongside a tribute to Chris O’Connor and the reminder that hindsight doesn’t protect us, but connection sometimes can.

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This week on Dopey! Christmastime is here again and we read emails from Dopes who motly comment on Nick Reiner, read Spotify reviews about it and try and celebrate the holidays and spread some good cheer!

The centerpiece is a long, candid interview with Alec Baldwin, recorded just before Thanksgiving. Alec discusses growing up on Long Island, early drinking and cocaine use, working in New York television, moving to Los Angeles, fame, excess, driving intoxicated, overdosing in a hotel room in Oregon, and ultimately getting sober in 1985. He describes how AA became his entire social world, how spirituality helped keep him sober, and how his faith and family carried him through later life crises — including public scrutiny, divorce, legal battles, and depression. Alec speaks openly about wanting to “just not kill myself tomorrow” during his darkest moments and how sobriety principles guided him through.

After the interview, Dave plays more holiday messages from the Dopey Nation and then has a long, emotional phone call with his father, Alan Manheim. They process the Nick Reiner tragedy, public backlash, antisemitic comments, criticism of old Dopey clips resurfacing online, and the strange irony of Dopey being thrust into the media spotlight through tragedy. They discuss parenting addicts, mental illness, fame, synchronicity, and how Dopey interviews became central to news coverage. The episode closes with reflections on resilience, staying connected, asking for help, and honoring Chris, followed by Dave playing his song “Good So Bad.”

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This week on Dopey we go down memory lane and listen to me and Chris plant the dopey flag and start the show. First - Chris tells the story of his first time using and I tell a story of seizing off of benzos. If you wanna make a comment - comment on spotify or on patreon or write us at [email protected]

Wishing everyone peace and love!

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In this crucial emergency episode, Dave is joined by longtime friend and recovery legend Bob Forrest to process the shock, grief, and fallout surrounding the Nick Reiner tragedy and the public backlash aimed at Dopey.

Bob speaks from decades of experience in addiction treatment, psychiatry-adjacent crisis work, and firsthand encounters with drug-induced psychosis, violence, and untreated mental illness. He explains why modern drugs—especially meth and stimulants—are producing homicidal and suicidal behavior, and why families often have no remaining safety net when things spiral.

They discuss:

Why parents can love their children and still need boundaries, charges, or intervention

How decriminalization + lack of psychiatric resources leaves families helpless

Why people project their own trauma and rage onto public figures and podcasts

The danger of separating “mental health” from active addiction

Celebrity kids, resentment, identity, and why some survive while others don’t

Why Dopey is being scapegoated—and why that logic doesn’t hold up

The conversation moves through music, recovery, punk rock, famous addiction stories, Christmas memories, suicidal ideation, parenting, and connection, ultimately landing on Bob’s central belief: connection, love, truth, and honesty are what keep people alive.

The episode ends with Bob defending Dopey’s right to tell the whole truth about addiction—ugly, funny, painful, and real—and offering a blunt but heartfelt holiday message to Dopey Nation. All that and more on this brand new Wednesday episode of the good old Dopey show.

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