Dopey: On the Dark Comedy of Drug Addiction

www.patreon.com

This week in the Teaser! We just got back from a beautiful family vacation, but it started on a heartbreaking note—our friend Don “DJ” Rentz died. I’ve known Don for nearly a decade. He was a real part of the Dopey family, and losing him shook me. Then today, we found out Ozzy Osbourne died too. Somehow that hit hard as well—he was such a part of the world Dopey lives in. And just days before, he got to play this massive farewell show. It’s wild how fast life moves.

In the middle of all this, Meta took down the Dopey Instagram. Ten years of dumb memes, serious moments, milestones, and memories—just gone. I know it’s just a page, but it’s frustrating to see how little the bots understand what we do. We talk more about it on the full Patreon show.

I also reflect on the trip—hiking with my kids, seeing wolves and geysers, and even running into a Dopey fan in Yellowstone. Selby and I get into all of it: the loss, the joy, the weird beauty of it all. Plus: DopeyCon 6 is coming October 4th in NYC. If Dopey has meant something to you, we’d love to see you there.

Follow the new Instagram @thedopeypodcast, leave a review, tell a friend. And as always—stay strong Dopey Nation, and fucking toodles for Chris.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

www.patreon.com/dopeypodcast

This week on Dopey! It's ChrisMiss Time Again - and we remember Chris and think about what we've lost in our latest ChrisMiss episode. We are joined by Ted and Colin—two of Chris’s closest friends—for a long, emotional, laugh filled but ultimately tragic journey through grief, memory, relapse, recovery and death. They recount wild and deeply human stories of Chris: his powerful magnetism,  his “whatevs” persona, and the time he hugged a drunk driver who had just killed someone. Then, we go deep into Chris’s relapse, the shame that may have surrounded it, and the fear of losing connection.

From Mountainside to Katz’s Deli, from a poetry slam to the drunk tank, from legacy to myth to bionic legs traded for heroin—this episode is everything that made Chris unforgettable. PLUS: a classic Dopey voicemail from Tim in Philly involving coke, Cookie, and crackhouse head, and a replay of Episode 71 with Chris. It all ends with the classic version of “Bad Card” and a full-circle Dave and Chris musical outro. Stay strong Dopey Nation, and fucking toodles for Chris.

Opening:
Dave recalls Dave Marshall, the first Dopey community member to die. Dave, Chris, and Dave Marshall once recorded a now-lost episode that ended in a bizarre fight—possibly because Chris was trying to impress Marshall.

Talking Grief:
Dave asks Colin and Ted how they grieve Chris. Colin mentions laughing at dumb things and feeling like Chris is still there. Ted recalls vivid dreams where Chris walks him through his relationship with his wife, like a ghostly Scrooge-style guide. The dream was so powerful he woke up crying.

Dreams of Chris:
Dave shares that Chris is always dead in his dreams, and that he recently had one with both Chris and his mother (also deceased). Chris always knows he’s gone in the dream—making them painful but powerful.

Trend of Death:
The conversation shifts to the changing trends of death in recovery: less overdoses, more suicides, including people they knew.

Settlers of Catan:
Chris’s obsession with the Settlers board game—cheating newbies, logging fake wins on a wooden log, and playing alone while stacking stats. The actual Settlers Log might be lost.

Connection & Community:
Colin reflects on connection as the heart of Dopey and recovery. Chris embodied that connection for many.

Why Did Chris Relapse?
They dive into theories around Chris’s relapse:

He was doing well—finished his master’s, in a stable relationship, BTN job picking up.

Dave wonders if Chris thought the promises of recovery would be better high.

Colin and Ted say Chris might’ve feared losing relationships if he admitted he was using.

Shame and stigma—not about being an addict, but about breaking the recovery identity—were likely massive.

Chris’s Persona:
“Whatevs” was Chris’s favorite line, but everyone agrees—he actually cared a lot. He just didn’t want people to know.

Origin Story:
Chris and Dave met at Mountainside, where Chris became Dave’s “Eskimo”, showing him that 12-step worked.
Chris used to visit Katz’s Deli to impress Dave and his girlfriends.
They texted or talked every single day from 2015 to the day Chris died.

The Fatal Crash Story:
Ted and Chris are en route to a poetry slam when they stumble on a deadly car crash—they are first on scene.

Ted goes into shock.

Chris takes action—calls 911, finds a guy with smashed legs, then chases the drunk driver into the woods.

The driver is blackout drunk, crying, and doesn't know what happened.

Chris hugs the man, tells him he killed someone, and holds him as he cries.

Later, Chris keeps in touch with the man, who is sentenced to 30 years in prison. It was his seventh DUI.

Synchronicity:
A year later, Chris relapsed. Ted and Colin had to call the cops on him.
The same officer from the crash scene showed up to arrest Chris and put him in the drunk tank.

Chris’s Duality:
Dave sums it up: “We’re the same people who kill people. We’re the same people who help people. And we can turn up totally wasted again at the drop of a dime.”

Recovery Today:
Ted no longer goes to meetings. He stays clean through fatherhood, meditation, self-help, spirituality, and service.
Colin is still active in both 12-step and Dharma recovery, running meetings and staying connected.

The Island & The Source:
They call the Berkshires “The Source” (or “the island from Lost”) and reflect that Chris might have needed to stay there.

Dopey Origins:
Ted recalls Chris calling Dave from their house, excited about starting something.
They joke about Ted’s long resistance to appearing on Dopey, and how his job working with kids made him hesitant to be publicly associated with drug stories. He recently shared his full story with his students.

Legacy of Chris & Dopey Growth:
Dave reflects on how Chris’s death helped grow the show in ways that feel bittersweet.
Ted and Colin say they thought Dopey was “so dumb” when it started but now are blown away by what Dave’s done with it.

Robot Legs Story:
Ted shares a picture of Chris’s titanium leg braces, used to treat ankle issues from drinking.
Chris once tried to trade the $5,000 robotic legs for heroin—the dealer said no.

Cookie & Classic Dopey Returns:
Dave plays a classic voicemail from Tim in Philly:

Shoots coke in Kensington

Reggie and Cookie join him

Reggie says Cookie gives “the best head”

Tim says no, but once the coke hits—he caves instantly

They do the drugs in Reggie’s mom’s house, possibly

Classic filthy, funny, dark Dopey stuff

Throwback to Dopey Episode 71:
Dave plays a full classic Chris segment:

Shooting coke

Euphoric recall

Lego hot dog stands

Meeting speakers

“Built-in forgetters”

Chris’s obsession with scale, smell, and push

“Favorite part was waiting for the rush before it hit”

Final Thoughts:
Dave shares how much he misses Chris.
Notes the podcast would not exist without him.
Chris is still part of it every week.
Reflects on his old sponsor telling him “you have to step over bodies,” which he rejected.
Chris’s death has saved lives.
Dopey grew because of him—but Dave would trade it all to have him back.

pgsql

CopyEdit

Chris Miss Dopey, remembering Chris Dopey, Ted and Colin Dopey, fatal crash Chris story, Chris relapses Dopey, Settlers of Catan log, bionic leg heroin story, robot legs Dopey, Dave Marshall Dopey, grief in recovery, fentanyl overdose, Kensington crack story, Tim from Philly Dopey, Cookie blowjob story, coke and crack stories, Mountainside rehab, Dharma recovery, whatevs Chris Dopey, classic Dopey 71, euphoric recall coke, relapse shame, Dopey legacy, hugging a killer, Dopey grief episode, Dave and Chris podcast, drunk tank, poetry slam crash, relapse identity, Dopey history

Let me know if you want pull quotes, clip ideas, titles for segments, or Patreon teaser copy next.

And one last time:
Fucking toodles for Chris.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

hear the whole thig there:

www.patreon.com/dopeypodcast 

Dave opens the teaser from somewhere in the Rocky Mountains — unless he was “eaten by a grizzly, mountain lion, or fell off a cliff.”

It’s Chris Miss week, so he’s been grinding hard, producing five Dopey episodes in a row, and is totally wiped out.

Packing panic:
Dave’s mother-in-law shows up last minute to micromanage their family’s trip prep.

Real ID confusion:

Dave talks about the new airport policy requiring a "Real ID."

TSA claimed his wasn’t valid during the Dopeywood trip to California.

Linda’s mom warns that they might not be able to fly — even though Dave just did.

Dave reflects on the term “feature,” Long Island lingo for added elements on an ID.

The teaser transitions to the Patreon episode with Kimber King.

Kimber is drinking Red Bull White Peach, proudly showing off her case (not a “slab”).

Dave and Kimber talk energy drink habits:

Kimber hates sugar-free versions.

Dave recalls Jolt Cola—“twice the sugar and all the caffeine.”

Dave explains the chaos of prepping for the trip, stockpiling content for while he’s gone.

They discuss a Dopey Nation relapse shared on the recent Patreon Zoom:

A “well-known” community member (unnamed) has relapsed and is looking for treatment.

Dave calls it heartbreaking. Kimber says it’s sad, but this is the nature of addiction.

They agree that both things can be true: it’s sad and it’s also the reality of the disease.

Kimber seems a little off, and Dave teases her about being nervous. She denies it.

Dave recalls Kimber’s last appearance, when she said she was craving coke for Christmas.

Tease ends with:
👉 “Did Kimber shoot coke for Christmas?”
➡️ To find out, join the Patreon: www.patreon.com/dopeypodcast

Dave closes with:

“It’s hard to prepare.”

“Hard to deal with children.”

Sarcastic gratitude affirmations:

“I love my life. I love my family. I'm good enough. I'm smart enough. And doggone it, my life is good.”

Final words:

“Love is the answer. Let your freak flag fly.”

“Stay strong, my brothers and my sisters, in and out of recovery.”

“Join Patreon.”

“Fucking toodles for Chris.”

“Wish us luck out there.”

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

This week on Dopey! It’s the long-awaited episode with Chasing Heroine host Jeannine Coulter, recorded live at Jeremy’s house during Dopeywood!Jeannine tells the full, raw, and very dopey story of her descent into addiction: from being a straight-A Supreme Court hopeful, to getting obsessed with exercise and binge eating, to discovering coke in a redneck bar in Georgia, all the way to living in an abandoned cell phone store in Oceanside, California smoking heroin off foil.

Jeannine talks about doing meth that was pink, accidentally getting strung out at 30, and finding herself in a cinderblock junkie jungle gym run by tweakers. She reflects on her arrest record, her failed attempts at controlled drinking, and how it all somehow led to a decade of recovery, a podcast, and a TED Talk on post-traumatic growth. 

PLUS: a touching email from a listener who outran the cops with a trunk full of weed and somehow lived to tell the tale. A beautiful PCP voicemail and much much more on a brand new epiksode of that good ol Dopey Show!

Don’t forget: DopeyCon 6 tickets are out on Patreon. Leave a review. Send a voicemail. And follow us on youtu

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

🧷 Show Notes (Teaser):

Dave’s on vacation in the Rockies, losing sleep and dreaming hard

Doug thinks group conscience is sacred — unless he doesn’t like the chairperson

The “prison walk” AA escape plan explained

Bobby Lee controversy & Reddit backlash gets a nod

Ray the Clammer's sandwich wisdom returns

Doug wants stilettos and a thong; Dave wants out of the meeting

Outro includes the classic Dopey song + shoutouts

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

💔 Emergency Dopey Episode from vacation in Montana

🕊️ Remembering Don Renz aka DJ – friend, guest, Dopey Nation member

📞 Don’s sister calls Dave from his hospital bedside

🚨 LAPD investigating Don’s death after an alleged assault in Koreatown

📣 Please share Don’s brother Maxwell’s Facebook post

👮‍♂️ Don's final days: fear, paranoia, and meth-induced delusions that turned out to be tragically real

📼 Classic 2016 Dopey: Don, Chris, and Dave—one of the best ever

💊 Don’s insane story: stealing 1,000 Vicodin from a pharmacy at 17

💉 Morphine, fentanyl patches, forged scripts, rehab on his 18th birthday

🍰 Vicodin in his pocket, methadone tales, sadness and hilarity

🧠 Recovery, methadone, relapse, and deep reflections

🕯️ RIP Chris, Ryan, Todd, Annie, Troy, Brian, William... and now, Don.

🙏 If you're using or struggling, please get help. 

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

exclusive eps on patreon every tuesday! 

www.patreon.com/dopeypodcast

This week on Dopey! Up and coming Comedy and podcasting Legend Ian Fidance enters the Dopeysphere! Ian brings the old school serious alcoholic dopey. He takes us from his straight-edge ska band days in Delaware to waking up blue-faced in a pile of vomit after huffing computer duster. We hear how a fifth-grade beer led to a full-blown romance with vodka, coke, and gay bars across New York. Ian talks about his failed teaching career, multiple stints in rehab and Oxford Houses, drinking mouthwash, and why he once thought handing in his AA coins at a bar would earn him a free drink.

PLUS  ska vs. hardcore, Howie’s AI R&B girl group Lux, living in halfway houses, and relapsing in your dorm room after writing a goodbye letter. They go deep into grief, comedy as higher power, relapse logic gymnastics, and getting sober without getting spiritual—then finding your way back. Bonus points for a great round of the Dopey game (BossTones vs. Less Than Jake, LSD vs. Mushrooms), Ian’s insane DUI story, and an epic takedown of Katz's vs. Sarge’s. Plus: voicemails, God talk, stolen AA basket money, and more!

All that and much, much more on this brand new, old school episode of that good ol dopey show!

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

GET THE FULL BUKATY AT:

www.patreon.com/dopeypodcast

📓 Episode Notes

Dave’s prepping for a huge family vacation to Utah → Lava Hot Springs, Yellowstone, and the Grand Tetons (mispronounced as Tetones).

A brutal East Islip dance recital leads Dave to declare: “Kicking heroin is better than this.”

Susan’s performance was great — but spaced out by 3 hours of toddler dance hell.

Revelation: No more long-ass Dopey events. DopeyCon will be 90 minutes max.

Dinner with Linda, the kids, and Dave’s dad → awkward French lesson about “Tetons” = breasts.

Farmer’s market trip → meat sticks, truffle cheese, overpriced smoothies, and the dreaded $5 guilt energy bar.

Dave chips a tooth on said bar → questions mortality and suspects maybe someone else’s tooth was in the bar.

John Bucati appears to talk about New Orleans, sampling, and Life of Pi → Dave calls bullshit and reminisces about watching it high on Grand Street.

Announcement: July 24th is Chrismiss in July, August 16 is  Dopey Day (Chris’s birthday).

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Dave opens the show with a shoutout to Stephanie Roberts (7 years sober), Patreon plugs, and a cereal relapse story (Quaker Oatmeal Squares with chocolate chips).

Listener email highlights reactions to the Bobby Lee episode and Reddit backlash.

New Zealand listener Lily calls in with an epic pill-shelving story that ends in her robbing herself.

Musical guest Adam David performs Needle and the Damage Done.

Dave brings out comedian Moshe Kasher, who goes in on ayahuasca, porn ghosts, parenting trauma, and crowd work chaos.

Jason Cabelo celebrates 9 years sober and gets a Dopey coin live.

Annie Lederman joins the Stashword game and later performs a hilarious and filthy stand-up set: mimosa nicknames, AA slogans, drunk driving, IVF, sperm quality, and her fiancé’s hair pills.

Jack Osbourne, Moshe, and Dave discuss Bobby Lee’s no-show, ghost stories, and ayahuasca in recovery.

Rich Roll, Bob Forrest, and Erin Khar debate medication-assisted treatment, trauma, psychedelics, and life transformation.

Amy Dresner tells her infamous coke-and-bike-helmet story live with Dave.

More Stashword, audience chaos, and Dopey Nation shoutouts.

Shane Enholm performs Mud Pies.

Dave ends with a singalong of I Wanna Be Good So Bad and a heartfelt farewell to Ray the Clammer.📝 Episode Notes:

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

📝 Episode Notes:

Dave's up at 5:30 AM with no sleep aids but hopelessly hooked on s’mores

Father's Day gift: a $40 crackhead s’mores hot plate from his daughter

Microwave s’mores vs. monstrosity s’mores — full breakdown

Massive processed sugar binge: Rice Krispie s’mores, Yaso bar, and Linden’s cookies

Full Dopey morning: prayer, meditation, AA, garbage duty, and Susan’s lunch rescue

A teaser for the Damon Baker episode (photographer + filmmaker)

Sweating at Katz’s and plotting the return of the Dopey Fitness Challenge

Bobby Lee Reddit drama: deleted thread accusing Dave of racism

Selby explains how Reddit mods can still see deleted posts

Solstice hippie parade recap from Selby’s island in the Pacific Northwest

Backyard lawn mowing pride and skin-smoothing conspiracies

Full Dopey intro song performance to close it out

“Stay strong, Dopey Nation, and fucking toodles for Chris.”

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.