Dopey: On the Dark Comedy of Drug Addiction

⏱️ Timestamped Key Notes 00:18 – 05:06: Dave intro – Thursday Greatest Hits, Ryan Leone poll winner, Ryan’s background, Wikipedia read, his death in 2022 from fentanyl/meth. 05:06 – 09:55: Dade’s wild voicemail – Naked drunk coke-fueled fight, putting feet through walls, hospital stitches + Dilaudid. 09:55 – 14:42: Patreon & Spotify comments on previous Long Island episode (Motorcycle Gang Gary). 14:42 – 21:51: More comments, Dopey updates, Ryan Leone tribute, his books (Wasting Talent, Antiheroes), documentary A Tortured Mind. 21:51 – 26:32: Start of Ryan Leone interview – Early Ritalin/Adderrall as a kid, applesauce story, feeling inadequate, first drugs (weed, drinking, LSD). 26:32 – 35:56: Wilderness programs, seeing a kid slit his wrists, expulsions, first cocaine bump at 16, rapid addiction, selling drugs. 35:56 – 44:47: First heroin (chasing the dragon at 17), China White in Massachusetts, first IV shot at gunpoint in abandoned house with dirty rig. 44:47 – 54:03: Early junkie chaos – Shooting abscesses, Hep C, toxic relationship, stealing $80k savings bonds for a kilo of coke, acid-fueled trip to confront girlfriend’s father (skateboard attack). 54:03 – 01:05:36: Stabbing the skinhead story (real life basis for Wasting Talent opening), pregnant stripper, stealing heroin & needles. 01:05:36 – 01:17:20: Big-time dealing era – Pink Floyd ticket scam, trading fake DMT (water softener pellets) for massive amounts of Molly/acid, becoming a major MDMA dealer. 01:17:20 – 01:28:34: Recruited by big cartel-connected dealer, selling kilos of Molly + heroin balloons, associate producer job, federal indictment with Mendoza Clan. 01:28:34 – 01:40:25: Girlfriend’s death, turning self in, kicking 180mg methadone + 11g heroin habit in federal prison, maximum security, running with Southsiders. 01:40:25 – 01:54:10: Prison violence (riots, stabbings, murders), writing Wasting Talent in prison, solitary confinement for 60 days, grandfather’s death, white light spiritual bottom → gets sober. 01:54:10 – 02:09:49: Post-prison success then relapse, marriage to a fan, alcoholism, second & third prison terms, missing son’s birth. 02:09:49 – 02:29:40: Final relapse stories, suicide attempt on Christmas after family rejection, trying to OD in Bank of America parking lot. 02:29:40 – End: Getting clean for good after best friend Paul’s death, current success (YouTube, Patreon, screenplays, Johnny Depp friendship), starting Paul Project nonprofit for Narcan, closing thoughts.

Timestamp Notes 00:00 – Dopey Wednesday intro song 01:03 – Dave is sick, welcomes everyone, and talks Knicks/Cleveland 02:00 – Knicks community makes Dave think of Dopey Nation 02:40 – Dopey Zoom, recovery solidarity, and staying connected 03:05 – Dopey stickers and Dave’s old sticker arrest 03:24 – Rest in peace Rob Base 05:40 – Rest in peace Sonny Rollins 06:56 – Sonny Rollins, heroin, jazz, and Saxophone Colossus 08:00 – Handsome Evan preview: six years sober 08:35 – Sarah’s listener email: broken feet, 7OH/Kratom, no insurance, housing crisis 11:43 – Dave responds to Sarah and recommends meetings/connection 12:35 – Patreon comments from Skinny Vinny episode 14:05 – Spotify comments: drug dreams, Canadian bacon, Tom Shoes, Patreon tiers 16:28 – More comments: AI therapy, JD voicemail, peptides, home invasions 17:25 – Dopey Recovery Short Film Festival plug 18:00 – Handsome Evan joins Dave in the car by the bay 18:48 – Evan’s second son was born on his six-year sobriety anniversary 20:00 – Dave talks meeting politics, losing respect, and walking out with Doug 21:06 – Dave and Evan talk needing people to like them 22:15 – Anthony Spaghetti and Prince Spaghetti Day 24:35 – The Prince Spaghetti song 25:35 – Dave asks Evan to reflect on six years sober 26:00 – Jewishness, AA meetings, and Dave being called Shlomo 30:57 – Evan’s early crack story: raves, trailer parks, Gordon Heights 33:17 – “You got hard?” and meeting crack dealers 34:10 – Evan drives a dealer around for crack 35:40 – Evan lends his car to a dealer; cops show up after a chase 38:19 – Evan’s worst addiction moments: stealing, pawning, trading shoes for crack 40:42 – Evan stealing checks and lying to his parents 42:56 – Evan says the bottom didn’t get him sober 43:45 – Suboxone, weed, and becoming a counselor 45:15 – Shame, guilt, and claiming recovery while still smoking weed 46:45 – Mexico relapse: Ritalin, booze, coke, MTV Spring Break 48:35 – COVID, Zoom counseling, coke, and running a group high 50:03 – Evan’s wife catches on 51:00 – Fireball, Xanax, coke, meeting his stepdaughter, and rehab 52:17 – Weed, harm reduction, and why it didn’t work for Evan 53:30 – Evan finds the meeting during COVID 55:35 – OCD as both defect and asset 57:15 – Nurse practitioner school, new baby, new house, fear and stress 59:14 – Sponsees calling, Anthony, Bill, and Doug getting called out 1:01:00 – Dave explains reading Spotify and Patreon comments 1:03:57 – Evan talks happiness, recovery, fear, and bills 1:07:30 – Emails about SR-17 / SR-1718 and opioid withdrawal 1:13:00 – Ketamine, ibogaine, MDMA, psychedelics, and sober curiosity 1:16:35 – Anthony Spaghetti appears live 1:17:41 – Anthony explains Prince Spaghetti Day 1:20:00 – Evan’s family resentment with his sister 1:22:30 – Evan’s parenting fears and anxiety about autism 1:24:20 – Dave prepares to speak for Evan’s anniversary 1:25:50 – Closing: stay strong and toodles for Chris 1:26:17 – Closing song

Timestamp Notes 00:00 Intro song and opening jokes about needing another Trump episode 00:55 Dave and Alan return for Dopey Tuesday 01:20 Alan explains why they’re recording outside the Dopey studio 02:00 Discussion about Alan’s Manhattan apartment and “mutual redevelopment” 03:00 History of Howard Beach Buxbaum building the Dopey studio 03:45 Jamie Lee Curtis clips and studio production problems 04:30 Blake Mycoskie / TOMS Shoes episode discussion 05:30 Alan unveils his greenhouse meat-cloning fantasy 06:30 Indoor lobster farming memories 08:00 Alan’s failed business ideas through the years 09:50 Eclipse merchandise and Chinese knife disasters 11:00 Greenhouse land dreams continue 12:00 Dr. Graf’s son betting on the Spurs to win the NBA Finals 13:00 Gambling addiction disclaimer 14:00 Seymour spends thousands on Knicks playoff tickets 15:00 Dave realizes his father never took him anywhere 16:00 Bronx Zoo, Aquarium, museums, and nursing home childhood memories 18:30 Debate about whether expensive Knicks tickets are worth it 20:00 Dave recalls attending Knicks playoff games 21:00 Bitcoin and crypto losses 22:30 Discussion about Spotify and Patreon comments 24:00 Spotify comments section begins 24:20 Kratom sobriety success story 25:00 Vape addiction comment 25:30 Heart Attack Doug controversy comments 26:30 Dave teases emotional Patreon-only comments 27:00 Outro song

Title Dopey Replay 28: Rob Reiner, Nick Reiner, Guns, Heroin Rats, Chris, Ryan & Weird Fucking Foreshadowing Timestamp Notes 00:17 — Dave introduces Monday Total Replay and explains the plan to replay Dopey episodes 1–143. 00:38 — Today’s replay is Dopey Episode 28, titled by Chris: “Robbery Gun Drug Dealer, First Dylan Episode.” 01:05 — Dave explains that Ryan, who designed the Dopey logo, is back for this episode. 01:28 — Dave calls the episode creepy, eerie, and full of foreshadowing. 01:52 — Dave talks about the first email from Tina Mathis, Cormac calling him “Dan,” and early insecurity around Chris getting more attention. 02:16 — Ryan’s gun-to-the-head drug story is previewed. 02:28 — Dave says the episode has a long, bizarre conversation about Nick Reiner and Rob Reiner before Nick ever came on Dopey. 03:00 — Dave reflects on Chris being gone and says the simple message: if Chris had stayed in recovery, he wouldn’t have died. 03:40 — Dave recaps Susan’s eighth birthday party at Urban Air. 04:20 — Dave gives dad-movie reviews of The Mandalorian, Hoppers, and Super Mario Galaxy. 06:00 — Dave talks about a listener complaint that the Spotify and Patreon comments are too long. 07:30 — Maddie from Australia sends in a DUI voicemail about drinking gin during delivery shifts and getting pulled over. 10:18 — Dave promotes the Dopey Short Film Festival on June 26 in NYC. 11:40 — Patreon comments from the last replay: listeners react to hearing Todd and Chris again. 13:20 — Dave talks about people coming into Zooms with cameras off and how it drives him crazy. 14:30 — Spotify comments: listeners reflect on lost friends, addiction, grief, and hearing Chris and Todd. 18:16 — Dave answers why he and Linda never got married. 20:58 — Original Dopey Episode 28 begins with Dave, Chris, and Ryan trying to do the intro. 22:00 — The guys talk about the Lower East Side, old junky New York, and the changing neighborhood. 25:30 — Chinese food arrives and the show temporarily turns into a chaotic food-ordering podcast. 29:00 — Chris talks about speaker tapes and recovery ideas. 32:30 — Dave tells the story of Cormac emailing “Dear Chris and Dan,” which crushes him. 36:30 — Dave reads the first big Dopey fan email from Tina in Philadelphia. 39:00 — Tina praises the show, Chris’s stories, Dave yelling at Chris, and the Howard Stern / Artie years comparison. 46:30 — Ryan tells the story of pretending to go buy flour but really going to buy pills. 48:50 — Ryan gets held up at gunpoint while waiting for his drug dealer. 50:50 — Ryan refuses to give up his drug money because, in his mind, it already belongs to the dealer. 51:35 — Ryan throws his phone over the robber’s head, then stays anyway because his dealer is still coming. 55:30 — Dave starts talking about Rob Reiner, All in the Family, and Rob’s son Nick. 58:00 — Dave talks about Nick Reiner’s movie, addiction, recovery, and being jealous/nervous for him. 01:00:00 — Chris explains addiction genetics and substance use disorder. 01:04:20 — Chris tells the “rat heaven / rat hell” heroin-water experiment story. 01:08:30 — Dave talks about why he can’t smoke weed: he would immediately obsess over smoking again tomorrow. 01:10:20 — Dave and Chris debate prayer, addiction, recovery, and AA. 01:15:50 — Chris’s sponsor Dylan calls in right as Dave is talking about Dylan from 90210. 01:18:00 — Dylan says he likes the show and Dave’s sponsor hated it. 01:19:00 — The guys talk about the weirdest things they sold or pawned for drugs. 01:20:30 — Chris tells the story of trying to sell his leg braces for drugs in the Caribbean. 01:23:00 — Ryan tells the story of stripping copper wire out of old power tools to sell for scrap. 01:24:20 — Dave tells the story of stealing CDs from MTV after getting fired. 01:28:00 — The episode wraps with “Stay strong, Dopey Nation” and “Toodles.”

⏱️ Timestamped Key Notes 00:00 – 05:07: Dave intro + Dopey Film Festival plug (June 26th, NYC), Narcan/fentanyl test strips offer, Knicks fandom = drug addiction analogy. 05:07 – 09:54: Sponsor (Mountainside) + anonymous bloodshot cocaine story. 09:54 – 14:19: Patreon/Spotify comments read (Kata Lauren episode reaction). 14:19 – 23:37: More comments + Braeburn sponsor (Reframe and Reclaim series). 23:37 – 35:26: Spotify comments + Work at Health sponsor + Cooper DUI/prison story. 35:26 – 40:04: Recovery Unplugged sponsor + transition to Natanya Ross interview. 40:04 – 44:45: Natanya intro – Executive Director, nonprofit president, founded SFV Feed the Homeless. Discovers she was adopted 10 years ago. 44:45 – 52:41: Adoption bombshell, biological parents died before meeting, adoptive mother stole money, gaslighting, "Mommy Dearest" dynamic. 52:41 – 59:44: Early fame (Gerber baby commercials at 6 months), Oakwood Apartments party scene, weed/drinking as teen on Alex Mack. 59:44 – 01:08:57: Post-Alex Mack, heavy pill use (Mexico runs), meets Manu (Star Trek actor), first IV Oxy → heroin. 01:08:57 – 01:20:41: Full junkie relationship, lost everything, living in car with Manu + Blake (first love), American Hotel on Skid Row. 01:20:41 – 01:34:41: Hustles, Brad Renfro relationship, his overdose death while she was in bed with him (turning point). 01:34:41 – 01:55:43: Details of Brad’s death, aftermath, final heroin use, spiritual dream that led to sobriety. 01:55:43 – 02:13:30: Blake’s later death, resentment work toward mother, marriage/divorce, current life in recovery + treatment field. 02:13:30 – End: New podcast We're Still Here Babe, book Red Hair Blue Eyes Incorporated, closing thoughts, Dave outro.