Dopey: On the Dark Comedy of Drug Addiction

Listen without inserted ads at www.patreon.com/dopeypodcastThis week on Dopey! We kick off 2026 with a Thursday replay of one of his all-time favorites—the legendary Steve Poltz's epic first appearance from 2023, packed with altar boy wine thefts, Rugburns stage-wrecking chaos (56 stitches included), mushroom-fueled job quits, co-writing "You Were Meant for Me" with Jewel in Baja Mexico, Ramones opener mayhem, cocaine/crack spirals, a best friend's tragic murder, and ultimate rehab surrender. Dave reflects on Poltz as a true "blessing" to the show and his life, debates sticking with Five Days of Dopey, reads wild listener comments (meth pee anyone?), shares an Australian dad's white-knuckle sobriety struggles, and drops quick recovery tips while prepping lasagna for Linda's mom's 80th. All that and more on this brand new 2 year old replay show of that good old dopey show!  Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Without inserted ads go to: www.patreon.com/dopeypodcasthttps://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/one-show-at-a-time-a-yellow-balloon-experience/id1690094890This week on Dopey! Dave rings in New Year’s Eve with a raw, reflective Wednesday dose amid a “rough fucking week” on the home front, admitting family struggles (including Linda’s dad’s health) have him questioning whether to keep the grueling Five Days of Dopey schedule into 2026 while teasing resolutions like restarting the infamous Dopey Fitness Challenge, daily writing, and maybe even Tai Chi to save his creaky joints. He reads a heartfelt email from old-timer Craig begging him to go full-throttle for the community’s sake, then drops the full replay of his recent guest spot on the hippie Yellow Balloon podcast One Show at a Time—a rapid-fire qualification packed with childhood staph infections, codependency as his first “drug,” heroin-fueled career crashes, supervised visitation shame, and the desperate AA surrender that finally stuck at 41. The share ends with an avalanche of love from the Zoom crowd (random cameos from Ivan Neville and Anders Osborne included), leaving Dave both embarrassed and deeply grateful as he closes out 2025 counting blessings, overeating brookies with Susan at Patchogue’s early ball drop, and reminding the Nation: if you’re struggling tonight, reach out—tomorrow’s a new day. All that and more on this weeks collab show with the one show at a time podcast! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Listen to the Whole Tuesday Episode at 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. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

AD FREE DOPEY at www.patreon.com/dopeypodcast 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] 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! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Inserted Ad Free Dopey: www.patreon.com/dopeypodcastThis 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.All That and MUCH MORE ON THIS HIPPY DIPPY FAR THE FUCK OUT NEW EPISODE OF THE 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.