Dopey 560: Darrell Hammond, SNL to Crack House to Stroke Ward back to SNL! Cutting, Coke, SMI, Recovery
Dave is “bursting with gratitude” after finally removing a rotting opossum from his block and throws it in a dumpster instead of giving it a “noble death.” Riff on opossums as disgusting North American marsupials; asks listeners if there’s a grosser animal or another North American marsupial. Reads an Instagram message from Case/Casey: binged almost all episodes, finally joined Patreon, 23 months sober off booze and stolen meds from nursing jobs, loved Dr. Giles in Ep 550, in a diversion program, big fan of Demerol, only criticism is Dave’s Pearl Jam hate. Dave defends his Pearl Jam disdain but says he’d gladly have Eddie Vedder on and loved the Into the Wild soundtrack. Lays out the “daily Dopey” plan: Monday replay (Charlotte McKinney), Tuesday Patreon teaser/Reddit Roundup, Wednesday Dose of Dopey (possibly Jason Williamson of Sleaford Mods), Thursday retro episode with Chris, asks for Chris-episode requests by email. Spotify reviews, Theo Vaughn bleep & Tim Dillon Reads Spotify comments: Laura Ann DiPiro on Laura Ann DiPiro episode sound being fixed by Howie; gratitude message; Todd Snider and Steve Poltz love. Comment about him bleeping a comic’s name (Theo Vaughn) while mentioning David Spade; listener jokes he’s playing it safe hoping to book Theo. Dave admits wanting Theo on, reads comments about “Many Rivers to Cross,” NA vs AA identity language, and Sober influencers. Clarifies his stance: loves NA but it didn’t work for him; he says “alcoholic” in meetings and admits he misquotes AA literature and breaks traditions. Shoutout to longtime Tim Dillon booking attempts; listener thinks Tim would be a huge guest. Steve Cropper tribute & interracial bands riff Pays tribute to late guitarist/songwriter Steve Cropper (Booker T. & the MG’s, Blues Brothers band, Green Onions, “(Sittin’ On) The Dock of the Bay”) and tells the story of Cropper finishing “Dock of the Bay” after Otis Redding died. Plays short clips of “Green Onions” and “Dock of the Bay.” Riff on “interracial bands”: lists Booker T. and the MG’s, Sly & the Family Stone, The Specials, Love (probably), Black Moon, Benny Goodman, Miles Davis groups, Jimi Hendrix Experience, Thin Lizzy, Hootie & the Blowfish, Dave Matthews Band; jokes that some were better than others. Mountainside & Link Diagnostics ads Mountainside: detox, 28-day, aftercare, origin of Dopey with Chris, locations in CT, NYC, Long Island; shoutout to John Jones with his phone number and mountainside.com/dopey. Link Diagnostics: boutique tox lab for treatment centers, fast accurate results for emerging substances (kratom, mushroom chocolates, designer drugs), motto “stay positive and test negative.” Voicemail: colonoscopy & propofol Miles from California calls about a colonoscopy: anesthesiologist slowly pushes milky propofol while chatting so he “gets a nice feeling for a little while” then knocks out, but prep is brutal “explosive water” diarrhea. Encourages Dave to get his colonoscopy, says propofol is worth it. Dave jokes about wanting to be “milk-ed” with propofol and wonders why he’d get it without a colonoscopy. Orchard on the Brazos & email: using in rehab Orchard on the Brazos ad: Dan and Brandy, family-run Texas facility, private bedrooms, 132 acres, pond, tennis, gym, chef-prepared meals, “recovery that doesn’t feel like punishment.” Email from Dylan in Canada about using fentanyl in treatment: At 120 mg methadone + clonazepam in three-month rehab, gets welfare deposit, cabs to hospital and secretly scores a teener (1.75g) of purple “FETI” (strongest stuff). Smokes on foil before returning; keeps smoking in room and dayroom, nods in front of nurse for 5 minutes. Refuses UA, makes a scene, rehab can’t find dope/foil/straws and lets him stay; he still graduates. Now three years clean, tapering methadone by 5 mg/month from 40 mg. Dave praises Dylan’s story, jokes it restores his faith in Canadians and wonders if Dylan is a Pearl Jam fan, promises stickers/socks. Dave’s own “using in treatment” stories & invitation California detox: convinces Todd to visit with cigarettes, heroin, and a needle; shoots dope in treatment dayroom and later leaves, wasting his dad’s money. Earlier rehab: young woman gave him Elavil (downer) and he got high before discharge. Clarifies: most satisfying thing is actually getting sober, not using in treatment; invites “using in treatment” stories via email and emphasizes he’s not recommending it. Recovery Unplugged ad Music-based treatment centers in FL, TX, VA, TN, SC, NJ. Higher long-term recovery rates, accepts insurance, in-person and online. Collaboration with manager Doc McGhee on the Elsewhere If program for touring musicians and crew. Repeats that you don’t have to be a musician to benefit. Main interview: Darrell Hammond Opening: “I didn’t do as well as I wanted to” Darrell says he feels he didn’t do as well as he wanted in his career despite being one of SNL’s longest-tenured cast members and current anno
Dopey: On the Dark Comedy of Drug Addiction
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Show Notes
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This week on Dopey! Comedy Legend and serious recovery survivor Darrel Hammond comes on the show! We dispose of a dead opossum. We reads listener messages about Patreon, Pearl Jam, the Charlotte McKinney episode, Spotify reviews, Theo Von speculation, “Many Rivers to Cross,” NA vs AA, and future guests like Tim Dillon. There’s a voicemail about colonoscopy propofol and an email from Canadian listener Dylan about secretly smoking purple fent in rehab and still graduating before getting three years clean on methadone. Dave tells his own stories about using in treatment and invites more “using in rehab” emails.
The main interview is a long, raw conversation with Darrell Hammond about childhood abuse, feeling like an outsider, drinking his first Bush beers, baseball, impressions as survival, and finally uncovering buried trauma in intense psychodrama therapy. Darrell talks about self-blame around his sponsor’s suicide, years of in-and-out sobriety, cutting as a way to control panic and signal pain, and trying to work at SNL while hiding self-harm and drinking after the show. He gets into Clinton, the Comedy Cellar, how he finds the “funny” in impressions, the crack-house story on 137th Street, and the stroke that finally terrified him into fully embracing recovery, meetings, cognitive therapy, yoga, connection, and a “life of consultation.” He closes with his “religion” (improve myself, contribute to others’ happiness) and his take on God, gravity, Einstein, and serenity. Dave wraps with Patreon/Zoom plugs, Safe Spot and sticker/mustard ads, a quick Andrew Dice Clay impression, a mini rant about Instagram, and a sincere reminder that recovery is the best thing that ever happened to him. All that and more on this weeks installment of the good old dopey show!
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