Transcript

A (0:00)

Malcolm Gladwell here. This season on Revisionist History. We're going back to the spring of 1988 to a town in northwest Alabama where a man committed a crime that would spiral out of control.

B (0:11)

There was this joke that said that.

A (0:14)

It was easier to get forgiveness in.

B (0:16)

The Church of Christ for murdering somebody.

A (0:19)

Than it was to be divorced from revisionist history. This is the Alabama Murders. Listen to Revisionist History, the Alabama Murders. Wherever you get your podcasts. All right, everybody. Welcome to the Pastimes podcast. Each week we go through an old newspaper from a random date in history picked out by Dave Anthony. I'm Gareth Reynolds and I've never seen it before. And neither is our guest this week, the great Billy Wayne Davis.

B (0:51)

Hello, Billy.

A (0:52)

I still have your sticker on my suitcase. When you're your little Billy Wayne sticker. You've made it.

B (0:59)

I made it.

A (1:00)

You were going to say something before I interjected a little bit of that.

B (1:03)

Was anything you care to talk about, comedian? Just being like. Like, for sure. Just a noise. If. If what I was going to say is like, I would love to hear it. Like, you know, just.

A (1:17)

I'm glad you didn't. Be honest.

B (1:19)

Yeah, see, that's what my words would have been.

A (1:23)

Well, I don't. I mean, we're distracted.

B (1:25)

Let's be honest. The thing.

A (1:28)

A crazy thing has happened in. And we're still recording. I think if you are, you know, whenever this comes out, you will recognize the crazy thing that's happened. You know, it's that thing where that thing happened to the guy and his neck and that thing.

B (1:44)

Yeah.

A (1:45)

Billy, what can we promote for you? What do you. You're always around. Where. Where are you? Are you in a shave?

Summary

The Dollop with Dave Anthony and Gareth Reynolds

The Past Times with Billy Wayne Davis

Episode 146 | October 10, 2025
Main Theme:
Comedians Dave Anthony and Gareth Reynolds, joined by guest Billy Wayne Davis, dive into a 1932 Atlanta newspaper for an improvised, irreverent, and hilarious exploration of odd, mundane, and wild news stories from a bygone era. Through banter and comedic chemistry, they roast, analyze, and riff off the headlines—touching on everything from romantic misunderstandings to pranks gone awry—all with their signature humor and a strong dose of personal storytelling.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Introduction & Banter: Touring, Career, and Weird Times

Tour Life & Parenting: Billy discusses the difficulties of balancing a touring career with family:
- "Do your kids remember you?" (02:14, Gareth)
- Billy adapts his touring to be home more but admits it makes the time away, and work, more intense.
Commentary on Comedy Careers: The group jokes about the perilous, unpredictable nature of a comedian’s visibility ("You're always around. That's the goal." — 02:01, Billy).
John Reap and Comedy Divides: Billy reflects on another comedian's unexpected turn toward politics and its impact on touring and audiences (02:52).

2. The Newspaper Game: Guessing the Year

Gareth introduces the main segment: reading unknown historical newspapers.
Billy wildly guesses "19... seven," covering all years ending in 7 ("Good guess, Vegas covers all the sevens." — 05:23, Dave & Gareth).
The correct answer: April 11, 1932, from Atlanta, Georgia (06:40).

3. Notable Newspaper Stories & Riffs

A. Divorce for Infidelity and Cruelty

Story: Will Taylor is granted divorce from Mabel Taylor for cruel treatment and infidelity (07:05).
Riff: The comedians joke about being caught mid-dinner with a mistress ("Was he eating? Was he banging her on the table?" — 07:34, Gareth), poking fun at the thinly veiled reports and lack of details.
Quote:
- "He's banging her on the table while chewing a turkey leg." — 07:44, Gareth
- "Leave my fucking... the leg." — 08:12, Billy

B. The Six-Fingered Jailbreak & Stolen Produce Car

Story: A black man with six fingers escapes jail, steals a car marked "Produce" (10:31–15:38).
Riff: Extended riffing on how remarkably easy the suspect is to identify, and on naming conventions of the era.
Quote:
- "It's gonna be hard to find the six finger black man in a produce mobile in this town." — 15:30, Dave
- "You don't even need the black part... the six fingers... that's enough." — 15:38, Billy

C. Lover Slashes over Church Attendance

Story: A man cuts his lover on the forehead after an argument sparked by her saying she was attending church (16:19).
Riff: They joke about the thin line between romance, arguing, and foreplay in small-town gossip.
Quote:
- "Cut his sweetheart... I think maybe they're on the rocks." — 17:24, Gareth
- "Back then, a male stab into the forehead, that's flirting. That's nothing." — 19:08, Gareth

D. Angry Daughter Takes Poison

Story: Young woman attempts suicide with iodine; most ends up on her clothes, resulting in little harm (21:52–25:31).
Riff: Exploration of what happens when you ingest various household items, nothing but jokes about "fake-dying" for attention.
Quote:
- "A dying for help. She's fake dying, she's fake dining..." — 24:51, Dave
- "Iodine's like mercury, you can have a baby dose." — 23:04, Dave

E. Fishbone Mishap

Story: Man hospitalized after choking on a fishbone (25:49).
Riff: Jokes about how mundane and gossipy newspapers were, drawing comparisons to celebrity tabloids.
Quote:
- "He had to be eating it like a cartoon cat." — 28:44, Gareth

4. Extended Banter: Childhood Pranks and Dangerous Antics

"Boys Will Be Boys": The comedians reminisce about youthful stupidity—Roman candle fights, lighting socks on fire, and pranks involving gasoline (43:00+).
Quotes:
- "Roman candle... I used to light my socks on fire quite often." — 43:07, Dave
- "We used to throw bottle rockets at each other on a roof... like John Wick..." — 48:32, Gareth
Insight: They discuss generational shifts in acceptable mischief and the wisdom of not sharing their worst ideas with their children ("Now I have to make sure not to tell my kids how to hold fireworks..." — 49:27, Billy).

5. Chicken Thief Sentenced to a Year at Hard Labor

Story: Man and alleged companion arrested, tried, and given 12 months for stealing chickens (32:36–41:41).
Riff: Laughter about the specificity in reporting types of hens stolen, the economic impact of chicken theft, and the absurdity of "chicken court."
Quotes:
- "The price of chickens went up... that's a year." — 32:42, Gareth
- "Now you just—you're from Tennessee, you just know all kinds of chickens..." — 38:01, Gareth
- "If anyone bites you, you get to hit them with a hammer." — 59:13, Billy

6. Domestic Disputes Over... Reading the Newspaper

Story: Wife attacks husband with a hammer after a fight erupts over her reading the newspaper at night; husband bites her in return (52:10–57:42).
Riff: Comedians are in disbelief over the sequence of escalation: demanding bed, turning off the lights, biting, and hammer blows.
Quotes:
- "If anyone bites you, I think you have... you get to hit him with a hammer." — 59:13, Billy
- "Multiple hammerings is the more jailable offense out of the two." — 57:12, Gareth
- “She probably wasn’t even reading, she was using the paper to cover up the hammer.” — 56:32, Dave

7. Reflections: On Listeners, On Comedy Dynamics

Do They Like Each Other?: The trio reflect on the common speculation that comedians on the show harbor real tension, confirming that the ribbing is mainly for amusement. ("People always say, ‘I can’t tell if they like each other or not.’ It is my favorite part." — 34:32, Billy)
Insight: The bit underscores how much humor on the show is about chemistry, faux aggression, and affectionate needling.

8. Final Riffs & Farewell

Personal Questions: Gareth teases Dave about listeners seeking his wisdom but ultimately avoids ever really asking (“Billy, you will come to me with questions and so will you, David. I won’t.” — 30:16).
Electrical Chaos: The recording closes with technical chaos on Billy’s end, their laughter tracking the episode’s slow spiral into farce (“It sounds like you get Wi-Fi from the Waterworld bug." — 58:29, Dave).

Notable Quotes & Timestamps

"If anyone bites you, you get to hit him with a hammer."
— Billy, 59:13
"You’re always around. That’s the goal."
— Billy, 02:01
"I don’t judge a yolk by the shell."
— Gareth, 39:27
"You gotta drink a hero's dose of dying if you want to really go."
— Dave, 25:22
"We used to buy this beer called Rhinelander … you could get like 24 bottles for like $6... three of us started getting hives."
— Gareth, 50:06

Timestamps for Major Segments

Intro and banter: 00:19–06:39
Guessing the year / Main setup: 06:40
First headline (Divorce/caught cheating): 07:05–09:30
Six-fingered jail escape / stolen car: 10:31–16:19
Church argument/stabbing: 16:19–20:23
Angry daughter / Poison attempt: 21:52–25:31
Fishbone mishap: 25:49–29:37
Chicken thief sentenced: 32:36–41:41
Hammer fight over newspaper: 52:10–58:54
Final banter and troubleshooting: 58:55–End

Conclusion

This episode captures the essence of The Dollop’s “Past Times” series: irreverent, tangential, and full of both genuine history and mischievous banter. The paper’s absurd old stories are a launching pad for organic detours—ranging from dangerous childhood antics to the economics of chickens—with rapid-fire jokes, callbacks, and real camaraderie. The dynamic works both for hardcore fans who savor every inside joke and for newcomers seeking a comedic take on history’s most random corners.

For more from Billy Wayne Davis: BWD Tour
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146 - The Past Times with BillyWayneDavis