The Neighborhood Listen
Episode: Non-Rabbie Behavior with Joe Wengert
Release Date: November 25, 2025
Guest: Joe Wengert as Dennis Siara
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Episode Overview

In this episode of The Neighborhood Listen, hosts Burnt Millipede (Paul F. Tompkins), Joan Pedestrian (Nicole Parker), and Doug (Brett Morris) explore another curious post from the Dignity Falls neighborhood app, welcoming Dennis Siara (Joe Wengert), whose attempt to domesticate a possum has gone awry. The team deconstructs the definition of "non-rabby," unpacks the social and emotional intricacies of accidental pet-ownership, navigates Doug’s attempt to recreate a Rainforest Cafe, and, as always, riffs brilliantly on local oddities and community drama.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Opening Banter: Listeners’ Cravings for “Violent Scenarios”

• Burnt and Joan discuss listener feedback requesting more “violent scenarios,” jokingly reading fan messages that ask them to hypothesize violence, which they find disturbing but faintly flattering.
  • “There was a guy…He said, ‘I love violent scenarios. Could you squeeze more of them in?’” – Burnt (06:46)
  • Joan questions if this is listener kink and reaffirms they don’t kink-shame but are surprised that people want hypothetical, not real, accounts.

2. Burnt’s Relationship Update: Gabby’s Dramatic Return

• Burnt recounts his ongoing saga with Gabby, including her eerie return home, a chilling monologue, and a surprise proposal—with a lava ring.
  • Notable quote: “She said, ‘There's something about that brain that I find fascinating.’” – Burnt, relaying Gabby (14:06)
  • The team riffs on theatrical devices: Joan wants to use Gabby’s monologue for audition material and jokes about walking around tables being peak drama.
  • Outcome: Burnt accepts Gabby’s proposal, marking their second engagement. (23:22)

3. Doug’s Rainforest Cafe in the Home

• Doug strives to recreate the Rainforest Cafe experience, complete with dubious whale sounds and jungle ambiance.
  • Doug plays sound effects, which the hosts lovingly roast (“That whale is in trouble…” – Joan, 18:24).
  • Discussion diverges into nostalgia for themed restaurants, zoo food, and the peculiar sensory thrill of grocery produce misters.

4. Broadway Tangent: Jamie Lloyd & Performance Fetishes

• The hosts get sidetracked chatting about theater director Jamie Lloyd’s penchant for actors in underwear and covered in substances—debating public versus private fetishes and referencing famous productions.

5. Main Segment: The Curious Case of Dennis Siara and the Possum

a. Introduction to the Neighborhood Post (32:03)

• Dennis Siara posted seeking help: “I need help getting a possum out of my room. I'm stuck in my bathroom... animal control said they couldn't help because of it being a non rabi animal.”
• “Non rabi” is debated—is it a typo for rabid or something more?

b. Dennis’ Background & Family Legacy

• Dennis speaks glowingly of the Siara legacy (showing up, “showing out”), and his role in renaming “Sharp Court” to “Sharb Court” to make the street less “violent.”
  • “We lobbied for the community to change the name from Sharp Court. Then we changed it to Sharb Court.” – Dennis (34:45)

c. Dennis’ Symbiotic Struggle with “Pink” the Possum (37:37)

• Dennis admits he intentionally courted the possum for companionship amidst post-divorce loneliness but is now a hostage in his own home, as “Pink” dominates the house, relegates him to the bathroom, and perhaps prepares to give birth.
  • “She’s got a bright pink tail. I call her Pink...” (39:11)
  • The hosts note his dynamic with Pink resembles an abusive relationship—Dennis is charmed and subservient, refusing to fight back or even to stop feeding her.

d. Exploring “Non-Rabby” Status and Possum Behavior

• Doug assures the group possums are virtually immune to rabies, while Dennis invents a “spectrum of rabidity”—from rabid, to “rabby,” to “non-rabby.”
  • “I believe we're all somewhere on the spectrum of rabidity…” – Dennis (47:13)

e. Email Communication, Family Dynamics, and Dysfunction

• Dennis, a remote customer service rep, prefers email to verbal communication—mirroring the communication breakdown in his failed marriage and his isolation from extended family.
  • His ex-wife is now dating his uncle, and their courtship was entirely over email, exacerbating his sense of estrangement (59:36).
  • He muses about setting up an email account for the possum, seeking to reestablish connection.

f. Possum Domination and the “Pet” Reversal

• Joan and Burnt posit that Dennis is, in fact, the pet, not the owner. Dennis embraces this, seeing merits in being “cared for” by Pink.
  • “You're restricted to certain areas…Pink is in charge.” – Burnt (70:43)
  • “I love it.” – Dennis (71:25)
  • Doug suggests he open his mouth wide, “like a possum does…to let her know you want food.”

g. Advice Conundrum and Dennis’ Reluctance

• The group advises humane trapping and stopping feeding Pink, but Dennis resists, valuing the strong presence Pink brings to his life.
  • “I think all you can do is…let her know that you understand the situation. She understands the situation.” – Burnt (75:28)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• "I want to see if we can figure out who actually enjoys violence. Do you get secret DMs about…’hey, Burnt, love the dick bit, want more?’" – Joan (05:19)
• “She turned her kitchen into her bathroom, because I'm in the bathroom.” – Dennis (64:00)
• “Have you thought about setting a trap in your house?...so you can take power back?” – Joan to Dennis (59:19)
• “You are the pet.” – Burnt to Dennis, revealing the reversal (70:43)
• “How do you feel about eating trash?” – Doug to Dennis, on embracing the possum lifestyle (72:07)
• “You never love when someone says ‘I fancy myself an amateur veterinarian.’” – Joan (68:32)

Timestamp Guide to Key Moments

• 06:06 – Listener DMs requesting violence
• 11:26 – Gabby’s monologue & the dramatic proposal
• 18:19 – Doug’s Rainforest Cafe “whale sound”
• 32:03 – Introduction to Dennis’ possum predicament
• 39:47 – Pink the possum dominates the house
• 46:44 – Debating “non-rabby” and animal control
• 64:00 – Pink takes over Dennis’ kitchen as a bathroom
• 70:43 – Burnt and Joan label Dennis “the pet”
• 75:03 – The team realizes Dennis wants to remain the pet

Episode Tone and Style

The episode is classic Neighborhood Listen—warmly absurd, deeply humane, and packed with tangents spun from local color and listener contributions. The tone is playful, occasionally wistful, crackling with improv chemistry and the unique personalities of its hosts.

For Listeners Who Missed the Episode

• The story centers on Dennis Siara’s failed attempt to have a possum as a half-wild, half-domestic pet, only to be outmaneuvered by the animal, forced to live in his bathroom as the possum takes over his home. Despite helpful advice, Dennis is curiously satisfied with the power dynamic, feeling less alone and somewhat grateful for Pink’s presence.
• The hosts indulge in delightful asides—local theater gripes, nostalgia for themed eateries, the performative limits of modern Broadway, and the lively internal culture of the Dignity Falls community app.
• As always, the show is equal parts silly and sincere, offering real comfort and oddball solidarity for anyone feeling a little bit like an outsider in their own neighborhood.

Final Thoughts

This episode weaves together themes of loneliness, the need for connection (human or animal), and the blurry lines between control and surrender—framed, as always, with affectionate mockery and the eccentric flavor of Dignity Falls. Dennis leaves with little changed, but with a sense of community, and listeners leave with gratitude that sometimes, it’s best not to keep feeding the possum in your life.