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Vaughn Taormina: A chili pimp.
Freak Deak: An animal.
Vaughn: He’s my rap partner.
Brad Taormina: A puzzled panther.
Vaughn: My favorite white dog.OK. And how do you guys know him?
Brad: I met him when I was a kid. He was the first honest weirdo I had ever met; everything he said and did was so funny to me, even his fits of rage. I think that’s why we made a good team.What was he in rehab for? And why did he decide to go?
Vaughn: Dog food, getting off liquid hand cuffs. He said they were gonna take his Medicaid and benefits—but he seems to go to rehab or jail every year when it starts getting cold. When he was going back to Wayne County I remember he wasn’t that bummed. He was like, "I got some buddies in there.” For him, rehab is great because it’s co-ed. He always pulls some girlfriend out of rehab. When he got the boot this time he said all the girls were crying and all the haters were clapping.That’s sweet. I loved Dope Sick. What can you tell me about it?
Brad: Deak has a photographic memory and he’s an amazing story teller. Most people exaggerate when they tell a story, but I’ve never known Deak to do that. Deak delivers his stories in such a casual manner that anyone can side with hookers and addicts as everyday people. The lifestyle he depicts would be horrible to most people, but knowing what it’s like to live in Detroit, where everyone around you has nothing going on, we can relate.
Vaughn: Before we go any further, I’d just like to say that anyone who sees this and thinks that shooting dope is in some way a good move, would have already thought that. In no way is this depicting a fulfilling life. It’s depressing and at the same time it’s hilarious. I think that that may be a good line to walk.
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Freak: Stay out of the city if you don’t want that kind of drama.Would you show this to your children to teach them that drugs can be dangerous?
I don’t think I can have kids. I should try one last time, though.What the hell happened to the hooker in the film who disappeared? Did you ever find her?
Brad: I’m sure she’s fine. That was a dope house—no one stays very long.
Vaughn: I doubt she is doing good now, but I don’t think there’s any reason to worry too much. I’m sure that bullet in the TV was just a party time move someone pulled on the way out…
Freak: No, she was headed down the wrong road. Who knows, people change, but I haven’t seen her.I imagine Deak has some pretty wild stories. Tell me some of the best.
Vaughn: He has been in more hit and runs than he can remember.
Brad: In high school, he was really creative when trashing people’s houses. I’ve seen him use a lighter to melt Hershey Kisses into the carpet, pee in parents’ clothing drawers, and carefully take furniture outside before throwing it back into the house through the windows.Holy shit.
Vaughn: He throws up while fighting, too.
Brad: To get through probation he became a born again Christian, only to denounce it the day his probation ended. He usually had blue hair, which meant everything in his mom’s house was also stained blue, along with the interior of his car and the passenger seat of mine.
Vaughn: He started a punk band called Retard Floor Hockey. He said when they played, people were so into it they threw their shoes at him.How do you think he will change, now that he's all reformed and stuff?
I think he’s going to be able to stay more productive with his music career. His album is in the works, and you can see a music video I made for him called “Top A The Line.” Hopefully he feels like he has a reason to keep working now that people are starting to pay attention to him as an artist.KRISTEN YOONSOO KIM

