How To Destroy Everything

Wherein young Stephen seeks refuge from his own family at a house “down the street.” His father then reveals a side of himself that no one could have imagined, just before the marriage finally falls apart. Gene moves away while Maureen makes a new “friend.” Then, hear why the boys call this “The Darren Episode” and define the true meaning of an oasis. Then, Danny and Darren explore the hidden meaning behind Stephen's sound effects and what it meant to have his father reveal that he could “fly.” Head to https://bubblycleaning.com/HTDE to get your first 3 hours of cleaning for only $19. Thanks so much to Bubbly Cleaning for sponsoring this episode! If you would like to support this podcast, please consider becoming a patron at www.patreon.com/HowToDestroyEverything and please don't forget to share, rate, and review! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Episode Two finds Maureen taking on The Reverend Mother of her children's Catholic School. The family then experiences the darkest Christmas of their lives, propelling them south, to face an uncertain future in an empty house in the suburbs. A violent period unfolds for The Kearins, which includes a hammer, a hospital and a runaway girl. Then Danny and Darren explain why they called this “The Catholic Episode,” explore the nature of forgiveness and our attempts to stop a cycle of family dysfunction. If you would like to support this podcast, please consider becoming a patron at www.patreon.com/HowToDestroyEverything and please don't forget to share, rate, and review! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In our first episode, we meet Stephen's tough girl Jersey mother and his post war(s) farm boy father, as they attempt to raise him, his two sisters, and themselves in a tiny apartment in Van Nuys, California. Then, Danny and Darren start exploring what's behind his parents' pain, what happens to feelings frozen in time, and where is the Grace in all of this madness? If you would like to support this podcast, please consider becoming a patron at www.patreon.com/HowToDestroyEverything and please don't forget to share, rate, and review! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Wherein Danny and Darren confront their audience live for the very first time. Danny discusses his complicated feelings about St. Louis, and surprise guests abound. Recorded at famed St. Louis merch shop, Stl-Style, Danny and Darren search for some meaning and share final thoughts from the journey they've just completed. Listen to HTDE on Apple, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. If you would like to support this podcast, please consider becoming a patron a  www.patreon.com/HowToDestroyEverything. Head to https://www.BubblyCleaning.com/HTDE to get your first 3 hours of cleaning for only $19. Thanks so much to Bubbly Cleaning for sponsoring this episode! Get 15% offOneSkin with the code DESTROY at https://www.oneskin.co/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In the spirit of familial destruction, How To Destroy Everything is proud to present, Toughen Up, written and performed by Stephen Kearin. Toughen Up is the story of an American family turned upside down, spilling out every last skeleton in its closet. Join us for a darkly comic traumatic memoir...a Traumoir, if you will.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Wherein Danny returns, at last, to the scene of the crime(s). Danny (alongside Darren and Sandy) go back to his childhood home, The Royal Manor, and Danny confronts his past head-on. In this, the season one finale of How to Destroy Everything, old feelings will burst to the surface, the ghosts of the past will be reckoned with, and the future will become all the more clear.  Listen to HTDE on Apple, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. If you would like to support this podcast, please consider becoming a patron at www.patreon.com/HowToDestroyEverything. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Wherein Danny and Darren check in one last time with Sandy and talk about the entirety of her podcast journey. In doing so, they discover the incredible strides that Sandy has made in her own personal evolution. Additonally, Danny and Darren bring on Danny's wife, Katie, to discuss her perspective on how the podcast has changed her husband. And finally, our intrepid hosts make a big announcement about what's next for the show.  Listen to HTDE on Apple, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. If you would like to support this podcast, please consider becoming a patron at www.patreon.com/HowToDestroyEverything. This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/DESTROY get on your way to being your best self Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Wherein Danny and Darren finally track down their white whale: a member of the support group founded to bring together people who had been sued and harrassed by Richard Jacobs. But as Danny and Darren get into the details of said group, so much more is revealed than they ever imagined possible -- about the group, yes, but also about Danny and where he goes from here... Listen to HTDE on Apple, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. If you would like to support this podcast, please consider becoming a patron at www.patreon.com/HowToDestroyEverything. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Wherein Danny and Darren watch the "death video" Richard made for Danny back in the 1980s. Also, the boys discuss Richard's view of death and his conception of the "afterlife" with Danny's brother. It's the death episode! Listen to HTDE on Apple, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. If you would like to support this podcast, please consider becoming a patron at www.patreon.com/HowToDestroyEverything. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Wherein Danny and Darren sit down once more with Danny's brother and delve deeper into understanding each other's perspectives. Danny's brother brings a unique point of view - one of understanding for Richard and even empathy for him, compelling Danny to reevaluate some of the conclusions he's drawn about his father. Listen to HTDE on Apple, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. If you would like to support this podcast, please consider becoming a patron at www.patreon.com/HowToDestroyEverything. This episode is sponsored by/brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at www.betterhelp.com/destroy and get on your way to being your best self. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Wherein Danny and Darren sit down with Danny's brother and discuss how they survived their childhood as the sons of Richard Jacobs, how their perspectives differ, and whether or not Richard can be fairly compared to a shark. Listen to HTDE on Apple, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. If you would like to support this podcast, please consider becoming a patron at www.patreon.com/HowToDestroyEverything. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Wherein Danny and Darren dive deeper into Beth's relationship with Richard, which includes a shocking revelation that Danny's dad had been operating dating profiles on his sons' behalf. Additionally, Sandy discusses her dating life beyond Richard, and Darren checks in with Danny about his anger. For tickets to Danny's improv show at the Groundlings, head to www.groundlings.com/shows/theunderstudies. And if you would like to support this podcast, please consider becoming a patron at www.patreon.com/HowToDestroyEverything. Listen to HTDE on Apple, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Wherein Danny and Darren bring the podcast full circle by exploring the moment that started it all from a different persepective: Danny's wife. As she illuminates her side of the disaster that led to the termination of Danny's relationship with his dad, our intrepid hosts then speak to the other wife, that of Danny's brother. How does a narcissist affect his kids when they grow up, get married, and have families of their own? What better way is there to find out than by talking to the wives. Listen to HTDE on Apple, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. For tickets to Danny's improv show at the Groundlings, head to www.groundlings.com/shows/theunderstudies. If you would like to support this podcast, please consider becoming a patron at: www.patreon.com/HowToDestroyEverything. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Wherein Danny and Darren interview Stephen Kearin, a mentor to Danny over the last several decades (and Danny's self-described "Irish Rabbi"). Stephen shares his own incredible family story and the boys try to glean some lessons that Danny can apply to his own relationship with Richard.  For tickets to Danny's improv show at the Groundlings on Thursday, March 6th at 10 PM, head here: https://groundlings.com/shows/theunderstudies HTDE Live Show: https://www.stl-style.com/event-details/how-to-destroy-a-live-show-q-a Listen to HTDE on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts, and please remember to subscribe, rate, and review!  If you would like to support this podcast, please consider becoming a patron at www.patreon.com/HowToDestroyEverything Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Wherein Danny and Darren explore the newfound freedom Danny felt as a young adult out from under his father's thumb for the first time in his life. But then, Danny gets pulled back into his father's chaos when he agrees to go on a (mostly) paid vacation to Australia. Terrible doesn't do the trip justice. It was so traumatizing that it sends Danny into a mental health spiral as he finds himself abandoned in a foreign country. Listen to HTDE on Apple, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts and please don't forget to share, rate and review! If you would like to support this podcast, please consider becoming a patron at www.patreon.com/HowToDestroyEverything. This episode is sponsored by brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/destroy and get on your way to being your best self. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Wherein Danny and Darren tread into the ridiculous and terrifying world of Richard's dating life, which weirdly took Danny and his brother across the country. Then, the guys bring on Sandy to talk about the "fog of war" - or how she survived the onslaught of litigation brought by Richard after their divorce. Listen to HTDE on Apple, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. If you would like to support this podcast, please consider becoming a patron at www.patreon.com/HowToDestroyEverything and please don't forget to share, rate, and review! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Wherein Danny and Darren explore the second half of Danny's childhood, which included awkward trips to the ice cream shop and a burgeoning desire to perform as a way of covering up his shame. Additionally, they'll investigate Sandy's side of post-divorce life as they finally solve the mystery of how she was able to afford a decade's worth of lawsuits without going bankrupt. Listen to HTDE on Apple, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. If you would like to support this podcast, please consider becoming a patron at www.patreon.com/HowToDestroyEverything. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Wherein Danny and Darren dive into a treasure trove of old films and videos that Richard had made over the years, interview the actor who plays Richard about what it's like to play such an outsized character, and speak with Sandy about the ways this podcast have helped her reclaim her story.  Listen to HTDE on Apple, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. If you would like to support this podcast, please consider becoming a patron at www.patreon.com/HowToDestroyEverything. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Wherein Danny and Darren go into the courtroom during Richard and Sandy's trial and they are able to hear, in Richard and Sandy's own words, the diametrically opposed perspectives of Danny's parents. In doing so, Danny confronts one of the most seminal moments of his childhood that has haunted him for decades. Listen to HTDE on Apple, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. If you would like to support this podcast, please consider becoming a patron at www.patreon.com/HowToDestroyEverything. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Wherein Danny and Darren sit down for a chat with a licensed psychologist to get his take on all things Richard Jacobs. In a wide-ranging conversation, they are finally able to get some answers to many of their questions about what exactly may have been going on inside Richard's mind. Listen to HTDE on Apple, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. If you would like to support this podcast, please consider becoming a patron at www.patreon.com/HowToDestroyEverything. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Wherein Danny and Darren take listeners into a new chapter in Richard's life, a chapter in which he begins to focus his rage on his ex-wife. Sandy recounts the times Richard broke into her apartment, destroyed her dream job, and filled Danny's every day elementary-school existence with dread. Listen to HTDE on Apple, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. If you would like to support this podcast, please consider becoming a patron at www.patreon.com/HowToDestroyEverything. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Wherein Danny and Darren tell the traumatizing conclusion to Danny's epic battle with the evil construction company wreaking havoc on his home. Additionally, our intrepid hosts delve deeper into their interview with Barbara (the woman who spent nine years in court trying to take Richard down), and Sandy gives an update on her thereupeutic journey. Listen to HTDE on Apple, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. If you would like to support this podcast, please consider becoming a patron at www.patreon.com/HowToDestroyEverything. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Wherein Danny and Darren tackle the second half of Richard Jacobs' "career". With his reputation in tatters, Richard attempts to regain his law license and aims his considerable talents (and relentlessness) at members of the St. Louis community, representing himself in a reign of terror and leaving trauma in his wake. Listen to HTDE on Apple, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. If you would like to support this podcast, please consider becoming a patron at www.patreon.com/HowToDestroyEverything. This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/DESTROY get on your way to being your best self Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Wherein Danny and Darren go deeper into the mind (& world) of phone phreak 'Captain Crunch' in an attempt to understand Richard's love affair with technology. We'll also revisit one of the seminal stories we learned about Richard in an earlier episode and discover that it may not be true after all! Listen to HTDE on Apple, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. If you would like to support this podcast, please consider becoming a patron at www.patreon.com/HowToDestroyEverything. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Wherein Danny and Darren dive into the absolutely bananas career of Richard Jacobs, from all its promise to its absolute peril. This episode covers multiple arrests and criminal charges, getting fired from the SEC for accessing a classified database, and winning a United States Supreme Court case. And this is only part 1! Listen to HTDE on Apple, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. If you would like to support this podcast, please consider becoming a patron at www.patreon.com/HowToDestroyEverything. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Wherein Danny and Darren discuss the fallout in Danny's family that has resulted from this podcast. We'll also check in with Sandy about the emotional impact this all has been having on her. Listen to HTDE on Apple, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.  If you would like to support this podcast, please consider becoming a patron at www.patreon.com/HowToDestroyEverything. This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/DESTROY get on your way to being your best self Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Wherein Danny and Darren try to answer a seminal question: How was it remotely possible that Danny's mom could have stayed with his dad for thirteen years? And how did she finally leave him? This episode takes a winding journey -- from Chicago to D.C. to St. Louis -- and ultimately to a better understanding of the marriage of Richard and Sandy Jacobs. Listen to HTDE on Apple, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. If you would like to support this podcast, please consider becoming a patron at www.patreon.com/HowToDestroyEverything. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Wherein Danny and Darren bring in Sandy to discuss the fallout of the intense revelations of the previous episode. Danny also recounts a recent experience that made him completely rethink the ways that he may or may not be like his father. Listen to HTDE on Apple, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. If you would like to support this podcast, please consider becoming a patron at www.patreon.com/HowToDestroyEverything. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Wherein Danny and Darren try to answer an enduring question: what kind of woman would marry someone like Richard Jacobs? In search of some explanation - any explanation - they go all the way back to Sandy's childhood. And along the way, they discover some truly shocking developments that change Danny's perception of who his Dad really was.  Listen to HTDE on Apple, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.  If you would like to support this podcast, please consider becoming a patron at www.patreon.com/HowToDestroyEverything. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Wherein Danny and Darren finally explain why it took them so freakin' long to get this season ready while checking in with Danny's mom about the podcast's emotional toll. We'll also play some extended interviews from The Royal Manor.  Listen to HTDE on Apple, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.  If you would like to support this podcast, please consider becoming a patron at www.patreon.com/HowToDestroyEverything. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Wherein Darren returns to the "scene of the crimes", The Royal Manor, and discovers way more than he could have possibly imagined. In the dark recesses of Danny's childhood attic, long held secrets are revealed, and Danny is forced to confront a childhood he hoped would stay in the shadows.  Listen to HTDE on Apple, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.  If you would like to support this podcast, please consider becoming a patron at www.patreon.com/HowToDestroyEverything. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

"WE'RE BACK!" After an unreasonably long hiatus to actually -- you know -- figure out how to make a podcast, Danny and Darren announce the rest of the season of "How To Destroy Everything," along with a trailer for the show detailing the levels of destruction that audiences can expect. New episodes weekly, starting 9/17!  Listen to HTDE on Apple, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.  If you would like to support this podcast, please consider becoming a patron at www.patreon.com/HowToDestroyEverything.

The Good, The Bad, & The Ugly that happened on the way to The Royal Manor. Instagram: @how_to_destroy_everything Twitter / X: @HowToDestroyPod Support us here: https://www.patreon.com/HowToDestroyEverything/about If you have any stories about Richard Jacobs or just want to drop us an email please contact us here: IknowRichardJacobs@gmail.com

Danny & Darren explore the absurd, bizarre, and horrific aspects of the house Richard called home for more than 40 years. And in opening up his father's secret compartments (both literal & figurative), Danny is confronted with whether he's truly ready to face the ghosts that haunt him. Instagram: @how_to_destroy_everything Twitter / X: @HowToDestroyPod Support us here: https://www.patreon.com/HowToDestroyEverything/about If you have any stories about Richard Jacobs or just want to drop us an email please contact us here: IknowRichardJacobs@gmail.com

A lot has happened on our way to the 2nd episode, so we thought we'd jump on for a quick update. Instagram: @how_to_destroy_everything Twitter / X: @HowToDestroyPod Support us here: https://www.patreon.com/HowToDestroyEverything/about If you have any stories about Richard Jacobs or just want to drop us an email please contact us here: IknowRichardJacobs@gmail.com

From the Webby Award winning Aileron Podcast Studios, comes the true story of a narcissist who destroyed a childhood, a marriage, a family, and a community. You know, a comedy.  How To Destroy Everything is a narrative docu-dramdey that breaks the forms of any other podcast you've listened to. It will trigger all your emotions and leave you dying to know more. Instagram: @how_to_destroy_everything Twitter / X: @HowToDestroyPod Support us here: https://www.patreon.com/HowToDestroyEverything/about If you have any stories about Richard Jacobs or just want to drop us an email please contact us here: IknowRichardJacobs@gmail.com

The first episode of a wild journey into the world of a narcissist. Meet Richard Jacobs through the eyes of his son and his son's childhood bestie, who follow the clues and put together the pieces of Richard's destructive life. You know, a comedy. Instagram: @how_to_destroy_everything Twitter / X: @HowToDestroyPod Support us here: https://www.patreon.com/HowToDestroyEverything/about If you have any stories about Richard Jacobs or just want to drop us an email please contact us here: IknowRichardJacobs@gmail.com