4 chapters across the catalog
Legal analyst Elie Honig and anchor Alisyn Camerota discuss the 2005 deposition where Bill Cosby admitted to obtaining Quaaludes. The hosts deconstruct the media's framing of this admission, arguing that the press "sandwiched" facts to make it appear Cosby confessed to drugging women without their knowledge. They clarify that Cosby's actual testimony described Quaaludes as a party drug used similarly to alcohol, rather than a "knockout" drug as portrayed in the news.
The segment explores the history of Quaaludes, known as "disco biscuits," which were widely used in the 1970s at clubs like Studio 54. Originally developed as a sleeping pill, the drug became a staple of the sexual revolution. The hosts note that while Cosby was prescribed the drug for back pain, the media used its association with the era's "good old boys' club" to frame his actions as uniquely heinous compared to his peers.
Holly Madison's memoir, Down the Rabbit Hole, is used to illustrate the routine use of Quaaludes and sexual "rituals" at the Playboy Mansion. Madison describes how Hugh Hefner used drugs to manipulate his girlfriends and pit them against one another. The hosts note the hypocrisy in Hefner being celebrated as an American icon while Cosby was imprisoned for similar behaviors involving the same substances.
Hollywood reporter Mark Ebner discusses the "trail of drugs" leading to the Playboy Mansion, specifically naming Dr. Mark Saginar as the provider of "thigh openers" (Quaaludes) for Hefner and Cosby. Ebner also mentions the suspicious death of playmate Paige Young. The hosts compare Hefner to Jeffrey Epstein, suggesting he possessed "the goods" on enough powerful people to remain untouchable by the law.
