Nicole and Sasheer Revisit The Slap

Summary

Podcast Summary: Best Friends with Nicole Byer and Sasheer Zamata

Episode: Nicole and Sasheer Revisit The Slap
Date: January 14, 2026
Host: Headgum

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Episode Overview

In this lively and unscripted episode, Nicole Byer and Sasheer Zamata catch up on all things friendship, everyday weirdness, and pop culture. The main theme weaves through personal stories of awkward run-ins (both with Amazon drivers and overripe refrigerators), passionate rants about the decline of physical stores and Amazon’s dominance, the importance of movement for happiness, and why some moments in pop culture (i.e., "the slap") leave a permanent mark. The episode is peppered with signature humor, rapid-fire thoughts, and as always, the duo’s genuine friendship. Listener questions on friendship boundaries, politics in relationships, and reflecting on the infamous Will Smith/Chris Rock Oscars "slap" provide structure and fuel deeper takes.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Everyday Awkwardness and Intrusive Thoughts

• Nicole shares a story about being startled by an Amazon delivery man who tried (and failed) to reassure her by whispering “don’t be scared.”
  • Nicole: “The scariest thing you could say is don’t be scared.” (02:10)
• Sasheer recounts an eerie subway encounter, leading to both discussing “intrusive thoughts” and the difficulty of navigating unexpected, unsettling social moments.
• They reflect on their tendency to trip or bump into things, linking it to distraction and possible "witchy" intuition.

2. Moon Ceremonies and Self-Reflection

• Nicole and Sasheer discuss their friend group’s new moon ceremonies, where they journal, burn things they want to release, and manifest intentions together.
  • Sasheer: “It’s very wishy, but also very nice.” (06:34)
  • Nicole jokes about using a “ceramic pancake from HomeGoods” as a cauldron.
• The practice of journaling about goals and blocks is encouraged as a form of self-exploration and therapy.

3. The Decline of Physical Stores and The Amazon Rant

• Both hosts bemoan the closure of physical retail, specifically for plus-size clothing, and discuss the irreplaceable value of trying on clothes in person.
  • Nicole: “We used to be a proper society where we did this all the time.” (07:50)
  • “Jeff Bezos is the devil… They ruined Toys R Us. All I know is they ruined Jeffrey—my fun giraffe friend.” (09:13)
• They note the misperception of online "deals" vs. reality, and lament places for kids to just be kids (e.g., discovery zones and McDonald's play areas).

4. Moving Your Body and Feeling Good

• Nicole reluctantly admits the positive impact of working out:
  • “Every time I work out, I feel great, even though I hate it.” (11:05)
  • The duo sets 2026 fitness goals: Nicole wants to learn a back handspring; Sasheer wants to master a handstand.

5. Food Tangents: Bananas, Frozen Foods, and Goat Encounters

• Hilarious miscommunication occurs over frozen vs. fresh bananas in smoothies, exposing lifestyle differences.
• Nicole describes a nasty fridge incident:
  • “Opened my refrigerator... something was afoot in there. It was sick…stinking up the whole house.” (15:07)
• The duo spirals into whether they've met goats and share petting zoo memories.

6. Thrifting, Overconsumption, and Clothing Restraint

• Both hosts pledge to buy less clothing, especially new, and focus on thrifting.
• Nicole’s “creamy sisters” bit (cream jumpsuits/turtlenecks) gets called out as particularly gross.
• They both reflect on purchasing regrets, especially online (Amazon) versus the joy of finding something unexpectedly perfect in a thrift store.
  • “Everything I want is already in existence.” (32:58)

7. Economic Frustrations & Wistful Socialism

• Nicole and Sasheer propose whimsical solutions for the economy:
  • “Stop artificial inflation, bring back physical stores, and cap how much CEOs can make… redistribute it to your workers. Am I a socialist?” (36:06)
  • Calls for free college and affordable housing.

8. Listener Questions

a. Friendship Betrayal Over Canceled Trip (50:00)

• Listener asks if she’s wrong to end a friendship after getting ditched for a trip.
  • Nicole: “Be mad. That’s wild. She lied.” (50:52)
  • Sasheer: “Do you think maybe they didn’t even buy the ticket?” (51:35)
• Both agree the listener is justified, suggesting the friend may not value the friendship.

b. Best Friend’s Republican Boyfriend (53:12)

• A listener worries her best friend is dating a Republican while she is LGBTQ+.
  • Nicole: “If you are not politically aligned with me…it’s not like we’re enemies, but you do have a vested interest in my life being worse.” (55:41)
  • Sasheer: “Or is at least complacent…which we also don’t know.” (55:59)
• Advice: Have a candid but non-accusatory conversation; values misalignment is not trivial.

c. "The Slap" Revisited (60:00)

• Five-year reflection on Will Smith slapping Chris Rock at the Oscars.
  • Nicole: “It’s still peak television…nothing has topped it.” (61:14)
  • Sasheer: “I’m still concerned. I don’t think anything good has come from the slap.” (62:00)
• Both reflect on its lasting impact, with Nicole longing to time-travel back to experience it live.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Amazon/American Retail:
  • “We used to be a proper society where we did this all the time.” — Nicole (07:50)
  • “Jeff Bezos is the devil…They ruined Toys R Us.” — Nicole (09:13)
• On Being Startled:
  • “The scariest thing you could say is don’t be scared.” — Nicole (02:10)
• On Physical Activity:
  • “Every time I spend a day in the sun, I feel great.” — Nicole (11:00)
• On Overconsumption/Minimalism:
  • “Everything I want is already in existence.” — Nicole (32:58)
  • “Technically, anything can be finger food if you want it to be.” — Nicole (28:13)
• On The Slap:
  • “It is still peak television. It’s still one of the best pop culture moments we’ve had.” — Nicole (61:14)
  • “I’m still concerned. I don’t think anything good has come from the slap.” — Sasheer (62:00)
  • “If I could time travel, that’s where I’m going.” — Nicole (63:39)

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• 00:55 – Nicole’s run-in with an Amazon delivery man
• 03:10 – Nicole’s musings on being pushed on the subway
• 05:11 – Both declare themselves “witches” and discuss moon ceremonies
• 07:16 – The state of physical retail and Amazon rant
• 11:00 – On exercise and feeling good
• 13:20 – Bananas, smoothies, and miscommunication
• 15:08 – The rotten fridge episode
• 31:12 – "Creamy sisters" and online shopping regrets
• 36:06 – Brainstorming how to fix the economy
• 50:52 – Listener Q1: Dealing with a flaky friend
• 55:41 – Listener Q2: Friend is dating a Republican
• 61:14 – "The Slap" — a five-year retrospective

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Tone and Style

The episode is loose, funny, conversational, and laced with inside jokes (“creamy sisters,” “call me Roger”) and the hosts’ signature affection for and ribbing of one another. Both Nicole and Sasheer are honest and unfiltered, blending comedy with moments of vulnerability and real talk — especially around friendship, personal boundaries, and the larger state of the world. Their rapport is the soul of the show.

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Summary for Non-Listeners

This episode of "Best Friends" finds Nicole Byer and Sasheer Zamata riffing on the weirdness of everyday encounters, bemoaning the decay of “real world” retail, and sharing their takes on friendship, pop culture, and society at large. With plenty of off-the-cuff humor, they answer listener questions (including the long-awaited update on "The Slap"), encourage self-reflection, and gently roast each other through stories and callbacks. Above all, their bond and wit make for a laugh-out-loud, heartwarming listen about what it means to navigate adulthood with your best friend by your side.

Transcript

[Host/Producer]

This is a Headgum podcast.

[Nicole]

New year, same extra value meals at McDonald's. So now get two snack wraps plus fries and a medium soft drink for just $8 for limited time only. Prices and participation may vary. Prices may be higher in Hawaii, Alaska and California. And for delivery, unplanned pregnancy abortion at home is safe and effective. Plan C shares up to date information on abortion, pill options and support in all states. [e-mail] that's plancpills.org. Hello.

[Host/Producer]

Hello?

[Sashir]

Hello.

[Nicole]

I've been rattled.

[Sashir]

Yes.

[Nicole]

I was leaving my home and as I was locking my door, I heard, don't be scared. And I turned around and it was an Amazon delivery man. And I screamed in his face. I feel crazy.

[Sashir]

He was just standing on your porch?

[Nicole]

Yes. I think to. To deliver. To deliver.

[Sashir]

Yeah.

[Nicole]

And I don't know why he thought don't be scared was going to make me not scared.

[Sashir]

Maybe like he should have dropped the box or like clapped or made a loud noise or something. What. What's the. What's a non scary way to be?

[Nicole]

Like, I'm here, put it down and leave.

[Sashir]

Cuz. Was he in front of you or would he been walking out behind you? Would you. Is it possible that you wouldn't have even seen him?

[Nicole]

Correct. If he had just put it down and skipped down the stairs, I would have never seen him.

[Sashir]

Yeah.

[Nicole]

Instead I got don't be scared, and I turned around, screamed in his face, and he went, sorry, I didn't want.

[Sashir]

You to be scared, but it is scary.

[Nicole]

Yeah. So if you're. If you're a delivery person or a man and you see a woman alone. Yeah. The scariest thing you could say is don't be scared. Yeah.

[Sashir]

One time I was on a platform on the subway in New York. Like, I don't know. I don't think I was like, right on the edge, but I was near it, I guess. And a man came behind me and was like, you got to be careful how close you stand to the edge. Someone could push you. I was like, are you. Are you. Is it you?

[Nicole]

Are you going to.

[Sashir]

Are you the somebody. Someone who's going to push me?

[Nicole]

What?

[Sashir]

And so now I stand way back.

[Nicole]

Oh, my God. I wonder if it was one of those. What are those called intrusive thoughts that he was. And he's like, I'll just say it.

[Sashir]

But don't get close to me and say it. Be far away and be like, hey, heads up. You don't want to be so close to the edge.

[Nicole]

I agree. That's scary.

[Sashir]

Yeah, I don't like that.

[Nicole]

Oh, God. I don't think I'll ever be pushed on the subway tracks, though.

[Sashir]

Great. I also don't want that for you.

[Nicole]

I don't. I just don't see it for myself.

[Sashir]

You don't see anything for yourself. You're like, I'm just not going to die.

[Nicole]

I just see fat laughs and good times.

[Sashir]

Nice.

[Nicole]

Yeah. Well, I don't see me getting pushed because I think somebody. I think it's easy to, like, miscalculate how hard you'd have to push a fat person. So it's like, if you try to push me and you don't push hard enough, I'm there. I could turn around and be like, what? Or scream. Or be like, you did that. But then maybe you push too hard and then you take a couple extra steps and then you're down there with me. I think it's really easy to miscalculate the force you need to push a fatty.

[Sashir]

That's okay. But also, like, I've seen you lose your balance by yourself. I actually don't know if they need to push hard at all. I think they could approach you and you'd be like, ah.

[Nicole]

But in emergencies, I calm down.

[Sashir]

That's true.

[Nicole]

So maybe I'll feel the thud and be like. And like, I'll plant.

[Sashir]

Ground into the.

[Nicole]

You can't kill me.

[Sashir]

Yeah, baby.

[Nicole]

But you are right. I do lose my balance just standing, which is pretty wild. Sometimes I'll be walking in my house and there'll be nothing in front of me, and I'll trip over nothing, and I'll be like, whoa.

[Sashir]

Do you think it's because you're, like, focused on other things?

[Nicole]

Oh, absolutely.

[Sashir]

Yeah.

[Nicole]

I'm tired. I'm focused on other things. I'm not paying attention to my feet.

[Sashir]

Yeah, I. Like, last couple weeks, I was. I've been banging my knees and shins into things, and I have all these bruises, and my girlfriend was like, oh, that means that, like, something's in your way or like there's something impeding your progress. And I didn't look it up, but I think the universe is trying to tell me something.

[Nicole]

And you've been having wild dreams.

[Sashir]

Wild dreams.

[Nicole]

Wild dreams.

[Sashir]

Yeah. I don't know. I don't know what's happening.

[Nicole]

I don't know either. It's hard. Hard to say.

[Sashir]

It's hard to say.

[Nicole]

But, like, you're a witch. I'm a witch. So it's like, it does mean something.

[Sashir]

Yeah. Something's afoot.

[Nicole]

Yes. We're both witches, and I do think it's the universe trying to tell you something, but I don't know why.

[Sashir]

I also don't know what. I also don't know what, like, forward motion or progress I'm trying to do that is being impeded.

[Nicole]

Yeah. Maybe make a list of what your goals are and then be like, am I able to achieve them? Or is something holding me back from one of these goals?

[Sashir]

Yeah, I like that. That's smart. We're gonna do that tonight.

[Nicole]

Oh, hell yeah, man. It's the new moon.

[Sashir]

We're gonna do a moon ceremony.

[Nicole]

It's moon time. Let's not explain it and let our listeners think we're gonna howl at the moon tonight.

[Sashir]

I would love to do that now. We are gonna do. It's like we've been gathering.

[Nicole]

Yes.

[Sashir]

A little friend group, and it's been really sweet. And we're, like, using these journal prompts to, like, kind of analyze goals or things we want to release for the month, things we want to bring in for the month. And we're, like, burning things that we want to get rid of and using water to bring things in. And it feels. Yeah. It's very wishy, but also very nice.

[Nicole]

I like it. Y. We use a ceramic pancake.

[Sashir]

Yeah. I can actually bring my. I actually have a little cauldron to, like, burn things.

[Nicole]

Oh, we. You don't want to use my ceramic pancake from home Goods.

[Sashir]

We can still use that if you want to, but I do have.

[Nicole]

I was like, you know what?

[Host/Producer]

I.

[Sashir]

A more fireproof receptacle.

[Nicole]

That's honestly probably for the best. It's not meant to have things burning in it. It was a. I think a candle was in there.

[Sashir]

Yeah.

[Nicole]

Burnt that right up and kept the little. The vessel.

[Sashir]

Yeah.

[Nicole]

Because HomeGoods has so many different vessels for candles.

[Sashir]

They do.

[Nicole]

What a dumb sentence.

[Sashir]

So many different vessels for candles.

[Nicole]

Okay. I was saying before the podcast started, physical stores are closing, and we need this to stop.

[Sashir]

Yeah. I don't like it.

[Nicole]

We need physical stores because I went to a store. I'm not going to say their name because I don't want to give them any press. It's a store for fats. There's only so many. But I was trying on jeans because I needed. I need new jeans, and I keep ordering them online, and they keep not fitting. Yeah. And I have to keep sending them back. So then I went and tried on, like, eight pairs of jeans, and two worked.

[Sashir]

Yeah.

[Nicole]

And I was like, if I were to order them. I probably would have ordered three because I have to pay for them up front. And then those three wouldn't work, and I'd send it back, and I'd get discouraged with the brand. Yeah. But I. I walked in, got what I needed, left, and went home. And I said this. We used to be a proper society where we did this all the time.

[Sashir]

It's true.

[Nicole]

And now we're just ordering garbage.

[Sashir]

Yeah.

[Nicole]

I don't know the quality. I want to feel it and see it and touch it.

[Sashir]

I agree. Yeah. Also, like, if there is a store that also works, operates online. Most of the time, all their stuff's online. Like, there's so many times I've got. I've gone into Best Buy and been like, do you have this? And they're like, no, you need to order that online.

[Nicole]

Why are you here? Why are you here? Why do you have a great big store? Why do you have people in blue shirts?

[Sashir]

Insane.

[Nicole]

I don't like it.

[Sashir]

I don't like it either.

[Nicole]

How do we make this stop? Who do we talk to? I don't know. Yeah.

[Sashir]

I don't know. What? I don't know how that started. Was it Amazon?

[Nicole]

Yes. I think. Okay. People are like. Companies call themselves disruptors because they disrupt the fucking norm. And Amazon is like a disruptor because they started selling things online and you could find better deals. Now Amazon does not have better deals. I find better deals out in the world.

[Sashir]

Yeah.

[Nicole]

It's crazy. Crazy. But we're all brainwashed to think that Amazon has the best fucking deals. Jeff Bezos is the devil.

[Sashir]

Oh, my God.

[Nicole]

I really do think he is. I think he's a bad man. How much money do you fucking need? You're ruining companies. They ruined Toys R Us. Oh, I watched a video. I did not retain anything other than they ruined Toys R Us. I think it was they were selling toys on the platform or something cheaper than Toys R Us. I don't know. All I know is they ruined Jeffrey.

[Sashir]

I know.

[Nicole]

My fun giraffe friend.

[Sashir]

He was a fun giraffe friend. And it's fun for kids to go to a place where it's like, this is just for us.

[Nicole]

Yes. Kids don't have places. There's no discovery zones.

[Sashir]

Is that true?

[Nicole]

There's no jungle gyms at McDonald's anymore.

[Sashir]

That's true.

[Nicole]

They took away places where children can be children. And now I have to listen to them cry on planes.

[Sashir]

Mm.

[Nicole]

I bet they wouldn't be so upset if they had jungle gyms.

[Sashir]

They said I was like, run around and, like, swing from something for a second.

[Nicole]

Yeah. How are kids getting tuckered out? Because if we went to McDonald's while we waited, we would go in the play place.

[Sashir]

Yeah. Which is so smart.

[Nicole]

Yes.

[Sashir]

I don't know how they're getting tuckered out.

[Nicole]

Kids aren't getting tuckered.

[Sashir]

I don't think so. I have occasionally seen play places in airports, but I don't.

[Nicole]

No one's ever on them.

[Sashir]

No one's ever on them. And they're not so frequent. But you know what? Also, I have seen those little gaming cafes that are full, like, with the screens where you can play video games.

[Nicole]

Oh.

[Sashir]

So I think kids are doing that. That's not working out their body.

[Nicole]

No. And we need body workout.

[Sashir]

We need body workout. Body needs workout. To feel good.

[Nicole]

You do, you got to, like, move your body and go outside and be in the sun.

[Sashir]

True.

[Nicole]

Every time I spend a day in the sun, I feel great.

[Sashir]

Yeah, it's nice out there.

[Nicole]

Every time I work out, I feel great, even though I hate it.

[Sashir]

Yeah.

[Nicole]

I worked out today.

[Sashir]

Oh, nice.

[Nicole]

And I complained every single minute of it. And my trainer, Ben was like, can we not? And I was like, no, I need.

[Sashir]

To do this to get through it.

[Nicole]

Yes. And I did a workout yesterday that I was on time for. Okay. And then today I showed up 17 minutes late and complained every. Every second of the 40, 43 minutes we had together. But I feel great.

[Sashir]

Yeah, the. The after is what you want. You want to feel great.

[Nicole]

And it's really annoying. Cuz I feel like for years people have told me, you'll just feel better if you work out. It's fucking true.

[Sashir]

Yeah.

[Nicole]

Endorphins. They're real.

[Sashir]

Can you believe we need to sign up for our gymnastics class?

[Nicole]

Yes. I want to learn how to do a back handspring.

[Sashir]

Okay. Nice.

[Nicole]

That's my 2026 goal. Yeah. A back handspring because I have a very bendy back.

[Sashir]

Oh, okay. Yeah, I want to. I don't know if I'm going to get this in gymnastics class, but I definitely want to learn how to do a handstand and stay there.

[Nicole]

And kick.

[Sashir]

Myself up, but then I'll fall right back down. I want to, like, stay up and, like, maybe move my legs around. Yeah.

[Nicole]

Oh, yeah. You can get fat probably in, like, one or two classes.

[Sashir]

You think so?

[Nicole]

Yeah.

[Sashir]

I feel like I had to build a lot of muscle in order to do that.

[Nicole]

No.

[Sashir]

Oh.

[Nicole]

I can do a handstand and stay up. Okay, maybe not.

[Sashir]

I'm talking, like, Handstand, and you're like, up here. Can have a whole conversation like. Like stationary.

[Nicole]

Yeah. You'll have to work on that.

[Sashir]

I was like, two classes. I don't think so.

[Nicole]

Also, I was thinking about. I do it with a pole behind me so I have assistance.

[Sashir]

Oh, yeah.

[Nicole]

Hey, listen, I. I just wasn't thinking about the whole thing.

[Sashir]

That's okay.

[Nicole]

I'm really on it today.

[Sashir]

You are?

[Nicole]

Had a lot of coffee? I had bananas.

[Sashir]

You had bananas?

[Nicole]

I had bananas today.

[Sashir]

Multiple bananas?

[Nicole]

No.

[Sashir]

Just one banana?

[Nicole]

No.

[Sashir]

I don't know. I don't know the difference.

[Nicole]

I don't chunks a banana.

[Sashir]

So not even a full banana?

[Nicole]

No. So I put cold brew in my Vitamix. I don't know. My little. My nutribullet.

[Sashir]

Okay.

[Nicole]

And then I put bananas in it, and then I put chocolate peanut butter, protein powder, and then I put a little bit of PB2 in it, and then two or three ice cubes, and I mix it all up, and then it's like a protein coffee. Yummy thing.

[Sashir]

Okay, nice. So how many bananas did you put in the nutribullet? You peeled a banana, right? What? What?

[Nicole]

What?

[Sashir]

Frozen. The bananas are frozen. You peeled them at one point.

[Nicole]

No, they.

[Sashir]

They showed up to your house. Frozen sashir.

[Nicole]

Have you never bought a bag of frozen fruit?

[Sashir]

No, because I just buy fruit. I didn't. I'm not crazy here, I guess.

[Nicole]

I know.

[Sashir]

I don't think you're crazy, but I've never seen a bag of frozen bananas. I just didn't understand the idea of a chunk of a banana. Oh. And so I was like, just why won't you tell me how many bananas you peeled and put in there?

[Nicole]

And I wasn't telling you because they were frozen bananas, and I thought that was a world you understood.

[Sashir]

No.

[Nicole]

So they slice them up. I think somebody in a factory opens them and slices them up and puts them in the bag, and then they get frozen.

[Sashir]

Okay, got it.

[Nicole]

Wait, that's crazy that you've never bought frozen fruit. Do you buy frozen vegetables?

[Sashir]

I think maybe at one point I have, but I don't really make smoothies. I don't really like cold things, so. Yeah, I'm not, like, blending up frozen fruit fair, you know?

[Nicole]

That is fair.

[Sashir]

Mm.

[Nicole]

I don't even cook, but I have so much frozen food at my house.

[Sashir]

Yeah.

[Nicole]

Oh, my God. I opened my refrigerator three days ago, and something was afoot in there.

[Sashir]

Oh, no.

[Nicole]

It was sick.

[Sashir]

Oh, no.

[Nicole]

And it was, like, stinking up the whole house. It was really nasty. And that nice man in my life. I was like, do you smell it? He was like, no. And we gotta take him somewhere because it was stinky.

[Sashir]

Does he have long coveted?

[Nicole]

What's going on? Maybe. I don't know. So then last night, I still couldn't figure out what it was, so I threw out everything, Every single thing in there, Even the stuff. He was like, oh, I think this is still good. I was like, it's gotta go. I don't know. I was like, maybe there's something rotting in the lettuce. But then I also found yogurts that expired last month and then protein drinks that expired last year, and then a pear apple that I don't know when I bought.

[Sashir]

So maybe it was like all combined, made this.

[Nicole]

Yeah. They were like, we need to. We need to let her know to throw something away.

[Sashir]

Kill us already.

[Nicole]

Just get rid of us. Yeah, refrigerators are hard.

[Sashir]

Well, mine's often empty, so I don't really know the struggle.

[Nicole]

Yeah.

[Sashir]

I actually, I saw of Instagram of this person who, like, put decorations inside of their fridge to, like, a fridge scape. Oh, I like that. Yeah.

[Nicole]

Is that what it was?

[Sashir]

I don't know. Is that an official term?

[Nicole]

I think so. And I think I saw a lady calling it a fridge scape where she, like, put, like, moss and, like. Yeah, Lace. And it looked like a weird, like, dollhouse wonderland or something.

[Sashir]

Yeah, I think the one I saw had, like, light, like, string lights and I don't know other fun stuff, but I like a fridge scape.

[Nicole]

But, yeah, I was like, maybe I'll.

[Sashir]

Make a fridge scape in my fridge because it's so empty. Could definitely take at least one row.

[Nicole]

That's really funny that you want to decorate the inside of your. Of your refrigerator. How often are you opening it if there's nothing in it?

[Sashir]

Well, sometimes there's things in there like kiwi milk. If I need milk for my cereal.

[Nicole]

Now, are you just straight up drinking milk?

[Sashir]

No, if I need milk for my cereal.

[Nicole]

What kind of milk are you doing?

[Sashir]

Oat milk.

[Nicole]

Mm. When did oat milk become so popular?

[Sashir]

I actually don't know.

[Nicole]

I feel like it suddenly was just like, everyone's like, oat milk.

[Sashir]

I do think probably at least in the last 10 years, if not longer.

[Nicole]

But I still do almond milk. I'm not moving on. I think we should have been done at almond milk.

[Sashir]

I think some people are like, well, it takes, like, so much water to make almond milk, so it's, like, a little wasteful. So then they tried other Options. That's like goat milk.

[Nicole]

I've never had goat milk.

[Sashir]

I like it.

[Nicole]

What does it taste like?

[Sashir]

It just tastes like milk, actually.

[Nicole]

Huh.

[Sashir]

To me.

[Nicole]

Do you like goat cheese?

[Sashir]

Yeah, I do.

[Nicole]

What does that taste like? Just cheese.

[Sashir]

Cheese. Describe it.

[Nicole]

I don't. I don't think I've ever had goat. Goat milk.

[Sashir]

Goat products.

[Nicole]

Yeah. I'm just like. I'm not taking what the goat's given, but I'd like to meet a goat.

[Sashir]

Yeah. You haven't though.

[Nicole]

I haven't met a goat. Have you met a goat? Wait, maybe I've met a goat.

[Sashir]

You must have. At a petting zoo. You must have met a goat.

[Nicole]

I'm sorry. That was insane. I've met goats.

[Sashir]

I've met a goat.

[Nicole]

We should take a break. Okay.

[Sashir]

A year from today, who do you want to be? What version of yourself would you like to meet? Do you feel less anxious or feel more like yourself? Maybe your relationship is stronger or the grief feels smaller. What if that thing that you've been secretly worried about just took up less space in your mind? The right therapist can help you get there. Alma will help you find them. Alma has a directory of 20,000 therapists with different specialties, life experiences and identities. And 99% of them take insurance. You deserve to feel like that future version of yourself. A year from today isn't that far away. Get started [e-mail] bestfriends that's helloalma.com best friends B E S T F R I E N D S this message.

[Nicole]

Is brought to you by today's sponsor, Chamberlain University. Sometimes the idea of going back to school feels impossible. Life is busy, you got bills, maybe a full time job, and the thought of starting something new. It's all a lot. But if becoming a nurse or leveling up in healthcare has been in the back of your mind, Chamberlain University makes it What? Doable. They're not just a school. They're the number one largest nursing school in the country with flexible programs built around your schedule. You can choose from fully online programs, hybrid options, or even attend classes in person on evenings or weekends. Whatever works for your schedule. They got a path. Plus, you're not doing it alone. Chamberlain has a whole community of students, faculty and alumni. Over 177,000 of them cheering each other on. There's real mentorship and care built into everything they do. And classes start every eight weeks. So if you've been waiting for the right time, this could be it. Take the first step at Chamberlain Edu. Chamberlain University belong to something greater. Certified to operate by Chev. And we're back. I think I met goats in D.C. okay. Because at the D.C. zoo, they have, like, a whole kids area. Which is funny, because I'm like, is the whole thing.

[Sashir]

Yeah.

[Nicole]

But, yeah, they had, like, farm animals and. And llamas. And it was like, oh. And it was.

[Sashir]

Watch out. There's a mic in front of you.

[Nicole]

Oh, my God. It really startled me. And it was, like, more brightly decorated than the rest of the zoo. It was like, this is the kids, and there's a goat in there.

[Sashir]

Okay, nice.

[Nicole]

That I met. And then at the gentle barn, which I think is in Santa Clarita, I met a goat there.

[Sashir]

Yeah.

[Nicole]

So I've met goats.

[Sashir]

Great.

[Nicole]

That was humiliating that I thought I had never met a goat.

[Sashir]

I was gonna be like, what's happening? You haven't met a goat in your life. Something's wrong.

[Nicole]

Now I've met goats.

[Sashir]

Penningses are interesting. And really, anything that makes you. Or where you're allowed to touch the animals because, like, what makes us think we have the right to touch these animals? You know, like, if. If these animals were not captured and. And imprisoned, they'd just be out in the wild, and I would never walk up to a wild goat or. Or pig or anything and go touch it. Because it's wild. Yes. But they were like, we're gonna figure out a way to get your hands on them. Why?

[Nicole]

That is a good query. Yeah. Why do. Why. Why do we feel entitled to touch these animals? Because in the wild, I will try to touch an animal. Because I have, like, a delusion that, like, somehow I'm Snow White, and, like, the animals will come to me.

[Sashir]

You did. When we were in Mexico. I feel like me and Tess turned around and turned back, and you just had a dog in your arm, and you're like, look what I found.

[Nicole]

We're gonna take him.

[Sashir]

And the owner was, like, around the corner, like, all right, she can hold.

[Nicole]

The dog, I guess. And then later, I found a donkey. That was.

[Sashir]

That was crazy. That was. Actually, we were. And we were on mushrooms, and I was like, what's happening? There's a donkey here now.

[Nicole]

That was really funny. Like, I felt you guys turned around again, and I was like, guys, a donkey. I just kept fighting things.

[Sashir]

Which is also funny because, like, I've been to Mexico since, never seen a donkey. Why was the donkey just on the street like that? It was like. Like a downtown area. We were on the way to a bar. Yes.

[Nicole]

Why was there talking on the street. I don't know. And I've been there since, and I've never seen another donkey. Yes. I was really out of my mind that night. I remember Tess was, like, dividing it up, and then she meant to give you something to share, a cap to share. And then you were just like. And I was like, oh, no. Goodbye. And then we were at the bar and you went, huh? You went, are these fast acting drugs? Then you went to the bathroom and you were like. I said, I heard demons. And I had to go, those are my friends.

[Sashir]

Yes, I went to the bathroom. I was like, how. How. How's my auditory. Like, like processing also high.

[Nicole]

Like, how.

[Sashir]

How are the sounds altered? Yeah. I went to the bathroom, was, like, trying to unbutton my romper, and I heard you guys laughing, and it was like. It was like the. Like the devil was outside. And I was like, it's okay. Those are my friends. They're not demons. It's okay.

[Nicole]

That's so funny. I then ordered every teeny on the menu and would take a sip and go, yuck. I had, like, 10 teenies in front of me with one sip taken out of them. Oh, that was a good time. Then we laughed at atm for, like, 10 minutes because I kept saying, money comes out of it.

[Sashir]

It's also funny because we. Oh, we had a goal. We were trying to get to a drag show at a certain time, and maybe we only maybe had, like, five blocks to go, and somehow we missed the whole show. We missed the whole show.

[Nicole]

And it took us, like, an hour to get five blocks.

[Sashir]

Yes, because we kept looking at things and pointing and laughing.

[Nicole]

I kept fighting animals. I found atm.

[Sashir]

We tried to get someone to take our picture. And, like, I think he was really drunk. So Tess kept, like, moving the camera in his hands, and we're like, just stay like this. And then we're like, now angle it. And it was just, like, a mess.

[Nicole]

Those pictures are really funny because it is clear that we're on drugs. And then whoever took the picture was also fudge up. Like, they're not good pictures at all.

[Sashir]

But you tell fun was had.

[Nicole]

That was a nice time.

[Sashir]

That was a nice time, boy.

[Nicole]

And then we went to. We went dancing later.

[Sashir]

Oh, yes. At the place that. That was a drag show was supposed to happen.

[Nicole]

And then I thought everyone was gonna steal from me.

[Sashir]

You did. You were clutching your purse like you just had it, like, wrapped up under your chest. And we're like, we're trying to dance. And he was, like, eyeing everybody, like, who's over here. And then a really tall guy came over and just wanted to chat, but he did have to lean over to talk to us. And he was like, where are you guys from? And you're like, too tall. Too tall. And then there's a guy who I can't. I think he said, like, I'm from Indianapolis. I was like, oh, my God, I'm from Indianapolis.

[Nicole]

I was like, he's lying to you.

[Sashir]

I, like, brought him over.

[Nicole]

I was like, this guy's from Indianapolis.

[Sashir]

Isn't that crazy? You're like, he's lying. He's trying to scam you.

[Nicole]

I'm like, I don't even know what.

[Sashir]

The scam would be. Also, he brought it up. It's not like I was like, I'm from Indianapolis. He was like, oh, me too.

[Nicole]

I saved you from a scam. A scam was afoot. You're. He was trying to get. You got maybe.

[Sashir]

I don't know.

[Nicole]

Boy, that was a very fun night.

[Sashir]

That was very fun.

[Nicole]

There was also a night we did mushrooms on New Year's Eve where when I cleaned up the night because it was at my house.

[Sashir]

Oh, yes.

[Nicole]

Because we were supposed to go to Hawaii, but then the. The delta variant came out. And then we all had, like, jobs, like, right after New Year's, we were like, ugh, we shouldn't go.

[Sashir]

Yeah.

[Nicole]

And I cleaned up maybe 15 to 20 bottles of champagne.

[Sashir]

It was crazy.

[Nicole]

And like, between six people.

[Sashir]

Yep. And then we had multiple bottles of champagne individually.

[Nicole]

Uh huh. And then I just remember we ate mushrooms. And then we all started laughing so hard, and I couldn't remember why we were laughing so hard. I was like, I feel so good and I don't know why. And then someone, several minutes later is like, we took drugs.

[Sashir]

Maybe you feel good because we are on drugs.

[Nicole]

That was a good New Year's Eve.

[Sashir]

That was good. That was right.

[Nicole]

Infamously made finger food, which was lasagna and macaroni and cheese. And people really read me. They were like, that's not finger food. And I was like, depends on how you eat.

[Sashir]

Well, yeah, I guess you could.

[Nicole]

Technically, anything can be finger food if you want it to be.

[Sashir]

That's true. That's true. Soup.

[Nicole]

Soup can be finger food. Because a lot of soup has bits in it.

[Sashir]

Then. You have to scoop it real fast and throw it in your mouth.

[Nicole]

Yes. So it doesn't go between your fingers. I really do. Anything can be finger food if you try hard enough.

[Sashir]

All right, great.

[Nicole]

Yeah. Name something else that you wouldn't Think.

[Sashir]

Was finger food ice cream.

[Nicole]

Oh, come on. That's essentially a finger food. If you have it in a cone, your fingers are doing most of the work.

[Sashir]

Well, if it's not in the comb though, it was in a cup. Well, your fingers get cold.

[Nicole]

You switch.

[Sashir]

Man.

[Nicole]

I love ice cream. Should I get some today?

[Sashir]

Yeah, get some.

[Nicole]

I show restraint every time I come here. Oh. Because my favorite ice cream is right around the corner. Right there. Oh, my God. A peanut buddy.

[Sashir]

Mm.

[Nicole]

It's everything.

[Sashir]

You're so strong.

[Nicole]

Thank you. I appreciate that.

[Sashir]

Mm.

[Nicole]

You're strong too.

[Sashir]

Thank you. What are your struggles.

[Nicole]

Specifically when you come here? What are your struggles.

[Sashir]

When I come here To.

[Nicole]

To Headgum, where we record.

[Sashir]

Right, right, right, right. There must. There's.

[Nicole]

What do you struggle with?

[Sashir]

I struggle with a hardship. A hardship for me is, I mean, there are some good thrift stores around here and that I have gone to. I used. Because I also kind of lived here when I first moved to LA in this area. Um, but I have made a commitment to buy less clothing this year.

[Nicole]

Mm.

[Sashir]

And done a good job.

[Nicole]

Have you done a good job? I have. I also made a commitment to buy less clothing. I've done a very bad job because I traveled a bunch this year and I was like, my favorite thing to do in a city that I don't know is find.

[Sashir]

Yeah.

[Nicole]

At least one great thrift store.

[Sashir]

Yeah.

[Nicole]

I'd be buying.

[Sashir]

It's hard.

[Nicole]

I did.

[Sashir]

Yeah. The goal was to not buy anything.

[Nicole]

Just.

[Sashir]

And like for months I did that. And then. And then I did go to Japan and I was like, well, I gotta buy a couple things. But it was all secondhand. And then. Yeah. And maybe of. Of this year, I've probably bought maybe 12 items.

[Nicole]

Whoa.

[Sashir]

And they're all second hand. Whoa.

[Nicole]

Good job.

[Sashir]

Thank you.

[Nicole]

Do you remember your cream colored jumpsuit with your cream colored turtleneck? And I said, I have a cream colored jumpsuit. We could be the creamy sisters.

[Sashir]

I'll never forget that. That was gross.

[Nicole]

Well, I wanted to get a cream colored turtleneck so we could really be creamy sisters.

[Sashir]

Great.

[Nicole]

I don't know why I said creamy sisters. It was very gross. Then I think I sent a lady and an ice cream emoji to make it even worse. So I bought a turtleneck on Amazon. And then it came in and I was like, this is terrible quality. This sucks. And then I went to a thrift store and found exactly the cream colored turtleneck that I wanted. And I was like, I think I have to be done with, like buying things. On Amazon. I think I need to just go to a Goodwill or go to a St. Paul de Vincent. No, that's not it.

[Sashir]

St. Vincent de Paul.

[Nicole]

What did I say? St. Paul.

[Sashir]

St. Paul. Da Vincent. D. Vincent. It's a black smoke store. It's a Baptist store.

[Nicole]

Da Vincis. Oh, man. Sometimes I say things in.

[Sashir]

It's tough.

[Nicole]

Yeah.

[Sashir]

I think you're right also to what you were saying earlier. Like you can't know the quality if you don't touch it. And lots of on Amazon garbage.

[Nicole]

Boo. Boo.

[Sashir]

Boo boo.

[Nicole]

I was so mad when I. When it came and I was like, this sucks.

[Sashir]

Yeah.

[Nicole]

And then I was even angrier that I went to the thrift store literally like three days later and found exactly what I wanted for I think the same price. It was just a better quality because it was from. Not Amazon. Yeah, it was from H M. Which, you know. Is that actually better?

[Sashir]

Yeah, probably a little better, but.

[Nicole]

But I did have the realization. I was like, everything I want is already in existence.

[Sashir]

It's true.

[Nicole]

It's already out there. It might take couple trips, but I. I'll definitely find it. This is from that trip.

[Sashir]

Oh, nice. I like it.

[Nicole]

Right? It's a cute little sweaty.

[Sashir]

It's a very cute sweater.

[Nicole]

And it's light.

[Sashir]

Yeah. Cuz it doesn't get too cold here in la.

[Nicole]

No. But at night it's been cold.

[Sashir]

That's true.

[Nicole]

I don't know if we've talked about this, but when you lose weight, nobody tells you that you get cold. I used to never get cold.

[Sashir]

Yeah.

[Nicole]

I had a bunch of jackets that I never wore because I was never cold.

[Sashir]

Yeah.

[Nicole]

And then the other night I went out without a jacket and I was like, I. I felt like Rose in the Titanic. I was so cold.

[Sashir]

Yeah. Yeah. It gets cold out here.

[Nicole]

It's wild.

[Sashir]

It's wild.

[Nicole]

But yeah, this is good.

[Sashir]

It's good. Feel it. Now that's light.

[Nicole]

Now that's what I call light.

[Sashir]

That's what I call light.

[Nicole]

You sent me a thing on Instagram that said Miley Cyrus will no longer sing Party in the USA because it's simply not a party in the USA right now. And honestly, she's right.

[Sashir]

She's right.

[Nicole]

And it's really. But it's really funny. It's funny.

[Sashir]

Make a statement about that. Yes.

[Nicole]

I'm not singing Party in the USA anymore because it's not. It just is not.

[Sashir]

And I hope that wakes people up. I hope that's what makes you realize.

[Nicole]

I hope so too.

[Sashir]

It's not Good here. Yeah.

[Nicole]

I really hope that people are like, yeah, we gotta get back to, like, it being a fun time in a party.

[Sashir]

Yeah.

[Nicole]

We gotta get out of this recession.

[Sashir]

Yeah.

[Nicole]

When are we gonna come out of this recession? Is it. Is this our second recession?

[Sashir]

I think this is our second recession, like, in our life.

[Nicole]

Yes. That's what I mean. Not, like, ever. Yeah.

[Sashir]

Yeah.

[Nicole]

That's crazy.

[Sashir]

Yeah.

[Nicole]

And then we. We already had a housing crisis. I think another one's coming.

[Sashir]

Ooh, I don't like that.

[Nicole]

Me either. People need homes.

[Sashir]

People need homes.

[Nicole]

Let them have them.

[Sashir]

I mean, there's so many that are empty.

[Nicole]

Yes. And honestly, when people default on a mortgage, I would be like, okay, so, like, what works better for you? Like, how much less do you want to pay? Why don't they do that? Yeah. Tackle more years to the mortgage and let them pay a little less.

[Sashir]

Mm.

[Nicole]

Don't snatch up their house.

[Sashir]

But then they're also, like. Like, indebted to that forever.

[Nicole]

Yeah.

[Sashir]

Yeah.

[Nicole]

I guess people should just sell before it gets to. To a dire point. Mm. Ugh.

[Sashir]

Lord.

[Nicole]

Let's fix the economy right here, right now.

[Sashir]

I don't know how you take a stab at it.

[Nicole]

I thought you'd have an idea.

[Sashir]

I don't. I got no clue.

[Nicole]

Okay. Get rid of the tariffs.

[Sashir]

Okay.

[Nicole]

And stop artificial inflation of home prices. Bring back physical stores and limit how much online retailers can send out monthly.

[Sashir]

Okay. I don't hate it.

[Nicole]

Oh, yes, cap. How much CEOs and stuff can make.

[Sashir]

That'd be nice. Yeah.

[Nicole]

And then if you make over a certain amount, you have to redistribute it to your workers. Am I a socialist? Yeah. Okay. And then give everyone health care.

[Sashir]

That'd be nice.

[Nicole]

You get health care. You. And, yeah. Oprah can hand it out. Yeah.

[Sashir]

As long as Oprah's handing it out, people will take it. Yeah, that'd be nice.

[Nicole]

I think I did a good job.

[Sashir]

You did a really good job.

[Nicole]

Hey, thanks.

[Sashir]

And, like, free or way cheaper college would be nice.

[Nicole]

Why don't we have free college?

[Sashir]

I don't know. I don't even know how it started. I don't know why. Like, yeah, so many other countries that are just like, no, we want to have an educated population, so we're just going to give them education.

[Nicole]

I think you were like, no, we're gonna make it really hard. It's gonna be so expensive. You have to take out loans.

[Sashir]

You'll be in debt or forever.

[Nicole]

Go to the military, fight a little bit, and then we'll pay for it while you're traumatized and have ptsd. And we'll just said pov. And I was like, that's not it.

[Sashir]

Your POV is all PTSD POV when you're traumatized.

[Nicole]

That was funny.

[Sashir]

Thank you.

[Nicole]

You're welcome. We have to take another break. You've been too funny. You got any New Year's resolutions? We're halfway through January.

[Sashir]

I feel like I don't really do resolutions anymore.

[Nicole]

Well, you said that you tried to buy less clothing this year. That's kind of a resolution.

[Sashir]

That is true. I would like to stay on task with things, be a little less scattered. Actually did like a intro session to this like, ADHD like, coaching thing. And I was like, cleaning up while I was doing was like, I. It was like I wasn't being seen. So I was like listening to it.

[Nicole]

But I was just like.

[Sashir]

Moving things and moving the computer, going over here and going over there. And my girlfriend was like, do you want to sit for this?

[Nicole]

I was like, no, no. I can get other things done things.

[Sashir]

While I'm doing this. But yeah, you know, staying on task would be nice.

[Nicole]

I think one of my New Year's resolutions is, like, I'm doing okay with like my phone time, but I've noticed that, like, if I have a very busy day, I unwind by looking at my phone.

[Sashir]

Yeah.

[Nicole]

So I think I want to find a different way to unwind.

[Sashir]

That's great. Do you have ideas?

[Nicole]

Well, I bought a bunch of coloring books because the ADHD mind is awful. And there was one day I woke up and I said, I'm going to color every day. I have not done that. I've colored in one face. I was like, maybe I color at night. I don't know.

[Sashir]

Yeah, maybe you put them next to your bed and then when you're in bed, you can color until you go to sleep.

[Nicole]

Maybe. But I bought more phone cases. Oh, I have a peanut. Currently. A potato. Currently. But I bought a tulip.

[Sashir]

Nice.

[Nicole]

I bought a car.

[Sashir]

Okay.

[Nicole]

A purple car shaped phone case.

[Sashir]

Well, that's got you written all over it.

[Nicole]

I'm so excited. And then I bought a hot dog for someone special and they don't have to take it because I was told to not buy any more hot dog things for them. And I'm happy to keep it.

[Sashir]

Also happy to give it to that.

[Nicole]

Bird if they want it. But I listen, I've been told.

[Sashir]

I'll take a look at it and see. See what it's about to say.

[Nicole]

No pressure.

[Sashir]

Okay, great.

[Nicole]

But I did buy it for somebody. Also, my new Year's resolution is to stop buying garbage. I'm constantly buying trash that I like. 30 seconds, and then I'm like, why did I. I bought a bunch of dolls to, like, hang, like, bag charm dolls. Like, I have my little labubus or whatever, but I bought, like, actual little Barbie dolls. But I got them from Sheen because I was like, I don't want to spend too much money on this. So they were a dollar a piece, and they look like they were a dollar a piece. Yeah, they are tough looking. Like, they don't even have undershirts under their little dresses. Like, they're naked little baby dolls.

[Sashir]

Little skanks.

[Nicole]

Yeah, they're a little skanky. And then now they're just, like, on my desk collecting dust. I don't want them. So, yeah, I need to just stop buying garbage that I'm like, this will be fun.

[Sashir]

I get that.

[Nicole]

And I think my therapist was like, what if you just fill up cards and don't check out? And I was like, what's the point of filling up the cart if I don't check out? And then wait for it.

[Sashir]

Yeah, and then get it and then open it.

[Nicole]

Do you have a. I have a.

[Sashir]

List of things I want to buy that I need. Like, things for the house, things for health stuff or whatever. And so then if I am like, I'm in a shopping mood, I can look at the list and be like, oh, let me find a hoe stand. And then I'm looking for the best hoe stand or whatever.

[Nicole]

No, I don't right now. I need a mandolin.

[Sashir]

You need a mandolin?

[Nicole]

Yeah, I need a mandolin.

[Sashir]

Okay. To play.

[Nicole]

No, it's slices. Am I not saying it right?

[Sashir]

I think that's right.

[Nicole]

Yeah. I.

[Sashir]

The.

[Host/Producer]

Yeah, they're both called mandolin.

[Sashir]

I think of the musical instrument.

[Nicole]

I'm thinking of the potato chopper to make scalloped potatoes.

[Sashir]

Oh, nice. Okay, nice. So then you can look for that. Okay.

[Nicole]

And then I gotta start my new journey. I can't buy it on Amazon. I gotta go out into the world.

[Sashir]

Yeah.

[Nicole]

Can't go to Target. Still don't really want to go to Walmart. Nah.

[Sashir]

Maybe like a kitchen store.

[Nicole]

William Sonoma.

[Sashir]

You really attacked me with those words.

[Nicole]

I couldn't think of another kitchen store.

[Sashir]

Yeah, maybe William Sonoma or, like, I guess I meant more like one of those stores that, like, chefs go to to, like, buy kitchen supplies.

[Nicole]

Sur la table. Sure, sure. I think that's the name of that store. I think it is It's a dumb name.

[Sashir]

Surla Table.

[Nicole]

Surla table. What's a chef store?

[Sashir]

Just like a kitchen supply store.

[Nicole]

I don't.

[Sashir]

An unbranded, like not a chain, just like a kitchen supply store.

[Nicole]

I don't think I've ever heard of this.

[Sashir]

You definitely pass them. I'm sure there's. There's literally say kitchen supply store and.

[Nicole]

They'Re open to the general public. Huh. Ally, can you look up a kitchen supply store? Do you know what a harbor Freight is?

[Sashir]

No.

[Nicole]

Me either. Have you seen the signs?

[Sashir]

No, no, I have. It's a store.

[Nicole]

I think so.

[Sashir]

Harbor Freight.

[Nicole]

Yeah. On. I think it's Hollywood. Hollywood and Van Ness. There used to be A Pier 1 Imports. They went under.

[Sashir]

They did.

[Nicole]

And their sale was not good. I was so mad. I was like, you're done. Give it to me. Why is this still money? What are we doing? I was so mad. But now there's a Harbor Freight there. I don't know what it is.

[Sashir]

I have no idea what it is.

[Nicole]

And I've thought about pulling in to investigate, but then I. I'm like doing.

[Sashir]

Sounds like a boat store on Hollywood Boulevard. Who. For all your boat needs.

[Nicole]

I think it's wild. Alec, did you find a kitchen supply store?

[Host/Producer]

Yeah. So there's a ton. And they all have names like Kitchen Depot, Kitchen Pl, Kitchen World.

[Nicole]

Oh.

[Host/Producer]

And they are like wholesale kitchen supply stores for restaurants and then also home cooks if you want to buy things in bulk.

[Nicole]

Oh, in bulk.

[Host/Producer]

Yeah. Bulk are like restaurant grade kitchen supplies.

[Nicole]

Okay, that's what I'm gonna get. A mandolin.

[Host/Producer]

Yeah.

[Nicole]

Okay. I also want a different stand mixer. I want a purple one.

[Sashir]

Yeah.

[Nicole]

I have a teal one. And I find it to be like.

[Sashir]

Shocking, I'm sure compared to the rest of the colors in your home, in your kitchen.

[Nicole]

Yeah. But also I'm like, this is like the over consumption thing about me where I'm like, this is no longer aesthetically pleasing.

[Sashir]

Yeah.

[Nicole]

I would like to get the same thing in a different color.

[Sashir]

Yeah.

[Nicole]

Which is. And I don't cook.

[Sashir]

I was gonna ask, do you use it?

[Nicole]

I've used it. Let's see, what year is this?

[Sashir]

2026.

[Nicole]

I think the. Oh yeah, it's January. I think the last year I hosted nailed it was 2023. I have used my stand mixer twice. I don't need a purple one. But the idea of like a lilac one. Oh. Gets me going.

[Sashir]

What if you got rid of your teal one? Donate it, give it, somebody sell it or whatever. And then if you Find yourself in a moment where you're like, I need a stand mixer. Then you can buy it.

[Nicole]

Okay, here's the other thing about me. I don't want to go without. What if I need that stand mixer at 1am you never know when you have to make cookies.

[Sashir]

It's like an emergency. Yes. You gotta make them right now.

[Nicole]

Yes. That happened to me two weeks ago.

[Sashir]

Yeah.

[Nicole]

I found a single cookie recipe, and at, like, it was at 1am it was like 11:30. I was like, I have to make that one cookie. And then I did.

[Sashir]

Oh, okay.

[Nicole]

It was pretty good.

[Sashir]

And this is the second time you used your stand mixer.

[Nicole]

I didn't use a stand mixer for that because I was only making one cookie.

[Sashir]

Okay, so then.

[Nicole]

But I did use a stand mixer to make a batch of cookies. Oh, wait, no, I couldn't use it because I lost the paddles. So wait, when is the last time I used it?

[Sashir]

Sounds like you don't need it.

[Nicole]

Oh, the last time I used it was to make the dry pound cake.

[Sashir]

Oh.

[Nicole]

Just like a year ago. I don't. I don't need a stand mixer.

[Sashir]

It sounds like you don't, but I just love that.

[Nicole]

I love the idea of, like, I have it and I really want a purple one.

[Sashir]

Yeah. All right.

[Nicole]

Well. But I lost pieces of it and didn't even know exactly.

[Sashir]

I think maybe if you really need it, you probably know someone who has one and could borrow it.

[Nicole]

Do you have one?

[Sashir]

No, because I don't need it.

[Nicole]

Do you have any kitchen appliances besides.

[Sashir]

An oven and a toaster Oven of an air fryer. Oh, and a food processor. Oh, and that's more than I thought. A Vitamix blender. Oh, and you're getting stuff finely chopped. Finely chopped. Oh, I have. I guess this is. Okay, so it's for making vegetables into noodles.

[Nicole]

A spiralizer.

[Sashir]

Yeah, spiralizer. It goes like this. You put the zucchini on it and it goes. And then it comes out and you got zoodles. Zoodles.

[Nicole]

They also have a cheese grater like that. And I was like, I gotta get one of those. Then it's like, how often am I grating cheese? Never. Yeah, I make macaroni and cheese maybe once a year.

[Sashir]

Yeah.

[Nicole]

And. Oh, I don't think I made it last year. I think I made it two years ago. I still have it in my freezer. I think I need to throw it away.

[Sashir]

Mac and cheese. Oh, yeah.

[Nicole]

How long can you keep things in the freezer? I keep things for years, I guess.

[Sashir]

I don't know. But I feel like eventually it's gonna get like, freezer, freezer burn. Yeah.

[Nicole]

Yeah. I don't know. I eat garbage and I eat old stuff and I get sick all the time. I ate sushi last night and I got sick. Oh, no. Not like bad sick, but sick.

[Sashir]

Butt sick. Yeah. It's not good.

[Nicole]

No. And then that happened when we got sushi late at night that one time. Oh. And I thought it. Maybe I was like, oh, maybe it's a sushi place. Maybe my body can't process raw fish.

[Sashir]

That's possible.

[Nicole]

Well, that makes me sad because now I like raw fish.

[Sashir]

Yeah. Dang.

[Nicole]

Yeah.

[Sashir]

Sorry, girl. It's okay.

[Nicole]

Should we answer questions?

[Sashir]

Let's answer questions. Hello.

[Host/Producer]

Nicole and Sasheer, long time listener and huge fan of you both. I want to know if you think I am overreacting to a situation. Almost a year ago, I had plans with one of my long distance friends to meet up in Chicago for the weekend. This friend has a history of being flaky, but we both had plane tickets and a hotel room booked, so I figured all would be okay. As I boarded my flight that morning, my friend texted me and said that her flight was canceled. I figured when I landed, she would have rebooked and figured it out instead. When I landed, I had a long text from her explaining that she was going to have to pay to rebook, so she just canceled her flight and was going home. I looked at her flight number and it looked like it was just delayed, but she swears to this day that wasn't the case. Luckily, I'm a pretty seasoned traveler and knew I would be okay solo and I still had a fun weekend.

[Nicole]

I.

[Host/Producer]

But I felt like ditching me was a very bad friendship move. We've been friends since childhood, and after this happened, we barely talk anymore. She wasn't a great friend to me before this happened, and I consider it the straw that broke the camel's back. Do you think I'm overreacting or is it okay for me to be upset about being ditched on a planned weekend trip?

[Nicole]

Yeah, be mad. That's wild.

[Sashir]

I would be upset. That's crazy.

[Nicole]

Yeah. If I had plans with a friend and they were like, up not coming.

[Sashir]

What? Like, figure it out. There's other flights.

[Nicole]

Yeah.

[Sashir]

And you would have to whatever the rebooking fee would be. It wouldn't be the cost of another ticket. It would like.

[Nicole]

But also, no. If the airline delays your flight or the airline cancels your flight, they just put you on a different flight free of charge. Because it's on them.

[Sashir]

That's true.

[Nicole]

So her saying that she had to rebook it or them, I don't know the gender, but I think they lied. I think they didn't show up, and I think they lied.

[Sashir]

Do you think maybe they didn't even buy the ticket?

[Nicole]

I think you're onto something. Wow, Harriet the Spy, you got to the bottom. I truly think that they might have lied and not have bought the ticket at all.

[Sashir]

Yeah.

[Nicole]

Because paid, paying money to rebook. That's not real.

[Sashir]

No, also, but. And if that's the case, let your friend know beforehand. Yes, I don't want to go.

[Nicole]

Yes.

[Sashir]

That's way easier than. Than your friend now wasting their money and their time being on the solo trip somewhere.

[Nicole]

Yeah. I think our. The person who wrote in has every right to be livid. Yeah, I would. I mean, me personally, I would be very, very angry. And I would go, well, maybe this friendship continues, maybe it doesn't, but I'll never make another plan with you. Fool me once, call me Roger. Wait, what is it? Fool me once, I'm an idiot.

[Sashir]

Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me.

[Nicole]

Where did call me Roger come from?

[Sashir]

I have no idea where call me Roger came from. He once called me Roger. And we know we don't want to be Roger.

[Nicole]

We don't want to be Roger.

[Sashir]

Nobody wants to be Roger.

[Nicole]

Roger's a name that's dying.

[Sashir]

I guess I haven't met a young Roger. Bring it back, sister.

[Nicole]

Sister.

[Sashir]

Go home, Roger.

[Nicole]

Solved.

[Host/Producer]

Yeah.

[Sashir]

Tell that girl to go home, Roger.

[Nicole]

May we have another?

[Sashir]

Of course.

[Host/Producer]

Okay. Hi, Nicole and Sashir. First off, thank you for restarting the podcast. YouTube bring me so much joy and I've missed my weekly listen. I'm writing because I have a lot of feelings about my best friend's new boyfriend. For context, we were both single for almost all of our 20s. We're now in our early 30s, and we've both started our first serious relationships earlier this year.

[Sashir]

Yay.

[Host/Producer]

I am in my first same sex committed relationship since coming out as bisexual, and my best friend has been super supportive throughout that journey. I'm thrilled that she's found someone too, and I know that this relationship means so much to her. We're very long distance friends, so I haven't met him yet. And she's been a little cagey about the details of their relationship. But I recently learned through a mutual friend that her boyfriend is a Republican, which honestly just makes me sad. She said repeatedly that she's head over Heels in love with him. And I'm finding it hard to process that she feels this way about someone who's aligned with a political party that is actively trying to take my rights away. How could I be enthusiastic about her relationship when he's comfortable with the idea that I might not be able to marry the person I love? I'm sure he's not a far right Trump supporter because she certainly isn't. And it's possible he's not politically active at all. But in this climate that's still taking a stance and I don't see how it's one that she's comfortable with. I've been friends with her for 20 years and it hurts my heart to think that she might end up with someone whose values are so opposed to mine. I don't want to confront her in a way that's bitter or comes off as an accusation or a demand that she breaks up with him. But I also feel like I need to have a conversation with her to understand whether this is something that she's even thought about. I would love to know, is this something that either of you have ever had to deal with before? Do you have any advice for how I might be able to approach this or come to peace with it on my own? Thank you both for the joy you bring to the world. You've truly such an inspirational friendship and I'm so glad that we as listeners get to be a small part of it. Love, Vanessa P. S. I just saw Nicole's DC show and it was so fun. I didn't stop laughing the whole time. Dying to see Sishier live now, too.

[Nicole]

That is nice.

[Sashir]

That's hard.

[Nicole]

Yeah. I've never, thank God, knock on wood. Been in that situation where a friend is dating someone who is not politically aligned with me. Yeah. And honestly, I've gotten to the point in my life where it's like, if you are not politically aligned with me, it's not like we're enemies, but you do have a vested interest in like, my, like my life being worse.

[Sashir]

Yeah.

[Nicole]

So, like, you're technically not a friend if you want my life worse. And I think it's kind of a hard thing to grapple because it's like, sure, you might think your friend doesn't align like that, but there is a chance that she is slowly moving.

[Sashir]

Yeah.

[Nicole]

To that.

[Sashir]

Or is at least complacent. Like at least doesn't care enough.

[Nicole]

Yeah.

[Sashir]

Challenge those thoughts, which we also don't know. We all know what their conversations are like. But yeah. If she's like, I guess, okay, dating somebody who is a vocal Republican, Like. Like, they are. I choose to label myself this way.

[Nicole]

Yeah.

[Sashir]

Then it would make me wonder, does this. Does my friend not care which also is bad, or do they actually align with these beliefs, too?

[Nicole]

And our emailer inner said that this friend is, like, cagey about the relationship. So I'm like, why aren't you telling details about it? Like, y' all going to rallies and stuff. God, y' all wearing your red hats and saying poor people should die. Yeah.

[Sashir]

This was, like, I don't know, 15 years ago. Like, there. There have been moments where it's like, well, you can be, like, politically one way, but, like, have views in a different way or, like, there's. There's more gray area. But I think because we're in such an extreme moment right now, and because of the things that are actually happening, it's. You kind of can't dance over the line. Like, there is. There is no, like, oh, well, I'm.

[Nicole]

Socially liberally Republican or whatever. Like, there is no, like, overlap and.

[Sashir]

Like, definite ramifications of those choices. So, yeah, I guess maybe have a talk and be like, what's. I mean, maybe straight up, like, I heard your. Your boyfriend's the Republican. How. How's that going?

[Nicole]

Yeah. How's that going? You like that?

[Sashir]

Yeah. How much a Republican?

[Nicole]

Yeah. Which I was doing.

[Sashir]

Some people are also raised that way, but it's still just weird that, like. Like, someone knew enough to be like, yeah, so. And so is a Republican. Like, what does that mean? They actually voted that way. Yeah. I'd ask questions.

[Nicole]

Yeah. Because I. Yeah. Me personally, like, I don't want that in my life. Like, I don't want to have to go to a dinner party where I have to, like, listen to someone spouting, and then, like, I feel like I need to say something. It's like, I'd rather just hang out with people who have the same. And maybe that's ignorant of me, that I'm like, I want to hang out with people who have the same ideology as me, but, like, my whole ideology is like, I think people deserve things. Right. And, you know, like, I. I think the tariffs are bad, and I. And I think, you know, the president is tacky, like, baseline tacky, and then on top of it, bad, and also.

[Sashir]

Doing some really bad stuff.

[Nicole]

So it's like, yeah, I don't. I don't want to have that Deb Bait. Yeah. And, yeah, I. I think you're right. I think it's like, Have a conversation and ask like, you. Good. You like it?

[Sashir]

Yeah.

[Nicole]

Do you think about people like me or other friends that you have?

[Sashir]

Yeah.

[Nicole]

Or I think this person's a woman. It's like you want to be forced to have a baby.

[Sashir]

Yeah. Do you want to have to depend on your husband to vote?

[Nicole]

Right.

[Sashir]

Yeah.

[Nicole]

Did you hear about that lady who was forced to have a baby in Atlanta?

[Sashir]

Yeah.

[Nicole]

That baby's not doing well. Can you believe? Well, we can't end on a sad note. We have to do one more.

[Host/Producer]

Hi, Sashir and Nicole. I'm a big, big fan of you both, separately and jointly. I love the podcast so much. I put it on when I'm cleaning, specifically the Chris Rock, Will Smith. Every week I hear Nicole's request to set a timer for a year and send it in to see what her thoughts are about the slap over. I know I'm very late for the update, but what are your thoughts five years later? Is it still the best TV you've ever seen, Nicole? Does it still haunt you when you do stand up shows this year? I would love to know. Love you both and so happy the pod is back. Sincerely, Austin.

[Nicole]

It's been five years.

[Sashir]

Did not know it was five years. That's crazy.

[Nicole]

I can't believe it hasn't been five years. Because 2025. Wait, we're in 2026 now.

[Sashir]

I feel like it hasn't been five years.

[Nicole]

No, I think it was 22.

[Host/Producer]

It happened.

[Sashir]

Yeah.

[Nicole]

Three. Three years.

[Sashir]

Three or four years.

[Nicole]

Yeah. Whoa. That really. That got me.

[Sashir]

That rocked me.

[Nicole]

I was like, five years. What are we doing? Where are we going? I really did, like, have an aneurysm. I was like, oh, my God. It is still peak television. It is still one of the best pop culture moments we have had. It is still crazy. Nothing has topped it. It's been almost four years and not one thing has.

[Sashir]

That's true.

[Nicole]

Nothing has topped it.

[Sashir]

No. Nothing's been as exciting or like, like news generating since then.

[Nicole]

Yeah.

[Sashir]

And pop culture, I've seen, you know.

[Nicole]

Videos that, like, have gone viral, but nothing got me as good as when I saw that slap because I didn't see it live. So when Julia told me about it when I was like, going to your house, she opened the door and was like, chris Rock, slap or no? Yeah, Will Smith. Chris Slap. Chris Rock. And I was like, what? What? And I watched it and I was like, what? Like, I felt alive in a way that I hadn't felt alive watching an award show since Adele. Dazeem. And I I seriously maintain peak entertainment. I don't know. I don't know what's gonna top it.

[Sashir]

Yeah, I'm still concerned. I don't think anything good has come from the slap. Jada wrote a book and. And just kept destroying her husband over and over again. Will started rapping again, and I'm not saying we don't want music from Will, but he started rapping about the slap, and I think that was a. I don't think anything good came from that.

[Nicole]

He started rapping about the slap.

[Sashir]

Don't rap about the slap.

[Nicole]

Yeah. And then I think he, like, released a video where he had, like. It was like, an AI crowd because there wasn't that many people. But I like the song and I like the video where he's little and there's little ladies. I don't know. He's big and there's little ladies. I don't know. He went back to music because of the slap, and I think that's good.

[Sashir]

I don't hate that he went back to music. I just feel like maybe the energy would have been different if the slap hadn't happened.

[Nicole]

I don't know if he would have gone back to music if the slap hadn't happened because he would have continued acting because he wouldn't have been exiled.

[Sashir]

That's true. That's true. That's true.

[Nicole]

But it is funny that he's not going by the Fresh Prince anymore. I guess it's because he's not fresh. He'd have to be, like, the right prince.

[Sashir]

And, like, Prince feels, like, young. He's, like, older. So if slapping King, you should have.

[Nicole]

Rebranded.

[Sashir]

The Dirty King.

[Nicole]

The Dirty King. I mean. Yeah, I stand by it. I have never been more entertained and thinking about it. I have a big smile on my face and a smile on my heart. Like, just bam.

[Sashir]

I mean, it was crazy. I was excited the moment it happened, but, yes, still concerned.

[Nicole]

Keep my wife's name out of your mouth. The whole thing. The whole thing. Lang just did the crowd. The only thing is I. If I could time travel, that's where I'm going. Oh, wait. What would I get in?

[Sashir]

You just get in.

[Nicole]

Well, there would be security and stuff. Just because I'm time traveling doesn't mean there's not security. I'm going to time travel over and over and over again until I can see it live.

[Sashir]

So you're gonna, like, change parts of your career so you get invited?

[Nicole]

Yes. Yeah, I'm gonna figure out how to do a movie with Meryl Streep.

[Sashir]

Just so you can wait.

[Nicole]

Not. Maybe not Meryl. I don't know who was nominated that year. I'll have to do some research and then end up in a movie with them. But we do have to wrap it up. Yeah.

[Sashir]

Well, this is fun.

[Nicole]

It was fun. And I'm gonna think about that slap for the rest of the day.

[Sashir]

Well, if you have any comments or questions or memories that you want us to revisit, you can call us at our number, 323-32323, 86554.

[Nicole]

We also have an email address.

[Sashir]

It's Nicole and sashirmail.com goodbye.

[Nicole]

Best friends is a production of Headgun Studios.

[Sashir]

Our producer is Ali Khan.

[Nicole]

Our executive producer is Anya Khanovskaya.

[Sashir]

The show is edited, mixed and engineered by Rochelle Chen.

[Host/Producer]

That was a HitGam podcast.