Best Friends with Nicole Byer and Sasheer Zamata

Episode: Nicole Imagines A Life Without Peanuts

Release Date: October 8, 2025

Episode Overview

In this playful and heartfelt episode, Nicole Byer and Sasheer Zamata explore nostalgic foods, changing friendships, adult whimsy, and the anxieties of developing food allergies. There’s a running thread of reflection on growing older—juggling dietary changes, relationships, creativity, and the joys and challenges of maintaining friendships that grow and change over time. Plus, they answer listener questions on tricky friend situations, all while keeping the banter funny, candid, and deeply relatable.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. West Coast vs. East Coast Beach Life (02:10 – 09:00)

• Nicole and Sasheer lament SoCal beaches for their lack of traditional boardwalks, favoring the East Coast’s beachy charm.
• Nostalgic stories about boardwalks, beach mishaps, and Jersey Shore drinking antics.
• Differences between piers and boardwalks are debated, leading to funny anecdotes of people sneaking drinks onto the beach.

Quote:
"Where do you get cotton candy? Where do you walk? Where do you... Yeah, where do you walk? You just walk on the sand. What are we doing?" — Nicole (06:00)

2. Food Obsessions, Allergies & Imodium Tangents (09:00 – 20:00)

• Nicole describes her obsession with soft-serve “peanut butty” ice cream—vanilla dipped in chocolate and rolled in chopped peanuts.
• Imagining life allergic to peanuts sets Nicole spiraling; Sasheer recounts her own sudden adult-onset seafood allergy.
• Both discuss developing allergies and intolerance (gluten, dairy), navigating them with humor and a bit of resignation.
• Hilarious deep-dive into diarrhea, Imodium, and self-awareness about rarely discussing bodily functions in such detail.

Quotes:
"My life flashed before my eyes. The thought of not having any more nuts for nuts... The idea of not eating peanuts out of the shell with like a Welsh’s gummy fruit snack to mimic a PB and J before my eyes." — Nicole (13:25)
"I don’t want to become allergic to gluten. I’m like, kind of allergic to gluten, but I still. I still eat it." — Nicole (15:45)

3. Adult Whimsy, Compliment Cravings, & Losing Playfulness (20:00 – 30:00)

• The duo discuss the loss of whimsy and playfulness as kids get older—pinpointing middle school as when this “magic” fades.
• Nicole admits she loves attention, sometimes dressing to demand compliments and feeling slighted when she doesn’t get them.
• They encourage directly asking for compliments as a healthy way for affirmation.

Quotes:
"Adults don’t... And I don’t understand why. Where do you think adults lose their whimsy?" — Nicole (26:40)
"Sometimes, have you—you’ve never just, like, put on an outfit and been like, I want to be told I’m beautiful?" — Nicole (28:12)
"Ask for them. I’m gonna start asking after this break." — Sasheer (29:55)

4. Organic Improv, Rare Fruits & Banana History (31:10 – 38:30)

• Anecdotes about their improv group “Doppelganger” and the physical demands of “organic openings.”
• Discovery that the “banana” flavor in Runts candy is based on the now-rare “Gros Michel” (Big Mike) variety, not the Cavendish found in stores.
• Plans for a “fruit party” with rare and organic fruits sourced from specialty sites.

Quotes:
"I found a website that gives you fruits you’ve never heard of, but I just learned the strain of bananas we eat is not the original strain of banana." — Nicole (33:12)
"Isn’t it sick that we have robbed people of sweet bananas?" — Sasheer (36:05)

5. BuzzFeed Fruit Quiz & The Art of the Group Chat (39:00 – 45:00)

• Nicole and Sasheer take a BuzzFeed quiz—“Which fruit are you?”—and rail against its technical issues and questionable insight.
• This segues into a conversation about identity, perceptions, and tattoos (including Nicole’s fruit tattoo menagerie).
• Self-effacing humor about their own quiz results and fruit personification.

Quote:
"If it doesn’t give me a strawberry, I’m getting a gun. I love strawberries!" — Nicole (41:30)

6. Listener Questions: Friends Moving Too Fast / Friendship Drift (46:50 – 55:00)

A) Friend Rushing Marriage (46:50 – 52:33)

• Listener worries her best friend, 27, is moving too fast with her 21-year-old boyfriend (devoutly Christian, set to be engaged after 9 months).
• Nicole and Sasheer suggest making concerns specific—focus on readiness, emotional maturity, finances—not just “speed.”
• They acknowledge the letter-writer’s possible projection due to her own negative experiences with religion/marriage.

Quotes:
"I honestly think nine months, that’s almost a year. Sure, it’s moving fast, but if two people want to do it, two people are going to do it." — Nicole (48:30)
"The only thing I would be worried about is finances...Protect yourself financially." — Nicole (50:10)

B) Staying Connected When Friends Have Kids (52:33 – 55:50)

• Listener feels distant as her friends only discuss babies and domestic life, leaving her successes (selling a TV show!) uncelebrated.
• Advice: Start smaller group chats for personal achievements/conversation, seek friends in similar stages, and boldly insert your news into the conversation.
• Humor and empathy, reminding her that large group chats often drown individual voices.

Quotes:
"Is it really possible that you have no other friends that have no kids?...I do think that is pretty wild." — Nicole (53:50)
"Honestly, I would like, if your friends are comfortable enough to be like, Goo Goo Gaga...then text your friends to be like, and I sold a TV show." — Nicole (54:35)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• (13:25) "My life flashed before my eyes... The idea of not eating peanuts out of the shell with like a Welsh’s gummy fruit snack to mimic a PB and J before my eyes." — Nicole
• (26:40) "Adults don’t... And I don’t understand why. Where do you think adults lose their whimsy?" — Nicole
• (41:30) "If it doesn’t give me a strawberry, I’m getting a gun. I love strawberries!" — Nicole
• (48:30) "If two people want to do it, two people are going to do it...But I would question it. I'd be like, I don't know, this kid's young." — Nicole
• (54:35) "Honestly, I would like, if your friends are comfortable enough to be like, Goo Goo Gaga...then text your friends to be like, and I sold a TV show." — Nicole

Episode Flow & Timestamps (key segments)

• Beach Nostalgia and Culture Clash: 02:10–09:00
• Food Allergies, Intolerances, and Soft Serve Fantasies: 09:00–16:30
• Imodium and Bathroom Banter: 16:30–20:00
• Losing and Reclaiming Adult Whimsy: 20:00–26:40
• Clothes, Compliments, and Affirmation: 26:40–30:00
• Organic Improv Memories & Rare Fruit Obsession: 31:10–38:30
• BuzzFeed Fruit Quiz Antics + Tattoo Talk: 39:00–45:00
• Listener Q&A: Friendships, Fast Marriages, and Feeling Left Out: 46:50–55:50

Overall Tone

Warm, hilarious, honest, and irreverently insightful. Nicole and Sasheer balance playful banter with genuine advice, creating a space where listeners feel seen—whether navigating life with new allergies, changing relationships, or the simple need for acknowledgment.

For listeners and new fans alike, this episode is a delightful mix of laughter, advice, and real talk—perfect for anyone craving camaraderie and a reminder not to lose your whimsy as you grow up.