"Nicole Knows Her Cars" — Best Friends with Nicole Byer and Sasheer Zamata

Date: November 19, 2025
Podcast: Best Friends with Nicole Byer and Sasheer Zamata
Episode Theme:
A lively, comedic ramble covering pet adventures, bike snobbery, signature musicals, failed holiday crafts, what your favorite car says about you, and thorny listener queries about betrayal, friendship, and dating.

Episode Overview

Nicole and Sasheer deliver their signature blend of irreverent humor and genuine friendship as they dive into recent pet fiascos, nostalgic talk about musicals, quirky opinions on transportation, and ponder what kind of car they–and the listeners–might be. The episode also features playful banter about holiday traditions and decor, and wraps with thoughtful, funny advice to complex listener questions.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Escaping Pets & Leash Drama

[01:12–08:49]

• Sasheer recounts her cat's attempted escape—even with a harness: “He just bolted up the stairs of the balcony, jumped off like Tom Cruise, just like an action movie” (Sasheer, 01:43).
• Nicole confesses to dog-walking mishaps with her dog Clyde, accidentally dropping the leash more than once.
• They debate the pros and cons (but mostly cons) of cross-body and waist dog leashes:
  • Nicole: “You look like a freak. I hate them. I won't do that. You want me to look like a freak in my neighborhood?” (06:27)
  • Sasheer: “It does look like also the dog's pulled you from the dog is like, also walking you.” (06:48)
• Tangents about “nasty” bicycle styles versus "whimsical" big bikes and unicycles follow, with Nicole declaring, “Sit up! What are you doing? Go to sleep if you want to lay down” (07:46).

2. Whimsical vs. Nasty: Transport Opinions

[08:10–10:00]

• Nicole loves whimsical big bikes and unicycles but despises recumbent bikes and nonsensical e-transport: “I don't like those lime scooters. I don't like Segways. No, actually, Segway is fun. That's whimsical” (09:09).

3. Musical Theater Nostalgia

[10:03–13:35]

• Deep-dive into the legacy of Rent, with Nicole shocked at how Jonathan Larson died: “Wouldn't you think he died of AIDS? … Not even cancer. He had an undiagnosed heart condition.” (10:19)
• Nicole and Sasheer sing bits of “Rent” in increasingly absurd, repetitive ways, poking fun:
  • Nicole: “Rent, rent, rent, rent, rent, rent, rent, rent. How we gonna pay rent? Cause everything is rent.” (11:26)
• They discuss how musicals like Rent, Wicked, and Hamilton have each “defined” generations of theater kids.

4. Cursive, Calligraphy, and Uncovering Santa

[15:50–18:50]

• The hosts attempt to remember how to write in cursive, especially capital letters like Q and G.
• Nicole shares how her mother used to do calligraphy and forged “Santa” Christmas cards, and how she ruined the magic for her sister by discovering and sharing their gifts in advance.

5. DIY & Childhood Mischief Stories

[26:21–28:41]

• Nicole describes sneaking her mom’s calligraphy pens and drawing/crayon vandalism as a kid.
• “I came in like a wrecking ball and ruined her nice life.” (Nicole, 18:55)

6. Seasonal Decor & Holiday Limits

[33:03–36:09]

• Nicole and Sasheer share anti–holiday decor feelings—Nicole: “I think that's what it is. I don't want more work. I don't want to clean. I don't want to set up.” (34:26)
• Tangent: Nicole expresses confusion at fake snow sold on Shark Tank: “You had a cup of water or …cup of the shit, and then you put water in it. And then you mix it up. And then snow grows.” (36:18)

7. Inventions Wish List

[37:18–39:01]

• Nicole wants a “forward Yelp”: “I only want to go ahead. I walk forward.” (38:00)
• Sasheer wants a bed that “just snaps back into place” (38:13).

8. Which Vehicle Are You? (Listener Quiz)

[39:35–51:04]

• Nicole and Sasheer take a “What vehicle are you?” quiz, with hilariously subjective answers.
• Nicole shows off her knowledge: “I was really proud of myself … I'm such a good car, bitch. I knew what car this was.” (40:51)
• Both get “luxury car” as a result—“If everything's a luxury car, what's actually luxury?” (Nicole, 50:38)
• Nicole reveals her true car spirit: “A Mitsubishi 3000 GT or a Geo Tracker.” (51:04)
• Determines Sasheer would be “a second generation RAV4.” (Nicole, 51:18)

9. Advice Section: Listener Queries

[51:30–67:50]

A. Family & Friend Betrayal

[51:55–55:08]

• Listener: Ex-husband slept with best friend and cousin’s wife.
• Advice: “That cousin's not a friend. Even if she was manipulated, she still chose to do a thing that she knew would hurt you.” (Nicole, 53:05)
• Suggest maintaining civility but distance: “You can still, like, see this person, but you don’t have to be best friends anymore.” (Sasheer, 53:28)

B. Baby & Friendship Dilemma

[56:20–59:07]

• Listener feels isolated from friends after having a baby.
• Advice: “Get new friends. Make friends with people with kids.” (Nicole, 56:37)
• “Maybe it'd be best to find friends who do know that experience. …doesn't mean, like, don't have these other friends who don’t have kids.” (Sasheer, 58:47)

C. “How Do I Make Friends When Everyone Wants to F*** Me?”

[60:38–67:50]

• Listener: Queer, hot, newly single, struggling with friends-vs-flirting dynamics.
• Advice: Both agree: Propose group hangs, be clear about intentions, don’t feel you need to change your look.
• “Sluts have friends. …And if you wanted to, if you felt comfortable, like. It's also not a problem to sleep with your friends…” (Sasheer, 67:16)
• “You can also truly just out loud say, I want to make friends.” (Nicole, 66:38)

Notable Quotes & Moments

• Nicole on waist leashes: “It’s nasty as hell. It’s truly one of the worst things I’ve ever seen in my whole life.” (07:03)
• Nicole on dog walking: “I don’t get walked. I walk myself. …I’m the dog walker.” (06:59)
• On musicals:
  • “It is a shame Jonathan Larson wasn’t able to see it because he would have made some edits…” (Sasheer, 11:55)
  • “Musicals… define a generation of, like, young actors.” (Nicole, 13:19)
• Nicole (about being a younger, chaos-inciting sibling): “I came in like a wrecking ball and ruined her nice life.” (18:55)
• Nicole on “forward Yelp”: “Tell me what's on the way to where I'm going. …I want to walk forward.” (38:08)
• On luxury cars: “If everything’s a luxury car, what’s actually luxury?” (Nicole, 50:42)
• On baby and friends:
  • “But she's a huge part of my life and they simply don’t care…” (Listener, 56:16)
  • “You gotta find people who have kids. …Go to a Mommy and Me class.” (Nicole, 57:00)
• On friend-flirt confusion:
  • “How do I make close platonic friends when most of everyone wants to f*** me?” (Listener letter, 60:44)
  • “You can also make obvious signs, too, and be like, I'm looking for friends.” (Sasheer, 64:46)
  • “Sluts have friends.” (Sasheer, 67:16)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• [01:12–08:49] Pet escapes, leash mishaps, dog-walking gear
• [10:03–13:35] Rent, musical theater obsessions, and “generation-defining shows”
• [15:50–18:50] Cursive, calligraphy, and blowing up Santa’s cover
• [26:21–28:41] DIY vandalism, mischievous childhood antics
• [33:03–36:09] Anti–holiday decor sentiments; fake snow on Shark Tank
• [39:35–51:04] Listeners’ “What vehicle are you?” quiz, Nicole’s car expertise
• [51:55–55:08] Advice: Family drama and friendship betrayal
• [56:20–59:07] Advice: Post-baby friendship, adapting to new life phases
• [60:38–67:50] Advice: Navigating new friendship when others want more

Tone and Style

Consistently playful, self-aware, and teetering between absurdity and solid real talk. Nicole is the louder, more declarative cynic with a flair for making even the mundane bizarre and hilarious. Sasheer is measured, empathetic, prone to reason but quick to roll with any tangent.

For New Listeners

This episode is a perfect sampler of Nicole and Sasheer’s blend of chaos and connection: wild personal stories, pop-culture rants, oddball quizzes, and sincerely supportive (if blunt) advice for listener dilemmas. Fans of quick-witted banter, 90s nostalgia, and the joyful messiness of best-friendship will feel right at home.