Best Friends with Nicole Byer & Sasheer Zamata

"Sasheer’s Axe Ricocheted" (w/ Big Dipper & Meatball)

Episode Date: October 15, 2025
Guests: Big Dipper (rapper/podcaster), Meatball (drag queen/podcaster)
Podcast Network: Headgum

Episode Overview

This episode is a lively, laughter-filled exploration of friendship as Nicole and Sasheer welcome their real-life friends Big Dipper and Meatball. The discussion bounces through the joys, perils, and sometimes gross realities of close friendship, sharing stories from their lives and podcasts ("Sloppy Seconds"), revealing how their dynamic works both on and off the mic. The group covers everything from gun ranges and ax-throwing mishaps to the intricacies of vacationing as friends, including the often undiscussed factor of money, all with their trademark sharp wit and warmth.

Main Discussion Points & Highlights

Meeting of the Minds: Friendship Chemistry & Podcasting

• Nicole and Sasheer joyfully introduce Big Dipper and Meatball, highlighting their careers and friendship.
• The group jokes about podcast etiquette, ADHD, and how the Internet "diagnoses" everything.
  • [03:09] Sasheer: "Yeah. The Internet has. It's called the Internet."

Big Dipper & Meatball Origin Story:

• Meatball relays their first meeting at FUBAR (not Precinct), when she bought merch from Big Dipper before either was podcast-famous.
• Their friendship grew from working together on their own show, "Sloppy Seconds," before they truly hung out socially.
  • [24:16] Big Dipper: "We basically worked together two or three years before... we socialize outside the podcast."
  • [24:26] Meatball: "Yeah, we never really hung out."

Gun Ranges, Axe Throwing, and the Hazards of Group Activities

• Stories of visiting gun ranges, feelings around guns, and Nicole’s revelation:
  • [07:25] Nicole: "I was screaming, and then I was like, if I had a gun, I would have shot him."
  • Meatball finds shooting "horny," Dipper is less enthused.
• Group recalls a near disaster with axe throwing:
  • [13:55] Sasheer: "...I threw an ax so hard that it bounced back towards me."
• The group reflects on group event planning and activities that teeter into danger (water parks, ropes courses), always connecting it to both the fun and anxiety of doing things with friends.

The Sacred "Bed Day"

• Meatball explains the glory of "bed day”—a day spent eating (often naked) in bed, binge-watching TV, and decompressing from social obligations.
  • [09:15] Meatball: "So you just kind of resign to the bed..."
  • Conversation includes eating techniques, crumbs, hygiene, and FaceTiming during shared bed days.
  • [11:31] Sasheer: "If I'm doing bed day, I'm eating on my tummy."

Poop, Ice Machines, and Childhood Gross-Outs

• The conversation spirals (in the best way) into tales of vomiting in lakes, pooping in oceans, and the prevalence of "slime in the ice machine" (a Texas restaurant health scare).
  • [16:13] Meatball: "Well, I had to go real bad, and it was a Christian group trip, and there was no way to go..."
  • [18:19] Meatball: "There used to be a guy... called Slime in the Ice Machine..."
• The hosts debate how much podcasts discuss poop—“probably like 20%,” per Nicole.

Friendship & Money: Real Talk

• Big Dipper and Meatball candidly address how affording trips and experiences impacts adult friendship.
  • [59:38] Sasheer: "I think having friends with the same monetary means is an important conversation that nobody really talks about."
  • [59:41] Big Dipper: "And how shitty would it be if you can't afford it and you push yourself to do it and then you're miserable or in debt..."

Fatphobia & Bad Instructors: Bungee Fitness Gone Wrong

• Nicole recounts a fatphobic, dismissive experience at a Burbank bungee class, calling out poor treatment and re-affirming the need for inclusivity in fitness.
  • [32:04] Sasheer: "...And then at one point, she goes. And that's why it's very important to not lie about your weight. And then landed on me."
  • Group riffs on similar experiences, emphasizing that every body deserves supportive fitness spaces.

Best Friendship Games: "Besting Each Other"

The guests play a game designed to see who knows the other better:

Favorite Trip Memories

• [47:07] Big Dipper: "A costing Silky Nutmeg Ganache in the Delta Lounge in Atlanta together."
• [47:41] Meatball: "I put strippers in Atlanta."
• Both recall wild highlights, from impromptu celebrity podcasting to unforgettable (elderly!) strippers.

Admiring Each Other

• [51:05] Big Dipper: "Mine is that Meatball is funny."
• [52:31] Meatball: "I wrote that he does all the work and the planning. And he answers my emails."
• The duo describes their complementary friendship: Meatball brings charisma and openness, Big Dipper brings organization and drive.

Who Would Win "Survivor"?

• Meatball (an Eagle Scout) claims the title:
  • [63:11] Meatball: "I'm an eagle Scout and I've been camping before. I know how to start a fire and shoot a gun."
• Big Dipper jokes that neither would last, but gives kudos for Meatball’s survival skills.

20 Years From Now: Future Hopes

• Both joke about being dead, but also dream about opening a gay resort or club together.
  • [66:09] Big Dipper: "Owning a Big Gay Business."
  • Emphasis that their friendship means building business and life together—even into old age.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the “friendship application” process:
  • [60:27] Meatball: "So get out there and only be friends with people who make the exact same amount of money as you."
• On bed days:
  • [09:15] Meatball: "You just kind of resign to the bed, and you lay down a blanket... you got a food blanket. It's all food."
• On inclusivity in fitness:
  • [32:43] Sasheer: "I gave them 10 extra pounds because I said, I'm not dying in Burbank."
• On keeping friendships real:
  • [73:00] Big Dipper: "I think that friendship is way more important than a lot of us give it, like, credit or thought to..."
  • [74:31] Meatball: "I think three or four actually close friends that know you is better than having, like, 30 friends that barely care about you."
• True friendship is relying on each other’s strengths:
  • [51:59] Sasheer: "Do it. Make it serious."
  • [52:00] Big Dipper: "...sometimes I get really weird or awkward and Meatball is always there to be funny."
  • [52:31] Meatball: "...he does all the work and the planning. Annie answers my emails."

Episode Timeline

• 00:00–01:32 — Intros, banter, and sponsors
• 01:32–03:09 — Welcoming guests, friendship dynamics, ADHD jokes
• 03:09–07:17 — Personality tests, TikTok “autism reveal” parties, quoting movies
• 07:17–13:02 — Gun stories, car accidents, drag queens with guns, Atlanta ribs story
• 13:02–16:38 — Bed days, eating in bed etiquette (positions, crumbs), eating nude
• 16:38–20:01 — Vomit and poop tales, “slime in the ice machine,” fast-food nightmares
• 21:48–24:16 — Friendship origin stories: how Big Dipper & Meatball really met
• 31:45–34:05 — Calling out a bad bungee fitness experience (fatphobia, bad instruction)
• 40:44–56:07 — Friendship games: favorite memories, favorite things about each other, karaoke, and dreaming of Broadway
• 63:03–69:47 — Would they survive "Survivor"? Travel and body inclusivity (zip lines & pole studios)
• 71:02–72:42 — Plugs: "Sloppy Seconds" podcast, YouTube channels, Fat Slut party, and Big Dipper’s NSFW event
• 72:39–74:46 — Parting wisdom about friendship: it’s quality (not quantity), honest communication, and gratitude

Takeaways on Friendship (Final Thoughts)

• Meatball:
  [72:39] “Sometimes friendships go up and down on a rocky road... Sometimes nurturing them means not answering phone calls... Then the next time you see each other, it’s like you’re brand new friends again. So ignore your friends until you want to.”

• Big Dipper:
  [73:00] “I think that friendship is way more important than a lot of us give it, like, credit or thought to, you know...don't let Instagram fool you—those few very close friends are more valuable than a hundred acquaintances.”

Closing Tone

Warm, rowdy, and full of quick wit, the episode captures the magic of chosen family, with the hosts and guests embracing candor, humor, and real talk. There's a little gross-out, a little wisdom, and a lot of affectionate roasting—perfect for anyone who’s ever wondered how best friends make it work, year after year.

Find Big Dipper & Meatball online:

• Podcast: "Sloppy Seconds"
• YouTube: @sloppysecondshow
• Instagram: @meatballthequeen
• Events: Look out for Big Dipper’s adult parties and Meatball’s "Fat Slut" party

Nicole & Sasheer:

• Podcast: "Best Friends"
• Stay tuned for possible upcoming whale-watching escapades—with or without purple guns and ribs.

Summary by Podcast Summarizer AI — Bringing you every laugh, insight, and friendship truth, minus the crumbs in bed.