Good Guys Go Grammys

Podcast: Good Guys (Dear Media)
Hosts: Josh Peck & Ben Soffer
Date: February 5, 2026

Overview

This lively episode of "Good Guys" is part of their "Topical Thursdays" series, where Josh Peck and Ben Soffer riff on reality TV nostalgia, camp stories, and the latest in music—anchored by their reactions to the 2026 Grammys. Listeners are treated to a hilarious and honest debrief on pop culture, along with a deeper dive into topics like the value and risks of human greatness, virtue signaling at award shows, and even the dangers of falling iguanas during a Florida freeze.

Key Discussion Points

Reality TV Throwbacks & Oddball Guests (00:26—03:59)

• Todd Chrisley as Dream Guest: Ben reveals he’s DMing Todd Chrisley, formerly of Chrisley Knows Best, to appear on the podcast.
• Reality TV Nostalgia: The hosts reminisce about Gene Simmons Family Jewels, poking fun at obviously staged reality shows.
• Todd Chrisley Stories: Anecdotes about Chrisley's prison food preferences ("Mondays and Thursdays, that. That was my chick Fil A. He goes, and one time I did Olive Garden. And I just. That was not for me." — Josh, 03:35).

Summer Camp Memories & Food Fixations (05:30—10:22)

• Both hosts swap classic, food-obsessed camp experiences. Ben reminisces about "regular Snapple in the bunk," making it clear that even “no-frills” camps had their own indulgences.
• Josh relives sleeping in open-air, canvas-wrapped "cabins" and idolizing his counselor, Nnamdi.

Memorable Quote

"You have these kids, they just smuggled in Lord knows how many Snickers and Twix...that's real."
— Ben (05:46)

Music Deep Dive: Grammys 2026 Recap & New Obsessions (13:36—21:51)

Grammys New Artist Segment (13:36–17:20)

• Ben criticizes Addison Rae’s performance: "Addison Rae stinks...Awful. Okay...This is new music? This is what we have? This complete drek." (13:41)
• Both hosts rave about Leon Thomas (formerly of Victorious)—"Incredible, amazing." (14:21)
• Olivia Dean emerges as the new Norah Jones: "Olivia Dean, Josh. She's killer, killer, killer." (14:46)
• Josh confesses his social-media-induced reluctance to embrace "Easy to Love", Olivia Dean’s viral summer hit.

Discovering New Artists

• Josh introduces Sienna Spiro: "British Yiddish. Oh, yeah. Wow. We claim it." (18:09–18:15)
• Acknowledgment of Sabrina Carpenter's and Lady Gaga’s power performances (19:10–21:36).

The Tyler, the Creator Debate

• Ben isn’t sold on Tyler, the Creator, dubbing his performances "masterful, but I can’t get behind the music…I just don’t think it’s music." (20:19)
• Josh defends Tyler’s artistry: "He is, like, a true tastemaker...the overall thing that he's giving us is such a gift." (22:04)

Tiny Desk & BBC Sessions Appreciation (23:07—24:03)

• NPR’s Tiny Desk series gets praised as a portal for discovering real musical talent (e.g., Mac Miller).

Notable Moment

"If you were ever on the fence about Mac Miller, like, that's what introduced me because I was like, whoa. Like, this kid is a true musical genius."
— Josh (23:47)

Fashion Tangent & AI Worries (25:17—27:08)

• The duo jokes about being "creative directors" for men's big-and-tall fashion, imagining outlandish runway shows with models on scooters (25:31–26:14).
• They wade into a brief, comic AI panic about rogue AI social networks.

The Ethics of Extreme Achievement (Alex Honnold & Human Greatness) (27:58—41:53)

• Core Debate: Is it selfish for extraordinary achievers (e.g., Alex Honnold, Neil Armstrong) to risk their lives when they have families?
  • Ben: “Why have a child if you could die today?...everyone that you're talking about...inspires people to want to do that. He shouldn't be inspiring anybody to want to do the things that he's doing if he's truly a one of one.” (34:30)
  • Josh: “Some things are bigger than your wife and kids. I think so...he's inspiring people to be the best, to be great and attain greatness.” (31:18)
  • Comparison to football, CTE risks, and public service professions like firefighting.
• Ultimate Reflection: The sacrifices of outliers vs. ordinary people, and how the actions of rare individuals should (or shouldn’t) shape society’s values.

Notable Quote

"I think these outliers who are like, fuck that noise. You're all being hypnotized by this thing that's loosely entertaining but literally a waste of your time. I'm willing to go out there and climb the high heights and be great."
— Josh (36:32)

Iguanas, Florida Weather, and Man vs. Nature (42:24–45:06)

• Ben recounts a hilarious Florida news story: A man collects frozen iguanas, loads them into his car, only to have them thaw and attack him—he crashes and dies.
  • "Can you imagine?...being in a car with what you think are a hundred dead frozen iguanas? And they all wake up while you're driving?"
    — Ben (44:49)

The Epstein Files & The Dirt of the Powerful (45:49–48:58)

• Both hosts agree: The Epstein file dump proves all sides are corrupt, and the cycle of exposure and distraction continues.
  • "They're all guilty. They're all to blame. We're not safe anywhere. Thank you."
    — Josh (46:33)
  • Ben adds a skepticism toward news cycles: "I know that whenever I hear about the Epstein files, I have a visceral reaction because this should have been taken care of...the reason it won't go away is because it's a distraction." (46:45)

Virtue Signaling at the Grammys, Bad Bunny, & Celebrity Morality (48:58–54:31)

• Ben rails against empty gestures at the Grammys, singling out Billie Eilish: "Billie Eilish's speech was a crime...Don't just wear these stupid fucking pins. Everybody knows..." (49:40)
• Praises Bad Bunny’s emotional speech for “leading with love.”
• Reflection on the Oscars/Will Smith slap as a turning point for their perception of Hollywood’s moral leadership (52:56–54:31).

Notable Quotes

"If you're ideologically...of high moral fiber...here's a guy who committed a crime in front of you, right?...Can you do the right thing? You slap that dude in the face...And now you're sitting back down and just chilling."
— Josh (53:20)

"When somebody hands you one way to talk about something and says you have to...it doesn't make anything better."
— Ben (55:08)

Woody and Nuts: Pet Peeves of the Week (55:40–57:40)

• Ben’s gripe: Cafés serve tea way too hot to drink. "Not so that the plastic lid...will 100% melt and fall into my tea. I want to drink my tea now...What are you, nuts?" (55:59)
• Josh’s gripe: English spelling, specifically the word "crumb": "This is A fucking dumb word...there's a B at the end...This is not necessary." (56:25)

Closing & Signature Bit (57:48–58:18)

• Reminder to rate, review, and subscribe, with a tongue-in-cheek review shoutout.

Notable Quotes with Timestamps

• "Addison Rae stinks. That was...awful. Okay, then there was one more, and I was like, this is new music? This is what we have? This complete drek." — Ben (13:41)
• "Leon has quietly been one of the great producers of pop music, but specifically like rap, R and B for like almost a decade now." — Josh (15:48)
• "You are almost guaranteed CTE. Almost guaranteed it. Is it selfish of you that you might not be able to be there for your family?" — Josh (32:10)
• "I'm not saying that what's going on in this country isn't a problem...I'm saying that when somebody hands you one way to talk about something...it doesn't make anything better." — Ben (55:08)
• "This was the clearest moment to say, ok, like, if you're...someone of high moral fiber...here's a guy who committed a crime in front of you, right?...Can you do the right thing?" — Josh (53:20)

Timestamps Guide

• 00:26–03:59: Reality TV, Todd Chrisley banter
• 05:30–10:22: Summer camp food and chaos
• 13:36–21:36: Grammys recap, new music obsessions
• 20:19–24:03: Tyler, the Creator debate & Tiny Desk
• 27:58–41:53: Greatness, risking it all, Alex Honnold discussion
• 42:24–45:06: Florida iguana disaster story
• 45:49–48:58: Epstein files & elite corruption
• 48:58–54:31: Grammys virtue signaling, Bad Bunny, celebrity speeches
• 55:40–57:40: WoYadya Nuts: Too-hot tea & "crumb" gripes

Final Notes

The episode stylishly blends irreverence, nostalgia, and thoughtful debate. Josh and Ben deliver a comedy-layered but often insightful take on achievement, pop culture, and what it means to truly "inspire." Whether calling out cringe-worthy performances or digging into societal double standards, the Good Guys keep it fresh, relatable, and bracingly honest.