Good Guys – "Hot But Bald" (October 16, 2025)

Episode Overview

On this episode of Good Guys, hosts Josh Peck and Ben Soffer dive into their comedic takes on health woes (including Ben’s new “cubital tunnel syndrome”), parenting and sleep deprivation, the stress of being honest (and raunchy) in podcasting, and the Jewish rituals around Yom Kippur. They also answer listener dilemmas ranging from wedding logistics to navigating toxic friendships, and reflect on memory, coincidence, and existential “what are you nuts?” moments—all with their trademark blend of sincerity, self-deprecation, and irreverence.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Health Woes: Ben’s "Cubital Tunnel Syndrome" (00:54–04:36)

• Ben updates Josh: after months of waking up with tingling, painful hands at night, he’s diagnosed with cubital tunnel syndrome (an ulnar nerve issue).
• Humorous banter about the romance-killing reality of sleeping in arm splints and joking about surgery and recovery:
  • Ben: “God, if that doesn't affect my sexual performance, I don't know what will.” (01:41)
  • Josh: “I need recovery time from a major surgery... I want a nice 10 day dose of Keflex... Something mild. Norco. We used to call them bananas back in the day.” (04:01)
• Both admit to loving the excuse of surgery and enforced downtime.

2. Parenting Updates: Sleep Schedules and Parenting Struggles (05:08–06:53)

• Ben celebrates his son Ruby being off pacifiers and finally sleeping through the night, only for his own medical issues to ruin his rest.
• Josh shares that his own child is sleeping well, leading to some marital “canoodling”:
  • “We’ve been canoodling around 5am and it’s fucking tits.” (06:53)
  • Ben jokes about Josh’s glow and the embarrassment of sharing too much about personal life on the pod.

3. The Perils of Podcasting and Cancel Culture (07:07–10:41)

• Josh and Ben discuss which jokes are safe for the main show versus their potential (fictional) “gay, naked, accents-on-Patreon” spinoff.
• Concerns about being "too raunchy" or "built for the wrong era."
• Commentary on differing audience reactions between TikTok vs. Instagram.
  • Ben: “Comments on TikTok are terrible, but you go to Instagram and they're totally normal and fine... it's great. That's great.” (10:15)

4. Jewish Life: Yom Kippur and the Break-Fast Meal (19:14–27:49)

• With Yom Kippur approaching, the hosts detail classic break-fast plans: bagels, lox, herring, whitefish, and whether letting all relatives kiss the baby is acceptable.
• Ben questions if traditional food really makes sense after a long fast:
  • “Can you think, Josh, of a worse way to break a 25-hour fast than with that meal?” (20:57)
• They fantasize over legendary NYC food deliveries and reminisce about Junior’s Cheesecake and bagel culture.
• Philosophical reflection on Yom Kippur’s modern meaning, spiritual reset, and individualized approaches to tradition:
  • Ben: “When I was younger, I hated Yom Kippur... Now it's like, OK, I turn off my phone for 25 hours. So it gives me, like, a social media reset. It gives me a food reset... And then I sit there and I really think about the year.” (27:30)

5. Trending Styles: The Bleph Bun (28:47–30:34)

• The “bleph bun” trend—super-tight buns that give a (temporary) facelift—is dissected.
  • Josh: “A bun so taut that it has similar effects to a blepharoplasty... or an eyelid lift.” (29:44)
• The group jokes about the impending hair loss and “traction alopecia” that will inevitably follow.

6. Pop Culture & TV (31:00–33:58)

• Tangents about “Dancing with the Stars” and Ben’s guilt over never watching "The Wackness," Josh’s cult film.
  • Josh: “I made that movie when I was 21... It could not be more for you. It's about 90s New York Yids.” (33:38)
  • Ben promises: “I am watching The Wackness tomorrow. And the next time we talk about this podcast, I will have seen The Wackness.” (34:05)

7. Listener Questions and Advice

A. Wedding Dilemma: First Look or Cocktail Hour? (40:00–44:39)

• Listener is torn between skipping a "first look" with her fiancé or missing cocktail hour for photos.
  • Consensus: Photos are important, but making memories at cocktail hour is prime. Olivia suggests a hybrid—grab candid photos during the cocktail hour itself.

B. Expecting Triplets (45:19–46:59)

• A listener finds out she’s having spontaneous triplets:
  • Ben: “You got to be really, really, really unbelievably happy and feel blessed... it will be really fucking hard, but it's kind of like hitting the lottery.” (45:30)
  • Josh: “Everything is going to get better at the same time. It's okay if your house is a mess... If those three babies are breathing and fed and reasonably happy, A plus.” (47:00)

C. Negative Friend Groups (50:41–55:46)

• Listener laments that all her old friends dwell on their miseries and kill her joy.
  • Ben: “Old friend doesn't necessarily need to mean lifelong friend... Surround yourself with people that make you happy. You can still call them, check in. But yeah, if I had friends that were just like a 100% drain on me, I would not see them the same frequency that I once did.” (51:39)
  • Josh: “As each of these people are going into their tough, hard life, you order something for the table... Spinach artichoke dip as though from the heavens... suddenly, subject changed.” (52:28)

8. Classic Segments: “What Are You, Nuts?” (56:41–59:06)

• Ben rants about being scheduled for a noon medical appointment when the X-ray tech is on lunch—resulting in a comically long wait.
  • “What are you nuts? Why are you scheduling an appointment at noon when your X ray tech goes on lunch at noon?” (56:57)
• Josh offers his own: TV set crew all wearing scrubs on a hospital show so they blend into the background: “Oh, there’s that nurse over there holding a boom microphone... what are you nuts?” (60:02)

9. Existential Corner: Memory & Coincidence (59:12–59:51)

• Josh shares a “fun fact”: “Your brain can generate false memories and you will believe them as real...”
• Closing thought: “A coincidence is just God's way of staying anonymous.” (59:43)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “You always ask me, so how are things? I'm like, they're great. So how are you? How afraid?” – Ben (11:40)
• “Keep the actors British and the writers Yiddish.” – Josh (24:56)
• “The best bagels don't also have the best lox.” – Josh (24:28)
• “If those three souls are alive and breathing and happy, A triple plus.” – Josh, on expecting triplets (47:00)
• “Old friend doesn't necessarily need to mean lifelong friend.” – Ben (51:39)
• “Your brain can generate false memories and you will believe them as real.” – Josh (59:12)
• “A coincidence is just God's way of staying anonymous.” – Josh (59:43)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• [00:54] – Ben’s cubital tunnel syndrome saga
• [05:08] – Baby sleep updates and marriage moments
• [07:07] – Podcasting, humor, and boundaries in 2025
• [19:14] – Yom Kippur, food rituals, and family traditions
• [28:47] – The “bleph bun” trending look and haircare woes
• [31:00] – "Dancing with the Stars," TV, and "The Wackness"
• [40:00] – Listener: Wedding photo vs. cocktail hour dilemma
• [45:19] – Listener: Pregnancy with spontaneous triplets!
• [50:41] – Listener: Escaping a negative friend group
• [56:41] – “What Are You, Nuts?” rants
• [59:12] – Memory and coincidence reflections

Tone and Style

The episode is fast-paced, irreverent, and deeply conversational, mixing medical complaints with dad humor, anxiety about public life, honest family talk, and a dash of cultural commentary—anchored by a strong undercurrent of Jewish identity, friendship, and the absurdities of millennial adulthood.

For New Listeners

If you haven’t listened, this episode is a perfect sampler of all things Good Guys: Jewish boy banter, neurosis, big-hearted advice, pop culture riffs, and those “What are you, nuts?” everyday life grievances—served hot but always with love.