Good Guys – "Love, Lies & the Beverly Hills Hotel"

Podcast by Dear Media | Hosts: Josh Peck & Ben Soffer
Released: November 3, 2025

Overview

In this lively episode of "Good Guys," hosts Josh Peck and Ben Soffer reunite in person in Los Angeles and deliver their signature blend of comedic banter, cultural commentary, and candid life reflections. The conversation bounces from LA weather and the excess of the Beverly Hills Hotel to deeper chats on tipping culture, relationships, career drive, and what it means to adapt and grow—both in marriages and as individuals.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Reunion & LA Living

• Josh and Ben’s chemistry flourishes in-person, joking about their “marriage” to each other and basking in autumn in LA.
  • “I'm married to my wife in public, but I'm married to you in here.” – Josh (01:03)
• Ben admits a change of heart about LA, lauding the weather, the versatility in clothing choices, and the city’s general vibe.
  • “This is like fall in LA... Mix and match. Because the weather is that perfect.” – Ben (01:15–01:56)

2. The Beverly Hills Hotel Lunch: Luxury & Lunacy

• Ben details an extravagant lunch—and outlandish bill—at the Beverly Hills Hotel, complete with a $32 salad and $32 add-on salmon.
  • “It became 250. $250 for two bowls.” – Ben (05:54)
• The duo riff on LA fashion, clowning on a woman in a full fur coat by the pool.
  • “She looked fabulous for New York in 32 degrees... by the pool [in LA].” – Ben (03:06–03:16)

3. Tipping Culture: Out of Control?

• In-depth discussion on tipping expectations across service and non-service settings.
  • Josh resents giving large tips for pickup items:
    “This idea that I’d pay 20% tip on a $40 bill… It’s pushing it.” – Josh (06:49)
• Ben bemoans "tipflation" and the social pressure created by touchscreen tip prompts, especially when buying non-service items.
  • “I can't tip on a bottle of water and a Kind bar. I picked them up, but it pops up 15, 18, 20.” – Ben (08:20)

Notable Segment:

• Pooling vs. Direct Tipping:
  • Philosophizing on whether tips should be pooled among employees or received directly by the service worker.
  • “I like a line. Waiter, waitress: tip, busboy: tip... I don't need pooling tips with the maitre d’.” – Ben (09:44–09:51)

4. Restaurant & Event Culture

• Behind the scenes of hospitality:
  • Ben shares high-stress stories from working in his dad’s catering kitchen and the impossible logistics of mass events.
  • Both agree buffets beat seated dinners at weddings, where food often arrives cold.
  • “Weddings should be buffet. Always buffet.” – Josh (15:43)

5. Notable Dining Experiences & Food Philosophy

• Josh attended a supper club at Craig's—co-hosted by chef Nancy Silverton—raving about perfect pacing and classic Italian-American dishes.
  • Menu Highlights:
    • “Pasta leaves, entree. Splendid. It was such beautiful service.” – Josh (19:28)
    • “Chicken parm. And then wagyu New York strip... A thick jus.” – Josh (22:15–22:37)
• The guys share pro tips for maximizing passed hors d'oeuvres, including tipping servers to ensure repeat visits.
  • “We need to start tipping the passed hors d’oeuvre waiter and waitresses immediately... just come find me.” – Ben (20:15–20:30)

6. Career Success, Motivation & Money

• Recapping their experience on Bert Kreischer's "Something's Burning" podcast:
  • Joking about wild comments and how podcast long-form is a unique mirror (23:03–24:00).
  • Bert’s “loaded” lifestyle is dissected as they tour his production mansion.
• The psychology of "having enough," and whether wealth insulates anyone from drive or anxiety.
  • “You don't have to keep working—what's that feel like?... It wasn’t that finish line that we all dream of.” – Josh (30:13–30:26)
  • “They don’t work for money. They work because they love what they do.” – Ben (30:55)

Career Takeaways

• Josh & Ben compare acting auditions to startup pitching, embracing the process and letting go of outcomes.
  • “You have a performance to prepare for. When that is done and I walk out, I did my job.” – Josh (32:54)
  • “After the performance, it’s a full-blown performance for an hour. You’re selling yourself.” – Ben (33:00)

7. Relationships, Growth, & Honest Feedback

• Reviewing "X Appeal," a podcast where the host interviews all past romantic partners, sparking a discussion about honest feedback in love.
• Ben extolls the necessity of communication for long-term relationship success, admitting ongoing “tinkering” in his marriage.
  • “Our relationship... is only getting better because we're eliminating some of the things that maybe weren't working out early on.” – Ben (41:30–41:38)
• The hosts emphasize being adaptive but not expecting partners to change fundamentally.
  • “You can absolutely adapt to each other.” – Ben (45:41)
• Discussion shifts to the importance of self-awareness as a lover, illustrated as Josh recounts matchmaking stories gone wrong.

8. Body Talk and (Over)Sharing

• Candid talk about body image, sex scenes, and hygiene—from cleaning belly buttons with peroxide to the lighting magic of movie sets.
  • “You could look plus or minus 20 years with the right lighting.” – Josh (50:26)
• Ben’s gripe about the return of the bear-midriff trend:
  • "Just because low-rise jeans are back doesn't mean crop tops are back... Tuck away your belly button." – Ben (51:07)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “$250 for two bowls... and fries. And guac.” – Ben (05:54)
• “You have a performance to prepare for... When that is done and I walk out, I did my job.” – Josh (32:54)
• “I don’t know if I believe in an afterlife.” – Josh (47:01)
• “If you were in that waiting room, you’d say, maybe don’t go [to the ER].” – Josh (54:20)
• On relationships:
  • “People don’t change. You should not try to change somebody either. But little things you can change.” – Ben (44:01)
  • “She came to me wanting to vent and just because I feel like I can solve a problem doesn’t mean that that’s right for what she came to me for.” – Ben (44:57)
• On midriff-baring fashion:
  • “I know what my belly button smells like... tuck away your belly button.” – Ben (51:07)

Timestamps for Important Segments

• LA Weather Love & Beverly Hills Hotel recap: 01:00–06:00
• Tipping Culture Rant: 06:00–10:00
• Restaurant Hierarchies & Pooling: 09:44–10:35
• Catering/kitchen war stories: 14:20–16:30
• Craig’s supper club foodie deep-dive: 16:30–23:00
• On Bert Kreischer, podcasting, career drive: 24:00–31:00
• Acting vs. Entrepreneur Pitching: 32:54–34:00
• Relationships/X Appeal Podcast, growth in marriage: 39:55–46:07
• Sex, feedback, and awkward matchmaking: 46:07–48:32
• Body image, sex scenes, and lighting magic: 48:47–50:26
• What Are Ya Nuts? (pet peeves segment): 50:44–55:00

Tone & Style

The episode maintains the irreverent, self-deprecating, and deeply honest vibe that defines "Good Guys." Josh and Ben’s banter is quick, littered with Jewish humor, and unafraid to veer from highbrow (philosophy of work, relationship adaptation) into lowbrow (body odors, sex, and bathroom talk). The conversation pivots organically, but always lands on a note of practical wisdom beneath the comedy.

Summary Takeaway

This episode is a quintessential "Good Guys" experience: LA indulgence, hard truths about cost of living (and loving), and a couple of friends who draw out the humor and humanity in everything from overpriced salads to existential career angst, all while keeping it relatable, real, and really, really funny.