Podcast Summary: Good Guys – "Tucker, Kimmel, and Charlie Sheen"

Date: September 25, 2025
Hosts: Josh Peck & Ben Soffer
Podcast: Good Guys (Dear Media)

Main Theme & Purpose

This episode explores several timely and provocative topics at the intersection of pop culture, politics, and Jewish identity. The hosts react to controversial anti-Semitic tropes in a recent Tucker Carlson speech, dissect the fallout of Jimmy Kimmel’s late night show amid political pressure and cancel culture, and offer their characteristic mix of humor, personal anecdotes, and social commentary. The episode also includes stories about Charlie Sheen, celebrity parenting backlash, and intimate details of Jewish holiday traditions, all culminating in signature listener Q&A and playful banter.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Tucker Carlson’s Anti-Semitic Remarks at Charlie Kirk Memorial

• [00:24]–[03:35]
  • Ben is incensed after seeing a clip from a memorial service where Tucker Carlson allegedly compared Charlie Kirk’s experience to “what the Jews did to Jesus—just a bunch of Jews sitting around eating hummus, deciding Jesus was too truthful and killed him.”
    • Quote (Ben, 00:40): “Tucker Carlson...needs to go in a hole and...he needs to go away at this point...He basically compared what happened with Charlie Kirk to what the Jews did to Jesus...which is like the deepest of deep anti-Semitic tropes.”
  • The hosts emphasize how such old tropes still poison modern discourse, highlighting the danger of blaming an entire group for historical events.

2. Forgiveness, Jewish Holidays & Cultural Parallels

• [03:35]–[06:42]
  • Tying Carlson’s rhetoric to themes of forgiveness, Josh commends Erika Kirk’s grace under pressure (03:37). The segment turns to Yom Kippur, with the hosts discussing atonement, Jewish guilt, and how ritualized annual forgiveness shapes cultural feelings of guilt compared to, e.g., Catholic confession.
  • Quote (Ben, 05:32): “You think that’s what leads to Jewish guilt? We have to hold onto this for 365 days versus in Catholicism, you can hold on to it for a minute.”

3. Jimmy Kimmel’s Show, Cancel Culture, & Government Overreach

• [08:08]–[19:55]
  • Josh celebrates a guest spot on Kimmel’s (then-canceled) show, which spurs a larger conversation about freedom of speech, cancel culture, and government pressure.
    • Ben points out the cyclical, precedent-heavy nature of “canceling” (09:06), referencing Bill Maher’s replacement by Kimmel decades earlier.
    • Josh and Ben discuss claims of unprecedented government and FCC involvement in Kimmel’s suspension, highlighting the chilling effect of state influence on media corporations.
    • Quote (Josh, 11:05): “What is different here is it feels like there was government overreach...They almost don’t have to (say anything) because any savvy CEO...is going to be like, I can’t go against the biggest guy in the world, and I need their approval to get these mergers done.”
  • The discussion broadens to FCC regulation and the “slippery slope” of future podcast censorship.

4. Late Night TV, Shifting Media, & Press Freedom

• [14:14]–[21:46]
  • Ben: “Late night television is dead.” The hosts observe that podcasts and video streaming are the new “intimate” medium for celebrity interviews and cultural conversation.
  • The connection between government, media conglomerates, and freedom of the press is explored, with both worrying aloud about potential future regulation of podcasts and independent media.
  • Quote (Josh, 14:14): "I think it's dangerous whenever a president...leans on major media. That's the whole idea of freedom of the press: to keep power in check."
  • They reflect on the ambiguous relationships between reporters and politicians (e.g., at the White House Correspondents Dinner), lamenting the erosion of adversarial press traditions.

5. Evolution of Political Comedy

• [17:43]–[19:33]
  • The tone shift in late night from funny roasting to direct political antagonism is pinpointed as a driver of backlash.
    • Ben: “If something’s funny enough, then I don’t think people take issue with it...They stopped feeling the need to be funny. It just flipped to like ‘fuck him.’”
  • Josh singles Bill Maher out as still doing “brilliant” political comedy, “liberal but not woke,” a label both hosts embrace.

6. Jewish Political Identity and Feeling Unsafe

• [19:55]–[21:46]
  • Josh discusses how both political extremes inevitably harbor anti-Semitism, warning Jewish friends against “seeking safety” on either edge.
    • Quote (Josh, 20:28): “The place where both parties meet on the far reaches is a dislike for us. We’re not safe anywhere.”

7. Jewish Holiday Cooking, Family & Food

• [27:24]–[34:37]
  • Ben previews his elaborate, inclusive Rosh Hashanah dinner menu (including gluten/dairy free adaptations), highlighting the significance and challenges behind tradition and dietary restrictions.
  • The hosts riff hilariously on “pigs in a blanket,” the dairy/non-dairy mash debate, and Jewish culinary adaptations. The importance of family meals and food in forging identity shines throughout.

8. Pop Culture Quick Hits

• Charlie Sheen & Addiction ([35:11])
  • The hosts react to revelations that Sheen was cut off by the Mexican cartel over cocaine consumption, reflecting on the extremity of addiction.
    • Quote (Ben, 36:00): “The fact that his drug dealer was the one who weaned him off the crack rocks...What a good friend, you know?”
• Sarah Michelle Gellar’s “Spoiling” Incident ([36:46])
  • Discussion of Gellar buying her daughter a Jeep and facing online backlash. The hosts argue it's nobody’s business and muse about their own/ideal approaches to kids and cars.
  • Quote (Josh, 38:25): “Any 16-year-old that gets a brand new car...is definitely nice. Most of us get used crappy cars, if we get a car.”

9. Recurring Segments & Listener Questions

• "You're Having a Good Day, How About Now?" ([43:15])
  • The hosts share darkly funny facts to “ruin” your good mood.
    • Examples:
      • Fanta was invented by the Nazis (Ben, 43:46).
      • Non-board-certified doctors can perform plastic surgery (Josh, 44:02).
      • NY-style delis aren’t health code regulated (Ben, 44:22).
• Moron Mail (Listener Q&A) ([49:20])
  • Cocaine in Relationships: Woman asks what to do about boyfriend who does cocaine with friends. Both hosts strongly caution against the habit, suggesting it’s a potential dealbreaker depending on age and seriousness.
    • Quote (Josh, 53:18): “Coke is a real losery drug, and people that do coke are losers. But...most of us go through a loser phase.”
  • Noisy Coworker: Advice for working next to someone constantly clearing their throat. Suggestions include weaponized empathy and “shaming with love.”

10. What Are You Nuts? (Gripes of the Week)

• [59:22]
  • Ben laments perfume spritzers in department stores, especially with a baby in tow:
    • Quote (Ben, 60:18): “Don’t spray your Varvatos cologne on my four month old son.”
  • Josh vents about streaming platforms taking original shows offline for tax purposes, making them unavailable anywhere.
    • Quote (Josh, 62:58): “The show Turner & Hooch does not exist in any world ever anymore...Can’t we get it? I want to show my kids!”

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Ben on Tucker Carlson ([00:40]): “Tucker Carlson...needs to go in a hole and...he needs to go away at this point.”
• Josh on Forgiveness ([03:37]): “The most important person there, Erika Kirk...her level of forgiveness and grace...the hardest thing anyone could ever face.”
• Ben ([05:32]): “You think that’s what leads to Jewish guilt? We have to hold onto this for 365 days...”
• Josh on Cancel Culture ([11:05]): "It feels like there was government overreach in him [Kimmel] getting...like them weighing on Disney."
• Ben on Podcasts and Media Shifts ([12:57]): "Late night television is dead...Podcasting is that right? Trump can't tell me and you what to do."
• Josh ([14:14]): "It's dangerous whenever a president...leans on major media."
• Josh ([20:28]): "The place where both parties meet on the far reaches is a dislike for us."
• Ben ([43:46]): "Having a good day? Fanta was made by the Nazis. How about now?"
• Josh ([53:18]): “Coke is a real losery drug, and people that do coke are losers.”
• Ben ([60:18]): “Don’t spray your Varvatos cologne on my four month old son.”

Timestamps for Important Segments

| Segment | Timestamp | |-----------------------------------------|--------------| | Reaction to Tucker Carlson | 00:24–03:35 | | Jewish Holidays & Forgiveness | 03:35–06:42 | | Kimmel Show & Cancel Culture | 08:08–19:55 | | Media Regulation & Podcasting | 12:57–22:43 | | Late Night Comedy, Press, Identity | 14:14–21:46 | | Jewish Identity & Political Shifts | 19:55–21:46 | | Rosh Hashanah Dinner Discussion | 27:24–34:37 | | Charlie Sheen – Addiction Story | 35:11–36:43 | | Sarah Michelle Gellar Car Controversy | 36:46–43:15 | | "You're Having a Good Day, How About..."| 43:15–45:06 | | Listener Q&A / Moron Mail | 49:20–59:19 | | "What Are You Nuts?" | 59:21–end |

Flow, Tone & Style

The episode remains fast-paced, irreverent, and comedic even as the hosts address dark or complex topics. Banter and inside jokes soften the social critique, with authentic, at times vulnerable, discussion of Jewish holidays, family, food, and forgiveness. Listener questions get played for laughs but are met with real advice, often peppered with sharp, memorable one-liners and shared personal histories.

For Listeners Who Missed the Show

This episode delivers a mixture of outrage at bigoted speech, thoughtful discussion on cancel culture, nostalgia for family and food, and hilarious pop culture detours—all while maintaining the hosts’ signature playful, self-deprecating style. Whether highlighting the dangers of unchecked media censorship, pondering the future of podcasts, or swapping holiday recipes and teenage car stories, Josh and Ben guide you through serious and silly subjects with candor and wit.

Major Takeaway:
The Good Guys tackle anti-Semitism, freedom of speech, media, and morality with humor and heart, bridging the personal and the political, the serious and the absurd—making for an episode that’s both thought-provoking and wildly entertaining.