Good Guys Podcast

Episode: Will Unpasteurized Milk Kill You?!

Hosts: Josh Peck & Ben Soffer

Date: August 28, 2025

Brief Overview

In this episode of "Good Guys," Josh Peck and Ben Soffer riff candidly on a broad range of topics, from the absurdities of health trends and food nostalgia to the workplace pressures of show business. The episode’s main thread is built around food obsessions—man cereal, yogurt parfaits, dessert upgrades—and culminates in an animated but straightforward PSA about the safety of pasteurized milk. Along the way, the hosts veer comedically into death rituals, wedding catering advice, movie theater etiquette, and work-life balance.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. The Cult of “Man” Foods and Health Trends

• Man Cereal with Creatine: Ben shares the discovery of a cereal with creatine (“man cereal”), sparking a riff on male-oriented food branding and questionable health trends.
  • Notable Quote (Ben, 01:03): “That’s gotta kill someone, right? Putting creatine in your cereal.”
• Josh’s Overnight Oats Routine: Josh counters by describing his more wholesome, elaborate breakfast routine, crediting it for sustained energy.

2. The Evolving World of Desserts

• Yogurt Parfaits for Adults: Both hosts lament heavy desserts, praising yogurt parfaits and reminiscing over full-fat yogurt mishaps (Mistakenly eating Fage 5% instead of 0%).
  • Memorable Moment (Josh, 05:18): “These are the desserts. As I become a grown-up…you need to upgrade your dessert selection as you move into your 40s.”
• Fruit Riot Trend: Josh describes a TikTok-popular frozen fruit snack ("Fruit Riot")—a health-forward take on late-night candy.
• Chocolate Fantasies: The duo jokes about elaborate food-themed funerals, including being buried in milk chocolate or as a cake (see “Death and Jewish Rituals”).

3. Death and Jewish Burial Traditions (12:46–16:33)

• The conversation takes a surprisingly philosophical turn as Josh and Ben discuss Jewish burial traditions—favoring rapid, natural decomposition over preservation.
  • Notable Quote (Josh, 15:56): “The law of energy is that energy can neither be created nor destroyed. So…you become caloric energy, the things that eat you.”
• They compare this with embalming and open caskets, expressing a preference for the Jewish “return to the earth.”
  • Notable Quote (Ben, 14:38): “If something stinks, Josh, you throw it away. You don’t put perfume on it.”

4. CeraVe/TikTok Product Mentions and Gooning Jokes

• The hosts joke about CeraVe skincare products being popular for “gooning” (a sexual reference), encouraging brands to embrace how their products are really used.
  • Laugh-out-Loud Moment (Josh, 18:00): “They should do a press push where it’s like, the number one lotion in gooning: CeraVe!”

5. Food in America vs. Canada (20:38–23:35)

• There’s a lively discussion on how processed foods and preservatives differ across borders; Josh notes Canadian versions of cereal taste the same but list fewer ingredients.
  • Insight (Ben, 21:54): “Ninety-five percent of the ingredients are simply preservatives... just to extend shelf life.”
• They connect this to feeling physically better eating carbs in Italy—suggesting it’s less about the ingredients, more about lifestyle and walking.

6. Marriage Dynamics & Late Night Snacking (24:09–26:29)

• Humorous, honest advice about whether (and how) to discourage a spouse from late-night snacking.
  • Quote (Ben, 24:53): “If she wants a snack, she wants a snack. No…You can try once, but...you could say, ‘Because it’s not good for you,’ and then to that one would say, ‘Oh, really? What did you eat today?’”

7. The Unpasteurized Milk PSA (29:49–33:56)

• Central Theme: Josh, animated, turns the episode to a health PSA: don’t drink unpasteurized milk, noting recent illnesses and explaining the science of pasteurization.
  • Explanation (Josh, 30:13): “Louis Pasteur…figured out that if you took milk, [and] brought it up to 165 degrees for 15 seconds…you’d kill listeria…then it would be deemed safe…”
  • Ben’s Reflection (30:54): “It’s just so hard because...when people hear that you’re fucking with their milk...I get why one would be able to sell me unpasteurized milk.”
  • They draw parallels to boiling baby pacifiers, making a case for safe, modern food prep.

8. Chasing Success, Auditions, and Work-Life Balance (34:00–44:58)

• Josh vulnerably opens up about the emotional toll of “almost” landing major acting roles—especially during new fatherhood—and wonders aloud if he should let himself slow down for his family.
  • Josh’s Dilemma (36:04): “I’m not protecting myself and going, I’ve got a newborn baby…I don’t have to sweat money in this moment. And, like, maybe I don’t have to fucking worry about auditions. I think it’s hurting because I’m not honoring where I’m at…”
• Ben affirms that letting go often invites opportunity, citing his own business experience.
  • Ben’s Encouragement (39:47): “When you stop chasing things, really good things end up happening…when you’re so hyper-focused… it just doesn’t happen.”

9. Listener Questions & Wedding Food Advice (45:26–56:21)

• Movie Theater Etiquette (45:47–48:46):
  • Listener Gripe: Disruptive moviegoers ruin an expensive night out.
  • Both hosts say to speak up—“There is no talking in the movies.”
  • Best Contraband: Josh snuck Chinese food into movies; Ben brought turkey and a bottle of mayo.
• Wedding Catering Advice (49:14–56:21):
  • A listener asks for their dream wedding menu.
    • Starters: Tuna tartare served in cones, bagel & lox pizza, oysters shucked to order.
    • Proteins: Skirt steak with chimichurri, perfectly cooked salmon, mushroom ravioli (truffle cream sauce), fried calamari, gyros, spanakopita.
    • Buffet Over Seated Dinner: They prefer open buffet for flexibility and fun, noting that “banquet” style usually disappoints.

10. What Are You, Nuts? Segment (56:56–59:43)

• Carvel Truck at a Birthday Party: Ben raves about discovering ice cream trucks at private parties—a move he plans to copy. Josh plugs the only Mr. Softy truck in Camarillo, CA.
• CIA Starbucks Naming Policy: Josh finds it humorous (and ridiculous) that the CIA Starbucks doesn’t use customer names for orders for security reasons.
  • Quip (Josh, 59:23): “Can you imagine…‘Haven't seen Red Shirt for a while. How’s Brown Hair? I hope he’s not overseas.’”

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments (with Timestamps)

• "That is. I mean, it's... Diarrhea is waiting to happen. You can't have 5%."
  — Ben on full-fat yogurt (03:13)

• “You do an open casket, but you do it in collaboration with an episode of ‘Is It Cake?’”
  — Josh, pitching a food-themed Jewish funeral (10:16)

• “If something stinks, Josh, you throw it away. You don't put perfume on it.”
  — Ben on embalming (14:39)

• “You didn't expect this, Josh.”
  — Ben, on the spontaneous success of their podcast (44:50)

• “What are you, nuts? That I've never seen that before? It was genius.”
  — Ben, jealous over the Carvel truck at a kid’s party (57:05)

Timestamps for Important Segments

• Man Cereal & Breakfast Routines: 00:40–03:47
• Desserts & Yogurt Parfaits: 03:47–06:34
• Fruit Riot Trend: 06:20–08:42
• Death & Jewish Burial Traditions: 12:46–16:33
• CeraVe/Jerk-off Jokes: 16:33–18:43
• Preservatives: Canada vs. US: 20:38–23:35
• Marriage & Late Night Snacking: 24:09–26:29
• Pasteurization PSA: 29:49–33:56
• Auditions & Work-Life Balance: 34:00–44:58
• Movie Theater Etiquette: 45:47–48:46
• Wedding Catering Advice: 49:14–56:21
• Ice Cream Trucks & CIA Starbucks: 56:56–59:43

Overall Tone & Summary

The episode blends whip-smart banter with sincere, sometimes vulnerable conversation. Josh and Ben adeptly toggle between absurdist humor (“milk chocolate casket funeral”) and practical advice (don’t drink raw milk; let go to move forward in career and life). The episode is rich in food talk—analyzing trends, cultural quirks, and personal rituals—while their friendship keeps everything lively, relatable, and inviting for the listener.

For New Listeners:

If you haven’t tuned in before, this episode showcases why “Good Guys” is beloved: it’s honest, irreverent, and sneakily wise. You’ll laugh, wince, crave yogurt, and maybe, just maybe, think more carefully before hitting up the black market for unpasteurized milk.