Podcast Summary: "Active Listening + Ice Breakers Ice Cubes"

Ride with Benito Skinner and Mary Beth Barone – Dear Media
Date: September 17, 2025

Episode Overview

In this witty, freewheeling episode of Ride, Benito Skinner and Mary Beth Barone dive deep into two central themes: the art of active listening and their appreciation for Ice Breakers Ice Cubes gum. Barely pausing for breath (or tangential asides), the duo reflect on listener engagement, internet culture, the shape of gum, their latest projects, and what it means to really feel “seen” in daily interactions. Delivered with their typical blend of honesty, sarcasm, and a dose of personal storytelling, this episode is a ride through pop culture, petty gripes, and genuine gratitude for their community.

Key Discussion Points

1. Social Media and Rumors (00:36–04:43)

• Benito and Mary Beth riff on the absurdity of online rumors around their lives (plastic surgery, dating British actors):
  • "Respectfully, I think it's her rhinoplasty that makes people think she's from L.A.” – Mary Beth, (00:36)
  • “Thank God. You could say that on the pod. And how lucky are we to have a pod to just say, debunk that?” – Benito, (01:00)
• They poke fun at audience comments, and how “dunking” on them is sometimes a backhanded compliment.

2. Project Announcements & Gratitude (03:11–04:43)

• Overcompensating season 2 is green-lit. The hosts express real appreciation for fans:
  • “Thank you so much for all of you for championing the show. It really, like, did just, like, make…” – Benito, (03:53)
  • Benito jokes about lying to people about the project status everywhere, even "Hudson News in line at Shake Shack." (02:28)
• "We got greenlit … it really means a lot.” – Benito, (04:25)

3. Chronicles of Filming and Life Timelines (05:00–06:09)

• They walk through the blurry timeline between shooting, editing, and promoting their shows, poking fun at their inability to remember anything linear.

4. Nostalgia, Virality & Pop Culture (05:11–07:06)

• Benito shares a love for old viral YouTube content and spelling bee champions (shout-out: “Rebecca Seale”).
• They wax poetic on moments from their press tours, college events, and viral audience interactions: freebies like lighters, fidget spinners, and “rape whistles” at college promos.

5. The Joys and Pains of Vaping and Oral Fixations (08:15–09:23)

• A tangent about the “level of intimacy” when making eye contact mid-vape:
  • “If you have pulled from a vape and we’re making eye contact, I’ve seen you naked.” – Benito, (08:18)
  • Mary Beth admits: “I’ll never understand vaping ever. In all my days.” (08:49)
• Nostalgia for high school football and odd snacks — “Charleston Chews” as thigh pads.

6. The "Kerplunk" Meme & Viral Slogans (10:04–12:25)

• “Come on, Kerplunk” — Benito’s viral sketch — gets re-examined through the lens of who the joke is “for.”
  • “It feels more ballroom to me.” – Benito, (12:06)
• The pleasures and pitfalls of finding a straight male audience: “It seems like… for the first time, maybe straight couples are sharing something amongst each other…” – Benito, (11:32)

7. Snoring On Planes Should Be Illegal (13:05–13:17)

• Mary Beth issues a hot take: “Snoring on a plane is illegal. There's no good solution. But you can't snore…” (13:05)

8. Online Spaces: Reddit and Boundaries (13:33–14:13)

• The duo agree Reddit’s speculation about their private lives is officially forbidden for them to read:
  • “It makes us feel like high highs and low lows. It should just be a space for you guys.” – Mary Beth, (13:33)

9. Iconic TV, Film, and Acting Accents (14:13–17:10)

• Joyful, rapid-fire recommendations and cultural touchstones:
  • Lisa Kudrow in The Comeback is described as “genius.”
  • Fascination with actors adopting fake European accents after a few successful seasons:
    • “There’s a transatlantic moment that happens for all actors…” – Benito, (16:49)

10. The Ride For This Week: Odes to Ice Breakers Ice Cubes & Active Listening (17:11–49:20)

a. Active Listening (22:38–32:47)

• Mary Beth’s “ride”: Active listening. She breaks down why it feels increasingly rare and so essential:
  • “If you’re not active listening, I don’t feel safe around you.” – Mary Beth, (25:25)
  • On her frustration with “blank stares”: “…I’m just thinking, thinking, alright, I’m done. Let’s end it there...” – Mary Beth, (26:08)
  • The importance of conversational reaction: “Just nodding can be active listening.” (25:10)
  • Mary Beth’s favorite active listener: Herself—plus a friend Ashley, who always prioritizes genuine eye contact (27:13).
• They discuss phone distraction, the beauty of losing oneself in conversation, and “comfortable silence” as a sibling to active listening.

b. Ice Breakers Ice Cubes (36:04–48:17)

• Benito’s “ride”: A passionate appreciation for Ice Breakers Ice Cubes gum.
  • “To me, it’s a jar. Pandora’s box that I buy at the gas station…” – Benito, (36:27)
  • The joy is partly shareability — giggling at the gum’s “hourglass” and “cube” shapes.
  • Playfully laments the gum’s tendency to “burn bright and burn out” flavor-wise: “Yeah, they’re flavor-blasted. They burn bright… they burn out…” (44:19)
  • Gum as a social commodity: “Just like, after a meal. I also think a lot of people at events, it'd be fun to have them in your bag.” (45:36)
  • The double opening: “two openings... one to share and one... for you” (47:12)

11. The Mechanics of Conversation: Active Listening, Gestures, and Escape Hatches (37:26–38:54)

• Playful tips for “looking like” you’re listening without having to say much.
• Easy “escape” strategies for bad conversations: “Just say ‘I have to pee’.”

12. Sensory Experiences, Scents, and Human Oddities (45:44–46:52)

• Tangent into body odor as nostalgia:
  • “I thought BO was his scent. So now when I smell BO, I’m like, that’s what he smelled like. That’s his cologne.” – Benito, (45:53)
• Disgust at certain perfumes (“It’s going to be my 13th reason…” – Mary Beth, 46:05)

13. Ending Tangents: Outfits and Last-Minute Musings (49:22–50:00)

• Brief riff on the joy and “magic” of getting dressed up for dinner:
  • “Every time I kind of put my hair behind my ear…” – Benito, (49:49)
  • Mary Beth: It’s all about the “reveal” moment at dinner.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Online Backhanded Comments:

  • “Keep trying to dunk on me in comments and they don't realize that they're actually giving me a compliment.”
    – Benito, (01:36)

• On Intimacy & Vaping:

  • “If you have pulled from a vape and we're making eye contact, I've seen you naked.”
    – Benito, (08:18)

• On the Joy of Being Understood:

  • “...Thank you so much for all of you for championing the show. It really, like, did just, like, make…”
    – Benito, (03:53)

• Describing “Active Listening”:

  • “If you're not active listening, I don't feel safe around you.”
    – Mary Beth, (25:25)
  • “Just nodding can be active listening.”
    – Mary Beth, (25:10)

• Elevating Gum to High Art:

  • “To me it's a jar. Pandora's box that I buy at the gas station of these Icebreakers ice cubes.”
    – Benito, (36:27)
  • “They feel like an orgasm in your mouth.”
    – Benito, (45:24)

Timestamps for Important Segments

• Rumor Debunking & Social Media Comments: 00:36–04:43
• Overcompensating Greenlight & Listener Thanks: 02:19–04:43
• Press Tours & Timeline Confusion: 05:00–06:09
• Vape Intimacy & Snack Tangents: 08:15–09:23
• The “Kerplunk” Meme and Audience Shifts: 11:32–12:25
• Active Listening – Deep Dive: 22:38–32:47
• Ice Breakers Ice Cubes Ode: 36:04–48:17

Style, Tone & Dynamic

Throughout the episode, Benito and Mary Beth maintain their signature style: irreverent, playful, sometimes cutting, but always honest and affectionate. Their banter is fast, self-referential, and built on years of in-jokes and cultural touchstones. They aren’t afraid to get silly—whether riffing on trends, “commercial vs. ballroom energy,” or the physical comedy of hair clips and snoring on planes.

Final Thoughts

In Active Listening + Ice Breakers Ice Cubes, Benito and Mary Beth turn the mundane (snacking, vape encounters, bland conversation) into comic gold and gentle (but real) life advice. Their core message: pay attention, react, share your snacks, and don’t be afraid to get weird in a group chat. As always, nothing is off limits—and everything is a little bit fabulous if you just learn to listen.

Quick Guide to the Hosts' Weekly "Rides"

• Benito: Ice Breakers Ice Cubes (gum as social currency, flavor-blasted energy, joy in the mundane)
• Mary Beth: Active Listening (making people feel seen, nodding is enough, don’t be a conversational brick wall)

Listen for the cultural sidebars, the “rules” of active listening, and the gum-fueled revelations. No one leaves unseen—and no one leaves without a craving for minty cubes.