Ride with Benito Skinner and Mary Beth Barone

Episode: HAUNTED HAYRIDE: Corn Mazes + Screenshots
Release Date: October 29, 2025
Host: Dear Media
Podcast Hosts: Benito Skinner, Mary Beth Barone

Overview

In their annual Halloween-themed episode, Benito and Mary Beth don elaborate costumes inspired by Zootopia and Fantastic Mr. Fox to discuss Halloween traditions, embrace their single status, and hilariously reflect on their friendship and the cultural rites of autumn. They each “ride for” their chosen obsessions this week: Benito celebrates the charms and metaphors of corn mazes, while Mary Beth rides for the low-key power and rituals of taking and sharing screenshots. The pair’s trademark candid, irreverent banter takes center stage as they discuss everything from the politics of sexual flexibility to old crushes and gossip, all while exploring life’s metaphorical (and literal) hayrides.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Halloween Episode Vibes + Costume Banter (00:48–03:00; 09:00–10:00)

• Benito and Mary Beth open in a flirty, campy mood, riffing about their Zootopia and Fantastic Mr. Fox costumes, lamenting their single status (“we are both single and we're trying to get dig down. And this is kind of the only thing we hadn't tried.” – Benito, 01:11), and referencing the transformative power of a good fox look.
• Playful but self-aware conversation about their physical transformations (“I have these hip pads in that... look at this little snatch”—Benito, 01:55; “I think you might be sexually attracted to me as this fox”—Mary Beth, 01:46).
• They joke about their audience needing to both listen and then “watch” because “whatever you’re picturing, it’s so different”—Benito, 02:16.

2. Podcast Deep Cuts & Meme-able Language (03:00–06:00)

• A TikTok about “deep cuts” from Ride prompts them to revisit their own inside jokes—“we would never not come to dinner” becomes a recurring bit symbolizing reliability and loyalty (03:20–03:47).
• Mary Beth muses on the assertive conversational maneuver “anyway,” loving its power to seize and redirect awkward or negative exchanges (“Anyone holding their power, going anyway. That, to me, Goosebumps.” – Mary Beth, 05:51).

3. Sexuality, Labels, and Inclusivity (06:21–07:53)

• Engaging, lighthearted critique of sexual roles and rigidity in labels (“Gay guys need to grow the fuck up… Everyone should be verse, if you ask me.” – Benito, 06:21).
• Challenges binary thinking by referencing historical and pop culture moments: “All the Romans were probably verse” (07:06), “What did Katy Perry tell us? ‘I'm not just one thing’” (06:58).
• Candid reflection on sexual boundaries and privacy (“I don't ask sexual preferences to people I don't know… I only ask if I want to have sex with you.” – Mary Beth, 08:36).

4. Gossip, Rumors, and Protecting Your Reputation (10:01–11:43)

• Mary Beth shares a rumor encountered abroad—that she’s a “massive bitch”—and reframes it as part of the “legend” of powerful women (“All great women, of course, are talked about in that way.”—Mary Beth, 10:38).
• Benito assures listeners that behind the reputation, Mary Beth is “a delicate baby chihuahua ballerina princess” (11:00–11:01).

5. LA vs NY Water Woes, Dinner Outings, & ‘Newcomer’ Energy (11:53–13:17)

• Mary Beth recounts a hilariously over-the-top LA dinner where she accidentally ordered $18 water, making it a metaphor for LA’s excessiveness and her conclusion to leave (“I think this is the moment I knew I probably shouldn’t live in LA anymore…” – 12:10).
• Benito jokes that such stories make him “one to watch”—and that having a podcast means they win regardless (13:15).

6. What They're Riding For: Corn Mazes (Benito) (19:34–27:18)

Benito’s Case for Corn Mazes

• Idaho upbringing and autumn traditions: Details the social and emotional significance of corn mazes for teens (hand-holding, early romance, Abercrombie jeans and North Face fleeces—nostalgia overload, 21:46–22:36).
• Turns corn mazes into a metaphor for life’s unpredictability and the importance of getting lost, making mistakes, but always moving forward (“There could be something terrifying around any corner. You’re probably going to make a lot of mistakes. But at the end of the day, it’s maybe not that big of a deal.” – Benito, 23:24).
• Pop culture references to elaborate corn mazes (Saltburn, Harry Potter’s Triwizard Tournament, 23:53–24:05).
• Longing for the thrill of “haunted” mazes and embracing being a little scared (“I like the scary ones...I love that feeling of someone like spooking me and I jump.”—25:33).
• Mary Beth confesses she’s never actually done a corn maze (“I’ve never done one, for what it’s worth…” – 19:46). The conversation turns to their sense of direction (Mary Beth calls hers the worst of anyone she knows, 20:18–20:33).

7. What They're Riding For: Screenshots (Mary Beth) (35:37–42:37)

Mary Beth’s Rhapsody for Screenshots

• The humble screenshot is raised to a symbol of digital girlhood, friendship, and emotional labor (“The way that they didn’t know how single women would use this feature to garner support, to propagandize, to overanalyze, to just build community.” – Mary Beth, 36:06).
• The ritual of sending each other images throughout the day: parsing capitalizations, timestamps, emojis, context (“What are you gonna do—describe it to me? Honey, let’s see it.”—Mary Beth, 36:45).
• Acknowledges the slightly dangerous undertone—“there is a spooky side which is that like, someone might be doing it” (42:08)—and the ephemeral risk of everything you text being saved.
• They each scroll through and share highlights from their respective screenshot folders (favorite memes, bad dates, random internet treasures, 38:14–41:32).
• Screenshots as both artifact and meme currency, a source of power especially for women.
• “I want to use Face ID to have to open it”—Mary Beth calls for additional privacy for her screenshots folder (38:22).

8. Relationship Musings & Single Life Anthems (45:44–48:50)

• The pair open up about being single, going out again like they’re 25, the exhaustion of dating, and self-acceptance.
• Mary Beth, reflecting on bisexual dating, says, “I don't know if I'll ever be attracted to anyone ever again. That's something I’m really bumping up against these days.” (48:08).
• On introducing partners: “Me betting on a straight guy to the point where I bring him to you is just—it’s not going to happen.” (48:25).

9. Meta-Banter and Friendship (30:06–47:01)

• Dialogue punctuated with mutual admiration, comic threats (“The next person who ghosts me, I will name on the pod, first and last”—Benito, 09:10).
• They riff about Instagram stories, radical transparency with each other’s phones, and share the security and openness at the core of their friendship.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Costumes and Self-Confidence:
  “I can’t stress enough that this episode might have to be watched.”
  – Benito, 02:09

• On Loyalty:
  “We would never not come to dinner. Period.”
  – Mary Beth, 03:47

• On Sexuality Labels:
  “Gay guys need to grow the fuck up. Everyone should be verse, if you ask me...”
  – Benito, 06:21

  “What did Katy Perry tell us? I'm not just one thing.”
  – Benito, 06:58

• On Gossip:
  “All great women, of course, are talked about in that way.”
  – Mary Beth, 10:39

• On Screenshots:
  “The way that they didn’t know how single women would use this feature to garner support, to propagandize, to overanalyze, to just build community.”
  – Mary Beth, 36:06

  “What are you gonna do? Describe it to me, honey, let’s see it.”
  – Mary Beth, 36:45

  “Your screenshots folder...it should be hidden. Like I want to use Face ID to have to open it.”
  – Mary Beth, 38:22

• On Corn Mazes & Life:
  “There could be something terrifying around any corner. You're probably going to make a lot of mistakes. But at the end of the day, it’s maybe not that big of a deal.”
  – Benito, 23:24

• On Single Life:
  “I don't know if I'll ever be attracted to anyone ever again. That's something I'm really bumping up against these days.”
  – Mary Beth, 48:08

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Intro & Halloween Costumes: 00:48–03:00
• Podcast In-Jokes, “Come to Dinner”: 03:00–04:00
• Sexual Labels, Satire, & Roman History: 06:21–07:53
• Gossip & Reputation Management: 10:01–11:43
• $18 Water & Ode to LA: 11:53–13:17
• Benito on Corn Mazes: 19:34–27:18
• Mary Beth on Screenshots: 35:37–42:37
• Screenshots Folder Show & Tell: 38:14–41:32
• Relationship Musings & Friendship: 45:44–48:50

Final Ride or Die Picks

• Mary Beth: Rides for screenshots—essential, powerful, and fun when used for good.
• Benito: Rides for corn mazes—nostalgic, boundary-testing, and a perfect metaphor for the twists and turns of life and friendship.

Tone & Language

The episode is delightfully chaotic, warm, fast-paced, and full of cheeky, self-aware humor. Benito and Mary Beth keep things irreverent but candid, always ready to pivot from wild jokes to genuine introspection, and vice versa. Their dynamic is both “absolute bimbo” energy and sincere best-friend solidarity.

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