Ride with Benito Skinner and Mary Beth Barone

HERITAGE COLLECTION: "If I'm so f*cking crazy" + TFV

Date: February 25, 2026
Hosts: Benito Skinner & Mary Beth Barone
Network: Dear Media

Overview

This episode kicks off Ride’s “Heritage Collection,” with Benito and Mary Beth diving into the idea of “traditional family values”—but with a twist, as reimagined by their generation and lived realities. The besties riff hilariously on pranking, family dynamics, and the cultural artifacts and micro-moments that shaped their senses of humor. This re-release spotlights their honest, irreverent chemistry as they break down what they ride for (and against) in family, friendship, and modern adulthood—mixing nostalgic references, whimsical anecdotes, and some spicy takes on cultural norms.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. What Is the “Heritage Collection”? (00:39-01:22)

• The episode is part of a new batch called the Heritage Collection, which features iconic moments and recurring themes from past recordings.
• Notable “heritage” moments include the “lesbian cop at Ride Live Massive,” exploring the question “how many chickens there are in the world,” and Benito having a “boner” over fun podcast topics.
• As Mary Beth says:
  “We’re gonna have fun going through the archives and picking out these episodes for you.” (01:14)
• Both hosts embrace the playful meta-ness of revisiting their own podcast lore.

2. Intros, Dynamic & Phones as Identity (01:27-05:06)

• The duo reintroduces themselves, highlighting their comedy backgrounds and shared bestie energy.
• A charming intro segment on how they save each other's names in their phones—emphasizing the importance (and formal weirdness) of “Christian names.”
  • Benito on MB:
    “You are Mary Beth Barone in my phone, of course. So I shouldn’t be judging.” (03:52)
  • On having no preference for what they’re called:
    “I actually don’t care. And that pisses people off.” (04:47)
• The banter establishes their lived-in rapport, poking fun at being “professional” for the studio while promising to “peel back the layers.”

3. Family Visits & Friendship in Adulthood (06:17–08:15)

• Benito recalls visiting Mary Beth’s family home for the first time, describing the feeling of instant belonging.
• Mary Beth discusses the relief of having a friend who fits seamlessly into her family:
  “It’s such a relief when you bring someone home that really meshes with your family, because then you’re like, oh, I have good taste in people.” (06:52)
• Benito shares stories of less amicable childhood friends and savoring the shift to genuine, quality adult friendships.

4. Cupcakes, Family Rituals, and Parental Styles (08:15–09:11)

• The hosts joke about incompatible family food cultures (Benito brings Magnolia cupcakes to a gluten-free household—only three are eaten!).
• Benito imagines his “dad style”—hovering around in a robe, doling out snacks, being that parent always involved and checking in.

5. What Are “Traditional Family Values” (TFV)? (12:53–17:59)

• Mary Beth reclaims and reframes “traditional family values” as a return “to love, for lack of a better term…let’s take all the things that historically we had some fun with, and let’s bring them back.” (13:12)
• The pair quickly discuss exclusionism within feminism and transphobia, drawing a strong boundary:
  • Mary Beth: “Feminists should be hating men. Feminists should not be hating women…you’re not a feminist to me, and I don’t think you should actually be allowed on the internet.” (13:44)
• Benito recounts receiving a bigoted DM after posting with a trans woman, clapping back with:
  “I’m pretty sure this lovely trans woman is not disrupting womanhood in the way that you probably are by being a bigot.” (14:11)
• TFV, for them, is about inclusion, honesty, and warmth, not outdated dogma.

Pop Culture = TFV?

• MAC Lip Glass, Axe Kilo, Old Spice, polo shirts, Tiffany bracelets, and SNL references are all jokingly folded into “traditional family values.”
• Family banter:
  • Mary Beth: “Someone saying, did you pay extra for the holes in your jeans? That’s traditional family values.” (17:25)

Quotes on TFV

• Benito: “Hearts of gold are traditional family values. Donating to philanthropic organizations is traditional family values. Abolishing the police is also traditional family values.” (16:47–16:59)

6. America’s Funniest Home Videos & The Lighthearted Art of Pranking (19:37–35:31)

• Benito’s “ride” this week is for pranking, with strict boundaries: “Not scaring people, not hurting feelings, just silly little tricks.”
• Fun prank stories:
  • The Bornt Identity: Benito convinces family members that the movie is called “The Bornt Identity,” even faking a DVD cover. The prank’s joy is all about sowing (brief) confusion and laughter.
  • The Door Surprise: Benito rings the doorbell, runs around the house, and is the one at the door for his boyfriend Terri, escalating the bit to hilarious escalation (and eventual mild annoyance).
    • Benito: “If I’m so fucking crazy, then leave.” (Repeated as a callback bit—26:22, 27:18)
• Mary Beth shares prank preferences and her time on the Punk’d reboot, but admits:
  “If you’re gonna prank anyone, I would rather prank celebrities. And I would rather have it be really harmless things.” (29:18)
  • Example: Falsely “liking” an Instagram post, only to say “just kidding,” creating an instant emotional rollercoaster then relief.
• Both hosts agree: pranks should never be traumatic or cruel, only a vehicle for “silly joy.”

Pranking Principles

• Benito: “I think scaring people is fucked up.” (23:04)
• Mary Beth: “Pranking kids in a way that actually could cause emotional trauma—not funny.” (23:10)
• Mary Beth: “I think couples that don’t have good communication should probably not prank each other.” (34:52)

7. Redefining TFV: Loving, Modern, Queer, Layered (32:49–34:47)

• Discussion about redefining “family values” for their generation; the hosts see themselves at “the cool table” of loving, affirming, inclusive families.
  • Benito: “It’s a new era.” (33:16)
  • Mary Beth: “So we’re redefining traditional family values.” (33:18)
• Culturally elastic moments—whether penny loafers or modern queer relationships—can now be part of TFV.
• The concept extends to marriage, partnership, communication, and simply “having good taste in people.”

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Mary Beth: “Being honest like that, honest reactions is traditional family values.” (28:25)
• Benito (on family and pranks): “If a prank isn’t silly, it’s not a good prank.” (25:48)
• Mary Beth: “I want to make trouble and I want to make odd. And that’s Ride.” (35:23)
• Benito: “If you think I’m annoying, it’s because you’re homophobic.” (35:42)
• Mary Beth: “And if you think I’m annoying, maybe you just hate women.” (35:46)

(See above for more timestamps embedded throughout.)

Important Timestamps

• 00:39 – Heritage Collection explained
• 02:14 – New podcast, introductions
• 06:32 – Benito visits Mary Beth’s family
• 08:15 – Cupcakes and food culture clash
• 12:53 – Introduction to “traditional family values” (TFV)
• 13:44 – TERFs and inclusion/exclusion in TFV
• 16:47 – What counts as TFV in pop-culture (“hearts of gold,” abolishing the police, Tiffany bracelets, etc.)
• 19:37 – America’s Funniest Home Videos segue to pranking
• 23:04 – Pranking boundaries (“I think scaring people is fucked up”)
• 25:03–27:36 – Benito’s “Bornt Identity” and doorbell prank stories
• 29:18–32:03 – Mary Beth discusses Punk’d; harmless, silly pranking vs. trauma
• 32:49–34:47 – Redefining “traditional family values” for their community

Tone & Takeaways

The episode is buoyant, irreverent, and cheekily self-aware: full of fast banter, running bits, pop-cultural inside jokes, and moments of genuine sincerity about inclusion, chosen family, and the joys of adulthood friendship. Benito and Mary Beth succeed in both poking fun at and humanizing “traditional family values,” making the term their own while advocating for harmless fun, honest relationships, and acceptance. Their comedic rapport is the true “heritage”—an open invitation to listeners to rewrite the rules with them.

RIDE REDEFINED:
Family values = love + joy + inclusion + a little bit of prankster chaos.
“Variety is the spice of life.” (04:30) – Mary Beth Barone