Ride with Benito Skinner & Mary Beth Barone

HERITAGE COLLECTION: The Lesbian Cop from Ride Live

Release Date: March 18, 2026
Podcast by: Dear Media

Episode Overview

This Heritage Collection episode opens with Benito and Mary Beth revisiting an iconic story from their live show: the infamous “lesbian cop” moment. Benito recounts a bone-chilling break-in at his home that is both harrowing and hilarious, ultimately culminating in the unexpected revelation that the responding police officer was a Ride Live attendee—and a lesbian. The duo explores themes of personal safety, queer community surprises, and the wild intersections between their public and private lives. The latter half shifts into their irreverent takes on two “heritage” topics they currently “ride” for: the sharply satirical Disney movie Zootopia (viewed through a neo-noir, cinephile lens) and, just as passionately, the all-American cheeseburger.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Setting the Stage: Heritage Collection & Iconic Moments

• [00:29] Introduction to the Heritage Collection—selecting, retitling, and revisiting legendary podcast moments.
• [00:48] “Moments that come to mind. The lesbian cop at Ride Live... how many chickens there are in the world.” — Mary Beth

The Break-In Story: A Home Intruder, Survival Mode, and Surprise Connections

• [01:22] Benito shares, for the first time, a story withheld for the show: a man broke into his backyard.
• [01:49] “Hoodie on. He’s young, maybe teenager. Reebok, black backpack. White guy, young… I’m thinking, well, that’s a school shooter. Like, we have… there’s a gun in…” — Benito [05:49]

Responses and Reflections:

• [02:55] Both hosts debate whether you should leave outside lights on or off for home security, asking listeners for advice.
• [05:55] Benito details the 5-minute 911 call hold; Mary Beth jokes about the lack of hold music.
• [06:11] “You do not engage. You don’t open any doors. You go lock yourself in your room, have your phone, contact authorities.” — Benito
• [07:35] The hosts reflect on police ambivalence: “ACAB also… If there’s someone better to call than the police, I'd love to know...” — Mary Beth
• [08:39] “He just imprinted on you.” — Terry, Benito’s partner, warning about the intruder seeing Benito’s face.

Notable Quote:

• [10:37] “The cop in that moment looks at me and goes, ‘I was at Ride Live.’” — Benito
• [10:39] “I just got chills.” — Mary Beth
• [10:47] The police officer is a lesbian, a Ride Live attendee with her wife, and fan of the podcast.
• [10:56] Benito humorously sets aside their ACAB stance in light of queer solidarity.

Memorable Details:

• [11:52] “Obviously, we’re all ACAB. That’s how we align politically. But, of course, it’s good to know there’s a Baroni on the force…” — Mary Beth
• [12:05] On progressive change: “Change from within. This is how we flip the Senate.” — Benito

Final Takeaway:

• [12:47] The incident becomes a lesson in home safety—and comedic fodder for the show.
• [13:03] “Thank you so much to him for not stealing your Halloween costumes…” — Mary Beth

Segment: The Neo-Noir Genius of Zootopia

• [19:13] Benito dives deep into why Zootopia is a “modern Disney classic,” loving both its plot and underlying messages.
• [20:29] “It’s a fabulous mystery and a study on, like, stereotypes; what it means to be good cop, bad cop, the class system, racism, corruption in government—the police, literally.” — Benito

Cultural Commentary:

• [22:12] “Foxes can be sexual. We said that out loud to each other…” — Benito, on anthropomorphic cartoon crushes.
• [23:08] Both hosts pull rich comparisons to Silence of the Lambs, Miss Congeniality, Seven, and Gone Girl, framing Zootopia as an animated gateway to noir sensibilities.
• [24:09] Memorable analysis of “the sheep” as a “femme fatale”: “Her seduction is sweetness. Boy, did they mistake her kindness for weakness.” — Benito

On Zootopia’s Politics:

• [25:08] “When I saw it the first time, I was totally blown away by how much of a commentary it was on, like, racism and stereotypes and the class system. I was like, whoa, this is so deep…” — Mary Beth
• [25:48] “The police, as it stood when she started, was bad and wrong.” — Mary Beth
• [26:06] “She flipped it on its head and then she brought a fox into it. And now they’re going to solve things together…” — Benito
• [26:31] “That’s good cinema… noir… a hero that’s complicated; we have to root for Hannibal Lecter.” — Benito

Fun Details:

• [27:07] Zootopia’s mastery as a kids’ film also beloved by adults. Shakira as Gazelle, hilarious DMV sloth scene, and sneaky queer (GLAAD-awarded!) representation.
• [28:22] “A useless gay manning the front desk. We’ve all been there.” — Benito

Final Reflection:

• [29:00] “There’s so much growth in this and giving people the benefit of the doubt… a lot of good lessons that I’m excited my niece and nephews learn from Zootopia.” — Benito
• [29:12] “If you watch it and take away a pro-cop message, I don’t know… you probably don’t listen to Ride, so it's fine.” — Mary Beth

Segment: Riding for Burgers—Passion & Nostalgia

• [34:51] Mary Beth professes her love for burgers: “I just want to enjoy burgers. There’s so few things in this world I enjoy… Food is very limited for me… I don’t want to give it up.”
• [35:56] Her perfect burger: “beef… sometimes it’s a smash, with lettuce, tomato, onion, mayo, gluten free bun, ketchup to dip, mayo, Russian dressing —and if there’s aioli, it’s in there too.”
• [36:22] “Sky’s the limit. Okay, it's an aioli. And I’m obviously enjoying that with a side of fries.” — Mary Beth

Benito’s Burger Take:

• [36:52] “Cheeseburgers are, I think, probably my favorite food… It’s like salmon and cheeseburgers are constantly at war.”
• [37:52] “Cheeseburger, I’m a cheeseburger guy. It’s gotta have cheddar… and that patty can be smashed. Shake Shack has, like, one of the best burgers in the world. Anytime I’m at JFK, I’m about to have a gut bomb on this flight…” — Benito

Techniques & Preferences:

• [39:12] Mary Beth’s tip for less intrusive onions: “Soak it in water for a few minutes so it loses that bite.”
• [40:00] “Sometimes if I put mustard on it, it’s like, I must be feeling fucking, like, crass.” — Benito
• [42:55] “It’s an American classic. I can see it now.” — Benito, on burger & pie combos at diners like Apple Pan.

Burger Memories & Symbolism:

• [43:23] “I had a pair of Vans in high school that were cheeseburger Vans… In a Catholic school I said, ‘You want to know who I am? Look down.’” — Benito
• [43:46] “I was a rebel. I wanted to make trouble and I wanted to make art.” — Benito

Ride or Die: Zootopia & Cheeseburgers

• [44:20] “I will be having cheeseburgers for the rest of my life… I’m glad my intruder didn’t kill me so I can keep having cheeseburgers with the likes of you guys.” — Benito

• [44:58] “A burger is really something people of all ages could enjoy.” — Mary Beth

• [45:00] “Leg Zootopia.” — Benito

• [45:21] “Now more than ever, we need to be bridging that gap… if cartoons are the way to do it, I’m so here for it.” — Mary Beth

• [45:48] Benito, on trauma, Zootopia, and Inside Out 2: “I don’t know why I’m not scared at all. I watched Inside Out 2 the next day, a really stressful watch, but also good for kids.”

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• [10:37] Benito: “The cop in that moment looks at me and goes, ‘I was at Ride Live.’”
• [11:52] Mary Beth: “Obviously, we’re all ACAB. That’s how we align politically. But, of course, it’s good to know there’s a Baroni on the force…”
• [24:09] Benito: “Femme Fatale the sheep. But her seduction is sweetness. Boy, did they mistake her kindness, her weakness. I’M not giving—that’s too much away.”
• [36:52] Benito: “Cheeseburgers are, I think, probably my favorite food. It’s like salmon and cheeseburgers are constantly at war with each other— and chicken strips.”
• [44:20] Benito: “If it had ended the other day, I would have had one less cheeseburger in my life and that would have sucked.”

Important Timestamps

• [01:22 – 12:47]: Benito’s break-in story, panic, the ACAB debate, and meeting a lesbian cop who’s a fan.
• [19:13 – 29:12]: In-depth Zootopia analysis: noir references, social commentary, queer representation, and the movie’s subversive edge.
• [34:51 – 44:58]: Cheeseburger love, best burger practices and preferences, and the burger as a symbol of joy and Americana.
• [44:14 – 45:48]: Ride or Die wrap-up: the influence of Zootopia and cheeseburgers on their lives and psyches.
• Notable Quotes: See above for speaker/timestamp notations.

Final Thoughts

This episode exemplifies Ride’s signature blend of high-camp humor, pop culture savvy, earnest self-disclosure, and unexpected emotional resonance. Benito and Mary Beth manage to turn a terrifying real-life event into a comedy of errors with queer camaraderie, explore the societal undertones of animated family films with cinephile bravado, and wax poetic on the redemptive, communal power of the humble burger. The episode is both laugh-out-loud funny and sincerely insightful—an ideal companion for both new listeners and longtime fans.

WE RIDE AT DAWN!