Ride with Benito Skinner and Mary Beth Barone

Episode: "Please Welcome… HOLMES"

Date: August 20, 2025
Guest: Haley Marie Matthews
Platform: Dear Media

Episode Overview

This episode welcomes the effusive and comedic Haley Marie Matthews ("Holmes") to ride along with hosts Benito Skinner and Mary Beth Barone. The conversation veers seamlessly from the absurd to the heartfelt, with candid reflections on friendship, fan relationships, showbiz pressures, and the creative process behind their recent show, “Overcompensating.” The trio’s quick wit, overlapping laughter, and cultural references keep the energy high, while moments of vulnerability add unexpected depth.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Podcast Traditions & Show Format

• The hosts banter about their recurring carpool/school bus intro theme.
  • “A carpool is when we both ride for the same thing.” – Mary Beth (00:56)
• Nostalgic references are made to prior guests and the challenges of scheduling (“It’s really hard to get people in the room.” – Benny, 01:43).

2. Guest Intro: Haley’s Reluctance & Honesty on Podcasts

• Haley admits she rarely does podcasts due to fear of oversharing and lacking a filter.
  • “I have no filter and it gets me in a lot of trouble.” – Haley (01:57)
  • “I’m trying to get better at it.” – Haley (02:08)
• The hosts reassure her about the safe podcast environment.

3. Acting, Set Friendships, and Panic Attacks

• The trio recalls scenes from "Overcompensating," especially moments involving on-screen panic attacks.
  • “Don’t you wish…you’d see one of your friends do it and be like, that’s how yours go?” – Haley (04:23)
• Personal stories about anxiety and learning to normalize mental health as children.
  • “No one ever tells kids, like, if you’re feeling this, this is normal…” – Benny (05:08)

Memorable Quote

• “If I don’t finish my frozen coke slushy, my mom’s gonna be dead when I get home.” – Benny (05:10)

4. Santa Claus, Childhood Realizations & Facing Adult Realities

• The group reminisces about learning Santa isn’t real, which leads to bigger existential questions.
  • “When I found out he wasn’t real, I was like, magic isn’t real. And then I was like. And people lie to me.” – Haley (06:54)
  • "My dad came in...Had tousled hair. And I was like, Dad? And he's like, yeah..." – Benny (07:25)
• The conversation touches darkly on childhood safety, referencing the Elizabeth Smart case (08:27).

5. Relationships with Audience and Fan Base

• Discussion about the responsibilities and anxieties tied to building (and fearing disappointing) a fan base.
  • “...how often are you thinking of what their reaction will be, or do you not think about it very much?” – Haley (10:12)
• The hosts express gratitude for their fans but acknowledge the pressure to maintain high standards.
  • “We hold ourselves to a high standard, too. It’s like, we don’t want to disappoint them...” – Mary Beth (10:44)

Memorable Quote

• “Fans that we would hang out with.” – Mary Beth (11:12)

6. Compartmentalizing Emotions & Performing Under Duress

• Mary Beth shares how comedy has helped her compartmentalize trauma, often performing while emotionally distressed.
  • “I cried the minute up to the second…like Katy Perry getting the text [about her divorce] before her biggest show.” – Mary Beth (13:02)
• Haley talks about being unable to compartmentalize but recognizes the value.

7. Comedy, Life Incidents, and Absurd Personal Anecdotes

• Haley recounts a stressful day involving accidentally hitting a bird and then getting admonished by a masseuse.
  • “I jam smack into the bird. Okay? And I’m a vegetarian…” – Haley (19:49)
  • “So you got assaulted twice yesterday. Once by a bird and once by a masseuse.” – Mary Beth (22:46)
• Discussion on weird medical moments and the wacky advice/gaslighting from a doctor.

8. Standardized Tests, ADHD, and Adderall

• The trio shares their experiences with SATs, ACTs, ADHD, and the effects of Adderall on focus and productivity.
  • “Adderall’s tricky for me...I focus on something and then it’s just—actually, I’m like, yeah, I organized all my Spotify playlists...” – Benny (25:43)
  • “I’m on it right now. So I, like, locked into this.” – Haley (26:36)

9. Drugs and Medicinal Anecdotes

• The hosts riff about prescription painkillers, anesthesia, and pop culture representations of drug use.
  • “All I can say is watch Dope Sick on Hulu, which is becoming Disney Plus.” – Mary Beth (27:13)

10. "What Do You Ride For?" Segment

• Haley chooses the documentary "Will & Harper" (about Will Ferrell and his longtime trans friend, Harper) as her pick.
  • “I ride for the movie Will and Harper.” – Haley (28:18)
  • They discuss the significance of leveraging celebrity for social awareness and the nuanced, often messy process of learning to be an ally.
  • “Standing up for people takes practice.” – Haley (29:04)
  • “I just wish everyone would watch it and realize that people are human beings.” – Benny (31:45)
• The hosts recommend HBO’s “We’re Here” for similar thematic reasons.

11. On Changing Culture Through Art

• Haley, backed by the hosts, stresses the power they hold as creatives to shift culture meaningfully.
  • “We change culture, and I think that [Will & Harper] affected the culture.” – Haley (33:00)

Memorable Quote

• “We have to be less scared of effing up...And also, trans people have always existed.” – Haley (32:30)

12. Behind the Scenes of “Overcompensating”

• Detailed and affectionate memories of casting, character building, and favorite set moments.
  • “We had met at two different shows briefly. And then he really just went off my audition—like, it really was not him like, which also, as we know, Mary Beth auditioned a bunch, but it was like, no. He really, like, looked at my tape.” – Haley (39:05)
  • Reflections on memorable scenes (drunken antics, puke rigs, green car) and what made the show special.

Notable Quotes

• “That was as slow as Haley Marie Matthews is going to do.” – Mary Beth (40:48)
• “Hollywood tries to put you in a million boxes, but we are also Hollywood.” – Haley (41:04)
• On the character Haley: “She’s fully biochem…This is the girl that can go out all night, and in the morning…does the test faster than anyone.” – Benny (41:29)

13. Fame, Social Media, and Fan Response

• Haley candidly discusses the surreal and sometimes dysmorphic feeling of fandom and seeing herself on social media.
  • “I have a hard relationship with, like, seeing my face so much…” – Haley (50:00)
  • Assurance of gratitude toward fans, even if she is less visible in self-promotion.
  • “...we have to, like, keep laughing. And also, I know Haley will be for the cause.” – Haley (51:13)

Notable Quotes & Moments

• “If I don’t finish my frozen coke slushy, my mom’s gonna be dead when I get home.”
  – Benny, 05:10
  (On childhood anxiety and OCD traits)

• “We hold ourselves to a high standard, too. It’s like, we don’t want to disappoint them…”
  – Mary Beth, 10:44
  (On fan relationships)

• “Standing up for people takes practice.”
  – Haley, 29:04
  (On allyship)

• “Hollywood tries to put you in a million boxes, but we are also Hollywood.”
  – Haley, 41:04
  (On changing the system from within)

• “We change culture, and I think that [Will & Harper] affected the culture.”
  – Haley, 33:00

Timestamps for Important Segments

• 00:56 – Explanation of the carpool/school bus podcast theme
• 01:57 – Haley on her “no filter” podcast anxiety
• 04:05 – Panic attacks on and off screen
• 06:54 – Discovery of Santa’s existential implications
• 10:12 – Fan base pressures and anxieties
• 13:02 – Performing under emotional distress (Katy Perry divorce story)
• 19:49 – Haley recounts the bird incident
• 22:46 – “You got assaulted twice” (by a bird and masseuse)
• 25:43 – Adderall and focusing on the wrong tasks
• 28:18 – Ride For: “Will & Harper” discussion
• 31:45 – Humanizing trans experiences through media
• 39:05 – Behind-the-scenes casting experiences
• 41:04 – “Hollywood tries to put you in a million boxes, but we are also Hollywood.”
• 50:00 – Haley on difficulty with self-promotion and fandom

Overall Tone and Takeaways

“Please Welcome… HOLMES” mixes wild, irreverent humor with moments of sincere vulnerability. Haley’s unfiltered storytelling ignites lively responses from Benny and Mary Beth, making for an episode that frequently blurs the line between biting satire and real talk about mental health, identity, and community. The trio also foregrounds the importance of inclusive storytelling and the transformative power of pop culture, all while never taking themselves too seriously. For fans, it’s an intimate peek behind the scenes—and for newcomers, a crash course in why this podcast, and its hosts, have such a fiercely loyal following.

For Further Listening / Watching

• Referenced Doc: “Will & Harper” (Netflix)
• Referenced Series: “We’re Here” (HBO)
• Show: “Overcompensating”