The Toast – “Turdy, BSC and Clarice: Monday, November 24th, 2025”
Hosts: Claudia Oshry & Ben Soffer (Claudia’s husband, subbing in for Jackie)
Episode Date: November 24, 2025
Episode Overview
This Monday episode of The Toast is a Thanksgiving special, leaning heavily into family, food, and holiday pop culture. With Jackie on maternity leave, Claudia is joined by her husband Ben Soffer (aka BSC, from The Good Guys podcast). The duo banter about Thanksgiving traditions, the foods they love (and hate), TV and movie marathons, pop culture news, and their signature playful arguments. The “Fast Five” stories cover everything from rumored celebrity weddings to holiday events and viral reality TV news—with the classic irreverent Toast humor and plenty of pop culture hot takes.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. Thanksgiving Spirit and Family Traditions
[00:03–03:51]
- The episode opens with Claudia celebrating the “Monday before Thanksgiving” and emphasizing the importance of family during the holidays.
- Ben recounts making an enormous Thanksgiving turkey, sparking playful debate over food waste, leftover creativity, and how their home smelled like turkey for days.
- Claudia: “I liked it when it was just a turkey. Yeah. But then it was a turkey that became turkey soup, turkey stock, turkey salad, turkey pot pie...” (02:24)
- Ben: “I made a £20. Gorgeous bird. This bird was moist, yet the skin was crackly… a dream bird.” (01:38)
- Both admit to not actually loving Thanksgiving turkey, preferring other meats or modern “Thanksgiving” twists.
2. Sharing Interests: Movie and TV Marathons
[03:51–10:32]
- Claudia and Ben talk about sharing their favorite franchises; Claudia got Ben to watch Twilight, Ben tried to convert her with Harry Potter (Claudia: “I watched, like, four or five movies… once you’ve seen one you’ve kind of seen them all.” [04:30])
- A first-ever viewing of Pirates of the Caribbean leads to an extended, hilarious breakdown:
- Claudia was underwhelmed, especially once it got magical: “They’re pirates but also ghosts? That’s really where they lost me.” (06:44)
- Ben reminisces about listening to the instrumental theme song to “look cool” while playing basketball as a kid.
- Extended, funny debate about whether it’s pronounced “Pirates of the Caribbean” or “Pirates of the Caribbean.” [08:31]
3. Embracing the Holiday Energy
[10:32–12:29]
- Claudia encourages listeners to really “acknowledge the space that you’re in” and appreciate the holidays as they start.
- Ben: “Close your eyes and look around.” [11:10] (Claudia: “No, I meant, close your eyes and think!”)
- Quick reflections on gratitude and playful acknowledgements of each other's “beautiful”/“gorgeous” vocabularies.
4. Pop Culture News: The Fast Five Stories
Story 1: Taylor Swift & Travis Kelce’s Rumored Wedding Venue
[20:18–26:54]
- News breaks that Taylor Swift will marry Travis Kelce at her “Holiday House” in Rhode Island, not a local fancy venue as rumored.
- Claudia details the viral story of a bride being “bought out” of her date by Swift’s team, sparking speculation.
- Ben: “Taylor dreams of being fully surrounded by flowers… that I actually believe because that’s exactly what their engagement looked like.” [26:36]
- Fun riffing on logistics, celebrity wedding trends (destination weddings vs. home), and the culture of packing star-studded guest lists.
Story 2: Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade Lineup
[27:03–29:42]
- A look ahead to the parade: Cynthia Erivo, Busta Rhymes, and others highlighted (but Claudia is mostly excited for Cynthia). Both agree most parades/national events are best watched on TV.
- Claudia: “If you’re ever watching and wishing you were there, don’t.” (29:27)
Story 3: Ben’s Childhood Mugging & DIY Self-Defense
[32:13–34:57]
- A tangent about being bullied/mugged as a child—Ben shares a story of being mugged by “a six-foot-three girl from the wrong part of town” [32:23].
- Ben’s adult strategies for “not getting mugged” (“fake phone call,” “beeline for a grocery store”) are discussed, with laughter about his “bad ideas” (like a rearview camera hat for city walking).
Story 4: Amanda Bynes & Dan Schneider Rumor Debunked
[35:15–38:54]
- Claudia covers Amanda Bynes’ public denial of viral AI-generated rumors alleging misconduct by Nickelodeon producer Dan Schneider. Both note the growing issue of AI fakes, especially on platforms “for old people, like Facebook.”
- Short sidebar: Ben tries to explain the Cameo v. OpenAI lawsuit, leading to Claudia googling and clarifying the actual legal issue around the term “Cameo.” (38:03–38:54)
Story 5: Reality TV—Jen Shah’s Prison Release
[45:39–49:48]
- News that Real Housewives of Salt Lake City’s Jen Shah will be out of prison for the holidays.
- Both hosts vehemently criticize Shah’s crimes (targeting the elderly and disabled), comparing her situation to other reality TV stars who went to prison (e.g., Teresa Giudice, the Chrisleys), and express skepticism about Bravo featuring her return.
Bonus: Heinz “Moist Maker” Condiment for Thanksgiving Leftovers (Friends tie-in)
[50:25–54:12]
- Heinz’s new bottled turkey gravy, inspired by “The Moist Maker” (the famous Friends Thanksgiving sandwich).
- Ben and Claudia joke about food innovations and branding, questioning which Friends actor would have been cheapest for a marketing tie-in.
5. Pop Culture Deep Dive: Friends Analysis
[54:12–56:04]
- Short nostalgic discussion about Friends characters (“Why did Joey get the spinoff?”), their own resemblances to characters (Ben claims he’s Chandler, Claudia is Monica; “which I hate because I hate Monica”).
6. Host Banter: Classic Claudia & Ben
Throughout
- Light marital ribbing (“You are so annoying.” [32:07]) and inside jokes (“Close your eyes and look around!”), plus views on “crime etiquette,” friendship (Pete Alonso stories) and failed entrepreneurial ideas.
- Playful call-backs and absurd humor—e.g., the invented code words “BSC and Clarice” becoming episode catchphrases.
Memorable Quotes & Moments
- Claudia (on turkey leftovers): “It was a turkey that became turkey soup, turkey stock, turkey salad, turkey pot pie.” (02:24)
- Ben (on their turkey): “This bird was moist, yet the skin was crackly… this bird was a dream bird.” (01:38)
- Claudia (on Pirates of the Caribbean): “They’re pirates, but also ghosts. Like, that’s really where they lost me.” (06:44)
- Ben (repeatedly): “Close your eyes and look around.” (11:10, 31:55, 56:11) — running joke
- Ben (on being mugged): “By a girl. Okay? She was 6’3” and like, from the wrong part of town.” (32:23)
- Claudia (on Macy’s Parade): “If you’re ever watching and wishing you were there, don’t.”
- Ben: “You could have gotten Joey [from Friends] for a nickel.” (53:56)
- Claudia: “I am Monica. Which makes sense, because… yeah, I’m like a nut job. And the thing is—I hate Monica. So do I hate myself?” (56:02)
Notable Timestamps
- 00:03–01:12 – Opening theme, Thanksgiving family theme intro
- 01:28–02:41 – “Weenie of the week” ribbing and recounting turkey leftovers
- 03:53–04:50 – Sharing fandoms: Twilight, Harry Potter, and movie compromises
- 05:52–07:13 – Pirates of the Caribbean first-time watch debrief
- 10:32–12:29 – “Acknowledge the space you’re in”; holiday gratitude moment
- 20:18–26:54 – Taylor Swift/Travis Kelce wedding rumors, pop culture impact
- 27:03–29:42 – Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade coverage
- 32:13–32:50 – Ben’s childhood mugging story
- 35:15–38:54 – Amanda Bynes rumor, AI deepfakes, Cameo lawsuit
- 45:39–49:48 – Jen Shah’s prison release, reality TV justice debates
- 50:25–54:12 – The Heinz “Moist Maker” (Friends) bottle bit
- 54:12–56:04 – Friends spinoff analysis; who they are in the Friends cast
Tone & Style
The episode is fast, irreverent, laden with pop culture references, and peppered with the hosts’ unique marital banter. Claudia’s humor is dry and hyper-aware, Ben is affable and self-deprecating. Listeners get both actual news and playful, sometimes meandering sidebars—making it feel like a very “real life” hangout as much as a podcast.
For Listeners Who Haven’t Tuned In
This episode is a great reflection of The Toast holiday vibe: pop culture breakdowns, relatable family chaos, trending stories, and snarky takes—delivered by a married duo with endless chemistry and no shortage of hot takes on food, TV, and the oddities of modern internet culture. If you want a hilarious yet homey take on Thanksgiving week (with a side of Taylor Swift and Friends lore), this one delivers.