We're Here to Help - Episode 218:
"We're Here to Chat Vol 5: The Last Boomer"
Date: October 15, 2025
Hosts: Jake Johnson & Gareth Reynolds
Guests/Regulars: Steve Berg, Eric Edelstein
Podcast Network: Headgum
Overview
Episode 218 of We're Here to Help is a freewheeling, laughter-filled group chat among Jake, Gareth, Steve, and Eric, all veteran friends with an affinity for “dumb bits,” regular self-roasting, and sincere but badly qualified advice. With no callers this week, the episode is a loose collection of genuinely funny personal stories, tongue-in-cheek generational debates, food rituals, tales of New York misadventure, memorials for eccentric Hollywood figures, and, most notably, Eric's epic, cliffhangered quest to finally attend “Vandy Camp” at Dick Van Dyke’s house. Behind all the goofing is a surprising warmth, a strong sense of camaraderie, and the occasional wise, if roundabout, life lesson.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. Morning Rituals & Steve’s “Two-a-Days”
[03:19]
- Steve recounts his intense, positive morning: multiple workouts (“like I’m training for the Olympics”) to preempt his weekend eating, followed by chaos trying to steer boomer parents to a restaurant (“they flagged a stranger to give them directions. I’m like, no, don’t follow a stranger!”)
- Eric jokes that boomers need iPhone classes, as navigating with a smartphone remains elusive for older generations.
“We need to start doing iPhone classes for Boomers.” – Eric Edelstein [05:02]
- Group riff on generational differences, sparking the “last boomer” thread.
2. Steve’s Food Philosophy & Motivation to Exercise
[08:31]
- Steve reveals he works out intensely ahead of “pizza Saturdays”:
“I’m not a casual pizza eater.” – Steve Berg [08:54]
- Jake and Gareth commiserate; exercise is just a means to guilt-free indulgence.
- Steve’s “binging qualities” candidly discussed, but with self-aware, comedic acceptance.
3. Jake’s Lost-Phone New York Adventure
[10:11]
- Jake recounts a frantic story of losing his phone before an early-morning flight, getting locked out of all his accounts, and embarking on a near-feral quest through Brooklyn to recover it.
“I just started chasing down things that look like production vans.” – Jake Johnson [13:00]
- After a string of lucky breaks (all doors miraculously unlocked), Jake reunites with his phone, befriends a deli worker, and ends up cruising on an e-scooter.
- Eric draws a parallel to boomer tech mishaps, crowning Jake “The Last Boomer.”
“I want on my stone to say the last Boomer.” – Jake Johnson [11:51]
- The other guys liken Jake’s adventure to a wizard turning a dog into a man:
“This is like if a wizard turned a dog into a man.” – Gareth Reynolds [13:12]
4. The White Horse Tavern, Meeting Jeffrey Owens, and New York Vibes
[16:14]
- Jake and Eric share a heartwarming and awkward brush with Cosby Show actor Jeffrey Owens, who was working at the White Horse Tavern.
- Eric inadvertently spirals into Bob Dylan conspiracies, causing Owens to look at Jake for reassurance.
“I was explaining this...and kind of watching his eyes glaze over and become slightly worried about me. He gave Jake a look like, it’s so sweet you’re helping your friend.” – Eric Edelstein [17:44]
- They contrast the reception of eccentric anecdotes in NY vs. LA––New Yorkers fear unfiltered weirdness; LA is more receptive.
5. Hotel Bath Hacks, Steve’s Calendar, and The Power of Just Words
[26:23]
- Eric is evangelical about requesting a bath in every hotel, using Epsom salts, and enjoying small luxuries.
- Steve, meanwhile, is the focus of an upcoming “Steve Berg Hunk Calendar,” and listeners are invited to vote for final images (we-need-to-pick.com/stevecalendar).
- Group calls out each other on saying “just words.”
“Those are just words, Steve.” – Gareth Reynolds [25:30]
6. Grievance Segment (“Grandpa’s Grievance Corner”)
[35:36]
- Jake challenges the group to air real grievances with one another. Nobody has substantive issues, underlining their genuine affection and lack of drama.
- Instead, they playfully expose text thread insincerities—like Eric feigning enthusiasm about Steve’s “Apple Jack Festival” for the sake of the group chat.
- Classic exchange:
“Those are just words. Just two words.” – Jake Johnson [42:08]
“My grievance is with this grievance.” – Gareth Reynolds [40:53]
7. Food, Folksiness, and Pickled Goods
[44:03]
- Steve’s report from the Apple Jack Festival includes spending almost $300 on jarred pickles and candied apples, bemoaning the perishability and his own “folksiness.”
- Eric is erotically moved by the mention of pickled quail eggs.
- Steve’s vibe inspires:
“We need a new Will Rogers. It’s my friend Steve.” – Eric Edelstein [45:46]
8. Vandy Camp (Dick Van Dyke Obsession)
[46:33], [61:36]
- Eric details his fixation with attending any event featuring Dick Van Dyke, narrating missed opportunities and the supporting fandom that’s grown around the saga.
- The group openly muses about the podcast’s responsibility for Dick Van Dyke virality in recent weeks, and they issue a heartfelt, unironic open invitation to Dick to come on the show:
“If we have what you’re saying, that kind of reach...let’s have this end with you and me asking that man questions about his glorious career and thanking him for 100 years on planet Earth, making the world better.” – Jake Johnson [51:15]
- Eric gives a moving, theatrical 60-second plea for Dick Van Dyke to appear on the pod (“pilot episode of Legends”).
“We just want to sit at the feet of a master and listen to you talk and give us some kind of wisdom for a world that is in great need of it.” – Eric Edelstein [53:43]
- Steve riffs as Dick’s suspicious, out-of-touch friend; Gareth piles on with wordplay.
- The episode ends with a massive tease: Eric did finally go to Vandy Camp – Dick Van Dyke’s house! Details are left as a cliffhanger, with a promise of a follow-up episode and audience poll for how it should be released.
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
- “Why do I have to listen to excellence?” – Jake Johnson, ribbing Steve Berg for not listening to podcast episodes [02:30]
- “I’m not a casual pizza eater.” – Steve Berg [08:54]
- “You are missing a Gareth and a Jake in here.” – Jake Johnson on Steve getting too much positive food feedback in Omaha [07:31]
- “These are just words. Just two words.” – Jake Johnson (about text thread insincerities) [42:08]
- “This is like if a wizard turned a dog into a man.” – Gareth Reynolds (on Jake’s lost phone adventure) [13:12]
- “I want on my [grave]stone to say ‘The Last Boomer.’” – Jake Johnson [11:51]
- “We need a new Will Rogers. It’s my friend Steve.” – Eric Edelstein [45:46]
- “We just want to sit at the feet of a master and listen to you talk and give us some kind of wisdom for a world that is in great need of it.” – Eric Edelstein’s plea to Dick Van Dyke [53:43]
- “You are tip of the spear, baby.” – Jake Johnson, on Eric’s hardcore fandom [74:45]
Timestamps for Key Segments
- [03:19] Steve’s intense morning & parents, genesis for “Last Boomer” discussion
- [08:54] Steve’s pizza ritual
- [10:11] Jake’s lost phone/boomer moment
- [11:51] Jake claims “The Last Boomer” title
- [16:14] White Horse Tavern + awkward conspiracy tangent
- [25:30] “Those are just words, Steve.”
- [35:36] Grievance segment
- [44:03] Steve’s folksy Apple Jack/pickled goods story
- [46:33] Vandy Camp/Dick Van Dyke segment (continues throughout episode)
- [53:43] Eric’s earnest plea to Dick Van Dyke
- [61:36] Vandy Camp: THE EPIC CLIFFHANGER
Flow & Feel
The language is loose, rapid-fire, and joyfully extemporaneous, marked by playful ribbing, improvisational riffing, and genuine affection. Self-deprecation abounds, with food, aging, and anxiety recurring as comedic motifs. The tone alternates between absurdly silly bits and striking moments of sincerity, especially regarding honoring beloved figures and friendships.
Closing & Cliffhanger
The episode delivers a massive “stay tuned” ending: Eric finally attended Vandy Camp at Dick Van Dyke’s house—an event so surreal and fanatical it demands its own forthcoming episode, with the hosts inviting listeners to decide its fate via comment section. In classic fashion, the group’s emotional investment in—and self-skewering about—the event and their fandom is both hilarious and surprisingly touching.
For New Listeners
If you love stories of friendship, food, showbiz weirdness, retro obsession, and off-the-rails jokes, you’ll feel instantly at home. The group’s unqualified but heartfelt advice is here; so is a deep, old-school bond and a contagious willingness to embrace life’s oddities.
Listen for: Generational mishaps, hotel bath hacks, behind-the-scenes acting shenanigans, and a saga involving the world’s most beloved nonagenarian.
Coming soon: Vandy Camp – The Finale. Vote for how you want to hear it!