Transcript

Steve Berg (0:00)

Quick Choose a meal deal with McValue, the $5 McChicken meal deal, the $6 McDouble meal deal, or the new $7 Daily Double meal deal, each with its own small fries, drink and four piece of McNuggets. There's actually no rush. I'm just excited for McDonald's for a limited time only. Prices and participation may vary. Not Valver McDelivery.

Jake Johnson (0:17)

Hey, we're Heredos. The Steve Berg 2026 calendar is here. Well, almost. It will be available for order on December 3rd at 12:00pm Eastern Standard Time. We are doing a limited run of 500 calendars, so get yours while you can. All orders will ship December 9th, just in time for the holidays. Visit www.heretohelpod.com to order.

Nicole Byer (0:40)

With stays under $250 a night, VRBO makes it easy to celebrate sweater weather. You could book a cabin stay with leaf views for days, or a brownstone in a city where festivals are just a walk away. Or a lakeside home with a fire pit for cozy nights with friends. Or if you're not a sweater person, we can call it corduroy weather. More flexible. And with stays under $250 a night, you can book a home that suits your exact needs. Book now@vrbo.com.

Gareth Reynolds (1:29)

And welcome to Weird Here to help. This is Gareth. I'm doing the intro for this week's episode. Very excited. These two are. These two hip cats are moving up the charts. Everyone loves Steve and Eric together. Everyone loves Steven, Eric apart. Everybody loves their their, their peanut butter and jelly. You could eat them on their own. I don't know. Although I have eaten jelly on its own. You know, I used to get pretty high pretty often. I will say we have a lot of exciting stuff coming up from the Weird Here to Help world. I'm going to start by mentioning the calendars. If you do not have a Steve Berg sexy calendar, you need to get moving. We will probably get into this in a different intro but we have ordered a lot of these calendars and when Jake said the number we were ordering, I thought as guys, this guy's getting out in front of his skis a little bit. I'm telling you they are moving and not only are they moving, but we're advertising. So get one now. That's all I can say. But we're approaching the holidays. It's a good time and we really are excited here at the show. We have a lot of fun stuff coming your way. I will just tell you a quick story from the road I mentioned this before I was out on the road and the amount of fans that came up to Steve Berg and lost their minds, and I actually got to see in real time people do the thing we've talked about. A lot of people think that Steve is not just, like, a Norwegian white man. They think he's sort of a. They just expect, like, a black guy. That keeps happening. And I got to see two people in real time realize that Steve was white. And not only white, Steve is. Steve is, you know, like, oh, this chocolate is good white. And I saw two people do the double take where they were like, what? And Steve's like, hey, how are you, sister? And they're like, what? This guy's just drinking Michelobs standing here. And I think we'd all rather Steve not be white, but unfortunately, that's the way it is. But I got to see that in real time. And Steve came to my room after the show with my buddy who opens for me, Luke. And Steve was housing beers. Steve had a bucket of beers. Steve was drinking so many Modelos. Then he went onto the wine, and then he started hiccuping. And he started. And if you've never heard a guy with a lisp hiccup, fly, don't run. He was like. He was going like this. I'll tell you the other thing. And then he picked up his phone. He's like, well, I should probably get a lift out of here. And so the second the hiccup started, Steve decided to order his ride share. So a little tale of the Birgi. I've also, I. I've been chatting to Eric Edelstein. They are just loving doing this. So we thought we would just give you a hint of the OG show on their intro. So this is me, Gareth, just saying, enjoy this episode. If we're here, we're here to help. And I'm telling you, get the calendar now. Okay. Because this. In 20 years, you're going to see these at a garage sale for 50 cents. Well, that's not how I wanted to promote it. No. We might be doing these more often. And you want to have the first one. Get the rookie card. Get the first calendar. This is when Steve didn't believe he was sexy. Because if we do another one of these calendars, Steve is going to know that people are like, ooh, he's hot. Whatever. Don't. We don't want. You don't want the confident calendar. You want. You want this one. You want this, Steve. This one where he's like, is anyone really going to buy this.

Summary

Podcast Summary: "We're Here to Help" – Episode 239: WEIRD Here To Help: Pandora's Cable Box & Mantis Pesto (with Gareth Reynolds)

Date: December 12, 2025
Host: Headgum
Guests: Jake Johnson, Gareth Reynolds, Steve Berg, Eric Edelstein
Featured Callers: Annie, Aaron, Emma

Episode Overview

This episode of "We're Here to Help" is a special “Weird Here to Help” edition featuring hosts Steve Berg and Eric Edelstein—alongside frequent collaborator Gareth Reynolds. The trio field eccentric, hilarious, and sometimes touching calls from listeners seeking advice. Highlights include pranks on a stubborn boomer dad over cable TV, the ethics of praying mantis egg sacks, and an update from a caller who sought spiritual cleansing from a “grumpy old man” entity. The banter is friendly, irreverent, and often veers into comedic territory, with memorable riffs on parenting, pest control, and the supernatural.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Opening Banter & Updates

(Timestamps: 01:29 – 13:00)

Gareth Reynolds opens with a humorous intro, promoting the "Steve Berg Sexy Calendar" and joking about fan interactions and Steve's misunderstood ethnicity.
Anecdotes from the road: Gareth recounts fans being surprised Steve isn’t Black and witnessing Steve's post-show revelry.
Steve and Eric riff on concerts attended, ticket-buying tactics, and how older musicians like Herb Alpert and David Byrne still wow audiences.
The crew shares praise for Gareth's live show and his quick wit, setting the stage for a lively episode.

Notable quote:
"You break it, you bought it. That's my mantra for everyone dealing with me." – Steve Berg [09:15]

2. Call #1 – Annie: "Pandora's Cable Box"

(Timestamps: 15:53 – 39:59)

Context

Annie from Rhode Island is frustrated that her boomer dad exposed her anxious 5-year-old to the terrifying "chair scene" in Ghostbusters, reportedly undoing six months of therapeutic progress. Annie seeks help plotting a harmless, psychological prank as light-hearted payback.

Discussion

The gang brainstorms escalating, mischievous but harmless ideas to mess with her dad's routine and TV habits, including:
- Planting an unclaimed syrup bottle in the fridge.
- Having a phantom pizza delivered to his door.
- Secretly moving or modifying his decade-old comb.
- Sending fake delinquent letters from the cable company about "adult content."
- Using a universal remote to change TV channels from another room for a poltergeist effect, tying back to the Ghostbusters scare.
- Enlisting Annie’s son to convince Grandpa there are "slimy" ghostly activities in the house.
The plan is ultimately to let these pranks bubble for a few weeks and film the reactions, reeling the dad in with a final reveal—and a lesson not to "F around and find out" with anxious kids and scary movies.

Notable quotes:

"We opened a Pandora's box... the Pandora's cable box." – Gareth Reynolds [24:36]
"This is beautiful parenting: proving even Grandpa gets spooked sometimes." – Gareth Reynolds [38:06]
"He exposed your son to Gozer. It's karma, baby." – Steve Berg [37:50]

3. Call #2 – Aaron: "Mantis Pesto Party"

(Timestamps: 40:09 – 61:27)

Context

Aaron, a delivery driver from Greenville, SC, adopted two praying mantises he found on her route. Both laid egg sacs (oothecae)—one possibly fertile. But the species is invasive, and hatching could mean 50–400 baby mantises. Aaron is seeking ethical, humane, and possibly creative solutions for the impending bug boom.

Discussion

The group debates bug ethics with comedic flair:
- Should Aaron destroy the egg sacs, set them free, or allow nature (and possibly mantis cannibalism) to take its course?
- Eric pitches making the egg hatch into a “mantis party”—with green-themed food (pesto, spinach linguine, green drinks), and inviting guests to take home baby mantises as pets.
- Steve and Eric go back and forth on culinary possibilities: should they… eat the mantises (with balsamic reduction)? Steve objects, Eric pushes for responsible, “nose-to-tail” eating if necessary.
- After much joking, the group encourages Aaron to organize a mantis hatching party, give away as many as possible, ensure none escape into the wild, and enjoy the weirdness. Eating is optional (and preferably not the option!).

Notable quotes:

"Who are we to play God over a mantis's life?" – Eric Edelstein [47:58]
"If it was prepared right, with a rice, I wouldn't say no." – Eric Edelstein [48:35]
"This is a pesto party... so many salads, green is good!" – Steve Berg [51:41]
"I'm not into eating them. I do like the idea of a mantis party." – Aaron [56:47]

4. Call #3 – Emma: "Exorcising the Grumpy Old Man Attachment"

(Timestamps: 61:36 – 75:22)

Context

Emma, who previously called in about three separate people claiming she had a “grumpy old man” entity attached to her soul, follows up after a remote session with a healer named Joel (recommended by Steve).

Discussion

Emma explains her hour-long phone session with Joel:
- Joel confirms Emma has a “human entity” attached, not a demon, and helps her through visualization and boundary-setting exercises to encourage the spirit to move on.
- Emma expresses empathy for the lost soul, worrying about leaving it alone, but is reassured this is not her burden.
- Joel teaches Emma to reclaim her personal boundaries—both spiritual and practical—a skill transferable to all relationships.
Steve defends the validity and psychological value of energy healing. Eric remains skeptical but supportive, pleased Emma found peace and practical benefits from the session.

Notable quotes:

"To me, this is science that's undiscovered... why can't energy be parasitized just like the blood?" – Steve Berg [63:35]
"He said, you can’t be manipulated by this entity. It’s not your problem." – Emma [66:26]
"If you feel good after, then who cares what the skeptics say?" – Eric Edelstein [72:27]

Memorable Moments & Humor Highlights

Extended riffing on the "bubbles on the pizza crust" as a sign of excellence (18:58).
Over-the-top plans for poltergeist remotes and covert syrup sabotage.
Chaotic yet oddly rational debate on the ethics (and recipes?) of eating invasive mantises.
Playful healing skepticism: forcing Steve to justify crown chakras with David Lynch references (69:10).
Callbacks to previous episodes, ongoing “Steve Berg will eat anything” jokes, and warm, silly birthday wishes for Annie.

Key Timestamps by Segment

| Segment | Timestamp | |---------------------------------------------------------------|--------------| | Opening banter, calendar promotion, and concert talk | 1:29–12:56 | | Call #1 (Annie – Pranking Dad Over Ghostbusters) | 15:53–39:59 | | Call #2 (Aaron – The Mantis Party Dilemma) | 40:09–61:27 | | Call #3 (Emma – Grumpy Old Man Spirit Update) | 61:36–75:22 |

Tone & Language

The show is unscripted, full of playful sarcasm, pop-culture riffs, and “dumb bits.” The hosts are supportive but never earnest for long—every segment is laced with comedic exaggeration, light rants, and inside jokes. The hosts try to help, but always in an atmosphere of inclusive, self-aware absurdity.

Closing Notes

This episode is a quintessential listen for fans of improvisational problem-solving and comedy podcasts. Listeners get inventive prank ideas, an oddly heartwarming take on invasive species, and a surprising dive into spiritual boundaries—all delivered with quick wit and contagious laughter.

For those seeking advice (serious or not):
Email helpfulpod@gmail.com to get your question on the show!