What's Our Podcast? – "Hollywood Handbook" (Jan 21, 2026)

Beck Bennett & Kyle Mooney with Guests Sean Clements & Hayes Davenport (Hollywood Handbook)
Host: Headgum

Episode Overview

In this loose, improvisational episode, Beck Bennett and Kyle Mooney enlist comedy duo Sean Clements and Hayes Davenport from Hollywood Handbook—and spend most of the podcast hilariously struggling to figure out what the show is about, how podcasts operate (in-universe), and how four professional comedians can all be charmingly indecisive at once. What was meant to be a typical “pitch us a podcast” segment turns into a farcical, meta debate about process, podcasting tropes, group dynamic, and the persistent threat of never actually landing on a premise. The episode climaxes with a “Watch The Office (for Conan O’Brien)” mock-podcast that lampoons the glut of TV recap pods and blurs the lines between sincerity and parody.

Key Segments and Themes

1. Origin Stories & Comedy Influences

[00:36 – 04:19]

• The show opens with Beck, Kyle, Sean, and Hayes riffing about childhood comedic influences (Jim Carrey, Adam Sandler, The Muppets, Pee Wee Herman).
• Hayes tells a story about winning a “Most Creative Romantic Comedy” award at USC (connected to Beck and Kyle’s college era).
• Notable quote:
  "My mom was very silly... Maybe some of that rubbed off on me." – Hayes ([00:52])
• Kyle and Hayes banter about college era antics, including "robot parties" and Kyle's robot persona at frat houses.

2. College Anecdotes and Rap Battles

[04:19 – 10:58]

• Hayes and Kyle reminisce on freestyle rap battles, awkward run-ins at parties, and being outsiders in the Greek scene.
• Notable quote:
  "I go to frat parties and be like, need beer to survive." – Hayes ([03:50])
• They share stories of being physically bullied for their quirkiness, with Kyle saying:
  "I can't imagine them ever really, like, getting into a frat because you're pretending to be a robot." ([04:07])
• Hayes shares a cringey but victorious rap battle memory.

3. Relationship with Guests: Hollywood Handbook Guys

[12:05 – 16:00+]

• Beck and Kyle warmly introduce Sean Clements and Hayes Davenport, gushing about their creative career highlights and long friendships.
• The meta-comedic “the boys” motif gets tossed around between both pairs.
• Notable quote:
  "Honest to God, when we talk about you guys, we refer to you as the boys. So hearing that we're that." – Beck ([21:32])
• Banter about what ‘kiki’ means, and the nuances of calling each other “the boys”.

4. Meta-Confusion: What Is This Show? Who’s Pitching Whom?

[25:34 – 44:49]

• The central running joke: no one—including the hosts—understands the structure of the podcast, the division of hosting/guest roles, or what show is being recorded.
• Multiple competing versions of the format emerge: should the guests or hosts pitch the show, should they do a podcast about podcasts, do they move rooms, etc.
• Sean and Hayes (in classic Hollywood Handbook style) ratchet up the confusion with tongue-in-cheek literalism and mock concern over format clarity.
• Notable quote:
  "I had a goal... I would like to make the best episode of What’s Our Podcast ever done with the clearest, most easily understood, you know, premise and execution that they've ever had." – Sean ([40:09])
• Beck and the group repeatedly wonder aloud about the ‘podcast within a podcast’ concept.

5. The “Watch The Office to Find Conan O’Brien a Friend” Parody Segment

[44:49 – 75:39]

• After much back and forth, the group lands on a parody: a TV recap podcast (“Watch The Office”) with the twist of helping Conan O’Brien find a friend.
• The segment is intentionally disjointed: they cycle through multiple false starts, trouble with introductions, confusion over podcast etiquette, and a “bag over the head” green room bit.
• Notable moments:
  • No one has seen enough Office episodes to discuss (Sean: “I haven’t seen it” – [61:32]).
  • A failed attempt to watch Office clips (they realize they can't air the audio, leading to more dead air and meta-jokes about what to do in podcast “silence”).
  • The concept unravels; discussions devolve into fourth wall-breaking, and the team suggests maybe their idea’s unoriginal, making fun of Office Ladies and Conan O’Brien Needs a Friend for already doing similar things.
  • Notable quote:
    "I think this is the idea that you came up with for your podcast, and they've already done it." – Kyle ([70:44])
  • Beck praises their theme song, further muddying what’s sincere vs. parody.

6. Warm, Sincere Wrap-Up: Comedy Community and Making Something Unique

[75:57 – End]

• After the parody show collapses, the cast reflect on the chaos and joys of riffing, friendships in comedy, and feeling supported by each other through weirdness.
• Sean shares a touching story about being invited as an audience plant for Good Neighbor when he was new and lonely in LA.
• Notable quote:
  "Like, I'm the only person who's ever gonna see this." – Hayes on the ephemeral magic of improv ([80:17])
• They joke about the possibility of “accidentally” creating a real show and spinning it off.
• Heartfelt appreciation abounds, with Beck and Kyle expressing love for Sean and Hayes and the feeling of being part of a creative community.

Notable Quotes (with Timestamps)

• “My mom was very silly. Maybe some of that rubbed off on me.”
  – Hayes Davenport ([00:52])
• “I go to frat parties and be like, need beer to survive.”
  – Hayes Davenport ([03:50])
• “Honest to God, when we talk about you guys, we refer to you as the boys. So hearing that we're that.”
  – Beck Bennett ([21:32])
• “I had a goal... I would like to make the best episode… with the clearest, most easily understood, you know, premise and execution that they've ever had.”
  – Sean Clements ([40:09])
• “I think this is the idea that you came up with for your podcast, and they've already done it.”
  – Kyle Mooney ([70:44])
• “Like, I’m the only person who’s ever gonna see this.”
  – Hayes Davenport ([80:17])
• “I was a tutor... working with high school kids that were like cool and like I wanted to be cool to them sort of, you know, too…”
  – Beck Bennett ([85:18])

Timestamps for Key Segments

| Segment | Timestamp | |---------------------------------------------------|-------------| | Comedy influences & early stories | 00:36 – 04:19 | | College & freestyle rap battle anecdotes | 04:19 – 10:58 | | Warm-up & introducing guests (meta “the boys”) | 12:05 – 16:00+ | | Meta confusion: Podcast structure debate | 25:34 – 44:49 | | “Watch The Office / Find Conan a Friend” parody | 44:49 – 75:39 | | Warm wrap-up: Friendships & improv reflections | 75:57 – end |

Memorable Moments

• Rap Battle Gone Wrong: Hayes gets punched for rapping about a guy’s nose at a college party, then negotiates $5 restitution ([06:15]).
• “Bag Over the Head” Bit: Beck and Kyle float the (never-executed) idea of putting guest “bags” on to mimic a green room ([54:07]).
• Dead Air Meta-Humor: Upon realizing they can’t air Office audio, they brainstorm about narration or sharing “favorite Office memories” to cover silence ([65:05]).
• Sean describes sincere professional goals clashing with the chaos of the episode ([40:09]).
• Endearing appreciation loop: Multiple participants express genuine affection and gratitude in the close—bordering on “I love you man!” territory ([80:10+]).

Tone & Style

• Playful, Spiraling, and Self-Referential: The group excels at playing with the form and expectation—not just of podcasts, but of how comedic collaboration can look messy, confusing, chaotic, and sincere all at once.
• Real-world Comedy Circle Vibes: The tone shifts between high-energy bits, deadpan irony, mutual teasing, and honest moments of connection between longtime friends and colleagues.
• Meta-Podcast Energy: They are frequently “podcasting about podcasting,” which both mines for laughs and slyly critiques entertainment industry tropes.

Takeaway

This episode is a joyfully tangled exercise in meta-comedy and creative friendship, making listeners feel like they're witnessing a late-night hang among comedy veterans who care about each other as much as they relish lampooning show-business itself. As much a sendup of podcasting as an example, it’s ideal for fans of comedic process who love watching “the sausage get made”—even if no one ever agrees on the recipe.

(Note: All advertisements, theme song promos, and non-content interstitials are summarized or omitted.)