Podcast Summary: You Made It Weird with Pete Holmes

Episode: Beth Stelling Returns
Date: October 8, 2025
Guest: Beth Stelling

Episode Overview

This episode marks the return of comedian Beth Stelling to "You Made It Weird." Pete and Beth dive deep into stand-up culture, body image, internet criticism, the shifting landscape of comedy, and personal weirdness—mixing personal stories, candid industry discussion, and riff-heavy humor. The tone is casual, honest, and playful, giving listeners both laughs and insight into the lives (and minds) of two veteran comics navigating comedy and culture in 2025.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Comic Weirdness, Merch Talk, and Riffing on Names

• The episode opens with playful back-and-forth about merch, comedians' websites, and riffing on domain names.
• Pete and Beth immediately settle into their familiar banter full of inside-comedy jokes and gentle roasting (01:41–03:00).
• They muse about comedians’ online presence, and the absurdity of spelling and branding (e.g., “Mikebirbiglia.com” vs. “Burbiggs.com”) and riff on who owns whose website domains.

2. Stand-up Life: Touring, Sleep Schedules, and Valet Parking

• Beth talks about being a night owl on the road, doomscrolling, and the strange pleasures of being awake when no one else is (07:21).
• Both discuss the psychological need for “special time” either late at night or early in the morning—time when “no one is doing anything” (08:07).
• They connect these habits to dealing with social anxiety and comedian procrastination.

3. Shark Tank Bit & Societal Biases (09:02–12:46)

• Pete and Beth riff on "Shark Tank" production stories and muse about the show's subtle (and not-so-subtle) biases based on body image and who deserves investment:

  “If a thin, beautiful woman is selling her cookie dough company, they will all invest. If a heavier bodied person pitches their sprinkle company, they'll all be like, you, you got diabetes, get out of here. They shame them.” —Pete (10:38)

• Discussion about pop culture’s obsession with thinness, health, recovery from eating disorders, and how women’s bodies are judged.

4. Stand-up Special Talk & Internet Feedback (17:53–23:14)

• Beth reflects on the vulnerability of releasing material online and how instant social feedback changed comedy.
• Both agree: the best feedback is the genuine audience laugh—or lack thereof.
• The conversation touches on Beth’s new YouTube special The Landlord Special, which she released herself after traditional platforms (e.g., Netflix) passed:

  “...the reason there is a half hour on YouTube is because I couldn't get my next special made.” —Beth (32:09)

• Pete compliments Beth’s comedic voice—warm, honest, silly, and reminiscent of the variety and satisfaction of a Cheesecake Factory menu.

5. Authenticity, Aging, and Industry Pressures (24:01–26:07)

• Beth talks openly about aging naturally, plastic surgery, and navigating the pressures women face on and offstage.
• They discuss honesty in stand-up, and audience expectations, and sharing personal imperfections through jokes.

6. Engaging with Online Critics (26:12–29:47)

• Beth shares her approach to internet criticism: sometimes engaging, sometimes giving savage comebacks.

  “I think your time would be better spent making Nicole come with your mouth.” —Beth (26:47)

• They debate if engaging helps or hurts, with Pete noting it can fuel the algorithm but also cause headaches.

7. Comedy Styles and Roasting as a Form (41:53–54:31)

• Major discussion about different schools of comedy: word math/surprise (Anthony Jeselnik style) vs. personal, connective material (Beth, Pete).
• Roasting is examined—where, when, and for whom is it healthy or fun? Both express unease with roasts as a default mode, especially among young comics:

  “Roasting is for the time of harvest... but when the world gets really dark, I turn less to the cards against Humanity.” —Pete (52:25)

• They critique the normalization of making trauma or weakness a punchline without context or mutual trust.

8. Industry Shifts: From the Comedy Cellar to Social Media

• The pair reminisce about old NYC club attitudes—harsh, roast-heavy, competitive—and how a newer, softer, more honest wave (the "Nate and Mulaney" vibe) balanced that culture (61:05–63:50).
• Reflections on the impact of internet and social stats on comedic success and bookings.

9. Women in Comedy, Inclusivity, and Navigating Exploitation

• They discuss the issue of representation and how not all opportunities build supportive fanbases, citing examples like Kill Tony and America’s Got Talent (57:47–60:56).
• Wrestling with staying authentic while navigating the demand for social media presence.

10. Bits Workshop: Boobs, Boardwalks, and “Tributaries” (74:01–92:48)

• Pete and Beth workshop a bit about Pete's wife's boobs, and whether such jokes reinforce stereotypes or lovingly subvert them.
• Discussion about the difficulties and pitfalls of joking about body parts and personal relationships, especially for men.
• Beth encourages finding new angles (“tributaries”) and playfully suggests carrying his wife's boobs on a rolling podium or using her body for science tattoos.

11. Authorship, Self-Respect, and Handling Rejection

• Both reflect on the realities of having work passed over by streamers and industry gatekeepers (115:24–118:08).
• Beth shares her vulnerability about being rejected by Netflix—how it colored her mood but ultimately re-centered her on performing for the fans, not the suits.

  “It did take a hit. It sucked. And then I had to sort of go back to go, what do I care about giving these people a good show on the road? ...people care about what I do, and I have people that want to see it and I'm having fun.” —Beth (121:51)

12. Ghost Stories, Psychic Readings, and Permission to Be Weird

• They wrap up with stories of ghostly encounters, skepticism, and the longing for weird, ineffable moments (103:37–112:41).
• They muse on creative discipline, free-time paralysis, and how loss of routine can almost be a curse for artists.

13. On Parenting, Touring, and Real Life

• Beth shares about being a stepmom, touring constantly, and the struggle to be present for family (124:00–125:16).
• The episode closes with mutual appreciation, industry solidarity, and Pete touting Beth’s special as a must-see for fans of heartfelt and genuinely weird comedy.

Notable Quotes & Moments

• On body standards:
  “Thin wins. You see someone recovering... and their body is looking healthier. But... when they were like cocaine skinny... everybody thought they were so attractive."
  —Beth (11:37)

• On audience feedback:
  “For the longest time, it was just a laugh or no laugh.”
  —Beth (18:42)

• On handling online critics:
  “I think your time would be better spent making Nicole come with your mouth.”
  —Beth (26:47)

• On the core of her comedy:
  “If you could turn it into a frequency, it would be like 432 hertz... it's like one of those calming [tones]... the strength of openness.”
  —Pete (29:11)

• On comedy generations:
  “If you went to the cellar, someone was going to make fun of your clothes... And then you get there, and everyone's like Dice Clay and saying the C word like it's sea salt.”
  —Pete (61:05)

• On creative rejection:
  “That’s how I felt, like I got shot last May and I was bleeding out through the end of the year.”
  —Beth (121:38)

Timestamps for Key Segments

| Segment | Timestamp | |------------------------------------------|--------------------| | Merch and Comedian Website Riffs | 01:41–03:00 | | Sleep Schedules & Comedy Procrastination | 07:21–08:14 | | Shark Tank, Societal Biases | 09:02–12:46 | | The Landlord Special & Getting Passed Over| 21:37–32:09 | | Handling Criticism Online | 26:12–29:47 | | Roasting Culture Debate | 41:53–54:31 | | Boobs/New Material Workshop | 74:01–92:48 | | Creative Rejection & Resilience | 115:24–122:16 | | Ghost Stories and Psychic Readings | 103:37–112:41 | | Touring & Step-Parenting | 124:00–125:16 | | Closing Appreciation | 127:18–128:10 |

Episode Tone & Vibe

The conversation is emblematic of the podcast’s ethos: vulnerable, self-deprecating, and joyously tangential. They alternate between riffing, sincerity, playful vulgarity, and frank talk about the costs and rewards of a life in comedy. Beth and Pete’s rapport is seasoned and affectionate, and the episode is full of both quotable lines and genuine moments that invite listeners to feel “in the room” with two pros at the top of—and sometimes tested by—their game.

For fans of comedy, self-reflection, and hearing about the backstage life from those who live it, this is an essential listen.

Highly Quotable Moments

• “You have to talk to that part. Like you talk to your daughter. You just have to be like, it is scary.” (115:38, Pete)
• “It's basically great. What was it? Is it a bell curve? Stand up in Chicago? I'd show up in sweats, I'd bike there. No makeup. Who gives a shit? … And now I'm like, I don't own a full-length mirror.” (98:30, Beth)

Check out Beth’s special The Landlord Special on YouTube, and follow both Pete and Beth for more tour and comedy updates.

“Keep it crispy.”
—Beth Stelling, (128:07)