Episode Summary: We Made It Weird #226 – Pete Holmes & Valerie ("Val") Holmes

Date: September 12, 2025
Podcast: You Made It Weird with Pete Holmes
Host: Pete Holmes
Co-Host: Valerie (“Val”) Holmes

Episode Theme:

This episode is classic "We Made It Weird": an intimate, zany, and thoughtful conversation between Pete and Val Holmes in which they riff on pop culture (Taylor Swift, classic movies, acting styles), share personal stories about comedy, reflect on the mind-body disconnect, and celebrate the everyday weirdness everyone harbors. The show’s vibe is intentionally loose and conversational, leaning into digressions, vulnerability, and quirky observations, with plenty of laughter and in-jokes for the loyal listener.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Taylor Swift Secrets and Celebrity Codebreaking

• Timestamps: 00:39–02:48
• The episode kicks off with Val comparing their Insider podcast callbacks to Taylor Swift’s secret messages for fans, like embedded codes in her album titles and song lyrics.
  • Valerie: “You know how Taylor Swift embeds codes in her songs for her fans?...Her whole album, I think it’s the most recent one, has certain letters that are bigger than others, like, are in caps and that spells… what is this?” (01:01)
• Pete mockingly questions this, then genuinely enjoys the concept.
  • Pete: "I went from making fun of it to immediately thinking, that's really fun." (01:23)
• Both riff on Jake Gyllenhaal, referencing how Pete met him once and how Val used to watch "Moonlight Mile" solely for him.
  • Val: “I used to watch that in high school. Just for Gyllenhaal.” (02:44)

2. Manic vs. Chill Podcasting (Setting the Episode’s Mood)

• Timestamps: 02:53–03:09
• Pete notes how some episodes are manic, but today’s is “like a real conversation between two people, two humans.”
  • Val: “It’s like a real conversation between two people, two humans.” (03:05)

3. Sex Symbols and Old Movies: The James Spader Riff

• Timestamps: 08:29–11:05
• Pete and Val riff on how some actors (like James Spader) unexpectedly become sex symbols (“he’s a shooting star... of sexuality"), referencing "Sex, Lies, and Videotape" and debating the relative required-ness of various “must-see” movies.
  • Pete: "I was like, oh, he’s a... sexpot. He’s a banger, he’s a red pepper, he’s a tilt-a-whirl... he’s a shooting star, okay. Of sexuality." (09:11)

4. Not-So-Essential Pop Culture: "Never Seen The Godfather" Club

• Timestamps: 10:22–14:03
• Admitting they’ve never seen "The Godfather," Pete and Val discuss the cultural pressure to watch classic films (and the pride in being holdouts).
  • Pete: “I have a tote bag of pleasure of being like, I’ve never seen that and I never will.” (10:56)
• They further rabbit-hole into early gangster movies, with Pete reading IMDB-style trivia: “You haven’t seen the Musketeers of Pig Alley, 1912.” (13:44)

5. Human/Machine Distinction: Pete's Dystopian Captcha Theory

• Timestamps: 16:01–18:09
• Pete riffs on a future where humans must prove they’re not robots by saying things a bot can’t or won’t (“hello, slut, I am a human slut”).
  • Pete: “The way that you prove you’re not an artificial intelligence robot… you have to say something an AI would never say.” (17:13)
  • Val: “Is that funny?”
  • Pete: “It’s a podcast bit.” (18:11)

6. The Frustrations of Tech in Daily Life & Aging

• Timestamps: 18:20–21:54
• Pete tells his tale of podcast apps failing him and the hassle of finding the “right episode,” transitioning into bits about aging—fonts getting bigger, parents with massive phone screens, and the comedy it inspires.
  • Pete: “When I was looking at your mom’s phone...it’s like three billboards outside...” (21:01)
  • Val: “You couldn’t see an entire text message in one screen.” (21:40)

7. Doing Stand-up in "Rooms" vs. Clubs—Comedy Energy

• Timestamps: 22:15–29:28
• Pete describes a recent gig at Donald Glover’s “Boba shop” in Silver Lake: the thrill, nerves, and risk of performing in a ‘room’ where not everyone’s a fan, versus the security of club shows.
  • Pete: “It was just scrappy... I was very aware that I could bomb.” (26:36)
  • Val: “You did a bit I didn’t know you have. It really did seem improvised.” (27:15)
  • Pete breaks down one of his “room” bits, even humorously meta-analyzing the three distinct laughter moments (“laugh number one...number two...number three”). (27:33–27:54)

8. The Universal Rollercoaster of Any Skill (Comedy, Pole-Dancing, Exercise)

• Timestamps: 29:28–30:57
• Frank discussion about good and bad days in skill-based endeavors: stand-up, pole dancing, or exercise. Some nights you “go upside down”; next time, you “can’t even do a basic swing.”

9. The Mind-Body Disconnect & Val's "Life Thesis"

• Timestamps: 32:58–39:03
• Val asks: “Why don’t we know what’s happening with our bodies and emotions?” (32:58) She shares her glucose monitor story and explores whether modern humans are out of synch with their bodies because of distractions or evolutionary changes.
  • Pete: “The user experience for the human body could certainly use an upgrade.” (34:49)
  • Val: “I think this might be the thesis of our lives, you and I specifically. But why don’t we know what is happening with our bodies and emotions?” (32:58)
• They build a metaphor of the mind as the “president” and body as “the country”—often at odds, sometimes in “mutiny.”
  • Val: “So much of somatic work is trying to restore the connection between your brain and body and give your body way bigger of a seat at the table...” (39:11)

10. Old-School Variety Stardom: Sinatra and Pre-TV "All-Arounders"

• Timestamps: 42:47–45:26
• The hosts reflect on the era when celebrities had to do “everything”—sing, tell stories, entertain, and serve as an all-purpose “emotional outlet.” They imagine a time when everyone had to be versatile: bar acts, catchy songs, and comedic anecdotes all rolled together.
  • Pete: “Frank Sinatra owns an entire generation...he was their comedy, their sex appeal, their music, the only emotional outlet they had...” (42:49–43:02)

11. Watching Classic Films Through a Modern Lens (And Their Unintentional "Poop Vibes" of the 70s)

• Timestamps: 45:06–51:26
• Val and Pete dissect why some musicals/old movies are enduringly charming, while others exhibit strange, sometimes off-putting energy—especially 1970s cinema, which both agree “feels like I have to poop."
  • Val: “I don’t really like any movie from the 70s. They all make me kind of feel like I have to poop.” (50:12)
• They develop a running joke describing ‘70s movie aesthetics in terms of brown, avocado, orange, and “musty” décor.

12. Acting: The Four Essential Verbs (Feed, Feel, Fight, F*ck) and the Art of Dimensional Performance

• Timestamps: 64:40–69:56
• A surprisingly insightful analysis of actors’ believability across four domains: sensuality, emotion, aggression, appetite. They pick apart Adam Sandler, Tom Cruise, Ryan Gosling, Denzel, and Clooney on these axes.
  • Pete: “You can see [Adam Sandler] tender, you can see him angry, you can see him horny, you can see him silly. You can see him stupid, you can also see him smart… You're ready to believe anything." (65:03)
  • Pete (later): “It's like running for president, running for movie star—I need to believe that you would eat a cheeseburger and be like, 'that's good.' Same with sex, same with fighting. That’s Cruise." (68:44)

13. Social Blunders & Awkwardness: "We Love You Guys"

• Timestamps: 61:00–64:12
• Pete and Val share recent moments of social awkwardness at gatherings and in everyday encounters.
  • Pete: “I hope you had fun with Seth. We love you guys...That’s the fastest meeting to saying I love you in human history." (63:01)

14. Set Life, Flirtation, and The Psychology of ‘Camp’

• Timestamps: 57:03–59:01
• Val describes how people on sets develop quick, intense “set crushes,” and Pete relates this to the fleeting nature of attraction in high-energy, purpose-driven environments (like “summer camp”).

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “You know how Taylor Swift embeds codes in her songs for her fans?... No, her whole album, I think it’s the most recent one, has certain letters that are bigger than others, like, are in caps and that spells... what is this?”
  — Valerie, 01:01

• “I have a tote bag of pleasure of being like, I’ve never seen that and I never will.”
  — Pete, 10:56

• "You can see [Adam Sandler] tender, you can see him angry, you can see him horny, you can see him silly. You can see him stupid, you can also see him smart... You're ready to believe anything."
  — Pete, 65:03

• “I don’t really like any movie from the 70s. They all make me kind of feel like I have to poop.”
  — Val, 50:12

• “Why don’t we know what is happening with our bodies and emotions?... I think this might be the thesis of our lives, you and I specifically.”
  — Val, 32:58

• “I hope you had fun with Seth. We love you guys...That’s the fastest meeting to saying I love you in human history.”
  — Pete, 63:01

Important Segment Timestamps

• Intro / Taylor Swift Codex: 00:39–02:48
• Sex Symbols, Classic Movies: 08:29–14:03
• AI, Human Captcha Theory: 16:01–18:09
• Podcast Tech & Aging: 18:20–21:54
• Mind-Body Disconnect: 32:58–39:03
• Acting: The Four Verbs: 64:40–69:56
• Comedy in the “Room”: 22:15–29:28

Conclusion:

Pete and Val’s chemistry shines in this meandering, funny, and oddly deep episode—taking listeners on tangents from celebrity codebreaking to the quirks of their own minds and bodies. They poke fun at themselves, culture, and each other, offering a unique window into the inner worlds of two comedians and spouses. Notably, Val frequently receives the fictitious “Potty Award” from Pete for her insight and wit, making her the MVP of the episode.

Final Sign-off:
Val: “What you want?”
Pete: “Keep it crispy.” (70:09)

For fans of comedic honesty, pop culture musings, and the comforting weirdness of being alive, this episode is a must-listen.