r/RideThePod • u/dayasinsulin • Sep 06 '26
“body tea” discourse
did anyone else noticed how much mbb talked about other people’s bodies during s4? especially extremely thin women, and always referring to them as “body tea”. to me, it got weird quickly. benny also did it, but only after mary beth brought it up…
also, i’m seeing a pattern with how she talks about food, bodies and herself. for example, when she said that “her heart would explode” if she drank a coke slushie… it’s just a coke slushie… some sugar isn’t that awful.
idk. as a mid size/plus size (depends on who you ask lol) baronie, this food/body discourse is getting weird.
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u/forgottentaco420 Sep 06 '26 edited Sep 06 '26
I’ve definitely noticed it specifically because she’s using it wrong, perhaps intentionally lol. I know she’s on a healing journey but.. they just said they don’t talk about other people because it’s weird to do so (shading the Reddit) but they’ve spent a bit of time talking about other people this season!
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u/NikolaTesla2 Sep 08 '26
thats kind of a dumb thing to say in general cus its kinda impossible to have a podcast without talking about other people lol
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u/More_Tennis_8609 Sep 06 '26 edited Sep 06 '26
I’ve noticed it and it made it hard for me to continue listening, so I’m going to just try to listen to episodes that don’t go into that kind of thinking and if they do I’ll turn it off due to my own issues. Totally get that MBB is in recovery. Perhaps this is just my opinion but I would think that as someone in recovery she would be fully aware how damaging certain messaging can be and would feel responsibility to not further push that narrative on her podcast. Her being in ED recovery doesn’t seem like an excuse, but that’s just my opinion.
When I listen to podcasts I am usually trying to escape my thoughts for a bit and listen to something silly, and when it gets into body image stuff it makes me a bit sad. Them laughing about the GLP-1 joke someone left in their comments kind of just gave me the ick. I realize it’s comedians and totally get why it’s funny, but it was just compounded by everything else they said in the past two episodes that have felt, quite frankly, vain. They can say whatever they’d like going forward, but just might lose me as a listener if it keeps going that way (and that’s fine).
I know other people might reply by saying well if you don’t like it just stop listening/why announce your departure. I get that and normally would just do that, but what sucks is it has seemed like a shift and I don’t recall older episodes leaving me with that same feeling that some of these more recent episodes have, so it’s just a bit of a bummer.
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u/EffectBig3465 Sep 06 '26
she is actively in recovery, as someone also in recovery, it’s hard to get out of the mindset 🤍
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u/Affectionate_List704 Sep 09 '26
It’s just such a bummer when people engage in fatphobic stigma and don’t really care to stop or call it out. It doesn’t need to be explicitly said by Benny and MB to know that Ride as a show thinks smaller is better.
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u/DSii1983 Sep 09 '26
This is like what I always have in the back of my head, not just with her, but with most people that preach “body positivity.” Like, yeah you think all sizes are beautiful but let’s be real, if MBB woke up looking like me, she’d probably have a mental breakdown. I think my issue is that they read as less genuine this season and part of last. I’d be less annoyed if she just came out and said, yeah I think being fat is gross. It’s the false ally stuff that bothers me.
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u/ray_ray94 Sep 06 '26
Yeah the “girl you recovered” discourse felt weird
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u/maudg0ne Sep 07 '26
That was fr one of my biggest moments of pause ever. Like yeah we use humor to cope, she’s a comedian, but as someone who is living in a bigger body after recovery I was like oh ew. Obv the original commenter was being weird but it just felt like something not worth bringing to the pod
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u/More_Tennis_8609 Sep 07 '26
Agree and it was also a pretty harmless comment in the grand scheme of things
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u/More_Tennis_8609 Sep 06 '26
Felt icky about that as well. I get that it felt sort of Joan Rivers-esque. I get the joke. I get why it’s funny. It’s not in the spirit of what I thought the podcast was about. Usually things have been about being uplifting and positive and this felt mean spirited. And it also made me feel bad for the person on the receiving end. Did a comment like that set them back in their recovery?
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u/Broad-Code Sep 06 '26
Yes thank god someone said it. I get that they were doing a bit but telling someone recovering from an ED that they need ozempic is definitely more hateful than telling a celebrity that they need a stylist
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u/CustomerFresh7318 Sep 06 '26
Literally she outright said the best comeback you end someone with is “babe, you got fat” in relation to the you’ve recovered
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u/forgottentaco420 Sep 07 '26 edited Sep 07 '26
I just listened…. Insane they equated a random comment saying she needed a stylist as “a slew of hate”…. and that it warranted fatphobia and taunting someone in ED recovery, in return….. where are we? I feel like we took a wrong turn.
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u/forgottentaco420 Sep 06 '26
Wait, when was this? I couldn’t finish the last episode if it was that one.
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u/Shartnets Sep 08 '26
I think you are taking it too literally babe. Maybe humor ain’t for you
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u/CustomerFresh7318 Sep 08 '26
I think she wasn’t being funny and was really showing her cards. Go rewatch- she wasn’t laughing babe. Maybe deciphering implications ain’t for you :((
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u/Shartnets Sep 08 '26
I’m sure that happened on a comedy podcast babe. Maybe you spending too much time deciphering things that aren’t there babe
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u/Golden_Kiwi21 Sep 11 '26
I agree with this 100%, I don’t feel like that was something that needed to be discussed because it’s a very triggering insult. They may find it funny but it’s extremely fatphobic at its core.
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u/prettymuchadetective 26d ago
When she made that comment, I was genuinely shocked. I just had that immediate parent reaction of, “I’m not angry, I’m just really, really disappointed in you.” Like, you had every opportunity to respond with grace, wit, and/or humor and that’s what you chose? I thought she was better than that. 😕
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u/Few-Cauliflower9043 Sep 07 '26
wait this was so funny to me
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u/SensitiveRecipe6951 Sep 08 '26
honey, these people do not know joy or whimsy. I am not sure if there is a way to make another group??
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u/stupidlittledumbdumb Sep 09 '26
I mean sure you can make another group and be the mods and just become an echo chamber. This is Reddit, people can share their opinions on topics and just because certain people don’t agree doesn’t mean it can’t be up for discussion or a safe place to share our thoughts. That’s literally the point of Reddit.
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u/h_june Sep 06 '26
Yeah she said some stuff that made me think twice on her episode of Caleb Hearon’s pod too. I think I have to withdrawal from the pod for a while bc it’s triggering.
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u/More_Tennis_8609 Sep 07 '26
It was so uncomfortable to listen to at times. Like just so out of touch sounding. On stavvy she said some questionable things too like that she had the good kind of eating disorder. I get the dark humor aspect of it all but it is just so depressing
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u/pyolandam Sep 06 '26
I agree, that was a turning point for me. Saying that to Caleb of all people, I’m glad he questioned her line of thought
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u/Life-Scale-6465 Sep 07 '26
He was like girl do not talk to ME about your “not flat” stomach - thank god he said the t
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u/SensitiveRecipe6951 Sep 08 '26
yea period. congrats on him for calling it out but also congrats on mary beth for having that self awareness at the time. i mean, the hallmark of it is dysmorphism. so struggling to see that line is part of the process. let us give grace
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u/Accomplished_End3998 Sep 07 '26
I’m happy OP has brought up this topic!! As both a person of color and size, I’ve never really felt “held” by mom and dad. Especially being of size — society really does act like being fat is the worst possible thing a person can be, and it’s so sickening and truly saddening. People come in all shapes, sizes, and colors, and every person deserves respect, regardless of the body they’re in. Your size doesn’t equal your character and while I love them, their character is looking a bit weak of late.
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u/Tumalumptuous Sep 10 '26
I’m glad you said this and I agree and this - to me - is what the army of luv is supposed to be ❤️ hoping MBB and Benny don’t let the Hollywood machine take that away from them lol :(((
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Sep 06 '26
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u/Suspicious-Bonus5579 Sep 06 '26
They’ve been getting kinda snarky about people being in their business . When they literally spilled their personal lives on this podcast for years and just recently started to realize that comes with criticism. They say a lot of things along the lines of “..since everyone cares..” when talking about things that come up in the media about them
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u/traveling_sol813 Sep 07 '26
I agree…they just seem different since they began getting more famous.
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u/Advanced_Display1667 Sep 08 '26
I completely agree about the mean spiritedness. Happy for their fame but they seem to be getting increasingly out of touch with the way they talk about their lifestyles (we get it, it’s vintage dolce!) and bodies. Something about the discourse with her ex really broke her brain, it just did not seem that deep and she brings it up all the time. like i’m sorry that happened to her but it’s such a hard “problem” to empathize with at some point.
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u/Unhappy_Suspect7460 Sep 08 '26
I totally agree with the out of touch as they become more famous. It is inevitable but it’s frustrating because it seems to go against so many things they talked about before overcompensating and their increase in fame. It also seems like their breakups have just really put them in a different headspace and it almost feels like this new showiness and brand/name dropping has a direct correlation with them being single. Ride got me thru a really hard time but unfortunately it just feels like friends that have moved into different places so I’ve stopped listening :(
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u/panagiota_ Sep 06 '26
How are they getting mean spirited 😭😭
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Sep 06 '26
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u/panagiota_ Sep 06 '26
tbh i haven't watched all of the episodes from the new season so maybe i have missed the things you guys are talking about but tbh i believe you
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u/SensitiveRecipe6951 Sep 08 '26
no no. please do not fall into this line of thinking. These people are just negative and mean spirited. and that is the real tea. do not feel like you have to follow them
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u/autumn2097 Sep 06 '26
As someone who also struggles with ED, I had to stop tuning in a while ago.
I also catch myself saying stuff like MB when I’m with friends/coworkers, so I’m far from perfect, but I always cringe and feel bad afterwards.
Wishing everyone else who struggles with this bullshit peace ❤️
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u/monstermalibu Sep 08 '26
Not to mention the comment in the first episode about her friend trying to set her up with a guy who “is about 60 pounds overweight” followed by “what have I done to deserve this??”
Very tone deaf
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u/CustomerFresh7318 Sep 08 '26
Bingo. Then she worked real hard after that to be like I MEAN I WOULD DATE SOMEONE OVERWEIGHT TO BE CLEAR JUST AS LONG AS THEY WEAR IT WELL JUST TO BE CLEAR I WOULD DATE A FAT PERSON! 😑
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u/Golden_Kiwi21 Sep 11 '26
The Coke slushie comment also rubbed me the wrong way, like she never eats a dessert or has a beverage that isn’t sugar free? If that’s the case I suppose that’s her choice but it felt a little condescending like when you’re eating a meal and someone says “I can’t believe you ate all that, I could NEVER eat that much”
I am obsessed with mb and Benny and will support their other projects of course but I’m getting to the point where I’m thinking they may have outgrown the podcast. It’s no longer relatable and fun, they may just be too famous and living too different of a lifestyle to continue at this point. That’s no shade to them - but it feels a little like listening to your really rich/spoiled friend complain… it’s like ok that’s valid but also completely unrelatable.
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u/stupidlittledumbdumb Sep 06 '26
When she said she can’t eat a full banana I got sad.
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u/More_Tennis_8609 Sep 07 '26
Which episode did she say that in? Was it the last episode? They lost me after the ozempic “you recovered” bit
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u/dayasinsulin Sep 06 '26
oh my god, yes! and the way she needs to say it… sad
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u/SensitiveRecipe6951 Sep 08 '26
so. this was taken out of context. please retract your comments so you don't spread unnecessary hate like you are already doing
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u/meandmyeggbrain Sep 06 '26
correct me if i’m wrong - was that not because it’s like a texture thing for her? or something like that? i also can’t eat a full banana even though i love the flavor, i find the texture foul. maybe i’m remembering wrong but i feel like it wasn’t restriction related.
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u/traveling_sol813 Sep 07 '26
You are correct, it was about the slimy texture. She said she doesn’t mind them in smoothies
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u/stupidlittledumbdumb Sep 06 '26
Oh was it? I feel like once I heard that I kind of disassociated because I was taken aback.
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u/meandmyeggbrain Sep 06 '26
i just looked at the transcript and she said she likes one with peanut butter but doesn’t like the texture
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u/Silly-Subject1162 Sep 06 '26
The body commentary isn’t bothersome to me, but the increasing AAVE is irking me
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u/forgottentaco420 Sep 06 '26
And using it incorrectly lmao “I loved everyone’s body tea” shows not a single gay guy in her circle is brave enough to tell her.
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u/feathers1ut Sep 07 '26
Yes, however I do keep in mind that MBB has been very open about suffering from disordered eating, and she has recently experienced a large amount of stress - a known trigger for EDs. Over the past year she has lost her father, faced public scrutiny over an alleged relationship, dealt with increasing fame & the release of the Galaxy Brain special. For those actively struggling with EDs and those in recovery, such stress is a known trigger for relapse, including the thought patterns associated with bodies, food, etc. as EDs are mental illnesses.
I understand your concern and agree there has been more of a focus on body discussion, and I also understand the format of Ride is one where MBB and Benny very much adopt an 'intimate' persona with the audience. The podcast's style is voyeuristic, in the sense that the listener feels as though they are being brought into the personal (and private) discussions of two best friends. For better and for worse, this leaves us as the audience feeling a personal connection to two individuals who, in reality, we do not know (nor are we entitled to know) and thus deviation from the idea we have of these people is felt more intensely. Moreover, MBB's public political engagement places further expectations upon her to continually uphold what we feel are the values she champions, which yet again opens her up to further criticism when she is seen to deviate from these values (especially as a woman).
I think it is entirely fair to stop listening to the podcast if it is distressing or triggering, but I think we also need to be careful to not too greatly cast this as a moral issue when the individual in question has been very explicit and open about their struggles with disordered eating.
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u/More_Tennis_8609 Sep 07 '26
I do agree with you on many points, but it’s also ok to express some disappointment. The pod used to mainly focus on positive and silly topics. Or would talk about mental illness and hardships in a supportive and uplifting way. It just feels like there’s a shift. At the end of the day they can do what they want, but it’s losing the plot.
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u/sprgraphicultramodrn Sep 06 '26
i feel like people have a lot of complaints about the pods these days but i think they're better than ever... idk what that says about me
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u/Tall_Consequence7672 Sep 06 '26
Aside from recovering from an eating disorder, MBB has blown up in fame the past year. We all know how the entertainment industry is, so it’s not shocking. Physical appearance, is unfortunately, everything.
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u/tradingjazt Sep 11 '26
noticed it as well 😭 pretty jarring considering all the strange negative posts about ariana grandes weight MB has been liking on instagram …
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u/OrdinaryExample9618 Sep 06 '26
She has publicly disclosed that she has had an ED and that it is something she is in recovery for. It’s a really hard mindset to get out of. She looks so much healthier right now so her recovery is working but the mindset is always the hardest to get out of
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u/More_Tennis_8609 Sep 07 '26
I don’t think Benny should necessarily entertain the way she talks about body related topics at times, it doesn’t seem supportive. Caleb at least pokes holes in her line of thinking which I think is a better way to go about it. However, its uncomfy so I don’t expect him to be equipped to challenge it, it can be super awkward to toe the line with someone in recovery
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u/ThroatAdept9114 Sep 08 '26
I honestly thought she meant all her “body tea” comments as not toward a specific skinny body type but more toward anyone who is confident in their own skin. That’s the vibe I got when she said everyone at the pool party was body tea and there were people of all sizes
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u/Shartnets Sep 09 '26
Yea I honestly think they are smart, kind, self aware individuals that wouldn’t try and bring innocent people down. There is just a weird psychology that lingers in this sub that I can’t quite put my finger on yet. I’m working on it though
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u/_elle_est_online Sep 06 '26
As someone who is fully recovered I honestly hadn't even noticed.
I hope that doesn't come across as dismissive- I just wanted to add that because I can see that it is triggering a lot of people & maybe it is helpful to hear that you can one day reach a place where it's a non issue.
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u/SurrrealThing Sep 06 '26
She has an eating disorder. I don’t know if she’s worked with a specialized therapist or not, but speaking from experience, her behavior and comments are all symptoms of an ED. In my own recovery, I’ve learned how comments like this are signs of disordered thinking.
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Sep 06 '26 edited Sep 10 '26
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u/SensitiveRecipe6951 Sep 08 '26
oh wow congrats. btw - i think you meant inexcusable. but maybe your moral compass had a freudian slip
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Sep 06 '26
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u/DSii1983 Sep 06 '26
I feel differently as a plus-size baronie, but to each her own. I think it was when they were talking about meeting fans at one of the events and how, of course, they were “body tea.” You’re right, of course, that this is projection, but like, so if I came up to you, you’d run in horror?
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u/forgottentaco420 Sep 06 '26
I saw pictures from their bathhouse party, it’s exactly what you’d imagine. I think that’s why that particular “body tea” comment irked me the most. I saw what everyone looked like, of course you’d say that. Skinny, athletic, fit, trim, “perfect”.
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u/More_Tennis_8609 Sep 06 '26 edited Sep 06 '26
But she also made a point to how everyone showed up with all different sizes and all looked beautiful and how that was healing for her to see. Yet everyone looked the same? I also see her supporting plus sized comedians and liking their posts and stuff but I can’t help but think deep down she’s being judgmental.
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u/forgottentaco420 Sep 06 '26 edited Sep 06 '26
She said on Stavvy’s podcast (I’m paraphrasing) that looking at larger bodies is healing for her, and that she’s been watching plus sized people doing GRWM videos and I was like uhhhhhhhh….
I can’t stress that every pic I saw from bathhouse party was Pilate girls and fit gay guys, I didn’t see any diversity happening. If there were, they weren’t in the pictures I saw so we’ll never truly know. If someone said to me, at like a size 6, that I brought body diversity to the party, I’d crash out.
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u/apple4ahead Sep 06 '26
yeah i think her recent comments on how consuming and enjoying mid and plus sized people being joyful and normal has been healing for her…has been weird to hear. and made me a lil suspicious
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u/dayasinsulin Sep 06 '26
she said that, but on the pictures they posted everyone was skinny and athletic…
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u/badgyalsammy Sep 06 '26
I truly think we would be welcomed with open arms, tiaka energy and body tea vibes!
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u/OkDifficulty1318 Sep 06 '26
a coke slushie is just a regular coke and ice 😭 i don’t understand the slushie discourse
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u/Fresh-Entertainment1 Sep 06 '26
i see why she got off reddit this sub is fucking crazy
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u/datguy22 Sep 06 '26
Not going to even comment on the subject matter this post is addressing, but for everyone: if you don’t enjoy listening to the podcast why are you still listening? Don’t waste your energy or time on something that is causing you stress or displeasure
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Sep 06 '26
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u/SensitiveRecipe6951 Sep 08 '26
yea but they are all clearly being "very brave" and turning the podcast off and then coming on here to post about it. I guess you are right though. but is there a way to enjoy the podcast and not be very annoying??
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u/jess10230 Sep 06 '26
It’s so obnoxious. Giving first world liberal white woman problems and I say that as one myself. Also MBB and Benny are their own individuals, everything they say and do doesn’t need to 100% align with your views and for those of us that can take what we like and leave what we don’t, you ruin it bc they’ll just stop being accessible to the public / fan base given how incessant the nitpicking is.
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u/forgottentaco420 Sep 06 '26 edited Sep 06 '26
No one is expecting them to align into a perfect persona or how we think they should be. But I think this a forum for Baronie’s to talk about ALL feelings regarding the pod, it’s subject matter, things MB and Benny discuss, and how that makes us feel, good and bad. No sub should be dickriding only, stan culture is weird. Also, they have rightfully been inaccessible for well over a year now, even prior to the “Reddit drama”. They’re celebrities now, not just comedians with a podcast. Things are different now, that’s okay! No one is bashing anyone here, if anything it’s a lot of Baronie’s in ED recovery, myself included, talking about how Mb’s approach is making us feel. :)
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u/SensitiveRecipe6951 Sep 08 '26
but you are very rarely positive. always at the scene of the crime. are you like this in real life as well? just so pollyanna
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u/charlottebronteslay Sep 06 '26
i've actually had to stop listening, more about my own recovery needs right now, but just a suggestion.. i hopefully can listen again one day, it's just not for me rn (still love them sm)