The Toast

Ozempic Curious with Jared Freid: Thursday, November 13th, 2025

November 13, 2025

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  • Jared Freid and Claudia Oshry extensively discussed the cultural impact and personal relevance of Ozempic and weight struggles, contrasting Bethany Frankel's stance with their own experiences. 
  • Jared Freid views his comedy career (internet, podcasting, and stand-up) as interconnected, driven by survival, and values the validation of a Netflix special for legitimizing his work. 
  • The conversation highlighted the universal sting of parental criticism regarding weight (using the word "heavy") and the complex dynamics of men navigating dating culture while being open about their perspectives on podcasts. 
  • Hilaria Baldwin's continued public presence despite past controversies, including her age-gap marriage therapy, is viewed with a strange level of respect due to her unbothered nature online. 
  • The best way for celebrities to handle internet scrutiny is often to 'lean in' and address the narrative, as demonstrated by Amy Schumer's explanation for deleting pre-weight loss photos. 
  • The hosts agree that dealing with public commentary on appearance, especially for female comedians, is a significant source of stress, contrasting with the relative freedom male comedians have regarding their looks. 

Segments

Jared Freid’s Return & Outfits
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(00:00:25)
  • Key Takeaway: Jared Freid tailored his outfit choice based on the perceived formality of the previous guest, Bethany Frankel.
  • Summary: Jared Freid noted that he dressed down for this appearance because Claudia Oshry hosts two podcasts, contrasting this with his previous appearance where he dressed up for non-podcaster Bethany Frankel. His mother criticized his previous casual attire, calling him “sloppy” and using the word “heavy.”
The Weight of ‘Heavy’
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(00:02:06)
  • Key Takeaway: The word ‘heavy’ carries a more devastating, health-implying connotation than the word ‘fat’ when used by a mother.
  • Summary: Both hosts agreed that the word ‘heavy’ feels worse than ‘fat’ because it implies a doctor’s assessment and health implications. Jared Freid jokingly claimed to be the inventor of the word ‘heavy’ in this context, referencing his book, The Camper & The Counselor.
Bethany Frankel’s Influence
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(00:02:45)
  • Key Takeaway: Bethany Frankel is a magnetic, lightning-rod content creator whose in-person demeanor was surprisingly disarming compared to her online persona.
  • Summary: Claudia Oshry noted the massive engagement following Bethany Frankel’s appearance, observing that Frankel’s current content creation career generates more money than her former TV stardom. Frankel stated that her resistance to Ozempic stemmed from not understanding the struggle, which the hosts felt indicated she had never truly struggled with weight.
Stand-up vs. Internet Career
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(00:04:12)
  • Key Takeaway: Jared Freid views his stand-up and internet careers as revenue-wise somewhat even, but prioritizes the communal connection of his stand-up material.
  • Summary: Jared Freid confirmed his identity as a stand-up comedian currently on tour, noting that his material often resonates universally, similar to Seinfeld. He prefers his comedy to be relatable across backgrounds rather than explicitly focusing on Jewish themes, which he rarely mentions.
Ozempic Curiosity and Parental Pressure
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(00:08:17)
  • Key Takeaway: Jared Freid is Ozempic curious, but parental pressure to take it has created resistance, while Dr. Terry Dubrow advocates for micro-dosing GLP-1s for longevity.
  • Summary: Jared Freid’s parents are pro-Ozempic, leading him to see a doctor who seemed surprised he wasn’t already on the medication, despite good health metrics. He resists taking it partly because his father stated it’s not a matter of if but when he will start.
The ‘Ick’ Phenomenon
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(00:11:59)
  • Key Takeaway: Jared Freid finds the concept of ’the icks’ confusing from a male perspective because there isn’t one specific trait that would make him instantly reject a woman.
  • Summary: The hosts agreed that people often misuse ‘ick’ to describe deal-breakers or illegal behavior, rather than minor turn-offs. Jared Freid noted that his comedy often involves taking the air out of these cultural debates by speaking honestly from his own perspective.
Netflix Special Validation
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(00:14:26)
  • Key Takeaway: A Netflix special provided Jared Freid with significant validation after 15 years in comedy, serving as the pinnacle of success in the industry.
  • Summary: Jared Freid’s first special’s two-year lease expired, and he is currently trying to sell a new special focused on his parents’ Ozempic discussions. He values the prestige of a major platform like Netflix, especially when balancing stand-up with internet-based work, which some view as lowbrow.
Dating and Communication Challenges
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(00:19:23)
  • Key Takeaway: Jared Freid finds it difficult to balance being a voice for men on his dating podcast while maintaining privacy, often leading to accusations of misogyny or manipulation.
  • Summary: He prefers dating Jewish women to avoid explaining cultural touchstones like summer camp or the High Holidays, viewing it as a mathematical equation to save time. He tries to speak honestly about his feelings to avoid hurting others, contrasting with online culture that incentivizes punching up at men.
Eddie Murphy’s SNL Grudge
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(00:36:12)
  • Key Takeaway: Eddie Murphy held a decades-long grudge against SNL for a 1995 joke made by David Spade about his movie Vampires in Brooklyn flopping.
  • Summary: Murphy admitted in his documentary that his anger was directed at the show generally, not Spade specifically. Claudia Oshry noted that celebrities react to SNL mockery in one of two ways: either embracing it or taking deep offense, citing Bethany Frankel as someone who loved being mocked.
Hilaria Baldwin’s Internet Watch
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(00:42:45)
  • Key Takeaway: Hilaria Baldwin’s persistent public persona, despite the Spanish heritage scandal, commands a strange level of respect for her ability to ignore public scrutiny.
  • Summary: Hilaria Baldwin is described as an unbelievable internet watch, especially concerning her long-standing claims about her background, which contrast sharply with public knowledge of her origins in Western Massachusetts. The hosts note that she remains unbothered by commenters pointing out these discrepancies, drawing a comparison to Rachel Dolezal, though Dolezal eventually admitted her pretense. This level of ignoring viciously angry commenters earns her a degree of respect from the hosts.
Celebrity Response to Internet Narratives
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(00:44:45)
  • Key Takeaway: The optimal strategy for celebrities facing internet narratives is to ’lean in’ and address the issue, but large egos often prevent this, making the situation worse.
  • Summary: When the internet creates a narrative about a celebrity, leaning into it is often the best handling strategy, though egos frequently prevent this, leading to them appearing bad or resistant. The Leah Michelle ‘can’t read’ conspiracy is cited as an example where delayed addressing of the issue made it seem more true until she finally leaned in. Comedians must own self-deprecating material, but it is difficult when the criticism hits a sensitive nerve, like Eddie Murphy’s refusal to host SNL over a joke.
Ozempic Freedom vs. Career Material
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(01:06:07)
  • Key Takeaway: The mental freedom gained from weight-loss medication like Ozempic is highly valued, but comedians fear losing material derived from food struggles.
  • Summary: The feeling derived from Ozempic is described not as addiction to the drug, but addiction to the feeling of being ‘free’ from food obsession, akin to having shackles off. The hosts express concern that if this struggle disappeared, it would negatively impact the comedian’s career, as their material heavily relies on discussing eating habits and food-related frustration. This fear is compared to the X-Men dilemma of losing one’s identity if the genetic mutation (or in this case, the struggle) is cured.
Amy Schumer’s Instagram Purge
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(00:47:22)
  • Key Takeaway: Amy Schumer deleted old Instagram photos not primarily due to weight loss shame, but to curate a present identity focused on health improvements like pain-free living from endometriosis treatment.
  • Summary: Amy Schumer deleted most of her Instagram photos, leading fans to assume she was erasing pre-weight loss pictures, which the hosts find relatable. However, Schumer clarified she is proud of how she has always looked, emphasizing her focus was on health improvements, including better endometriosis and healing her back, which resulted in facial changes due to no longer having Cushing syndrome. She stressed that Instagram is a curation, not identity, and that weight naturally fluctuates, especially for women on HRT.
The Death of the Penny
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(00:57:26)
  • Key Takeaway: The US Treasury has ceased minting the penny because it costs 33 cents to produce one, ending its 232-year circulation run.
  • Summary: The penny, America’s oldest circulating coin, has officially died after 232 years, with the final one minted recently. The Treasury has been operating at a deficit on pennies for some time, as it currently costs 33 cents to manufacture a single one. This fact is noted as a classic ‘dad fact’ that will now disappear from common knowledge.
Accidental Adult Film Screening
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(01:02:42)
  • Key Takeaway: An adult film was accidentally screened in a passenger lounge on a DFDS ferry traveling from France to England, horrifying young passengers.
  • Summary: During a delay while passengers watched Formula One racing on a DFDS ferry, the crew failed to notice that the next item scheduled to play was an adult film. The company issued an apology for the incident, which occurred on October 26th, acknowledging the understandable upset caused to the young passengers. The hosts found the situation particularly funny because it happened in England, suggesting it might have been a prank gone wrong.
Podcast Energy and Acquired Taste
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(01:08:03)
  • Key Takeaway: Comedians with a specific, silly energy must accept they are an acquired taste, realizing that those who dislike them are likely projecting their own misery.
  • Summary: The hosts acknowledge that their high-energy, silly style is not for everyone, but they have learned that if someone dislikes their fun-focused content, that person is likely miserable themselves. They believe that as they have evolved as personalities, they have gained the confidence to accept that not everyone will be a fan. The hosts conclude that their content is a ‘delight,’ and those who disagree should look in the mirror rather than criticize.