Mary Beth Barone Has A List Of People To Piss Off

If you want to know what Mary Beth Barone is all about these days, the answer is simple. “Today I’m of course riding for Sonic Refreshers. I mean, how could I not be?” she tells Bustle.

The comedian and cohost of the Ride podcast recently joined Sonic in Los Angeles for a bikini-clad shoot to launch their new summer Refresher lineup. But now the 34-year-old Connecticut native is far from sunny California, Zooming in from Toronto, where she’s filming the second season of Amazon Prime’s Overcompensating with her Ride cohost and longtime pal, Benito Skinner.

The pair have been inseparable since they first met at a Brooklyn comedy show in the late 2010s, with their friendship soon blossoming into frequent professional collaborations, including the first iteration of their podcast, #Obsessed.

When filming on Overcompensating wraps up in June, Barone will return to her home in New York City with Skinner to enjoy strolls through the East Village and across the Williamsburg Bridge with her beloved rescue dog Pinky. “And maybe, yes, some going out and potentially being hungover a little bit, too,” she adds.

Despite spending so much time together, Barone doesn’t feel pressured to separate their work life from their friendship. “We have no boundaries. There’s no working hours versus living hours. It’s all just sort of rolled into one,” she says.

This past year, however, Barone has truly broken out on her own. Her red-carpet interviews at the Golden Globes this January drew widespread acclaim — especially impressive for a position the internet is quick to criticize. Her performance, which included some light flirting with Dwayne Johnson and a charming exchange with Elle Fanning, even earned her comparisons to the great Joan Rivers.

“I don’t even really have words for it,” she says. “It was so flattering, and I couldn’t imagine getting that comparison, especially after doing it just once.”

Barone credits her red-carpet skills to her time in the comedy scene. “What’s been great about starting with improv and then doing stand-up and having the podcast, I feel like it’s made me feel super comfortable,” she says. “Of course, it’s different when you’re talking to A-list celebrities that you’ve admired for your entire life. I didn’t take any beta-blockers that day. I was raw-dogging it, and I knew that I didn’t want to dull the adrenaline at all because that’s what keeps me quick.”

In March, Barone filmed her second comedy special, Galaxy Brain, soon to be released on Netflix. While her first self-produced special, Thought Provoking, was for “girls and gay guys and the straight men who love us,” this time around, she has a better idea of who it isn’t for.

“I did make a list in my Notes app yesterday,” she says. “I won’t read you who’s on it, but it’s called ‘People Who Are Going To Be Mad At Me About The Special.’ And it’s a fun group to piss off.”

Below, Barone opens up about her most quotable moments, thrifting, and her tried-and-true hack for staying hydrated.

The Fast Follow With Mary Beth Barone

Do you have fans quote your own work back to you?

It happens a lot with the podcast, for sure. It’s always fun to be at the airport and get a “Taika button” or “Come on, kerplunk!” The stand-up quotes, those are more deep cuts. Those are for the real Mary Beth-heads.

What’s your most quoted TV show?

The most Benny and I quote from would be Sex and the City. The way we can dip into quoting that in a normal conversation, and the people around us don’t even clock it — it’s a testament to how many times we’ve both watched that whole program.

Weirdest thing you’ve cried at recently?

I watched Love Story, which you know is going to be incredibly tragic. I was very distraught by that whole thing. It was so fun to watch them fall in love. And then for the last few episodes, it’s just devastating. Maybe that’s not that weird.

What’s in your fridge right now?

My fridge has a lot of those tiny little juices that we drink to make us feel something, like ginger shots and turmeric, and then mayonnaise and other condiments. There’s some pasta in there that I probably will never cook. And then I’m still waiting to see if they can ship me a gallon of a Sonic Refresher, but I don’t know if it’s allowed across international borders. We’re still trying.

What’s your beverage vessel of choice?

I use a cup with a straw in my day-to-day life. It makes you drink more because all you have to do is sip. I personally think if more people had cups with straws, we would all be a lot more hydrated.

What is the most surprising hobby you’ve picked up?

I’ve literally been thinking I want to ride for hobbies next season because I don’t have any. I guess my hobby is scrolling The RealReal like it’s social media. I’m on there for hours. I don’t watch sports, I don’t play video games, I go in and out of reading books, but I like having a new website I can go on that’s not serving me anything that’s going to stress me out. It’s just beautiful clothes and bags that have lived a life before, and they’re ready to live a second one, maybe in my home.

What is your favorite microtrend, or the last one that you’ve fallen for?

You know what I did? I went on Poshmark, and I bought the Seven7 jeans I had in high school. They’re low-rise boot-cut. I’m still figuring out how to style them, but I’m excited that the early 2000s seem to be back and here to stay.

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.