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In a nutshell
From July 2018 to September 2020, Lars and Joe were the main hosts of The First Podcast. Colloquially they may be referred to as "the Lost Boys" or, more recently, "the Server Dads" (referring to their status on the Discord server).
On-air during the show, and during official appearances on other podcasts, they presented themselves as a comedy double act with widely contrasting demeanors. Lars acted as the “straight man”, with a grounded personality and an on-air demeanor almost no different than his real life self. Joe acted as the “comic”, with frequent emotional outbursts and liberal use of profanity. The duo have described Joe's on-air persona as “semi-fictional” and exaggerated.
Lars and Joe have been loosely compared to Jim and Dwight from The Office, with Joe being the odd one and Lars being the comparatively "normal" guy.
Double act[]
While the straight man in a double act can take many forms, Lars in particular played it as an "amused and occasionally annoyed observer", frequently mocking Joe's attempts to derail conversation. He would also set up frequent pranks and traps for Joe to fall in during most episodes, such as the crying question.
Joe's role as the "comic" evolved considerably over the course of the show. Initially, his delivery style was both very chaotic and intentionally absurd. In later episodes, Joe became more studied and clever in his antics. Incidents of Jewish rage became practically nonexistent, with some exceptions when the flow of conversation called for it.
In some ways, Lars became the "comic" in the editing room, with the final cut acting as a zany character in its own right.
The name "the Lost Boys"[]
"The Lost Boys" is a reference to a moment on the Discord server in which a member referenced a film with the same name; Lars noted that this was a fitting descriptor of the two, as both of them had started the show at a point where their lives were in flux. Thus, the show could be seen as a means of "finding" themselves.
Outside the podcast[]
When not recording, Lars and Joe had a very functional working relationship, and discussion between the two was considerably more professional (except when joking around on the Discord and such). The two had a rule where one person is allowed to swiftly shut down a bad idea the other had for the show, before it got out of hand. This commitment to professionalism led to an extremely peaceful transition even as Joe departed the show.
In earlier times when the show was a "two dudes talking" podcast, Lars would attempt to somewhat discourage too much socializing in between episodes so they would always have enough to talk about. As the show shifted to an interview format, this was dropped.