Girls Gotta Eat – "The Snack": Heated Rivalry, Toxic Mom Groups, and New Movie Reviews

Podcast: Girls Gotta Eat (Dear Media)
Episode Date: January 8, 2026
Hosts: Ashley Hesseltine (A) & Rayna Greenberg (B)

Episode Overview

This lighter, pop culture–packed edition of "The Snack" is a ride through recent movies and TV (including a lengthy and hilarious review of Heated Rivalry), celebrity gossip, and relates all of it back to their personal lives. Highlights: Emily in Paris, the new gay hockey series sensation (Heated Rivalry), movie reviews (including Marty Supreme and The Housemaid), and reflections on social exclusion with the Ashley Tisdale “mom group” drama. Expect playful banter, comedic observations, and a frank (often racy) lens on relationships and contemporary culture.

Food and Friendship: New Year, New Eats

Timestamps: 00:16 – 01:57

• Opening with weekend plans and New Year’s resolutions, the hosts detail their outing with friend and food influencer Emily Fedner.
• Discussion on LA’s “Thai Town” leads to musing on city “ethnic enclaves” (Chinatown, Koreatown, etc.).
• Memorable exchange:
  • Ashley: “Is it designated Thai Town because…?” (01:38)
  • Rayna: “I think it is the only one.” (01:51)

Binge-Watching Bonanza: TV & Movie Catch-Up

Timestamps: 01:57 – 18:28

• Both hosts admit to barely leaving the house, consuming every TV show and movie, including repeat viewings.
• Ashley just finished season one of The Bear (02:15).

Timothée Chalamet, Kylie Jenner, and Relationship Clarity

Timestamps: 02:43 – 07:24

• Chalamet thanks his “partner of three years” on stage, setting off speculation—is he referring to Kylie Jenner?
• Hosts break down the timeline, amazed the couple's been together longer than Taylor & Travis or Ashley and her husband (04:10).
• Quote – Rayna:
  “I think it’s just my brain won’t accept this was a thing. It's like watching a giraffe drive a car.” (04:43)
• Meg Stalter and Paul Downs from Hacks spoofed Kylie & Timothée’s matching orange outfits (“dumb and dumber core”; 07:24).

Movie Reviews: Family Memories and Marty Supreme

Timestamps: 09:04 – 18:28

• Humorous stories about going to movies with parents (the perils of seeing Wolf of Wallstreet and Titanic with dads; 10:14–11:03).
• Detailed review of Marty Supreme:
  • Loved the film overall but found the ending abrupt and “unrealistic” (an anti-hero character having a sudden family-values emotional turn).
  • The American obsession with “happy endings” in film contrasted with European tastes.
  • Ashley:
    “I feel insulted as a viewer when you try to sell me a story different than the story you just sold me for two and a half hours.” (14:23)
    “This is such an American trait… Americans need a happy ending.” (16:00)

Movie Roundup: From Thrillers to Indie Dramas

Timestamps: 18:28 – 25:18

• The Housemaid: Amanda Seyfried shines, but Sydney Sweeney’s acting is critiqued as “not good” except in Euphoria, plus complaints about unnecessary gory scenes versus the book’s more “palatable” plot (19:01–21:13).
• Rental Family: Brendan Fraser excels in a touching new movie about emotional needs and identity in Tokyo (22:12).
• Is This Thing On? (Bradley Cooper): A “more Silver Linings Playbook than A Star Is Born” drama about marriage and ambition set in the NY comedy scene; hosts are amused/critiqued by the unrealistic depiction of stand-up circuit success (23:26–25:18).

Television Catch-up: Emily in Paris, Stranger Things & More

Timestamps: 28:16 – 31:00

• Emily in Paris: Season features a Rome detour, with fashion commentary and pleas for new romantic interests for Emily (29:00).
• Stranger Things: Finale sparks major online fan theories and conspiracies; even non-diehards got swept up emotionally (30:56).

Feature Review: Heated Rivalry (Gay Hockey Drama Sensation)

Timestamps: 31:00 – 49:54

Widespread Enthusiasm and Fan Reactions

• The hosts are obsessed, echoing fan DMs that insisted they watch.
• Binge-watching “rocket ship” – sexier and more romantic than expected, especially after episode 2.
• The Scott & Hunter couple (smoothie shop romance) becomes a particular fixation:
  • Ashley (on new favorite couple): “I was just, like, obsessing over their every interaction…” (32:33)

Themes and Emotional Impact

• Powerful commentary on closeted pro athletes: “All of them.” (36:12)
• Ashley: “I think the best moment of the show is when Scott Hunter comes out and he says, I’m coming to the cottage…” (38:07)
• Attachment styles, heartbreak, and what it means to witness closeted, hypermasculine men finally express love.

Straight Women’s Fascination with the Show

• Why is it such a turn-on?
  • Escapism (“We don’t have to watch ourselves be depicted—it's just the boys doing this,” 41:29).
  • Gender role relief: It’s romantic without the baggage of heterosexual tropes.
  • Pure, often raw masculinity on display, challenging assumptions about gay male relationships in media.

Straight Men Watching Gay Romance

• Secure straight men can watch and enjoy without issue.
• “A real indicator of how secure he is in himself and in his masculinity…” (42:32)

Hockey as a Peripheral Theme

• Jokes about learning “nothing about hockey” (43:18), with humorous laments over “not knowing ball.”

Most Memorable & “Jarring” Scenes

• Hosts found the non-sexual displays of affection between grown men—like carrying each other or straddling—“gayer than oral sex”, and oddly more shocking than the explicit scenes.
  • Rayna: “When Scott picks up the smoothie guy… This is so much gayer than two guys blow each other. And you were like, ‘Absolutely.’” (48:00)
  • Ashley: “…We do not want to see men getting picked up.” (48:32)

Summary of Appeal

• The show’s emotional depth, lack of female protagonists (“we’re not a part of it”), and complex characters resonate with viewers—especially straight women.
• The need for more media representation for all types of queer relationships.

Hot Topic: Ashley Tisdale and the “Toxic Mom Group”

Timestamps: 51:42 – 58:13

• Ashley Tisdale pens an essay about leaving an exclusionary mom group—prompting hosts to reflect on adult social exclusion and nostalgia for middle-school feelings of rejection.
• Rayna: “Celebrities seem like they don’t feel what muggles feel… and it’s like, you don’t see them admit to just having the same feelings.” (54:19)
• Speculation on group members: Hilary Duff, Mandy Moore, Meghan Trainor, etc.; discussion of power dynamics (“queen bee” is probably Hilary Duff).
• “Of course, celebrities feel these things…” and the importance of recognizing fame doesn’t insulate from vulnerability or heartbreak.

Quick Headlines & Gossip Wrap-Up

Timestamps: 58:28 – 64:43

• Alex Earl & Tom Brady: Surprise couple sighting; discussed as ultimate “glow up” breakup-move (59:22).
  • Rayna: “You’re talking about the most famous athlete that has ever existed.” (59:59)
• Zach Bryan’s new marriage: New wife looks identical to ex Brianna Chickenfry, sparking “lookalike replacement” discussions (61:42).
  • Ashley: “If my ex went after a slightly less attractive lookalike of me... I’d be obsessed with that.” (62:13)
• NYC MetroCard Retires: Both hosts reminisce about the iconic MetroCard now being a collector’s item.
  • Ashley: “If I find that in my home, it's going to be like jackpot.” (64:10)

Notable/Memorable Quotes

• Rayna: “I think it’s just my brain won’t accept this was a thing. It's like watching a giraffe drive a car.” (04:43)
• Ashley: “I feel insulted as a viewer when you try to sell me a story different than the story you just sold me for two and a half hours.” (14:23)
• Ashley: “We don’t have to watch ourselves be depicted in a show and how nice is it to not be… the escapism of it…” (41:29)
• Rayna: "Men would kill themselves just to suck Tom Brady's dick." (59:59)
• Ashley (on Heated Rivalry): “I think the best moment… is when Scott Hunter comes out... I was jumping up and down.” (38:07)
• Rayna: “When Scott picks up the smoothie guy… It's gayer than watching them suck each other's dicks.” (48:00)

Episode Highlights (Segment Timestamps)

• 00:16–01:57 | Food adventures & New Year’s plans
• 02:43–07:24 | Chalamet, Kylie Jenner, celebrity couple reactions
• 09:04–18:28 | Movie reviews (Marty Supreme, parent cinema stories)
• 18:28–25:18 | Other movie reviews (The Housemaid, Rental Family, Is This Thing On?)
• 28:16–29:00 | Emily in Paris & Stranger Things chatter
• 31:00–49:54 | Heated Rivalry deep-dive: reviews, fandom, sexuality talk
• 51:42–58:13 | Ashley Tisdale, toxic mom groups, adult friendship
• 58:28–64:43 | Pop culture quick-hits (Alex Earl/Tom Brady, Zach Bryan, MetroCard nostalgia)

Tone & Style

• Comedic, unfiltered, and relatable.
• Candid about sexuality, relationships, social anxieties, and hot gossip.
• Strong back-and-forth energy; personal anecdotes support bigger pop culture themes.
• Inclusive of both deep-dive critique and pure entertainment for listeners who may not have seen the content being discussed.

For New Listeners

If you haven’t watched the shows or movies, this episode is lively and spoiler-filled but gives great pop culture context, fun feminist takes, and laughs about the realities of modern life, friendship, and fandom. Perfect for anyone who loves witty, honest commentary on relationships, sex, and the “drama” of being a grown-up woman.