Girls Gotta Eat – The Snack: Random Couples, Garlic Baths, and Love is Blind
Release Date: February 20, 2025
Hosts: Ashley Hesseltine & Rayna Greenberg
Episode Overview
This “Snack” episode delivers the Girls Gotta Eat signature blend of candid, comedic takes on pop culture, celebrity gossip, and reality TV with a focus on friendship and the absurdities of everyday life. Ashley and Rayna riff on matching outfits and beauty struggles, unpack the internet’s hottest (and weirdest) couple rumors, debate the merits of garlic-scented bath bombs, and deep-dive into recent TV obsessions—from SNL's 50th anniversary to the latest seasons of White Lotus and Love Is Blind. The energy is fast, unfiltered, and rooted in pop culture savvy.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. Best Friend Vibes & Fashion Mishaps
00:10 – 02:00
- The episode opens with Ashley and Rayna realizing they showed up in nearly identical white sweatsuits, triggering a hilarious, relatable chat about best friend “twinning” and morphing into the same person over time.
- Sassy banter about sneaker preferences (“I’m a Nike girl… you’re a Lulu girl”) and struggles with at-home pedicures.
- Quote: “You just start to morph into one person after all this time.” – Ashley (01:00)
2. Local Recommendations & Audience Impact
02:13 – 04:43
- Sharing updates about favorite local nail salons and the growing influence of the podcast in their community—listeners are showing up based on their recommendations.
- Shoutout to Igor the “mountain guy” for TV mounting—plugging his Instagram.
3. Random Couples Pop Culture Report
06:20 – 11:56
- Ashley and Rayna dissect the week’s rumored celebrity hookups, rating how “substantiated” each couple is and discussing their own reactions.
- Discussed Couples:
- Tom Cruise & Ana de Armas (“I don’t care who Tom Cruise dates.” – Ashley, 06:36)
- Zoe Kravitz & Noah Centineo (deep-dive into Zoe’s dating history, including Channing Tatum, Drake, Penn Badgley)
- Demi Moore & Andrew Garfield (“Demi is age-gap queen. 62 and the most beautiful woman alive.” – Rayna, 10:14)
- Austin Butler & Madelyn Cline (“If I could have anyone’s dating history, it’s her.” – Rayna, 10:54)
- Discussed Couples:
- Entertaining confusion about TikTok personalities (“For a long time, I thought we were talking about Noah Beck, not Noah Centineo…” – Rayna, 09:22)
4. Weird Food Collabs & Garlic Bath Bombs
11:59 – 15:29
- Papa John’s bizarre garlic dipping sauce bath bomb spawns a debate about novelty beauty/wellness products.
- Quote: “You’re bathing in the garlic, it’s going in your puss. It’s giving BV, but maybe also the cure for BV?” – Ashley (13:02)
- Citing a 2014 study, Ashley cautions never to put garlic in/around vaginas, even if the internet says so.
- Roundup of wild brand collabs: Coca Cola Oreos (“I’d give them a spin.”), Mustard Skittles (“No. Hard pass.”), Kraft Mac & Cheese Ice Cream (unanimous disgust), Cheez-It cream cheese, Erewhon x Balenciaga bag, Old Spice x Arby’s “meat sweats” deodorant, and Pringles x Caviar Company.
- “I don’t want my man smelling like roast beef.” – Rayna (15:09)
5. Valentine’s Day Recaps: Luigi Mangione & Matt James
15:47 – 19:03
- Rayna reads out a melodramatic heartfelt Valentine’s statement from the incarcerated “America’s Valentine,” Luigi Mangione, poking fun at influencer-style thank you posts.
- Candid discussion about Elizabeth Holmes’ (Theranos) prison routine and what accountability looks like.
- Mockery of ex-Bachelor Matt James’s social media behavior post-breakup (“Bought a one-way ticket to Kenya. Anyone have Africa recs?”).
- Quote: “That’s like saying, ‘I’m going to New York. Do you have any California recs?’” – Rayna (18:36)
6. Bachelorette Franchise Theories
19:06 – 19:44
- Rayna speculates whether the indefinite pause on The Bachelor is to recruit Rachel Kirkconnell as the next lead, theorizing she’s a “bring the franchise back” candidate.
7. SNL 50th Anniversary Special
22:13 – 24:43
- Both hosts rave about the epic guest list and nostalgia of SNL’s 50th celebration.
- “If a bomb went off in that room, that would be the end of the entertainment industry.” – Rayna (22:49)
- Notable afterparty chatter: Pete Davidson’s many famous exes, and the surprise public return of Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively amid ongoing legal controversy.
- Rayna recaps backlash at their attendance and questions the unfair standards celebrities face.
- Analysis of a viral SNL moment: Ryan Reynolds makes a cheeky “Why, what did you hear?” joke about the ongoing lawsuit, with debate over Blake Lively’s reaction.
- “It was a joke about the attention on the case.” – Rayna (27:37)
8. Ashley’s Encounter with Daniel “Damian” Franzese (Mean Girls)
29:00 – 30:43
- Ashley bonds with Daniel Franzese (“Damian” from Mean Girls) at a comedy club, gossiping about Blake Lively and Justin—spins into nostalgia about iconic Mean Girls movie lines.
- Quote: “I’m gossiping about Blake Lively with Damian, the original cast, it’s insane.” – Ashley (29:08)
- “There were so many good one-liners back then, and we had less content. So we really cared more…” – Rayna (30:18)
9. Reality TV Roundup
Summer House & Southern Charm
31:21 – 34:01
- Praise for the new season’s cast/energy. Jokes about long-winded speeches at house events and dreams of planning elaborate wedding festivities, including a drumline.
White Lotus Season 3
34:06 – 41:31
- No-holds-barred review of the new season set in Thailand.
- Family and character dynamics—especially the “red flag” older brother.
- Quote: “If your man thinks Saxon is the man, break up with him.” – Ashley (36:13)
- Worries over incest references and the evolution of “toxic male archetypes” each season.
- Parker Posey’s southern accent earns mixed reviews.
- Outrage over the new theme song—universally panned:
- “The theme song is an insult to the viewer.” – Rayna (38:41)
- “We would sing the other one… dancing, play it at the shows. This is just not a song.” – Ashley (39:44)
- Family and character dynamics—especially the “red flag” older brother.
Love Is Blind: Season 8 (Minneapolis)
41:38 – 54:47
- Express excitement for the season's Minneapolis location but critique pacing—six episodes in the pods felt excessive (“six episodes and we’ve barely seen any reveals!”).
- Quote: "This is the season where I've seen the most people in love triangles and a lot of people go home without that person." – Rayna (46:06)
- Noted upgrade in production value—apartments, music, and even food spreads (“the budget has increased drastically on the music.” – Ashley, 43:57)
- Analysis of cast behavior (Minnesota “nice”) and food traditions.
- In-depth discussion of a cast controversy: Taylor discovers Daniel followed her Instagram months before the show.
- Theorizing possible explanations ranging from innocent coincidence (“maybe he just thought she was hot”) to elaborate premeditated manipulation.
- Quote: “It’s not Beautiful Mind… [just] ‘this girl’s hot!’” – Rayna (49:47)
- Considerations of male insecurity (Daniel’s fixation on height and desirability).
- Acknowledgment of Taylor’s right to feel unsettled and what makes for dealbreakers.
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
- Ashley (01:00): “You just start to morph into one person after all this time.”
- Rayna (10:14): “Demi is age-gap queen. 62 and the most beautiful woman alive.”
- Ashley (13:02): “You’re bathing in the garlic, it’s going in your puss. It’s giving BV, but maybe also the cure for BV?”
- Rayna (18:36): “That’s like saying, ‘I’m going to New York. Do you have any California recs?’”
- Ashley (36:13): “If your man thinks Saxon is the man, break up with him.”
- Rayna (38:41): “The theme song is an insult to the viewer.”
- Ashley (39:44): “We would sing the other one… dancing, play it at the shows. This is just not a song.”
- Ashley (29:08): “I’m gossiping about Blake Lively with Damian, the original cast, it’s insane.”
- Rayna (49:47): “It’s not Beautiful Mind… [just] ‘this girl’s hot!’”
Timestamps for Important Segments
- 00:10–02:00 – Matching outfits, beauty rituals, friendship morphing
- 06:20–11:56 – Celebrity couple rumor report
- 11:59–15:29 – Weird food / beauty product collabs (garlic bath bomb debate)
- 15:47–19:03 – Luigi Mangione & Matt James’s social absurdities
- 22:13–24:43 – SNL 50th’s guest list and afterparty
- 26:36–28:41 – Ryan Reynolds’ viral SNL moment, audience reaction
- 29:00–30:43 – Mean Girls nostalgia with Daniel Franzese
- 31:45–34:01 – Summer House breakdown, wedding dreams
- 34:06–41:31 – White Lotus Season 3: review, theme song outrage
- 41:38–54:47 – Love is Blind S8: Minneapolis, drama, Instagram controversy
Overall Tone
Playful, irreverent, and unfiltered—Ashley and Rayna combine pop culture critique with sharp comedic timing, giving listeners a best-friends-on-the-couch experience. Witty observations, enthusiastic TV chatter, and openness about “weird” Google searches or beauty struggles keep the episode fast-paced and highly relatable.
For full show notes, recaps, and partner codes: visit girlsgottaeat.com or @GirlsGottaEatPodcast on IG/TikTok