Podcast Summary

Pablo Torre Finds Out:

"Multiversal Share & Tell"

With Wyatt Cenac & Domonique Foxworth

Release Date: December 21, 2023

Episode Overview

This episode of Pablo Torre Finds Out features an unscripted, playful, and at times chaotic discussion between host Pablo Torre, former NFL player and writer Domonique Foxworth, and comedian Wyatt Cenac. The trio dive into topics spanning race and representation in football, the creative constraints of storytelling in the multiverse era, the brilliance of "Across the Spider-Verse," awkwardness around compliments, and the daunting task of New Year's resolutions—with humor, candor, and plenty of good-natured teasing. This “Share & Tell” episode leans into the multiverse theme, using it both as a lens for pop culture satire and for unpacking deeper social commentary.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Race, Identity, and Cornerbacks in the NFL

• [00:21 – 13:53]
  The conversation opens with banter about Domonique being nominated for president (“I would support a fox like me” - Domonique Foxworth, 00:38), joking about presidential power and encrypted cellphones, and a comedic riff on the rarity of white NFL cornerbacks.

  • Domonique and Wyatt riff on the persistent lack of white cornerbacks, and how racial bias—not athletic ability—likely plays a strong role in player position.
  • “It’s one like instance of reversal racism that I actually believe is real. Like, reverse racism is a stretch. However, racial bias is legitimate. You’re trying to tell me that in all of America, not one white man is fast and quick and smart and athletic enough to play cornerback?” — Domonique Foxworth [07:28]
  • Playful speculation about the origin of the name “Cooper” as a perennial “athletic white guy” archetype, referencing Cooper DeJean and Cooper Flagg [08:03].
  • Discussion about white cornerbacks' career paths being shifted to safety due to bias: “If they make it all the way through college, eventually they get moved to safety because only because of the complexion of their skin.” — Domonique Foxworth [10:44]

2. The Multiverse in Popular Culture & Constraints Breeding Creativity

• [14:49 – 21:22]
  The trio transition into a spirited analysis of the animated film “Across the Spider-Verse,” unpacking its success in a saturated world of multiverse storytelling.

  • Cinematic fatigue and innovation: Pablo notes that most multiverse stories have become tiresome, yet “Across the Spider-Verse” pulls it off with extraordinary creativity and emotional resonance.
  • “Creativity is born in constraints more than anything... If you give someone a blank piece of paper, they're less likely to come up with something amazing and creative... Give them like a blank piece of paper with rules…they’re more likely to come up with something amazing.” — Domonique Foxworth [20:21]
  • Wyatt explains, with comic-book expertise, how Sony’s rights to only Spider-Man paradoxically fueled creativity, leading to inventive, character-focused multiversal stories instead of “corporate synergy” character dumps [18:03–20:48].

3. Comic Book Artistry, Multiverse Tropes, and Storytelling Stakes

• [21:22 – 28:18]
  • Wyatt and Pablo discuss the beauty of varied artistic styles in the Spider-Verse movies and how animation uniquely manifests the multiverse theme.
  • “What I had not seen accomplished in this, in this way so successfully is...we’re going to visually depict and creatively interpret what a multiverse feels like by showing you stylistically how every scene can look and even have the physics of something that is different from the thing you saw like five seconds ago.” — Pablo Torre [23:31]
  • Wyatt notes that in comic books, he “always hated the multiverse. It always felt like the worst storytelling because...they’ve run out of stories” [25:34], but the Spider-Verse movies redeem the trope through artistic invention.

4. IP, Capitalism, and the Jonathan Majors/Kang Dilemma

• [28:29 – 32:08]
  • The group discusses Marvel’s challenge after actor Jonathan Majors' legal issues (Majors played Kang, the lynchpin in the Marvel Cinematic Universe's multiverse arc).
  • Domonique shrugs at the corporate hand-wringing over recasting: “Maybe it's the sports in me, but you got injured, you got convicted of a crime. Next man up...Make a good product...Get a dub.” — Domonique Foxworth [32:20]
  • They agree the “soap opera” nature of superhero franchises allows for (and even expects) recasting—what matters most is sustained quality, not continuity or sentimental attachment to a particular actor.

5. The Problem with Compliments: Sincerity & Rivalry

• [40:28 – 44:26]
  • Pablo and Domonique unpack why it's awkward exchanging compliments—especially among men or between friends.
  • Domonique: “I have been told that I’m kind but not nice. So...I’ll look out for you...I’ll take care of my friends...But I’m not here for the pleasantries...” [36:15]
  • Domonique finds “empty” compliments suspect and prefers candid, specific feedback.
  • Advice for giving/receiving compliments: "Don't compliment me immediately after I compliment you..." [40:45], and “...the worst is when something does not meet my standards. And then people say, oh, that was good. So, like, we're in content creation in general. And Pablo will tell me that something I did was good when I know that it was not as good as I wanted to be” [42:31].

6. New Year’s Resolutions & Self-Reflection

• [35:16 – 40:08]
  • Domonique announces his (quickly retracted) resolution: to be “nicer.” He swiftly pivots to “be more organized,” acknowledging self-improvement is an ongoing, imperfect process.
  • Wyatt and Pablo discuss the utility, or futility, of resolutions. Wyatt says, “No, I don’t make resolutions.” [37:58]
  • They reflect on resolutions as religious or ritualistic check-ins: “whether I stick to it...not, I think it’s a good time to reflect and think about what you’ve done last year, what you’re proud of, what you’re not proud of, what you need to work on and how we can all be more like me.” — Domonique Foxworth [39:18]

7. Memorable Quotes and Comic Bits

• “My Spider-Man is white. I have a white Spider-Man. I do not have a negroid arachnoid man.” — Wyatt Cenac (in character as an angry fan), [00:06] & [33:48]
• “Make Spider man great again. Make Spider man amazing again. Give me back my white spider man.” — Wyatt Cenac, [34:13]
• On the infinite proliferation of Spider-verse films: “Milling around the Spider Verse is really when...the series starts to just...we don’t need any more...” — Wyatt Cenac [15:41]
• On comic fandoms: “I’m not that big a fan that it’s like I care about the implications…These are movies. Even if there was not a multiverse and you’re presenting that, the fact that the multiverse exists makes it easier for them to write around it. I don’t give a shit.” — Domonique Foxworth [30:34]
• On feedback: “I don't need compliments. I don't want compliments. I don't care about it. Don't give me no compliments. We're good.” — Domonique Foxworth [44:26]

Notable & Memorable Moments by Timestamp

• [00:38] — Pablo suggests nominating Domonique for US President; Domonique’s reaction sets the unserious, bantering tone.
• [03:39] — Wyatt muses on being (possibly) banned from MSG & Barclays; preamble to broader themes of exclusion, jokes.
• [04:14] — Discussion of Rashad Mendenhall’s “best of whites vs best of blacks” Twitter controversy and its joke-positive online outcome.
• [06:19 & 06:36] — Domonique plugs his own podcast: “Dominique Foxworth Show. Vote for him. 2024. Do not vote for me.”
• [07:28–08:03] — The “Cooper phenomenon” and real discourse on racial bias at cornerback.
• [18:03–20:48] — Wyatt unpacks Sony’s Spider-Man licensing and how constraint built the Spider-Verse franchise.
• [24:21] — Pablo lauds the “artistic density” and “visual multiverse” of Spider-Verse; Wyatt expands on comic styles.
• [32:20] — Domonique’s “Next man up” analogy for Marvel’s Kang recasting dilemma.
• [36:03] — Domonique’s New Year’s Resolution: “be nicer," quickly replaced with "be more organized."
• [40:28–44:26] — Extended, candid dissection of how to give/receive compliments and the social psychology of affirmation among men.
• [45:25] — Pablo’s thesis: Domonique’s affection is expressed most honestly by rivalry and teasing.
• [46:43] — Domonique refuses to neatly wrap up, subverting host expectations.
• [47:23] — Playful commentary on the “multiracial” Elf on the Shelf as a running physical gag.

Tone & Structure

• The episode is comedic, fast-paced, unscripted, and somewhat anarchic. The hosts weave serious insights with self-aware, layered inside jokes and cultural references, often deconstructing the very format they’re using.

• The panelists constantly rib, interrupt, and play off one another; listeners get the feel of being present during an extended, whip-smart hangout.

For Listeners Who Missed the Episode

This episode is a quintessential "hangout" in Pablo Torre’s universe—offering a rich blend of cultural critique, sports nerdery, comic book expertise, genuine self-reflection, and playful sparring. It uses trending internet moments (like the “whites vs blacks” Twitter discourse), the Marvel movie machine, and the art of giving/receiving compliments as springboards for a broader, deeper conversation about representation, creativity, and self-improvement.

If you want a thought-provoking, laugh-out-loud breakdown of multiverse storytelling and how race, sports, and pop culture collide—with detours into masculine vulnerability and the absurdities of ritual self-betterment—this is a must-listen.

Further Listening

• Dominique Foxworth Show — for more of Domonique’s sports and culture takes.
• Pablo Torre Finds Out (movie of the year special) — for their extended love letter to “Across the Spider-Verse.”