Pablo Torre Finds Out
Episode: Share & Grill & Tell with Mike Golic Jr. and Mina Kimes
Date: March 28, 2025
Host: Pablo Torre
Guests: Mike Golic Jr., Mina Kimes
Main Theme:
This episode is a classic "Share & Tell" hangout with Pablo Torre, joined by ESPN personalities Mike Golic Jr. ("Gojo") and Mina Kimes. The three dive deep into cultural touchstones, personal stories, sports-branded products (most notably, the George Foreman Grill), the architecture of influencer marketing—especially on TikTok—and a spirited breakdown of the current season of HBO’s White Lotus. It's equal parts a reflection on nostalgia, capitalism, and the wild nature of today’s algorithmically-driven world.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. Seeing and Being Seen: Opening Banter
- Timestamps: 00:00 – 05:50
- The episode begins with light-hearted talk about eye exams and eye imagery, including a hilarious detour into showing 3D eye scan images on Zoom.
- Mina Kimes shares that her eyesight hasn’t worsened lately, joking about her “rods” (an eye anatomy reference), which leads to running jokes about “showing rods on the chat for free.”
- Pablo marvels at exclusive “Mina Kimes eyeball footage” as they transition into the show’s first topic.
"My eyeballs, my rods could not be more erect upon seeing the man."
— Pablo Torre on seeing Mike Golic Jr. again [01:48]
2. Mike Golic Jr.: America’s Ultimate Plus-One
- Timestamps: 02:19 – 05:50
- The hosts laud Gojo's reputation as the "ultimate plus-one"—always ready, always amiable, and the guest who never steals the show.
- Mike jokes about his availability steming from being an adult with no kids, likening it to sports: “The best ability is availability, and I am criminally available.”
- The group reflects on personality types, celebrating Gojo's lack of “main character syndrome" and his bodyguard-like presence at events.
"You're the ultimate plus one. America's plus one."
— Mina Kimes [02:46]
3. The George Foreman Grill: Sports, Branding & Sliding Doors
- Timestamps: 05:50 – 21:46
a) Foreman’s Legacy and Ubiquity
- Pablo introduces the late George Foreman, framing his grill’s cultural impact.
- Stats: At its peak, the George Foreman Grill was the second most purchased appliance in America, behind only the TV.
- The group reminisces about their own experiences with the grill, highlighting how it represented innovation and accessibility.
"Just that ability to knock out the fat into that tray in front...as someone that grew up in a cold weather environment, being able to grill stuff in the wintertime inside, indoors—huge."
— Mike Golic Jr. [07:36]
b) Hulk Hogan’s Missed Call: The Almost-Hogan Grill
- Pablo plays a 2014 Hulk Hogan interview, where Hogan claims he missed the call to endorse the grill, eventually leading to “the Hulk Hogan Thunder Mixer” instead.
- The panel cracks up over Hogan's failed blender (“It’d spin three times and fart and cut off").
- Pablo investigates the myth, contacting the grill's inventor (via his family) and Foreman's lawyer—both confirm only Foreman was approached, disproving the Hogan origin myth.
"And $400 to $450 million later, we got the George Foreman Grill in every size and color…and I got the blender."
— Hulk Hogan, recounted by Pablo [09:30]
c) Business: The Perfect Pitchman and Deal-Making
- Discussing authenticity in endorsements—Foreman was a “cheeseburger champ” known for eating burgers before fights; this credibility mattered.
- Foreman’s compensation model mirrored Michael Jordan’s: no guarantees up front, but 45% of the grill profits on the back end.
- At the grill’s height, Foreman was making $8 million a month; the company eventually bought out his name for $148.5 million.
"George Foreman was being paid $8 million a month."
— Pablo Torre [16:19]
d) Lasting Legacy & Zoomer Amnesia
- They debate whether Gen Z even knows Foreman was a boxer.
- Foreman’s post-fight grill promotion—he plugged his own product in the ring after a loss; a masterclass in self-branding.
"Trying to sell my grill, Larry."
— George Foreman, post-fight interview [17:46]
e) George's Offspring and Naming Rituals
- Rolling through Foreman’s children, all named George or variations except Natalie; includes a draft of hilarious nicknames (“Big Wheel,” “Little Joey”).
"If your circle of friends isn't handing out nicknames like Big Wheel, you need a new circle."
— Mike Golic Jr. [21:26]
4. Share & Tell: Social Media Influencers, Algorithms, and Gendered Marketing
- Timestamps: 21:46 – 32:30
- Mina brings up Ashton Hall, a “running back turned influencer” who went viral for a peculiar wellness routine—culminating in dunking his face into a bowl of ice water at 9:08 am (see viral TikTok).
- Gojo, who made a parody of the video, discusses male-targeted ads on TikTok: garish t-shirts, push-up boards, "moisture-wicking" slacks, and endless “tactical” gear (tactical baby carriers, strollers, boxers).
- Mina describes her own algorithm as “fashion nova and mock drafts,” leading to an exchange about how algorithms stereotype and manipulate user identity ("I am not my clicks!").
"Well, like with this one…it's being jacked and appearing successful is the thing they want to sell most men."
— Mike Golic Jr. [24:33]
On Algorithms and Changing Consumerism:
- Pablo and Mina note the predatory, relentless nature of TikTok’s sales engine compared to TV’s “As Seen on TV,” which in hindsight feels like “high art.”
- Nostalgia for old-school storytelling in advertising, versus the storyless instant sales of today’s algorithms.
"We're nostalgic for a time when 'As Seen on TV' feels…like it's high art relative to what we're doing now."
— Pablo Torre [32:05]
5. White Lotus Season 3: TV That’s All Style, No Substance?
- Timestamps: 34:03 – 46:25
- Gojo asks: Is the new season of White Lotus actually good, or are we just pretending?
- Rapid consensus: it’s not good this season, but everyone keeps watching for the vibes, aesthetics, and meme moments.
- Pablo critiques how plots are needlessly stretched, prioritizing visuals and memeability over genuine storytelling.
- Mina notes many characters are rehashed; the show feels manufactured for the internet, not for classic dramatic payoff.
- Malding over the show’s lackluster engagement with its Thailand setting and weak, “bumbling” side characters.
"All I want from a show is for it to care about its story as much as the subreddit does."
— Pablo Torre [46:14]
- The panel compares White Lotus creator Mike White to NFL coach Mike McCarthy: initial brilliance, then coasting on vibes and star power.
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
- Mike Golic Jr.:
- "The best ability is availability, and I am criminally available." [04:16]
- "If your circle of friends isn't handing out nicknames like Big Wheel, you need a new circle." [21:26]
- Mina Kimes:
- "I found out that male TikTok sounds like exactly the same nightmarish hellhole that female TikTok is." [47:54]
- "There are a lot of reality TV content... I also see, you know, a lot of mock drafts and whatnot." [23:10]
- Pablo Torre:
- "At the height of the grill's popularity, George Foreman was being paid $8 million a month." [16:19]
- "I am not my clicks. The algorithm is not who we are." [27:24]
- "All I want from a show is for it to care about its story as much as the subreddit does." [46:14]
Key Timestamps for Segments
- 00:00 – 05:50: Opening, eye doctor jokes, “ultimate plus-one”
- 05:50 – 21:46: George Foreman Grill history, athlete branding, Hulk Hogan’s myth, licensing deal, culturally iconic products, Foreman’s kids
- 21:46 – 32:30: Ashton Hall’s influencer routine, TikTok's targeted marketing, tactical products, nostalgia for infomercials
- 34:03 – 46:25: White Lotus season 3 discussion, "is this good?", meme-ification of TV
- 47:45 – 48:48: What we found out — the wrap-up roundtable
Closing Roundtable: “What We Found Out” (47:45 – 48:48)
- Gojo: The monetary value of a name—$148 million for Foreman.
- Mina: Male TikTok is just as nightmarishly relentless as the female version.
- Pablo: The tragedy of “Natalie” Foreman—sometimes the only way to leave a legacy is to have your own name.
Summary Tone & Vibe
Casual, quick-witted, and deeply nostalgic. The show blends sharp cultural critique with honest personal stories and tongue-in-cheek humor, all while maintaining a bantering, familiar tone among friends. Even when going down rabbit holes of grilling machines and TikTok traps, they balance affection for the absurd with real insight into how media, marketing, and generational memory shape our lives.
If you want to relive the golden age of sports infomercials, laugh about the dystopia of modern algorithms, and hear three of sports media’s best just hang out, this episode delivers.