Pablo Torre Finds Out

Episode: The Pop-Tarts Mascot, Unmasked: Share & Tell with Sarah Spain, Charlotte Wilder, and Pablo
Date: January 18, 2024
Guests: Sarah Spain & Charlotte Wilder

Episode Overview

In this lively, comedic, and unexpectedly sincere episode, Pablo Torre welcomes journalists Sarah Spain and Charlotte Wilder for a “Share & Tell” session. The trio dives into an investigative quest to unmask the Pop-Tarts Bowl mascot, riffs on the viral Stanley Cup tumbler phenomenon, and unpacks the fragile state—supercharged and splintered—of American friendship. The hour overflows with clever banter, personal confessions, mascot lust, and a knack for connecting pop culture obsessions to questions about identity and social belonging.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Share & Tell: Hair Routines & Friendship Reunions

• The episode begins with playful, self-deprecating discussion about hair maintenance, fake hair pieces ("halos"), and how much (or how little) everyone washes their hair.
• Sarah Spain shares a relatable, wild story: her fake hair flying off in a Pride nightclub (“the weave onto the dance floor”), underscoring her candor and the group’s chemistry.
  • Quote:

    “I went for it anyway. And [my friend] did indeed stay because she saw the sacrifice that I made in order to keep her.” (01:40, Sarah Spain)

• First in-person reunion for Spain and Wilder since Gronk’s Beach Party in 2020, with tales of IV drips, bachelor contestants, and wild weather.

2. Deep-Dive: Who Was Inside the Pop-Tart?

• Pablo shares a listener investigation: Who was the Pop-Tarts mascot at the Pop-Tarts Bowl, and why is their identity so secret?
• The Pop-Tart mascot’s bowl debut is recounted—pyrotechnics, Taylor Swift soundalikes, and ultimately, the mascot being “eaten” after celebrating on field.
  • Quote:

    “This seemed to be the thing the Internet was most invested in.” (07:31, Pablo Torre)

• Sarah Spain leverages her “almost a furry” mascot obsession and her insider knowledge.
  • She reveals, through multiple sources, that the man in the Pop-Tart suit was Barry Anderson, famed for playing the Chicago Bulls’ Benny the Bull mascot.

    “I heard from multiple sources that the person inside the tart was in fact someone I knew… who I had admired and potentially lusted after when he was dressed as none other than Benny the Bull.” (11:54, Sarah Spain)

  • The group explores the weird attractiveness of mascots, anthropomorphized characters, and personal boundaries—intermixed with comic admissions.

    “I do sometimes find them a little arousing. Not sure why.” (09:57, Sarah Spain)
    “I want to clarify. I am not attracted to the mascots.” (20:37, Charlotte Wilder, as laughter erupts)

• Attempts to get official confirmation from “Big Pastry” (Pop-Tarts PR) are fruitless and evasively comedic.
  • Quotes of PR responses:

    “‘Frosted Strawberry is a Pop Tart.’” (18:51, Pablo Torre) “‘That specific Frosted Strawberry Pop Tart is deceased and in mouth heaven.’” (19:07, Pablo Torre)

3. The Stanley Cup (Not That One): Water Bottle Mania

• Charlotte shares her surprise object: the viral Stanley Cup tumbler (water bottle)—not the NHL trophy—that captured Instagram influencers and spurred epic demand.
• Summary of Stanley tumbler’s origins:
  • Went viral among Utah moms and Instagram communities thanks to “the Buy Guide,” three women who convinced Stanley to keep supplying the product.
  • Comparison of Stanley’s rise with Yeti’s fratty “cult” status and the gendered marketing trajectories of outdoor gear.
• Pablo and guests riff on the commodification of water itself:
  • Scarcity drops, collector’s mentality, and the subtle identity politics of choosing a Hydro Flask, Nalgene, or Stanley—how water bottles became status symbols.
  • Notable Quote:

    “The most basic need—drinking water—is now a way of saying, the thing that I’m going to drink water out of is going to tell you what kind of person I am.” (29:52, Charlotte Wilder)

• Candid commentary on the power of influencer marketing, consumer identity, and environmental contradictions (steel bottles take much more energy to produce than plastic).

4. The Modern Friendship Deficit

• Pablo raises recent research: fewer Americans now have “best friends,” and friendship itself seems in decline post-pandemic.
  • Quote:

    “40% of Americans say that they don’t have a best friend at all. This is up from 25% in 1990.” (35:56, Pablo Torre)

• Discussion of the hosts’ contrasting social philosophies:
  • Sarah: “Collects” friends with gusto—attends and throws massive parties, credits her life’s joy to social connection.

    “I literally collect friends. Like, when my husband and I got married…having everyone in the audience…was proof of the thing that we valued and cared about the most.” (37:49, Sarah Spain)

  • Charlotte: Has become more insular, cherishes few intimate friendships and family; not a planner but a grateful invitee.
  • Both offer snapshots of how adulthood, marriage, and the pandemic have shifted their friendship patterns.
• Honest wrestling with what constitutes a best friend—duration, intimacy, frequency, or just comfort and reliability?
  • Notable exchange:

    “Do you have someone that is number one with a bullet?” (41:51, Pablo Torre)
    “Now I have four best friends: my husband Brad, and then Kylie, Kara, and Leah. ...If we don’t talk to each other for a day, we’re like, we feel estranged.” (42:33, Sarah Spain)

5. The Buddy System Gets Weird—And Political

• Pablo brings up “accountability partners,” referencing the trend of using friend-pairs for everything from fitness to, in the case of Speaker Mike Johnson, mutual porn monitoring.
• (45:05) Audio clip: Mike Johnson cheerfully describes using Covenant Eyes with his teenage son, sharing weekly reports on their web usage to ensure purity.
  • Reaction:

    “A remarkable thing to be like, hey, son—gross—you and me, we’re gonna know everything, right?” (46:40, Pablo Torre) “Sorry to interrupt, son. I saw you searched the hashtag yetibutt. Is everything okay?” (46:56, Charlotte Wilder, as they riff on the theme’s absurdity)

6. Reflections & Takeaways

• Guests share what surprised and touched them during the discussion, reaffirming their appreciation for each other and friendly differences.

  “Charlotte is a surprising and delightful combo of easy to get along with—and maybe she doesn’t want to hang out with them.” (47:45, Sarah Spain)

• Pablo sums up:

  "It's possible to literally sell anything to people... the eroticism of what feels like generally childlike manifestations of animals." (48:35, Pablo Torre)

• And one final truth, now unmasked:

  “Whoever’s inside of that Pop-Tart is hot. Figuratively. Also literally.” (49:45, Pablo Torre)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Mascot Lust:
  • “I am, and I want to word this very carefully, but I would say I’m just on the line right before you become a furry.” (00:06, Sarah Spain)
  • “Inside of this mascot there is a creamy filling, if you will.” (13:50, Pablo Torre)
• On Water Bottle Culture:
  • “People are collecting these things…It’s taken on its own way of saying who you are…a piece of your identity.” (29:52, Charlotte Wilder)
• On Friendship:
  • “I have four best friends: my husband…If we don’t talk to each other for a day, we’re like, we feel estranged.” (42:33, Sarah Spain)
  • “Invite me to the dinner, I’d love to go, but I’m not gonna plan it… For us, the sort of least stressful, most intimate…way for us to do it was very small.” (41:23, Charlotte Wilder)
• On Surveillance & Accountability:
  • “We get a report, and it says: ‘Hey, no activity of concern.’ And it’s really, really sensitive. It’ll pick up almost anything.” (46:18, Mike Johnson audio clip)
  • “It’s called a burner phone, dude.” (46:33, Sarah Spain, deadpan)

Important Segment Timestamps

• 00:06: Sarah Spain confesses light mascot “furriness”
• 04:34: Sarah & Charlotte reminisce about Gronk’s Beach Party
• 06:29: Listener asks: Who was the Pop-Tart mascot?
• 09:57: Sarah Spain reveals her deep mascot passion (“right before you become a furry”)
• 11:54–17:13: Sarah discloses her “scoop”: The Pop-Tart was former Benny the Bull
• 18:41–19:07: Pop-Tarts PR’s cryptic non-answers
• 21:25: Charlotte introduces the viral Stanley Cup tumbler discussion
• 25:07: Origins of Stanley tumbler’s virality and influencer-fueled rise
• 29:52: Water bottles as identity symbols
• 35:56–44:11: Discussion of the decline of friendship & different friend-making styles
• 45:05–46:33: Mike Johnson’s “accountability partner” system
• 47:45: Closing reflections on friendship and the episode’s surprises
• 49:45: Final punchline: “Whoever’s inside of that Pop-Tart is hot. Figuratively. Also literally.”

Episode Mood & Tone

• Warm, breezy, off-beat, and brimming with wit.
• The atmosphere swings from hilarious and irreverent to genuinely thoughtful and vulnerable as the hosts and guests riff on contemporary pop obsessions, quirks of modern life, and the meaning of true connection.

For listeners and non-listeners alike, this episode is a smart, delightfully weird meditation on the things we love, the things we buy, and the ever-evolving nature of friendship—punctuated by the enduring, burning question: who’s inside that Pop-Tart?