For a character whose entire identity is tied to toxic masculinity and his physical prowess (gills aside), being reduced to a test subject for a sandwich-based sex act is the lowest possible blow. He isn’t fighting Homelander or saving a city. He’s being asked to “score” with lunch meat. It’s pathetic, and that’s the point.
Typically, adult film cameos in mainstream media are about titillation. Here, Rachel Starr holds all the power. She’s the director, the judge, the one asking “Can he score?” The Deep is just a nervous auditionee. The show flips the power dynamic, making the male superhero the vulnerable, ridiculous object. can-he-score-rachel-starr-and-the-hoagie-hero
Why does a phrase like "can-he-score-rachel-starr-and-the-hoagie-hero" get searched in 2024? For a character whose entire identity is tied
We live in the era of absurdist humor. As life becomes more digital and curated, we crave chaos. The combination of a high-status adult star with a low-status everyman (plus processed meat) creates a cognitive dissonance that the brain finds hilarious. It’s pathetic, and that’s the point
Furthermore, the phrase functions as a Rorschach test for masculinity.
Rachel Starr, playing a fictionalized version of herself, is the scene’s secret weapon. She’s not a victim or a co-star in this scene—she’s the director. When The Deep awkwardly shows up on set, apologizing profusely for his past behavior (including a grotesque memory involving his gills and a coerced act), Starr’s character listens with the dead-eyed patience of someone who has seen it all.
She is calm. She is professional. She is utterly unmoved by his celebrity status. This dynamic is crucial: The Deep expects absolution or at least tears. Instead, he gets a business proposition.