Shrinking’s Ted McGinley Told Me Why He’s Always Cautious When Bringing Back The ‘Eat A D— Pam’ Joke
Very minor spoilers for Shrinking’s Season 3 premiere are ahead! You can stream it with an Apple TV subscription, and you can catch new episodes every Wednesday.
I know that when I think of Ted McGinley’s Shrinking character, Derek, one of the first lines that pops into my head is “Eat a dick, Pam.” It’s an iconic line from the show’s first season, and it has stuck with the character ever since. So, when they brought back a version of that joke again in Season 3 of Shrinking, I asked the actor about it. In response, he told me why he’s cautious about callbacks to his character’s iconic quote.
For some context, the joke originated during Season 1, Episode 3, when Liz told Derek that they couldn’t say anything nice to Pam. In response, he told Pam to “eat a dick.” Since then, it’s arguably become the character’s best-known line, and in the episode that just dropped on the 2026 TV schedule, they brought it back in a hilarious way with the following back and forth:
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- Liz: There’s racist Pam. I have to do something so she knows I hate her.
- Derek: Trust me, everyone you hate is already well aware you hate them.
- Liz: Well, you do something, so she knows you hate her, too.
- Derek: Like what? How many dicks can I tell her to eat at this point? It’s redundant.
So, all that happened as the two approached Pam, then, when they got up to her, Derek made a fart noise at her and gave her a thumbs down. Liz called it “the sexiest thing” she’d ever seen; meanwhile, I thought about how this was a super creative callback to one of the show’s recurring bits.
When I asked Ted McGinley about bringing the bit back for Season 3, he noted that he’s always a little apprehensive about it, and it’s understandable, as he explained:
I mean, it’s always a tender spot, having to go into those places that really scored. And you think, ‘I don’t want to, I don’t –.’ Literally, nine times a day I’m asked to say, ‘Eat a dick, Pam.’ Or I’ll walk through the airport, [and people will say,] ‘Eat a dick. Pam,’ you know? I’m gonna actually put that on my tombstone. Yeah, ‘Eat a dick, Pam.’
Like the lines from great comedies like Bridesmaids or Airplane!, memorable quotes from shows like Shrinking really stick with audiences, too. For McGinley, that line is “Eat a dick, Pam,” and it’s what people bring up most to him. Therefore, I can see why he’s hesitant about reusing it in the show.
The last thing I want them to do is overdo it. However, every time the gag has come back, it’s been in a fun and unique way. To that point, the Derek actor told me that that’s why he knows he can trust the team behind the show when it comes to recurring bits like this one:
That is always a little – you’re hesitant, but I trust the writers here. They always know better than I do, and I found that I absolutely can – if they write it, I’m ‘Okay, I’m in.’ And it’s proven to be true.
It has proven to be true! Shrinking is one of Apple TV’s best shows for many reasons, and I think one of them is 100% the writing. This show is equal parts hilarious and heartfelt, and it often brings back recurring jokes and gags in hilarious, intelligent and oftentimes meaningful ways.
So, while I understand Ted McGinley’s hesitation, I also am a firm believer that every time “Eat a dick, Pam” comes back, it will be hilarious.
