• 'Don't Fact Check Me!' Reacting to the Vance v Walz VP Debate
    Oct 2 2024
    Welcome to #Millennial, the home of pretend adulting and real DEBATE talk! We're coming to you on the heels of the (most likely) final debate of the 2024 Presidential campaign. And we got served a decidedly... cordial debate performance. It's like we got in a time machine and transported to pre-Trump America. Don't get it twisted: JD Vance did a very good job of seeming rational and reasonable, but his record is anything but. Walz had more opportunity to play the attack dog, but Laura thinks with everything happening in the world right now, both campaigns may have been playing it safe with this debate. Do debates actually move the needle anymore? Nah. 'Sometimes it's just the guns' SAY IT LOUDER FOR THE PEOPLE IN THE BACK! JD Vance is being forced to sound reasonable on abortion, but don't forget what he actually wants to do. Need a break from politics? We've got you covered with this week's recommendations. 'Uzumaki' on Adult Swim/HBO Max (Laura), 'Nobody Wants This' on Netflix (Pam), and Andrew's PSAs: US passports can now be renewed online and the US government is once again offering free at home COVID tests. And in this week's installment of After Dark: HOTTOGO singer Chappell Roan has been in hot water over the last week over her both sidesism on the upcoming election. Do celebrities have a responsibility to take sides in an election? Why did Chappell Roan feel the need to make any political statement without proper media training? Why do we give some celebs a pass on speaking out politically, but demand it from others? And why do we care what they think? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    54 mins
  • Are Trigger Warnings Too Spoiler-y?, Diddy and Music's #MeToo Moment
    Sep 25 2024
    With the impending US Presidential election, we're doing some light coverage at the top of each episode: latest developments, voting tips and tricks, and spotlighting a down ballot candidate of the week: this week, we're featuring Sally Duvall, who is running for the Texas State House in Texas' 73rd district. A new conversation is brewing about the use of trigger warnings, and it may not be about what you think: is the increased usage of trigger warnings potentially causing spoilers for viewers? We get creative about the ways that streamers can address a) the need for trigger warnings and b) technology-driven solutions to prevent them from causing spoilers for general populations. Matt Smith thinks an over reliance on trigger warnings has led to certain content being limited in the range of depth and topics it can explore - have we ever seen cases where we wondered why a trigger warning was needed? Do we have Netflix's '13 Reasons Why' to blame for networks' inconsistent usage of trigger warnings to cover their butts? While we're on the topic of trigger warnings and their impact of pop culture, we have to touch on the latest developments with Sean 'Diddy' Combs, who was arrested last Monday after being indicted on charges of racketeering and sex trafficking. Pam gives us a history lesson on how Diddy led transforming the image of rap and hip hop in the 90s from the raw, truthful life stories represented by Biggie and Tupac to featuring more images of opulence and wealth. Diddy's behavior is nothing new, but scrutiny of it reached a fever pitch after his former girlfriend, singer and model Cassie filed a lawsuit last November alleging patterns of assault and abuse. Do we think justice will be served, in light of the recent developments in which rulings against Harvey Weinstein and Bill Cosby were overturned? As always, we've got you covered with our week's best recommendations: 'Arcane' on Netflix (Laura), Footsouls (Converse insoles) (Pam), and 'Chimp Crazy' on Max (Andrew). And in this week's installment of After Dark: Surprise bitch! We're calling listeners again to ask unhinged questions, hold onto your butts! We get a solid order of operations solution to a challenging FMK question. Bravo! Mic drop: a subtle sign of a bad friend is someone who only shows up to have their needs met. BOOM! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    1 hr and 18 mins
  • How to Form Deeper Friendships, Why Does Gen Z Do 9/11 Memes?
    Sep 18 2024
    Welcome to #Millennial, the home of pretend adulting and nothing but love for Taylor Swift, Haitian migrants, and geese. Is your calendar the secret to fostering deeper friendships? The NYTimes (and Andrew) think so! It seems simple enough - a standing coffee date, joining a sports league or a book club. But why do so many of us struggle to make these commitments? We discuss some ways to make planning an event with a large group easier, like using a scheduling app for availability, instagram polls in DMs, or just making plans and inviting anyone who wants to come rather than trying to cater to a bunch of scheduling needs. If so many of us are lonely, why do we struggle so much to make friend dates happen? Laura has a Bumble BFF update for us, and a reminder that we should all be conscious of not wasting others' time! Apparently for certain Gen Z'ers, 9/11 has become a popular internet meme. WHY? People have been processing traumatic events with dark humor since the beginning of time, but why are these memes crossing a line? We chat about how weird it is that people just a few years younger than us don't remember 9/11 - and it's probably why it's easier for some to be desensitized to it. Do the annual memorials and replaying of the same footage over and over play a part in desensitizing us to the horrors of that day? Read. the. room. We've got some solid recommendations for y'all this week: Frank Turner's latest album 'Undefeated' (Laura), SpotHero (Pam), and Zero app (Andrew). And in this week's installment of After Dark: Time to judge each other on our morning routines (or lack thereof). Andrew is not prioritizing enough time for HIMSELF in the mornings! Pam has the most durable, instagram-worthy morning routine. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    1 hr and 12 mins
  • Hide Your Cats and Dogs: Analyzing the Kamala Harris v Donald Trump Debate
    Sep 11 2024
    Welcome to #Millennial, the home of pretend adulting and real DEBATE talk! Starting this week we're releasing video episodes on YouTube! Subscribe and watch us each week! We're coming to you right after Tuesday night's Presidential debate between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump and boy, was that a doozy. It began with Kamala establishing dominance by forcing a handshake, and it all went downhill from there. We kept a running list of the best and worst moments of the debate, but one of our favorite takeaways of the night was ABC's moderators fact checking Trump's lies on the spot. FINALLY! In Trump dystopian fantasy world, undocumented migrants are taking over our cities and... eating peoples' pets? Kamala really gets under the orange guy's skin by bringing his crowd sizes and engagement into question, and that's where he really starts to flip. Trump used immigration as his pivot topic for... pretty much everything. FOX News called, they want their talking points back! "Donald Trump was fired by 81 million people and he's having a hard time processing that." How are we feeling about how things stand with the Presidential race post-debate? Kamala killed it, but Trump is playing a different game than traditional politics. Will this debate move the needle further out of his favor? The next debate will be between Tim Walz and JD Vance on Tuesday 10/1, so we'll see you for more debate coverage soon! This week's recommendations: get your updated flu and covid shots if eligible (Laura), Trader Joe's Pumpkin Spice cold brew concentrate (Pam), and Taco Cat Goat Cheese Pizza, the card game (Andrew). And in this week's installment of After Dark: Let's talk strategies to be safe and sane for the rest of the election season. How will we be voting - in person, or absentee? Let's recap where we were when the election was called for Biden in 2020, and make predictions about how long it will take to get results this time. Is it worth it to pay much attention to the media and polling? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    56 mins
  • The Adult Version of Learning Santa's Not Real
    Aug 28 2024
    Welcome to #Millennial, the home of pretend adulting and real relaxed end of summer talk! Check out last week's LIVE episode recorded at Podcast Movement in Washington DC! Time is running out: if you want to receive this year's physical gift (The 'M-Word Cloud' t-shirt), sign up at the BAE level or higher by September 6th. "Instead of crying in the club, I cry in the gym now." How Kamala Harris's DNC speech got us even MORE hype for her candidacy (is that even possible??) We said we're doing an easy end of the summer show and we meant it: this week, we're grabbing some of our favorite askreddit questions and posing them to each other and our Patrons! "What is the adult version of finding out Santa isn't real?" "Not getting a tax refund because you're claimed as a dependent by someone else." We'll be bookmarking this episode to look back on in 10 years to see if our future goals pay off! Let's get petty and talk about our pettiest of pet peeves! We're all haunted by cringe memories that our asshole brains like to bring up, what are ours? What superstitions do we believe in/adhere to? "If you saw something, no you didn't." Small but mighty recommendations list this week: the Haus Labs Glassy Blush Balm Stick (which doubles as a lip balm!) (Laura) and 'Degrees of Engagement' by Jennifer Hennessy (plus our What the Hype?! Smut episode where Jennifer guest-hosted with us!) (Pam). And in this week's installment of After Dark: F*ck it, Pam and Laura haven't had time to catch up in a bit, let's do it live! Somehow we begin this conversation with bloodwork and mammograms, and end with talking about that sweet, sweet herb that is shaking ballot boxes around the country. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    1 hr and 14 mins
  • LIVE Together in Washington DC!
    Aug 22 2024
    Andrew and Laura are together IN PERSON in this special episode of #Millennial! We podcast from our hotel room in Washington DC with our longtime friends Micah and Eric (What is this, 2006?)! Topics include: Micah gives us a live review of our Micah Chair! Laura is in favor of bullying? We share our thoughts on the Democratic National Convention thus far Everyone feels hope for the first time in a while Andrew tests the acoustics of the Gaylord Washington DC's massive atrium Eric has some big news to share with our audience The impact that the fandom has had on our lives Andrew helps Laura set up her Bumble BFF profile, but she's noticing one thing on friend profiles that she's not cool with. Micah can't believe the Hawk Tuah girl threw out the first pitch at a Mets game. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    1 hr and 2 mins
  • Google's Future Is In Serious Doubt, Hypocrites on Twitter, Imane Khelif and the Olympics
    Aug 14 2024
    Welcome to #Millennial, the home of pretend adulting and real talk - But very demure, mind you. Don't forget to subscribe at the $10 tier at our Patreon to get this year's physical gift, the M Word Cloud T-shirt! Sign up by September 6th. Listener Mariann sends some encouraging feedback to another listener we spoke to in After Dark last week, and reveals a heartwarming connection to Laura. Trump has finally agreed to the September 10th ABC debate with Kamala Harris (mainly because he kinda has to). Google has been found to have an illegal monopoly on search functionality as the result of a case filed by the Trump administration.Is regulating Big Tech the one thing that can bridge the ideological divide? According to this ruling, one of the many ways Google has cornered the market on search is by paying Apple $20 billion yearly to be the default search engine on iPhones. Could this ruling lead to a breakup of Alphabet Inc., Google's parent company? Is the government equipped to keep up with regulating quickly evolving technology? Speaking of tech, Andrew has a bone to pick with people who complain about Elon, but continue to maintain their Twitter platforms. Is Twitter muscle memory when trying to get quick reactions out there? Why won't Laura just succumb to Threads?! Speaking of Elon, he isn't the only high-profile person who continues to double down on terrible takes: JK Rowling made headlines during the Olympics for spreading misinfo about Algerian boxer Imane Khelif's gender identity. Subsequently, both JK and Elon were named in a cyberbullying lawsuit Khelif filed in France. Where do we draw the line with personally cancelling famous people and platforms? We've got only the best recommendations lined up for y'all, as always: Amazon Prime's 'I Am: Celine DIon,' which follows Celine's battle with stiff person syndrome (Andrew), Laura and Pam's D23 recap and reaction on What The Hype?! (Laura), and the Halo Bolt for all your portable car jump starter and power banking needs (Pam). And in this week's installment of After Dark, available on Patreon and Apple Podcasts: Inspired by TikTok user bran_flakezz, we ask ourselves: "what is a friendship lesson that you've had to learn the hard way as an adult?" What really resonates with our panel? People who gossip to you are also probably gossiping ABOUT you! We share our own lessons learned, along with anecdotes about the times when we've either had to let friendships go, or reset our expectations and boundaries with them. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    1 hr and 21 mins
  • Harris and Walz, Affordable At-Home Entertainment Tips, Popcorn Bucket Mania
    Aug 7 2024
    Welcome back to #Millennial, the home of pretend adulting and real talk! Ready to see the 2024 physical gift for BAE+ Patrons? Look no further than the M-Word Cloud Shirt! Become a $10+ Patron by 9/6/24 to be eligible to receive this gift! Introducing Tim Walz, Kamala Harris' running mate and Democratic Vice Presidential candidate! Let the battle of the midwestern VP candidates commence! And honestly, there is no fight to be had here: JD Vance continues to flounder and create headaches for the Trump campaign, while the Democratic base is more energized than ever over our ticket! Is it problematic to refer to Vice President Harris as simply Kamala? A listener perspective. Bet you couldn't have guessed that the most popular streaming app isn't Netflix, MAX, or Disney+ but... Tubi! The free streaming alternative has seen a 46% increase in viewership from a year ago, edging out even Disney+'s viewership. Amidst all other major streamers continuing to announce price increases, Tubi features movies and channels dedicated to popular genres and TV shows. Since it's ad-supported, Tubi has been able to remain a free service. Laura is a pessimist and doesn't think it'll last. We share some of our favorite hacks to save on home entertainment through bundling, threatening to cancel to take advantage of win back offers, and family plans. One of the latest collectors items? Popcorn buckets! And it's not just because of that sexual 'Dune' Sandworm bucket. People collect these tie-in novelties for the same reasons anyone collects anything - the nostalgia and exclusivity! But serious question because some of us live in small spaces: what do you do when you run out of room to display them? Save some money and your peace with this week's recommendations: NameCheap for domains (Andrew), Journaling at night to clear your head (Laura), and 'Big Mood' on Tubi (Pam). And in this week's installment of After Dark: Surprise Bitch is back, and we're ready to pepper you with some new questions because we're nosy about y'all's lives. Also Andrew really comes with the tear-jerker questions - we promise we'll tag him back with some of these. ;) Getting through the rest of the year one day at a time is such a MOOD! We hear tips, tricks, and good advice a fair bit, but tell us about the WORST advice you've ever gotten. "...hello? OH SHIT!" Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    1 hr and 20 mins