Millennial: Pretend Adulting, Real Talk

Uncork the champagne: we have a Trump indictment just in time for this week's show! Time to CONFESS! Listeners write in for this week's episode using our anonymous Confessional to detail their deep, dark, dirty secrets! Is there a nuanced interpretation to the ongoing debate about the national security risks Tiktok presents? It's ok to not love everything about Joe Biden - we don't believe in turning politicians into our entire personality. How do the hosts approach diet and fitness from a sustainable, healthy perspective? Is it normal for our sex drive to reduce as we get older? Managing expectations with family can be hard, especially when coming out. Should people feel guilty about taking advantage of working from home to sneak in a quick nap? We receive an update about a previous Confessional submission! This week's recommendations are practical with a side of entertainment: 'Did you know' that alarm clocks only snooze for 9 minutes because original clocks mechanically couldn't snooze for 10? (Andrew), don't forget your sunscreen! (Laura), and Showtime's 'Yellowjackets' (Pam). And in this week's installment of After Dark, available on Patreon: A new poll conducted by real estate advice website Home Bay inspires us to talk about our respective cities, and why people may (or may not) want to live there. It's "Atlanna" not "Atlanta." Dallas being in the top list of cities people want to move to seems wild. Why don't people want to move to Pam's home city of San Francisco?! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome to #Millennial, the home of pretend adulting and real cybersecurity talk! On this week's episode, we are joined by cybersecurity professional Voldimmoral! If you're looking for tips to remove your personal information from the internet, check out her Medium article! Your digital footprint can be left even if you're not intentionally disclosing information. Voldimmoral details how in her line of work, digital footprints have enabled her to help solve crimes! Even the most security conscious among us can be vulnerable to personal information getting out online: this is why it's particularly important to help the less web savvy in your life be protected online. On a related note, 2-factor authentication has been in the news a lot lately, with Twitter announcing they would no longer support SMS (text message) 2-factor. What are some more secure 2-factor authentication options? We recommend Google Authenticator or using a Yubikey. Voldimmoral also chats with us about the pros and cons of password manager apps - and the upcoming Passkeys authentication method. This week's recommendations are a real grab bag! Cut resistant gloves (Andrew), Making a donation to Everytown for gun safety (Laura), and Lazarus Naturals (Voldimmoral). And in this week's installment of After Dark, available on Patreon and Apple Podcasts: Voldimmoral hangs out with us to talk cybersecurity fails! We love our parents, but the boomer really does show sometimes... How to dupe Nextdoor into sending hundreds of invitations to an ever expanding radius of neighbors. How to spot a phishing or social engineering scheme. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Are the rumors of an impending Trump arrest fake news? Either way, we're ready to pop open the champagne! Here's some AI artwork of Trump being dragged away, in case you can't wait to see the real thing. Are Americans prepared for a potential national ban on TikTok? And could this actually happen?! Since Pam and Laura swipe so many of their hours away on TikTok, where will they turn if it's no longer available? Shameless plugs for our TikToks while they still exist: @AndrewInTheAir, @PamelaG, @BasilyBoy, and of course @MillennialPod! Are most of us fatalistic about our online privacy at this point? Is it valid to not care that the Chinese and U.S. governments are spying on us? Following the enormous success of HBO's 'Last of Us' video game to show adaptation, we explore other game titles and the opportunities for studios to cash in on more GOOD content. Accessibility in gaming is still an area where there is a ton of room for growth, and we argue that good adaptations make these stories more accessible for everyone. Gatekeeping ain't it though y'all: stop the game fan/show fan wars! If your social media has been taken over by videos of AI President voices, you're not alone. These are a riot to listen to, but some of the AI voices are so spot on there is potential for fake scandals during elections. A special guest joins #Millennial to give us his endorsement. Get it together and listen to #Millennial! This week's recommendations will keep you organized and calm: Dot Card for networking (Andrew), remember to get your fur kids in for their annual wellness checks (Laura), and Legacy Box for digitizing your old home movies and photos (Pam). And in this week's installment of After Dark, available on Patreon and for Apple Podcast subscribers: MuggleSuck is back: this time we confront our moody email alter-egos from the early 2k's. Why did we use email as a primary form of communication? Were other teens doing this, or were we just weird? WE HAD SO MANY FIGHTS OVER EMAIL OMG. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We unexpectedly had to take off from providing you with a full episode this week, so instead we're sharing this installment of After Dark! We discuss the popularity around the Stanley Quencher water bottle -- that thing is so big and ugly, yet people can't help but buy it. We use it's popularity to discuss brand loyalty, and the brands that we are hot and heavy for. Reminder: Stay hydrated! But maybe use a less ugly water bottle. Patrons and Apple Podcast subscribers have access to a new After Dark installment this week where Andrew and Pam answer questions from listeners about podcast drama. Visit Patreon.com/millennial to receive instant access to that and many more After Dark installments! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome to #Millennial, the home of pretend adulting and real talk! In some airline news, the Justice Department is suing to stop the planned Jet Blue/Spirit Airlines merger, and multiple airlines are ditching fees charged for families trying to sit together. Seemingly inspired by Elon Musk's moves at Twitter, Meta will soon be offering "Meta Verified:" aka paying $15 a month for the coveted Blue Check. Why is the Blue Check so desirable for some? Are there any cases where wanting one is warranted? If everyone can pay a monthly fee to be verified, does being verified lose its meaning? It's time for some unpopular opinions: we're inspired by a (now deleted) tweet, which asserts that most nonfiction books are unreadable. We have some hot takes of our own: your phone should be silent most of the time, being an "empath" isn't a thing, and airlines should get rid of the reclining functionality on all economy seats. In light (lol) of Daylight Savings Time returning in a few short days, Laura delivers her yearly gripe about how stupid changing the clocks 2x a year is. Will attempts at a permanent DST bill die in the House again this year? Probably. Though some of us would love a little more sunlight in the evenings, experts warn that a permanent switch to Standard time would likely be better for our health. This week's recommendations are mostly practical, with a little entertainment sprinkled in: Digital temperature readers (Andrew), 'Bass Reeves: No Master But Duty’ (Laura), and AHC Natural Perfection Sunscreen Stick (Pam). And in this week's installment of After Dark, available on Patreon: What tragic event were we all obsessed with as kids? Titanic is the obvious answer for many millennials, but we have a treasure trove of morbid interests. The history, politics, and horrific assassination of the Romanov family, and subsequent mystery of Anastasia. How an interest in the Oregon Trail led Pam to an obsession with the Donner Party. Andrew has always been obsessed with water: the Johnstown Flood of 1889. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome to #Millennial, the home of pretend adulting and real talk! We are joined this week by Christine Riccio and Natasha Polis from Those Forking Fangirls to discuss the significant uptick in interest (and sales) of literary romance and YA novels. Today's conversation was inspired by this NPR article:From meet-cutes to happy endings, romance readers feel the love as sales heat up. Christine and Natasha help us dig in on the pipeline from Young Adult to Romance, how the genres somewhat overlap, and how the culture has shifted to make open enjoyment of the Romance genre more socially accepted. Might some of the shifts in cover art portrayals have made the genre more comfortable and accessible to readers? Are there any cases where the cute, cartoony covers fail to communicate the spicy, smutty passages between the covers? Fan Fiction seems to have played a major role in these developments, with more people participating in online fan spaces to create new content. There are even recent examples of very successful fan fic authors going on to become published, like Christina Lauren, EL James, Alice Clayton, and Ali Hazelwood. Is there any direct correlation between the rise in interest for romance novels as a genre and the uptick in romance-based reality TV shows? What sort of escapism do they provide? What recommendations do Christine and Natasha have for current romance readers, or those hoping to get started? "From Blood and Ash" by Jennifer L Aremntrout, "Spoiler Alert" by Olivia Dade, "A Court of Silver Flames" by Sarah J Maas, "Part of Your World" by Abby Jimenez, "Verity" by Colleen Hoover, "Anna & the French Kiss" by Stephanie Perkins, "The Soulmate Equation" by Christina Lauren, "The Hating Game" by Sally Thorne, "A Court of Thorns and Roses" by Sarah J. Maas. And of COURSE - "Twilight" by Stephenie Meyer. This week's recommendations are all over the map: Andrew's shameless plug to use his Visible by Verizon referral code to get $20 off your first month, "Sons of the Forest" (Laura), 'Daisy Jones & The Six' on Prime Video (Pam), "Ninth House" (Christine), and "Sanditon" on Masterpiece airing 3/19/23 (Natasha). And in this week's installment of After Dark, available on Patreon: Last week we revealed all the bad things we did as kids and teens, but this week we're revealing the much more scandalous escapades our parents thought we were into. Weed orgies, illicit drug use on a church playground, underage sex, and all sorts of really interesting things none of us were actually cool enough to be doing. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome to #Millennial, the home of pretend adulting and real talk! After a few years of explosive growth, the podcast world seems to be cooling off. What does this mean for indie podcasters? As big corporations come to grips with the reality that podcasting isn't just an easy way to print money, layoffs, budget cuts, and canceled projects are making headlines. What do we look for in the podcasts we listen to as podcasters ourselves? If there's passion behind the project, it shows. Lucky Girl Syndrome is the new manifesting. Who knew when boomers were simping over 'The Secret' that the youths would revive the concept. Is there some validity to the idea of manifesting positivity? How has Andrew done this to keep himself from assuming the worst possible thing will happen? The Confessional makes its triumphant return this week with a listener who is playing hooky from work to get some much-needed self-care time. The hosts and listeners share some great tips for helping to carve out some time to prioritize yourself during your regular day-to-day: give yourself an easy "out" for certain social situations, stop saying yes to everything, and pad time in your calendar around busy events to give yourself some breathing room! Don't forget to check out our Facebook group for more great conversations like this. This week's recommendations will make life easier, more fun, and enriching! The Plates by Splitwise app, and the parent Splitwise app (Listener Beth and Andrew), Golf With Friends (Laura), and "Sorrow and Bliss" by Meg Mason (Pam). And in this week's installment of After Dark, available on Patreon and Apple Podcasts: The Hill reports that parents pay at least one monthly bill for 40% of millennials, prompting us to explore how our parents helped us in early adulthood. How all three of the hosts got booted off their parents' car insurance - should people be worried about us on the road? Andrew recalls his "Most Expensive Date Ever" We also revisit some cringe moments from our adolescent years. Awkward! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome to #Millennial, the home of pretend adulting and real talk! Happy Valentine's Day! The wine will be flowing this week! Just in time to prepare for your romantic activities around Love day, we're talking etiquette rules that we believe will help you avoid annoying friends and prospective romantic partners. See this article from The Cut for our inspiration to discuss etiquette rules. STFU and give your friends or partners a chance to talk, don't make splitting the bill so damn complicated, and strip the bed linens after staying at someone else's house! "You'll float too:" Forget Tiktok, surveillance balloons are all the rage for international spy activities! Why didn't the US military shoot down the balloon sooner? Cause it weighed over 2,000 pounds and was taller than the Statue of Liberty. Has anyone told Congressional Republicans this wasn't a Party City balloon? BUT ALSO: The U.S. shot down three additional unidentified flying objects, but assures us they definitely weren't aliens. Suuuuuure Jan. Netflix and AMC are trying to redefine experiences their brands helped build: just in time for Valentine's Day, love is no longer sharing a password. And going to the movies is equivalent to going to a concert or other event! Will people accept Netflix up-charging for sharing an account or AMC trying to rebrand the theater-going experience? Naaaaah. Apathy will probably kick in though. This week's recommendations are all over the map: Americans, find out how much you will get in Social Security payments in retirement by going to SSA.gov (Andrew), Rare Beauty's Illuminating Primer (Laura), and StoryGraph (Pam). This week's show is sponsored by Hello Fresh (link here). Support #Millennial by supporting our sponsors! And in this week's installment of After Dark, available on Patreon and Apple Podcasts: We're going on a three-way polygamous date to find out if these 36 questions can help us fall in love (even more) with each other. Why is Andrew asking so many questions about death on a first date? Seems sus. Things get pretty vulnerable and deep. We're gonna take this to second base later. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week's episode opens with discussion of a rising trend: More people are turning to dollar stores to shop for food because of the guaranteed low prices and accessibility. To help us discuss this movement, we're joined by Rebecca of @DollarTreeDinners on TikTok, who's gained nearly 700k followers in under a year thanks to her videos in which she shares how to make great meals using ingredients from Dollar Tree! We ask Rebecca what the common misconceptions are about dollar store shopping, how she plans her meal ideas, if keeping ingredients and meals healthy is possible at a low-cost store like Dollar Tree, and what items to avoid at the dollar chains. How has Rebecca gotten so popular, so quick? She shares what resonates with her audience to help any other aspiring TikTokers. Over in TV land, Netflix is in hot water after the taping of their Squid Game reality show got a little too, uh, close to the fictional Squid Game. Shouldn't contestants have known what they were getting into?! Mr. Beast also got in trouble when he tried to create his own Squid Game. It leads us into a discussion of how creators like him can't win. The Grammy's aired Sunday, and as always there's lots to talk about. Pam explains why Harry's House shouldn't have won the top honor, and Andrew shares strategies for making it through the longggggg award ceremony. Recommendations: Andrew's recently started using Jicama Wraps as a low-calorie tortilla alternative (Which Pam isn't happy about, only because the popularity of jicama has seemingly driven up prices), and Pam wants you to check out Bad Bunny's album Un Verano Sin Ti. This week in After Dark, available on Patreon: The M&Ms Spokecandies have allegedly been replaced by Maya Rudolph. The commercials haven't landed with Andrew -- is this all leading to a Super Bowl ad where the Spokescandies murder Maya Rudolph and take back the throne? The internet is paying tribute to the M&M's by discussing the hottest brand cartoon characters. We discuss if we would sleep with iconic characters like Jolly Green Giant, Wendy, Kool Aid Man, Mr. Pringle, and more. Disney Dads appear to be getting hotter. Do the animators have daddy issues? FMK: The Mascots. Andrew and Pam present each other with scenarios. "Ohhhhh Yeahhhhhh!" Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Laura has an announcement: she has joined the ranks of Joe Biden, Mike Pence, and Donald Trump for having classified documents in her home. Who's next? Chat GPT, the new AI chatbot that has taken the internet by storm, is the subject of this week's show. Listen carefully -- some of what we say may be written by The Bots. Chat GPT can write letters, papers, and podcast dialogue when given specific requests. It can also answer everyday questions, convey emotion, write content, and even write code. Big tech has taken notice and some are reportedly shaking in their boots and in some cases even vying to use Chat GPT. Artists and creators alike are sounding the alarm over AI bots and their potential to steal from artists in order to generate content. There may still be a ways to go though: CNET was using AI to write articles until they realized there were some errors in the bot's reporting. Should people be worried about the machines taking their jobs? For today's episode, we prepared ad copy, existential diary entries, and even a conversation with Albus Dumbledore using AI bots! This week's recommendations are fun and functional enough to get you to stop worrying about the rise of Skynet: GoldenEye on Nintendo Switch (Andrew), The Quarry on PS/XBOX/PC (Laura), and Mighty Patch (Pam). And in this week's installment of After Dark, available on Patreon: Inspired by this NYTimes article, we ask: what present-day things will we cringe about in the future? Did we swipe away our life partners too easily? How many kids are going to grow up and despise their parents for documenting their entire childhood on social media? Will we navigate more towards plant based diets? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome to #Millennial, the home of pretend adulting and real talk! Should we have anxiety about the current egg shortage? "Classic" digital cameras are big with Gen Z - are we feeling old yet? Something about that classic, grainy, blurry look is appealing to the kids these days, UFO reports have skyrocketed since 2021 - are they legitimate? While we're hoping to have an expert on in the coming months to discuss aliens, we want to share our decidedly un-expert opinions: are aliens real, have they been to Earth, would the government even tell us, and would humanity band together against an extraterrestrial threat? (no). Throw back time: Pam gives us a mini-hype roundup of the latest pop culture stories. Should Alec Baldwin be found guilty for the accidental shooting of Halyna Hutchins? Actor Sebastian Croft recently faced backlash for voicing a character in the upcoming "Hogwarts Legacy" - why aren't any other actors being attacked online for doing the same? Cringiest cringe of the week: US Senators quoting Taylor Swift lyrics. This week's recommendations will keep you fresh, fed, and prepared! Just Egg (Andrew), Eva NYC's Freshen Up Invisible Dry Shampoo (Laura), and Instax mini link 2 smart phone printer (Pam). This week's episode is sponsored by Honeylove (https://www.honeylove.com promo code MILL for 20% off!). Support #Millennial by supporting our sponsors! And in this week's installment of After Dark, available on Patreon: Oh, the places you will go! Our most and least favorite pop culture and historical sites. The owner of the "Breaking Bad" house still has a temper about people showing up and trying to throw pizza on her roof. Andrew and Pam have made visits to a number of iconic pop culture sites, but you might be a little disappointed to see how some of them stack up to their on-screen counterparts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome to #Millennial, the home of pretend adulting and real FIRE talk! Stoves are apparently a hot button (lol) issue, and President Biden continues coming under scrutiny for his classified documents faux pas. Do we believe everything we read in memoirs? Some details in Prince Harry's memoir "Spare" have been determined to be inaccurate. Since human memory is subject to flaws when recalling events, how much stock can we put in any memoir's ability to represent reality? Time to get nerdy: Pam and Laura cover an ongoing story in the Dungeons & Dragons community. Once again, corporations are getting greedy and attempting to screw over their fan base. Swift backlash from the DnD community led to Wizards of the Coast backtracking its new proposed Open Gaming License (OGL), but fans are still wary of what is to come. The Missouri State House of Representatives has adopted stricter dress code guidelines for its female members. Apparently bare arms and shoulders are too scandalous for Missouri. The United States House of Representatives relaxed its own archaic rules around dress code for women in 2017 - c'mon Missouri, even Paul Ryan thought this was stupid. We reminisce about our own run ins with being dress code violators and check in on our old high schools' current dress code requirements. This week we have a group recommendation: Watch 'The Last of Us' on HBOMax. Just do it. Do it now. (We also have a bonus recommendation for the inevitable zombie apocalypse: PB2 powdered peanut butter!) And in this week's installment of After Dark, available on Patreon: MuggleSuck, The AIM Files (part III). Between being homeschooled and lacking IRL friends, Andrew and Laura really had nothing better to do than be riled up by fansite drama. How did we talk about and perceive being gay in the early 2000s? How does it differ from 2023 standards? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

New year same us! Welcome to #Millennial the home of pretend adulting and real talk. Get ready for some new laws y'all: decriminalization of jaywalking and cannabis cafés potentially coming near you soon! During the holiday break House Republicans proved the 15th time is a charm, Brasil had its own January 6th, and Biden had his own classified documents snafu. 2023 is just *glowing* NEW ON PATREON! Executive Producer tier, which includes all other Patreon benefits in addition to joining us for episode planning meetings, a personalized thank-you video, and a dedicated space to pitch your ideas to the show. Southwest Airlines capped off a year rife with airline drama with the crowning jewel of clusterfucks: mass cancellations that left tens of thousands of Americans stranded at the height of winter holidays. US airlines received around $50 billion in taxpayer funded bailouts during the pandemic to avoid layoffs and furloughs. If the bailout was meant to keep airline workers employed, why did the airlines offer buyouts and early retirement packages to so many of their employees? 🤔 Can Southwest bounce back from this? More than likely with the right response and PR. But will the government enact repercussions? Are consumers expecting unreasonably low airfares? And what can be done about the general lack of comfortable seating? What is the future of football following the tragic accident that nearly claimed Damar Hamlin's life? How can American society reconcile the inherent dangers of football with the cultural significance it holds? Why do sports in general carry so much significance socially, culturally, and politically? This week's recommendations all relate to our episode! Ticket to Ride (Andrew), The Department of Transportation's Airline Customer Service Dashboard (Laura), and 'Colin in Black and White' on Netflix (Pam). And in this week's installment of After Dark, available on Patreon: The Stanley Quencher water bottle may not be the most aesthetically pleasing, but it'll keep you hydrated. In a conversation about brand influencing, Andrew and Pam give Laura fomo about products she doesn't have and will now be buying. We share the products we are sluts for, and surprise surprise, we were most likely influenced into our loyalty. Why is hydration so trendy now? No one walked around with a water bottle in the 90s. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Special release! #Millennial will return January 11th with new episodes, but for now we're releasing the latest installment of After Dark to everyone! In this installment -- which also features Mark and Pat -- we look at the types of porn each generation and state were watching in 2022 via PornHub's Year in Review. Their report on the year in porn viewing was breathtakingly detailed, so we try to discern why different types of people watched what they did. For a new installment of After Dark every week, pledge to our Patreon today at Patreon.com/millennial! We can't do this show without listener support, so thank you! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome to #Millennial, the home of pretend adulting and real holiday gift exchanges! Chloé, Marc, and Pat join us to make the gift giving experience more chaotic. Cookie flavored lube, onesies, and marijuana paraphernalia are among the gifts given this year... Our top themes that define 2022: Midterm Elections, Queen Elizabeth II's passing, social media shifts, Ash finally becoming the best like no one ever was, Try Guys drama, and the Johnny Depp/Amber Heard trial. We recap our 2022 predictions from last year: who was wrong, who was right, and who killed The Queen? And don't worry, we're sure some of our 2023 predictions are wrong: SCOTUS to rule student loan forgiveness program legal, 'Speak Now' TV coming in spring or summer, Bob Barker will die, Nintendo to announce an updated Switch model, Miley Cyrus and Pete Davidson will date, and Trump won't be allowed to run. Final words for 2022? Ehhhh And in this week's installment of After Dark, which is available now to Patreon / Apple Podcasts subscribers but will be available to everyone next week: Time to tell the story of the REAL America... via Pornhub's 2022 Year in Review! Which US states need therapy based on their top search terms? Are Boomers ok? Y'all's search preferences are so vanilla. Remember, there is a porn for EVERYTHING. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome to #Millennial, the home of pretend adulting and real talk! Who else forgot that 'Avatar' was the biggest box office earner in history? Oops. Will we see the 3+ hour sequel? There may already be some Oscar buzz about movies coming out this holiday season, but we've got some old favorites we revisit every year. Having last minute gift shopping trouble? Look no further - we've got you covered with some tips and tricks to help your holiday shopping along. Why are dads so hard to buy for? Seriously, why is that such a common trope? How do we feel about being asked for Christmas lists as adults? Brittney Griner came home last week after nearly 10 months in a Russian penal colony for possession of THC cartridges. Why are Americans so split on the Biden Administration deal to get Griner home? If you're interested in learning more about the history of prisoner swaps between the US and Russia, we recommend checking out the following resources: Here are some prisoner swaps that have freed Americans, Trevor Reed Prisoner Swap History, Trump Admin negotiates for the release of 5,000 Taliban fighters, Bowe Bergdahl prisoner swap, The World; Free to Spy Another Day?, Cold War not affected by exchange of prisoners. Kyrsten Sinema sucks. That's all. This week's episode is sponsored by Uncommon Goods (https://www.uncommongoods.com/MILL for 15% off). Support #Millennial by supporting our sponsors! And in this week's installment of After Dark, available on Patreon: Andrew has us play a guessing game about the top Google search trends of 2022. Pam and Laura blank out on the first half of the year, completely forgetting major events pre-August. Pam's memory never ceases to blow us away. Has anyone ever had a favorite spot ruined because of overcrowding due to social media? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome to #Millennial, the home of fake adulting and real talk! Polls closed for the Georgia Senate runoff shortly before we began this recording, and Raphael Warnock was declared the winner after we wrapped. However, you can still experience Laura's stress and anxiety throughout the recording! #fun Should Kanye's music be removed from streaming services like Spotify in light of his continued hatred towards Jewish people? It's a very sticky situation. Spotify's 2022 Wrapped is here with a new feature: your music personality. Merriam-Webster and Oxford Dictionary have chosen appropriate words of the year for 2022: "Gaslighting" and "Goblin Mode." Who among us hasn't activated goblin mode after being gaslit the last three years? NEW: #Millennial's word of the year is... PEOPLE. Plus, Andrew takes us through dozens more of #Millennial's most-used words, and the words he thinks we should've used more often in 2022. As we get deeper into the holiday season, we ask ourselves and our listeners how to deal with annoying people during the most wonderful time of the year? Is just getting up and leaving effective? Is it too awkward? Between edibles, giving yourself a buffer, and setting boundaries, our listeners have lots of ideas about how to stay sane this holiday season! "I hope you have the holiday you deserve." This week's recommendations are all over the place: 12ft.io to be a filthy thief and bypass paywalls (Andrew), Netflix's 'Wednesday' (Pam), and Laura begs Supermassive Games to please patch 'The Devil in Me.' This week's episode is sponsored by Uncommon Goods (https://www.uncommongoods.com/MILL for 15% off) and Dock a Tot (https://www.dockatot.com and enter code MILL for 15% off). Support #Millennial by supporting our sponsors! And in this week's installment of After Dark, available on Patreon: Pam reveals more tea about how she'll be handling awkward interactions this holiday season. Andrew and Laura provide another dramatic reading of an AIM transcript from their days working at MuggleNet. This week's edition: mass firing of volunteer fan fiction moderators. What is it with grown ass adults picking on children? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome to #Millennial, the home of pretend adulting and real talk! Of course Elon couldn't resist amping up Twitter drama during the Thanksgiving holiday, and we reminisce about the Twitter apocalypse that wasn't. On this week's episode we're doing a deep dive on Ticketmaster, Live Nation, Antitrust laws, and the Biden Justice Department working to address the issue of monopolies. First, all due credit to Taylor Swift, whose Ticketmaster debacle inspired this conversation. We don't know for sure if Biden and Garland are Swifties, but we do know the Department of Justice had already launched an antitrust inquiry into Live Nation Entertainment before Ticketmaster shit the bed on presale tickets for Swift's tour. The Justice Department allowed the merger of Live Nation and Ticketmaster in 2010, despite cries from the music world and consumers that a monopoly would result. And they were right. Artists like Ed Sheeran and Garth Brooks have tried to fight back against price gouging and scalping, but with the broad control Live Nation Entertainment has over the live music entertainment market, it will take so much more to truly address these issues. The Biden Justice Department has had surprising success preventing the recent attempted merger of publishing houses Penguin Random House and Simon & Schuster. Interested in reading more about monopolies and antitrust law? Check out these resources: AT&T Antitrust cases, American Tobacco Company, and more reading on PRH+S&S. The Biden Administration also announced that they're looking to fight 'junk fees' to help fight inflation, beginning with new guidance making it illegal for banks to charge overdraft fees when bank or ATM statements show sufficient balances at the time of a transaction. What junk fees do we want to see the administration take on next? This week's episode is sponsored by Expedition Roasters (https://www.expeditionroasters.com and use code COFFEEGEEKS for 15% off your order). Support #Millennial by supporting our sponsors! And in this week's installment of After Dark, available on Patreon: Since millennials know how to lose their online social media presence, let's explore the social media alternatives to Twitter. We look at popular alternatives Mastodon and Hive. Their platforms may be promising, but will their audiences keep growing? Our gripe: how are we supposed to find our friends and other connections on these new platforms? Pam shows Andrew a Tiktok hack that reveals something surprising! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome to #Millennial, the home of pretend adulting and (maybe) good inflation news? We look towards what we can expect from Democratic Senate and Republican House controlled chambers following last week's midterm elections. What does the Georgia Senate runoff mean for a Senate majority? Orange Julius announced his 2024 Presidential run during this recording, and we are gagging. Will Gen Z save American democracy? We're in their corner! What is "queerbaiting," and how are certain celebs and media using it to attract audiences? How can we tell if someone is queerbaiting? And when does it do more harm than good to call it out? Kit Connor of 'Heartstopper' fame was forced out of the closet due to excessive accusations of queerbaiting. Should there be limits on straight artists using queer themes in their work? Andrew (aka resident conservationist daddy) provides an update on the mega drought out West, and what those states are doing to become less dependent on the Colorado river. In addition to the phenomenal water recycling efforts in Las Vegas, California has reduced its water usage by 10%, and has committed to reducing its dependence on the Colorado river by 400,000 acre feet per year starting in 2023. The Federal government is throwing its weight around by telling states like Arizona and California that if they don't come to an agreement to cut usage, big daddy fed will be stepping in. Andrew's 2023 water prediction: we're gonna get WET baby! This week's recommendations will keep you entertained and moisturized as the weather gets chillier! Guillermo del Toro's 'Cabinet of Curiosities' on Netflix (Laura), 'Tunic,' an RPG tribute to 90s Zelda games (Andrew), and O'Keefe's working hands lotion (Pam). This week's episode is sponsored by Uncommon Goods (https://www.uncommongoods.com/mill for 15% off). Support #Millennial by supporting our sponsors! And in this week's installment of After Dark, available on Patreon: What nostalgic media from our childhood holds up well? What DOESN'T? A macabre discovery: does Santa die when he retires in 'The Santa Clause'? We are shook to revisit fan favorites from the early 2000's that look like dog shit now. Is it possible to enjoy 1990's VFX through a 2022 lens? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome to #Millennial, the home of pretend adulting and real election talk! An unpleasant reality seems to be setting in for Republicans: while they will likely take control of the House, it seems to be a much smaller majority than expected. We cover our home states of California, Georgia, and Nevada: the heartbreak, the victories, and everything in between. Why does Laura have a freedom boner over ranked choice voting?? The economy and abortion were top areas of concern this cycle - what do these results tell us about public opinion? Is Trump being rejected at the ballot box? His endorsed midterm candidates are seeing mixed results. Gen Z saves the day: the newest voting-age generation turned out overwhelmingly for Democrats, and Maxwell Frost was the first Gen Zer elected to Congress! While the balance of Congressional control is still in question, Republicans ultimately underperformed. How will they react in 2024? Are we ready for the inevitable DeSantis/Trump boxing match? This week's recommendations should give you a break from election fatigue: 'The Midnight Club' on Netflix (Laura), 'All There Is' with Anderson Cooper (Pam), and Backblaze (Andrew). This week's episode is sponsored by Uncommon Goods (https://www.uncommongoods.com/mill for 15% off) and Expedition Roasters (https://www.expeditionroasters.com and enter COFFEEGEEKS for 15% off your order). Support #Millennial by supporting our sponsors! And in this week's installment of After Dark, available on Patreon: MuggleSuck returns in the form of some cringy AIM transcripts Andrew dug up from the vault. 2006 Andrew is talking about a gay guy but not in the way he would now. *cringe* "My parents are such dorks!" Laura treated the prospect of guest hosts probably *too* seriously. A story of a creepy older staffer is revisited. Away messages were the best features ever. SOMEONE BRING THEM BACK! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome to #Millennial, the home of pretend adulting and real Tiktok class action lawsuits. After months of speculation, Elon Musk has officially purchased Twitter for $44 billion (which is way more than Twitter is worth). See what Nilay Patel, aka Andrew's new Leo Laporte, had to say on Elon's head scratching purchase of the social media platform. We share our concerns about the future of Twitter as small creators ourselves, and speculate over how likely major changes to Twitter's rules are to be. A big sticking point for Elon's imagined "town square" version of Twitter will be advertisers. No one's gonna want to advertise Christmas M&Ms next to the latest unregulated antisemitic Kanye meltdown. Will we leave Twitter? We share our red lines. Taylor Swift has also seen some backlash over her "Anti-Hero" music video, which featured some of the singer's "nightmare scenarios." The nightmare scenario that has caught everyone's attention? Taylor's scale weighing her as "fat." Although Swift has spoken about her struggles with disordered eating and body dysmorphia, many are calling out that an objectively skinny woman talking about being "fat" as a nightmare is lacking some self-awareness at best. Does there need to be more nuance in this conversation? Yes. Does Taylor need to sit with this and learn to do better? Also yes. Interestingly, there's been no discernible criticism of the incest portrayed in 'House of the Dragon' - in fact, there is a significant thirst happening online for uncle/niece romantic duo Daemon and Rhaenyra. Though this is not the first time incest has been represented in Westeros, it is the most prominent example for the tv shows. Are viewers turned on by the actors' chemistry or the taboo nature of this relationship? We share final thoughts on season 1 of 'House of the Dragon' - will we tune in for season 2? This week we give a group recommendation: if you are eligible to vote in the United States... VOTE! Please. For the love of avocados. Next week's episode will provide election coverage. And in this week's installment of After Dark: With nostalgia in mind, we ask ourselves: what sucked as a kid, but is cool as an adult? Weird how corporal punishment becomes a sex kink. Thanks parents! Are all the things we hated as kids but like as adults good for our mental health? Have we all become a lot more domestic than we thought we would? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome to #Millennial, the home of pretend adulting and real shit talking phone scammers. Andrew provides a SPECIAL UPDATE on his recent COVID scare. Also, if you see a picture of his butt floating around online, please email [email protected]. Adidas has officially dropped Kanye West over his repeated vitriol towards the Jewish community - took 'em long enough! While we were on vacation a lot happened in the news! Liz Truss was outlasted by a head of lettuce, the UK gained a new Prime Minister, Trump was officially subpoenaed by the J6 Commission, and the student loan forgiveness application opened up. But because no good deed goes unpunished, a federal appeals court has put a pause on any forgiveness being issued because some salty Republican governors challenged Biden's loan forgiveness program. Instagram is supposedly working on a new feature that would allow users to add song to their profiles - 2005 called, MySpace Tom wants his business model back! We take a walk down memory lane and reminisce about our MySpace profile songs, who was in our Top 8, and how glad we are that MySpace didn't show whose profiles we were creeping on. Things go off the rails when Andrew reveals he has ALL of his old AIM chat history from back in the day. Queue major millennial cringe moment. This week's episode is sponsored by Expedition Roasters (https://www.expeditionroasters.com and use code COFFEEGEEKS for 15% off your order). Believe us, your nerdy caffeine souls will thank you for this one! Support #Millennial by supporting our sponsors! Need something new to do? This week's recommendations should help! Where the Water Goes by David Owen (Andrew), Phasmophobia (Laura), and 'The Loneliest Time' by Carly Rae Jepsen (Pam). And in this week's After Dark: Inspired by this tweet, we ask ourselves, 'what is something that is objectively terrible but I still like anyway?' Why can't we quit the crappy food of our youth? We watch trash TV so we can judge and feel better about ourselves #sorrynotsorry. Is doom scrolling bad for our mental health? Yes. Do we still do it all the time? Also yes. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We have a new sponsor who merge our two loves: Coffee and Pop Culture! Check out Expedition Roasters for delicious, pop culture-themed brews inspired by Harry Potter, Disney theme parks, Star Wars, and many more! Use code COFFEEGEEKS for 15% off! Don't forget that the #Millennial Adulting Planner is available for a limited time! Pledge to our Patreon at the BAE level by Thursday, October 20th to receive yours! BAE Patrons, make sure you fill out the form by October 20th! COVID gets close to Andrew and he enters a quarantine mode to stay safe. Will he successfully avoid the 'vid? Find out the exciting conclusion in two weeks! Meanwhile, Laura and Pam have their own COVID-related updates... #PrickMeDaddy Paramore has brought back their massively popular song "Misery Business" after they canceled any and all live performances two years ago. Was it right to bring it back... or cancel it in the first place? What songs truly haven't aged well? Andrew and Pam have thoughts on songs with "Fire" in the words by Andrew's husband. And what on Chromatica was Gaga thinking by teaming up with R. Kelly less than a decade ago!? The makers of UNO have reminded everyone about an alleged rule, which has sent players into a tailspin. The panel get into a discussion about their own House Rules with board games and drop some new recommendations! Dank Brandon rises. We run through how he aims to decriminalize marijuana and discuss why the hell it's classified as a Schedule I drug. Recommendations: Spot It card games (Andrew), Vampire Survivors game (Laura), Derry Girls season 3 (Pam) And this week in After Dark, available on Patreon: Our social media manager Chloé joins us to discuss the Millennial Pause. What is it? Does anyone we work with have it? And is The Pause actually a problem, or are people just looking for more things to complain about when it comes to millennials? GIFs, Bitmojis, and not understanding social media apps: Are these all problems for millennials? Can Andrew no longer use his precious Bitmojis?! (He LOVES his fall outfit tho!) Chloé drops a couple of updates concerning what's in and out for Gen Z. (Heads up: Cheugy is still out) What is the BuzzFeed Accent? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome back to #Millennial, the home of pretend adulting and real talk. Andrew does his best impression of Westeros to start the show off, commemorating the ridiculously dark lighting present in the latest episode of House of the Dragon. Don't forget to pledge at the $10 BAE level over on our Patreon by 10/20/22 to receive this year's #Millennial Adulting Planner! In light of Grammy Award winning West Coast rapper Coolio's death last week, we visit his legacy, learn more about how 'Gangsta's Paradise' earned its spot in the cultural zeitgeist, and reflect on rap's crucial influences on our culture. Speaking of 90's nostalgia, Andrew is getting bummed out with more and more dark details about our favorite kids shows coming to light. "I love you... you hate me...." did anyone else have threats of violence and ruthless rumors on their Barney bingo card? No matter your take on 90s nostalgia, we can all agree the sun baby from Teletubbies was and remains nightmare fuel. We're joined this week by listener Nicki, who is a fellow with the American Academy for Oral Systemic Health. She joins us this week to talk about a common anxiety: the importance of oral health and going to the dentist. She reminds us it doesn't need to be scary! Periodontal disease (aka gum disease) is extremely preventable, treatable, and curable with proper testing and treatment. Oral health is important for your teeth, but don't forget that the mouth is the gateway to the rest of the body. Establishing an oral health routine can help prevent other illnesses down the line! What about the over the counter toothpastes, flosses, and mouth washes most of us are using? Nicki recommends Spry, Bite, and StellaLife instead. You can find Nicki on Instagram and see her business Redwood Designs. It's a mixed bag of recommendations this week: the gay rom-com BROS (Andrew), Slutty Vegan (Laura), Netflix's 'Hip Hop Evolution' (Pam), and Trixie Motel on Discovery+ (Nicki). And in this week's installment of After Dark, available to all Patrons: We did 90s nostalgia in the main show, now it's time for our own 90s cringe stories. How to dump a girl in 3 days, a Girl Scouts assignment gone amiss, and telling your crush that no, you DEFINITELY don't have a crush on them anymore. You thought finding out Santa wasn't real was bad? Just wait until Andrew shares his trauma around Carmen Sandiego. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We kick off the show this week with some TRY GUYS DRAMA. Pam is shook, Andrew is cackling, and Laura is clueless. We officially unveiled our 2022 Physical Gift for BAE level Patrons: The #Millennial Adulting Planner! It's here to keep you on track, getting in those hot girl walks, and staying up to date on the show! If you'd like to receive this gift, subscribe at the BAE level over at https://www.patreon.com/millennial by October 20th! What are the ethics involved with creating and consuming true crime media? With a recent Netflix release centered on infamous serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer, victims' families have been vocal about the damage of being forced to relive their trauma through the cultural zeitgeist. Do we need to keep rehashing the same traumatic stories again and again? As we inch closer to midterms, Laura has an important PSA: Think globally, act locally. Stories of US Governors transporting asylum seekers to other states, the Iranian government's violent crackdown on protests, and Italy's new far-right Prime Minister don't exist in a vacuum. Andrew's Tech Corner gets he and Chloé feuding about Instagram reels, has us cheering for an improvement to Amazon's ebook return policy, and sending thoughts and prayers to the Instagram employees inevitably training the new Ai that will block unsolicited nude photos. This week's recommendations are for your face: Apostrophe (Andrew), the Weilisi Ring Light (Laura), and Trader Joe's daily facial sunscreen (Pam). And in this week's installment of After Dark, available on Patreon: Inspired by this Reddit thread, we're talking about the adult luxuries we never saw ourselves being obsessed with. King beds are game changers for those of us in relationships. Or, you know, just people with dogs. What types of things have we splurged on that have improved our lives? Laura only recently discovered the benefits of a good vacuum! Her floor is now SO! CLEAN! Better quality also leads to having to buying certain types of products less. It's a win-win! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome to #Millennial, the home of pretend marinated chicken recipes and real NyQuil usages. WTF? Is it time to get your new (and improved!) COVID booster? This CDC quiz can help you find out! Then, Laura comes clean about her last booster. Adnan Syed, whose story made international headlines thanks to Serial and Undisclosed Podcast, has been freed. Should we be concerned that cursive is being taught less and less in public schools? Does the panel write in cursive? (Do they write by hand at all?) What did we learn in school that isn't helping us today? What didn't we learn that we wish we had? A Confessional about Sexual Fluidity has us asking ourselves and our Patrons... have you ever been attracted to someone outside of your typical sexual orientation? Introducing 'Dark Brandon Watch': a new segment where we run through the latest coming out of the Biden Administration. Chloé looooves this week's tangible recommendations: 'The Patient' on FX (Andrew), Apple Cider Vinegar (Laura), and Sally Hanson dry & go drops (Pam). And in this week's installment of After Dark, available on Patreon: It's a WTF News edition! If an avalanche of sex toys spills onto the highway, is it stealing to take one? Speaking of sex toys, who knew anal beads could be the secret in a successful chess match? Central Florida loves celebrating its "cooters," and a Southwest airlines pilot is over all y'all's dick pics. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome to #Millennial, the home of pretend adulting and ROYAL talk! UK-born, Canada-based BAE Patron and Conservation Biologist Megan joins us this episode to keep the stupid Americans on track when talking about Royal traditions and UK politics. Follow Megan over on Instagram @Write2Ride. What were our initial reactions to news of the Queen's death? To enhance today's discussion, we're replacing our regular swear word vocabulary with Shakespearean insults. Laura is very upset at the prospect of the Queen's Corgis going to bawdy, flap-mouthed pedo Prince Andrew. Honoring a long-held tradition, the royal beekeeper alerted Queen Elizabeth's bee colony of her passing. Pam gives us the rundown of what to expect over the next couple of weeks before Queen Elizabeth is finally laid to rest, and we wonder if the UK public still finds the opulence and cost of the Royal family relevant. Megan gives us some insight into how the UK and various Commonwealth countries approach the bank holidays observed in light of the Monarch's passing. Unfortunately, some localities aren't recognizing the days off work, and some people may not even receive holiday pay for working. Megan clues us into the ongoing energy crisis in the UK, and why the pomp and circumstance of the Monarchy may not be landing well with the public. Shortly before the Queen's passing, Liz Truss became Prime Minister following Boris Johnson's resignation. Who is she, what ideologies is she leading with, and how can the US foresee domestic political trends based on what is happening now in the UK? To everyone shushing the various commonwealth communities for not mourning this death: SHUT UP. We dig in on Britain's history of colonialism, the privilege carried by those of us who benefit from imperialist attitudes, and how the British Empire left scars around the world that must be answered to. How do UK residents feel about the Monarchy compared to commonwealth countries? We'll give you one guess... There's no common thread in this week's recommendations: BBC World News (Andrew), Ben & Jerry's Doggie ice cream (Laura), Netflix's 'The Crown' (Pam), and take some time to go outside and connect with nature (Megan). And in this week's installment of After Dark, available on Patreon: You've heard of MuggleSuck, but have you heard of Hypa-suck? Andrew and Pam get real about their nine years working at another website. In this first installment, we share three juicy stories of betrayal, honest mistakes, and challenging relationships. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome to #Millennial, the home of pretend adulting and unprepared talk. Andrew's a coffee elite and wants YOU to try black coffee for a week. We're all enjoying Marvel's 'She-Hulk,' but the character design is leaving something to be desired. A listener asks Pam and Laura what they think of the posthumously released Selena album 'Moonchild Mixes'? Can we see ourselves enjoying posthumous releases, or even hologram performances of musicians who have passed? Some stars are getting ahead of the game by holograming themselves and producing biopics while they're still alive. While we're still alive, we talk about who we'd cast to play our fellow #Millennial hosts, and everyone understands the assignment somewhat differently... WaPo reported on the most regretted college majors, and as millennials, we feel (kinda) attacked (but they're not totally wrong). Do we think the heavy emphasis on STEM fields might create an overcorrection in the long-term? When considering a field of study, earning potential is a large piece of the puzzle to consider. But is it the only piece? Our Patrons sound off about whether or not they regret their fields of study. This week's recommendations are all about coffee and focus: Drink black coffee for a week (Andrew), Loop Earplugs (Laura), and Torani pumpkin pie syrup (Pam). This week's episode is sponsored by Feals (https://www.feals.com/MILL to become a member and get 50% off your first month). Support #Millennial by supporting our sponsors! And in this week's installment of After Dark, available on Patreon: Wizarding World Inc announced an official fan event happening next year in the U.S., and convention goers have opinions. What are the pros and cons of official and unofficial fan events? Speaking of conventions, it's time to reminisce... this time 17 years ago, Andrew had a life experience so juicy it lives behind the paywall. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome to #Millennial, the home of pretend adulting and CORN talk! Corn kid is precious and must be protected at all costs. We're pleasantly surprised by how much the Biden-Harris student debt relief plan includes, and how many people are seeing significant or complete loan cancellation. Also, we have GREAT news about interest! Listeners sound off about what they'll be able to do when their student debt is canceled, and we celebrate the newly unveiled IDR plan effectively canceling interest. PSA: You'll still need to apply for the debt relief by 12/31. Don't worry, we'll issue lots of reminders! The White House Twitter account sees a sudden tone shift, endearing the account to tens of thousands of users. As midterms loom, so too does "Dark Brandon." What is Quiet Quitting? How do we establish a balance between work life and LIFE? This new trend can refer to scaling back to the bare minimum work required, not centering our lives around work, or letting go of doing additional work without additional pay. It's an entertainment themed recommendation week for #Millennial! Check out 'The Princess' on HBO Max (Andrew), season 2 of 'Only Murders in the Building' (Laura), and the *Nterviews series on the Lance Bass Show podcast (Pam). And in this week's installment of After Dark, available on Patreon: Pam takes the reins for some pop culture updates! Streaming beats cable, NBC considers cutting an hour of primetime, and MoviePass is back. Britney is in her healing era, and we're here for it! Jack Antonoff gets too involved with hot artists and Pam ruins Lorde's "Green Light" for Andrew Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome to #Millennial, the home of PRETEND adulting and real talk. Are we still on the Be Real train? Instagram is clearly getting on board. Amid news that Biden will be (finally) announcing his student loan forgiveness solution, the panel has thoughts... BREAKING NEWS: Andrew is committing to the highly anticipated 'Game of Thrones' and 'Lord of the Rings' spinoff series. #iconic Is this the make or break moment for major fandom spinoff series? Related to 'Game of Thrones', a listener asks 'AITA if I don't go to my friend's GoT themed wedding?' Andrew surprises Laura and Pam by asking them to read in High Valyrian on air in honor of our 'Thrones' conversation. Demi Lovato's latest single '29' has gone viral, prompting more conversations about the cultural shift in perceptions around large age gaps in relationships. As active members of fandom, we speak about the large age gaps in some of our own friendships "back in the day," and whether we think we would approach them differently now. Our listeners weigh in with their stories about being in a romantic relationship with a large age gap. Republicans are fear mongering over the $80 billion earmarked in the Inflation Reduction Act for hiring 87,000 new IRS agents. Andrew gets vulnerable about being audited by the IRS, but also points out that an agent didn't take him out with an "AK-15." Take note, Senator Grassley. This week's recommendations will help you stay feeling cozy ahead of fall: purchase audit protection when filing taxes (Andrew), OUAI leave-in conditioner (Laura), and Rare Beauty's Lip Soufflé (Pam). And in this week's installment of After Dark, available on Patreon: Inspired by our Demi Lovato discussion in the main show, we get into more specifics about the issues that can present in friendships and romantic relationships with a large age gap. Each member of the panel has a story about something they've seen or experienced that can make these relationships complicated, but there is nuance so long as consenting adults are involved. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We're joined by #Millennial’s social media manager, Chloé, and friend of the show Christine Riccio for a big discussion on social media! Christine is a published author (check out her books Again, But Better and Better Together!)-- but she’s also been creating content on YouTube, Instagram, and more for years. This week’s show is dedicated to unpacking Instagram’s plight to compete with TikTok’s growing popularity. If you’ve found yourself frustrated by the changes being made over on Instagram, you aren't alone! Following a slew of backlash, the platform is promising to walk back some of the changes they’ve made to mimic TikTok. Andrew and Pam's minds are blown when they learn that you can actually hide all suggested posts on Instagram. Andrew and Pam lament over how frustrating it is to see so many suggested posts on their feeds. Meanwhile, Christine and Chloé walk us through how these new changes end up hurting small creators. We discuss the pressure creators feel to adapt to the ever-changing landscape of social media. Additionally, we ruminate over whether or not keeping up with the algorithm is sustainable longterm. Christine opens up about the growing pressure authors are facing from publishers to self-promote their books across multiple platforms. This week’s recommendations: Cancelling a trial as soon as you start it so you don’t forget to cancel it later (Andrew); ‘A League of their Own’ on Amazon Prime Video (Pam); Palomino by Miranda Lambert (Chloé); ‘The Resort’ on Peacock (Christine). And on this week’s installment of After Dark, available on Patreon: Celebrities— including Taylor Swift— are getting slammed for their private jet carbon emissions. Have we, as a society, reached a point where we're tired of seeing celebs flex their wealth? We discuss the correlation between how it’s cool to be environmentally conscious in 2022, and the downtrend in wealth flexing. Celebrities face backlash for misstepping on social media all the time— but they’re not the only ones. We all share examples of times we’ve gotten called out for the things we've posted. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome to #Millennial, the home of pretend adulting and FUN talk! We're joined this week by Yvonne Gonzales (aka @OldMythos on TikTok) who is a PhD candidate at USC. They join us to share how fan fiction can and should be studied as literature, and also dive in on the latest drama between Netflix and The Unofficial Bridgerton Musical. Where did songwriting partners Abigail Barlow and Emily Bear cross a line with their musical? Likely when they started monetizing it. Should other fan creators worry about copyright lawsuits? Andrew asks some questions "for a friend" who happens to run a popular literary themed podcast. In some good news, we have a tasty meal in store for this week's Clusterfuck YEAH 2022 updates. Alex Jones and the tale of incompetent legal representation, Donald Trump and the FBI raid of his "big, beautiful home", and Kansas' surprisingly high voter turnout in a primary to block further abortion restrictions. Will anything come of this FBI raid and release of Trump's taxes? Be patient, these things take a while. Andrew pays tribute to The Onion's late fashion contributor. This week's recommendations range from abstract to entertainment: GET WHAT YOU PAID FOR (Andrew), Knock Knock Pads (Laura), and Pod Meets World (Pam). And in this week's installment of After Dark, available on Patreon: Pam went to Outside Lands, and Laura is extremely jealous she got to see Green Day. Andrew questions whether Bruce Springsteen's blue collar audience will be able to afford tickets to his upcoming tour due to the price gouging Ticketmaster platinum ticket pricing feature. What is the maximum amount we'd pay to see our favorite artists in concert? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome to #Millennial, the home of fake adulting and real breaking your soul! Despite the latest news about Lizzo opting to remove an ableist slur from her latest album, Queen Bey find herself in a similar position with her new album. Updated booster shots coming to an Apple store near you! (Jk, please don't spread misinfo.) Andrew v Laura: who will hold out longest in the battle of the covid super dodgers? WTF Internet News is here to unearth why an op-ed would posit that 'The Office' is a work setting we should aspire to, the infamous TikTok 'pink sauce,' and how a Polish Institute decided that domesticated cats are an invasive alien species. Hulu and Disney were in hot water recently over Hulu's refusal to air political ads about controversial topics like gun reform and abortion access. Disney has certainly had no problem taking political sides in the past... until it become brand damaging for them to do so. While Disney and Hulu have changed course, we wonder how politicians can meaningfully hope to meet young voters where they are. McConnell out-McConnelled: a tale of Republicans being shitty and getting it rubbed in their faces for once. This week's episode is sponsored by Feals (https://www.feals.com/MILL to become a member and get 50% off your first month). Support #Millennial by supporting our sponsors! Our recommendations this week come with your comfort, entertainment, and caffeine addictions in mind: Autonomous ErgoChair Pro (Andrew), Stray on PS and Steam (Laura), and Mr. Coffee Electric Grinder with multi-settings (Pam). And in this week's installment of After Dark, available on Patreon: Could 'ghosting' now be seen as an emotional offense? Based on this, we come up with our own proposals for laws to address annoying things in life: excessive dog barking, rent increases, and parking too damn close to someone's car for them to reasonably access their own car. What offensive custom honking sounds should Andrew record for his car? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome back to #Millennial, the home of pretend adulting and BeReal talk. Friend of the show and fellow podcaster Eric joins us this week! Do we actually want our friends to know what mundane things we're up to? A new report from Rolling Stone claims that bots, and perhaps even Zach Snyder himself, may have played a role in the social media push for the release of The Snyder Cut of 'Justice League.' Do we worry about bots when participating in social media movements? On a related note, the vast majority of teens do not trust news coming from TikTok. Huzzah! On the other hand, there is a ton of misleading information coming out of TikTok. How did teens learn to be skeptical of their social platform but Boomers still treat Facebook articles like the gospel?! While Biden and Trump are the obvious frontrunners for 2024 (for now), both are lagging in the polls among their own supporters. Should Joe Biden run in 2024? The panel has some split opinions. Would implementing an upper age limit as a qualifier for President be ageist? One major issue behind Biden's lagging approval ratings: Democrats are harder on him than Republicans were on Trump at the same stage of presidency. Laura's plea: get in line in 2024. For the love of god. This week's recommendations will feed your body and soul: Find a Choco Taco if you can (RIP) (Andrew), Nest Thermostat (Laura), See's candies chocolate coffee beans (Pam), and Yellowstone National Park (Eric). Find Eric on his podcast Thank You For Spieling and of course MuggleCast! And in this week's installment of After Dark, available on Patreon: It's all about fan conventions baby! First we provide a brief overview of this year's SDCC announcements. In the era of covid, how safe can meet and greets even be? Eric shares a tale of plexiglass, photo ops, and a celeb still getting covid anyway. As someone who has done quite a few meet and greets with celebrities, Eric shares his experiences and tips for having a successful meet and greet. Does going to a convention right now feel responsible? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Because 9% inflation isn't enough, BMW has announced subscription services for heated seats. We may never be able to afford a BMW, but we're here to share some money saving tips and tricks that might help you save some money right now. Don't sleep on Amazon's used section, Honey, open box policies, or floor models y'all! We also recommend checking Progressive Shopper if you're interested in where brands' political donations go, as well as opting for generic brands when possible. Patrons also sound off with their money-saving hacks: eating less meat, price matching, and checking for rebates with your utility companies are all quick and easy ways to save some cash. After last week's discussion about these amazing deep space photos NASA released, listener Aimee joins us for further discussion. She is a PhD student in Astrophysics, and is here to help Andrew get excited about space! Aimee dispels a few common misconceptions: black holes don't suck things in like a vacuum cleaner, and the tax cost for scientific research amounts to only pennies per person each year. We also learn that there is a movement among astronomers to rename the JWST telescope in light of its namesake actually having been a HUGE homophobe. #Millennial will henceforth follow Aimee's lead and call it the Jelescope Welescope Space Telescope until it is renamed. We also get an in-depth analysis from Aimee about what we're actually seeing in these newly released photos, and whether or not aliens will be discovered in our lifetimes. Down here on Earth things are still a disaster: the final (for now) January 6th Committee Hearing will be hosted this Thursday July 21st at 8PM ET. We'll be hosting a watch party in the #Millennial For All Discord - please join us! You do not need to be a Patreon subscriber to take part in the fun. It's a grab bag of recommendations this week: @Wario64 for availability and pricing on all of your electronic/gaming needs (Andrew), Wet and Forget shower cleaner (Laura), Scrivener (Pam), and Disordered Cosmos by Chanda Prescod Weinstein (Aimee). And in this week's installment of After Dark, available on Patreon: The new ‘Baymax!’ series at Disney+ is the latest to come under fire by some parents for depicting period products, and we're reminded of the stigmas we faced around puberty as kids and teens. Pam and Laura recall the stigmas around periods and how confusing and distressing the experience is for young people going through this change. Parents are setting their kids up for failure by not exposing them to education about what their bodies are going through. Is it any wonder so many people don't think about the importance of consent? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Have you seen these amazing pictures from deep space? You don't even need to be a stoner to appreciate them! How the #gentleminions meme inspired teenagers to put on their best suits to attend screenings of 'Minions: The Rise of Gru.' Thanks to teens, the new 'Minions' movie raked in $164 domestically on opening weekend. Theaters may not love the #gentleminions trend, but Universal sure does. The #Millennial panel is split on Minions - are they cute or demonic? Nextdoor Karens returns to the show, with some dramatic readings of Nextdoor posts in our areas. Andrew shames a neighbor into deleting a 'Karen' post, and Pam plans some recon. BAE Patron Becky joins us to discuss her career as a librarian! With the increase in book bans, librarians are increasingly coming under fire. How can library patrons best support their local librarians? We learn about the Library Bill of Rights, and that many libraries have detailed processes in place in the event that someone challenges a book. What books and genres are especially popular now? Andrew wants to know so we can start a podcast. Becky also runs a Disney blog, https://www.disneyinyourday.com. She shares the joys and challenges of working on a blog while also holding down her full-time gig. Becky also gives Andrew some sage advice about planning his next trip to Disney. This week's episode is sponsored by Feals (https://www.feals.com/MILL to become a member and get 50% off your first order). Support #Millennial by supporting our sponsors! And of course, we've got some amazing recommendations for y'all this week: Apple users should look out for a picture-in-picture update coming soon from Youtube (Andrew), Hey Bear Sensory (Laura), Trader Joe's coconut cold brew concentrate (Pam), and 'Four Thousand Weeks' by Oliver Burkeman (Becky). And in this week's installment of After Dark, available on Patreon: Becky hangs around to share some library tea. Some libraries seem to be doing away with the concept of late fees - does it work? Customer service is always a rough job, even in a library. Stories are shared about disturbing Patrons. Also, how can Porn Viewing be handled? Andrew volunteers to dress up in a dog suit. (No, really!) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Nothing like a shit week out of SCOTUS and more mass shootings the week of July 4th. Happy Independence Day to the 49% of the population that didn't lose rights to bodily autonomy in the last week! Pam and Laura had some personal developments occur during our week off - clearly taking a week off from #Millennial is detrimental to our health?! Meanwhile, Andrew encountered a pleasant surprise and discovered that some of his fellow high school alums are still jelly of his efforts in school Laura is considering moving to a blue state since shit is hitting the fan - and she gives Andrew and Pam some requirements. Apart from abortion, the Supreme Court delivered decisions in a number of cases you should also be concerned with. That said, we are still committed to fun discussions to keep us all going! This week, a TikTok trend inspires us to talk about the biggest scams society has convinced us are normal. Look at the cost breakdown of your latest hospital visit if you want to see how much your local ER is charging you for a bandaid, and really consider whether that big sale is actually costing you more money. What are our 'Vecna' songs? (iykyk) Is on the job training still a thing, or is a degree required if you want to switch fields? Don't forget to check out A Paranormal Chicks, an inclusive, southern, foul-mouthed deep dive into all things true crime and paranormal! And in this week's installment of After Dark, available on Patreon: Inspired by our scams topic this week, we dig into an FTC report on the top types of fraud millennials encounter. Laura and Andrew come clean about falling victim to a couple of scams - it's easier to be susceptible than you think! We enjoy punking scammers who call us, but we're also aware of the need to watch out for social engineering! Andrew has someone claim that he's been impersonated on Grindr -- but in light of today's discussion, is this a scam too? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome to #Millennial, the home of fake adulting and.... breaking your soul? We're kicking off this week's episode with the latest updates from the January 6th Hearings: fake electors, and pardons, and crimes, oh my! Finally, a majority of Americans think Trump should be charged with a crime. But speaking of other nightmares... we take a look at this proposed double decker passenger jet design. Will the lower deck seats be called "Ass to Face" seating, or rebranded as "Economy Basic"? Have we ever relied on budget airlines in the past? We go over the pros and cons of flying Spirit and Frontier. Laura got a new tattoo, which inspires us to talk about cosmetic tattooing. How do we feel about it, would we ever get one, and what are the pros and cons? There have been some generational shifts around the acceptability of tattoos - our grandparents still don't get it, but our parents are somewhat relaxed on the topic. We've received a few Confessionals from listeners wanting to know... Am I the Asshole? From mothers who gaslight to long distance relationships, we tell it to y'all straight. This week's recommendations are a grab bag: check for extra leg room seat upgrades 1-2 days prior to flying for reduced rates (Andrew), 'Malamander' by Thomas Taylor (Laura), and Therabreath whitening mouthwash (Pam). And in this week's installment of After Dark, available on Patreon: We all love our respective cities of residence, but what are the less desirable things about them? Everyone thinks their city has the worst traffic - spoiler: shitty drivers exist everywhere. Andrew witnessed a neighbor doing something interesting outside of his home last week - will he confront the neighbor? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It's time for some #unhinged talk this week - so we kick it off with a new segment, Clusterfuck 2022! We give our initial reactions to the January 6th committee hearings, and while the new details are not surprising, they are shocking. SCOTUS is really making it their mission to attack personal rights and liberty this Pride month, and we are NOT amused. Border agents can now search residences and vehicles within 100 miles of a US border without a warrant. While the House passed a sweeping gun reform bill that is certain to die in the Senate, the Senate is toying with a much more moderate proposal. It's not all doom and gloom this week though - to cheer everyone up, we have a slew of WTF News stories! In the movie world, Sony got punked into re-releasing 'Morbius' in theaters thanks to the popular 'it's morbin' time' meme. Also, 'Joker 2' is rumored to be a musical starring Lady Gaga as Harley Quinn?! GEICO was ordered to pay a $5.2 million settlement to a woman who contracted an STD in her partner's car during sexual activity. The reasoning? His car was insured by GEICO. We're all old enough to remember life before the internet - what are some core memories of that time? This week's recommendations will give you something fun to do! Take advantage of the sales happening at Target (Andrew) and watch Ms. Marvel on Disney+ (Pam & Laura). And in this week's installment of After Dark, available on Patreon: It's time for our third installment of "A Deep Dive Into..." featuring Laura! We ask her to reflect on experiences and lessons learned in moving a lot as a kid, homeschooling, and more. What made her decide to live abroad, and what is with these punk rock cruises she goes on? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A new study about coffee suggests that drinking moderate amounts of coffee may decrease chances of death. Today we learned our panel must be immortal! We know inflation is bad, but authors need to live too! Stop returning ebooks on Amazon y'all. Why are some consumers treating Amazon like a library? Some authors end up owing Amazon money due to consumers purchasing and returning ebooks. When is it justified to seek a refund? Are there any cases in which we would absolutely never request one? Johnny Depp won his defamation lawsuit against Amber Heard last week, and the internet really showed its ugly side during these proceedings. Although Depp previously lost a libel case in the UK, the court of public opinion has turned this into an all or nothing issue, eliminating any room for a nuanced conversation. Does this case represent backlash to #MeToo, or an expansion of its umbrella to include all victims of abuse? How will we approach abuse allegations in the future, based on this case? Some adults under 35 are throwing financial caution to the wind since the world's a mess - is this a good idea? This week's recommendations came up naturally during our recording: try no sugar in your coffee (Andrew), Stitch Fix (Laura), and Nutpods Coffee Creamer (Pam). This week's episode is sponsored by Felix Gray (https://www.felixgrayglasses.com/MILL for free shipping, returns, and exchanges). Support #Millennial by supporting our sponsors! And in this week's installment of After Dark, available on Patreon: It's a ~deep dive~ into Andrew. We learn about his childhood, sexual awakening, and takeaways from his college years. For maybe the first time ever, Andrew shares what one thing he could see himself getting a tattoo of! And of course, there's tea - we always love some good personal tea in After Dark. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

#Millennial is back in time for PRIDE month y'all! Time for some pretend adulting, gay talk. To kick off Pride Month, we speak with Kacen Callender, author of bestselling novel 'Felix Ever After.' Kacen tells us how they got started as a writer, and we chat about the increase in popularity of LGBTQ romance in mainstream media. Kacen's new book is titled Lark & Kasim Start a Revolution and will be released this September! Follow Kacen on Twitter and check out their website here! It's time to talk gun safety reform... again. In the space of two weeks, mass shootings in a Buffalo supermarket and a Texas grade school left dozens dead. We've heard the same rhetoric around this gun debate for our entire lives - why does this keep happening? We look at some data to explain how our state legislatures respond. The upshot is this: Republican controlled state legislatures respond by loosening gun laws 120% in the year following a mass shooting. Why? The NRA continues to be better funded, and gun fanatics are simply better at engaging with the political process. Here's what we all need to do to make a difference: be engaged with what your state's legislature is doing, join a local gun violence prevention group, donate to a national gun reform organization (Everytown For Gun Safety, Brady, Coalition to Stop Gun Violence, Sandy Hook Promise), volunteer for pro-gun reform candidates, and VOTE in every election! Want to help victims and survivors in Buffalo and Uvalde? Check out these verified fundraisers: Verified fundraisers for Buffalo + Verified Fundraisers for Uvalde Shifting gears, Andrew tells us about an eventful birthday weekend, and provides video evidence of a wild police stop he witnessed right in front of him. This week's recommendations are informative and comfy: 'Prehistoric Planet' on Apple TV+ (Andrew), 'The G Word' on Netflix (Laura), and shoe inserts for converse (Pam). And in this week's installment of After Dark, available on Patreon: We're kicking off our in-depth host interviews this week with Pam! Pam shares how she got into journalism, and the joys and and difficulties of breaking into the field. Where did we meet Pam? Through Harry Potter? Through Twilight? None of us can remember. What does Pam do outside of #Millennial? And what's her greatest ambition in life? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It's the end of an era: Apple has announced it is discontinuing the iPod, and we pour one out for "1,000 songs in your pocket." Can the iPhone ever match the level of escapism an iPod provides? What's your rate of inflation? We take the quiz together and compare where we're feeling the most strain when we're paying bills. Andrew's doomsday prepping has him stockpiling Dunkin' Coffee from Costco, and Pam is about to walk away from a business she's frequented for years due to its price increases. Related: the latest casualty of supply chain shortages is baby formula, and some "pro-lifers" want to gate keep formula on the basis of citizenship. How many friends do we need? The New York Times has some helpful data, and we share our own "friendship numbers." Have some friendships grown closer during the pandemic? More distant? 'Buy now, pay later' trends are sending some millennials and Gen Z'ers spiraling into debt. When is it worth financing a purchase, and when is it better to pay in full? With over a third of shoppers under 40 missing at least one payment, it's clear that 'paying later' is easier said than done. This week's recommendations are all products we recommend NOT paying in installments for: The Pink Stuff for easy cleaning (Andrew), Bleame Crystal Hair Eraser (Laura), and Holo Taco nail polish (Pam). This week's episode is sponsored by Scrib'd (https://www.try.scribd.com/MILLENNIAL to try Scrib'd for 2 months for .99) and Felix Gray (https://www.felixgrayglasses.com/MILL). Support #Millennial by supporting our sponsors! And in this week's installment of After Dark, available on Patreon: We're kicking off an After Dark series in which we interview... each other?! How do we handle burnout as creators, and where do we draw lines in terms of what we share on the show? Do we ever feel pressure to share MORE on the show? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, our social media manager Chloé joins us, and we GO OFF about the upcoming decision on Roe vs Wade from the Supreme Court. What other 'settled law' could be next? The right to privacy and bodily autonomy is on the chopping block. Chloé expands on how it feels like religious liberty is only valued in the US if you're a white, cis male Christian. As discussed in 7x22, a number of states have been lying in wait with trigger laws for the moment Roe vs. Wade is overturned. Shifting gears, we are joined by listener of the show, Rex, who is a speech pathologist! We chat about hearing and speech, pediatric feeding disorders, and stuttering, all of which Rex has professional experience working with. Since 5% of school age children have an articulation disorder, how long does it take to address these issues through speech therapy? For all the parents listening, Rex details some of the common signs you may want to consider finding a speech pathologist to work with your child. What are some good gifts or toys to help improve communication with children? To dispel a common myth: speech therapy is for anyone, and speech pathologists work with clients "womb to tomb!" This week's episode is sponsored by Talkspace (https://www.talkspace.com and use promo code mill for $100 off your first month). Also check out Swiping Up wherever you listen to podcasts! This week's recommendations are basic essentials to set you up for the warmer months! Sport bottle sunscreen flasks just in case you need to sneak your favorite beverage into the pool (Andrew), making sure to apply and reapply your sunscreen (Laura), and the Owala water bottle (Rex). And in this week's installment of After Dark, available on Patreon: It's a WTF News edition! Is Andrew hiding bodies in Lake Mead? Why do coffee shops charge extra for non-dairy alternatives? Why do we have to glue ourselves to coffee shop counters to get an answer? What's the cringiest way you can imagine a large company marketing to millennials? Proctor & Gamble is doing it. How does an ancient Roman Empire bust end up in Texas? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Note: The news of the Supreme Court's Roe v Wade ruling broke as we were approaching the end of the episode recording, so our reactions are found at that point. Laura begins the show with an update that has Andrew and Pam on the edge of their seats. A new feature in The Atlantic details the rise of the "workcation" as a result of many companies moving to a work from home model during the pandemic. Have we ever "workcationed?" What are the pros and cons? Does working on vacation further blur the lines between work and life in a post-pandemic world? President Biden is finally considering some amount of student debt forgiveness. We'll hear more in the next couple of months, but borrowers are anxious for details. Our listeners sound off about their student loan debt, and we commiserate about the predatory lending student loan borrowers are subjected to. What do we think of the argument that student debt forgiveness is unfair to those who paid their loans off? WTF News: He was 5’7”. After surgery he’ll be 5’10” A 25-year-old pursued limb lengthening surgery to increase his height due to the stupid and unfair societal standards for how tall a man "should" be. The story doesn't end there: the man in question paid for the $75,000 surgery with his OnlyFans, where he specializes in a humiliation kink where his subscribers pay him to degrade them. Some BREAKING NEWS hits just as we wrap the show: a leaked opinion from Justice Alito shows that the Supreme Court has voted to overturn Roe v. Wade, the landmark decision that guaranteed the federal constitutional protection of abortion rights. Y'all know we've got some recommendations: the Elgato Stream Deck (Andrew), the CDC's Quarantine and Isolation calculator if you're exposed to COVID-19 (Laura), and Etsy for unique gift shopping (Pam). This week's episode is sponsored by Felix Gray (https://www.felixgrayglasses.com/MILL). Support #Millennial by supporting our sponsors! And in this week's installment of After Dark, available to all Patrons: An Uber driver pushes Andrew to his limit, and we share experiences in which a driver's tip could be impacted for bad behavior. "But he picked me up from my house, I don't want him to come murder me." Speaking of bad behavior, we'd LOVE to talk to you about an amazing opportunity to get involved with NFTs. Don't know what an NFT is? We bet you have at least one annoying Facebook friend who does. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Why are CD sales on the rise? What year is it?! Fake philanthropist Elon Musk has secured the funding to purchase Twitter for $44 billion. Do we think Twitter will change much under his leadership? Are we leaving? It's like Netflix wants to lose subscribers: too many choices, canceling hits, and doing an about face on password sharing. Since they anticipate losing 2 million subscribers in the next quarter or so, why are they proceeding with these unpopular decisions? Speaking of, Netflix is considering implementing ads and other sponsored content in an ad-supported tier. A Nielson survey shows that consumers are overwhelmed by the sheer volume of streaming services. It also seems like Florida wants to take a tourism hit: Governor Ron DeSantis signed a bill last week that would dissolve the special Reedy Creek District, which has allowed Disney to self-govern for over 50 years. In addition to hurting business, tourism, and taxpayers, we think it's highly unlikely that this will actually come to pass. Laura predicts that DeSantis knows this, and is picking this fight to shore up his base ahead of a 2024 presidential run. Independent booksellers may have once hated Barnes & Noble, but the bookstore chain is warning up to them with some changes to their business model. We've got all of the entertainment recommendations this week: 'White Hot: The Rise and Fall of Abercrombie and Fitch' on Netflix (Andrew), the Archive 81 podcast (Laura), and Dissect podcast's 7-part miniseries on Bo Burnham's 'Inside' (Pam). And in this week's installment of After Dark, available exclusively on Patreon: It's another 'Am I the Asshole?' installment, featuring submissions from our Patrons! What grandma doesn't know won't hurt her... a tale of installing a smart thermostat to thwart stifling temperatures. Sometimes, your parents are the assholes. Hard stop. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Our social media manager Chloé returns to #Millennial and she's once again bringing the "fire" as millennials may say! A Trump-appointed federal judge has struck down the public transportation mask mandate, and airlines were quick to allow everyone to go maskless. We react to the responses on both sides of the mask debate. What are the current Gen Z trends that we older people need to be aware of? Chloé walks us through some new phrases and the specifics of the "Hot Girl Walk". What are the most millennial things each of the panelists do? We turn the tables on Chloé and ask her some things most Gen Zers might not know Spam calls and texts continue to come in more frequently than ever, it seems. What can you do to stop the spam calls and texts? Andrew wonders if he should get a new phone number entirely Pam and Andrew both received a text from the same girl/bot, and one of them took the sexy convo further (Guess who) Face filtering and touch ups are very popular thanks to Snapchat and the other social media apps, but are they a dangerous trend? We discuss what the apps could do to protect everyone's mental health Recommendations: Flashfood to help curb food waste (Andrew), FasTrak one-time payments (Pam), and Chloé re-ups a previous recommendation, Yellowstone because #HotCowboys. This week's episode is sponsored by Felix Gray (Use code BIRTHDAY15 for 15% off everything!) and Scrib'd (Go to try.scribd.com/millennial to get your first two months for just 99 cents) And this week on After Dark, available exclusively on Patreon: What are our rules for who we follow/unfollow, what we tweet, what we retweet, etc? Is there such a thing as too much retweeting? And which of our friends did we disable retweets on because they overdo it?? Andrew and Pam enter social media therapy -- what is their purpose on social media? Why are they so scared of tweeting? #IAmMyTweet Chloé offers inspiring words for everyone who uses Twitter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ezra Miller is creating yet another headache for Warner Bros. and its major franchises - do we agree Fantastic Beasts is cursed at this point? We've got a single recommendation across the panel this week: check out the new Marvel show on Disney+, 'Moon Knight.' Our resident Marvel expert Marc makes a 'surprise' appearance on the show to review Moon Knight with us, and sheds some light on why Marvel is debuting lesser-known characters in its shows now. How is Marvel doing updating its properties for the big and small screen? What lessons can other franchises take from their success? We also review Time's 100 Most Influential Companies of 2022. While there is plenty to be celebrated in this list, there are a few head scratchers... *cough*NEXTDOOR*cough* Amazon and Disney both made the Time 100 list, which presents a perfect opportunity for us to mention some other ways these giants have been making headlines in recent weeks. Amazon warehouse employees in Staten Island voted to unionize - a first for Amazon, which has been notoriously anti-union. Better late than never? Disney came out with a strong statement against the passage and implementation of Florida's 'Don't Say Gay' legislation. In response, Florida Republicans have publicly suggested stripping Disney of its special privileges of self-governance around its Orlando theme parks. We hear from The Mouse himself, and he has a strong message for the Florida GOP. Confessional: "I am so tired of spending so much money on other people's weddings. Am I the asshole?" This week's recommendation is seeing alignment from the whole panel: Watch 'Moon Knight' on Disney+! As a bonus, check out the deep dives Marc and Durden77 have been doing into all things Marvel. This week's episode is sponsored by Apostrophe (https://www.apostrophe.com/MILL and use code MILL to get your dermatologist crafted treatment plan for $5). Support #Millennial by supporting our sponsors! And in this week's installment of After Dark, available on Patreon: Are we the assholes? Each of the panelists bring their own real-life stories in which we might be kinda dickish... Giving family ultimatums? Stealing money? Having fond memories coincide with the date of a national tragedy? Yikes! Can kids be assholes? Maybe! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In light of the upcoming releasing of "The Secrets of Dumbledore" we're discussing how Harry Potter fans are grappling with a very problematic author, and how to balance loving the Wizarding World with the knowledge that the author continues to spew harmful rhetoric. We're joined by friend of the show Karen, a longtime "Buffy The Vampire Slayer" fan to talk about how fandoms grapple with the realization that their series creators... suck. We speak about 'The Death of the Author', a 1967 essay by Roland Barthes, who argues that an authors' politics, religion, and other biographical facts that shape who they are shouldn’t dictate how one interprets their writing. We talk about what happens as a fan when your hero turns out not to be the person you thought they were, and the adjustment process it requires. What degree of privilege comes with being a fan who isn't the target of harmful rhetoric by the creator? As fans of Harry and Buffy, how do we continue loving these works while also working to rebut the harmful actions of the creators? Karen is a published author, and speaks about literary influences and shares the line she draws for sharing personal views publicly. Check Karen out over at Prophecy Radio, and check out her Cassie Quinn mystery series! This week's recommendations are a little tech, a little relaxing: mute email threads you're not interested in seeing every reply on (Andrew), 1password (Laura), and "As It Was" by Harry Styles. This week's show is sponsored by Talkspace (https://www.talkspace.com and enter code mill for $100 off your first month) and Felix Gray (https://felixgrayglasses.com/MILL for free shipping, returns, and exchanges). Support #Millennial by supporting our sponsors! And in this week's installment of After Dark, available to all Patrons: We're getting real honest about some habits we've had that are a bit distasteful and maybe even... illegal. The panel aren't the only ones getting personal: Patrons sounded off about some of their dirty little secrets. Are we ashamed of some of these admissions? MAYBE. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Cities lost population in 2021, leading to the slowest year in growth in U.S. history. We've all had the experience of living in and subsequently leaving a major city. What were our motivations for doing so? Conversely, what are the reasons we chose to move to New York and L.A. in the first place? On a related note, the U.S. is also experiencing doctor shortages. The recently canceled 'The Baby-Sitters Club' Netflix show runner gave a very candid interview about the metrics Netflix uses to decide whether or not a show will be canceled. Why isn't Netflix evolving with the times? People are clearly enjoying weekly episode drops - are the days of binging over? In an about-face, Netflix is testing cracking down on password sharing in a few markets. If the test is deemed a success, we could be paying an extra $2.99 per month for every person we share our credentials with. Jeff Foxworthy had an 'ok boomer' moment in his latest stand-up special in which he poked fun at participation trophies. How is comedy living up to current social expectations? What do we as millennials look for in stand-up routines? We can't talk comedy without speaking about the slap heard 'round Hollywood at this year's Academy Awards: was Chris Rock out of line with his joke about Jada Pinkett-Smith? Was WIll Smith's reaction at all justified? As always, we have some solid recommendations for you this week: TSA pre-check (Andrew), Ghostwire: Tokyo (Laura), and Supergoop Mineral Matte Sunscreen (Pam). This week's episode is sponsored by Apostrophe (https://www.apostrophe.com/MILL and enter code MILL to get your dermatologist-crafted plan for just $5). Support #Millennial by supporting our sponsors! And in this week's installment of After Dark, available on Patreon: Andrew and Laura went to their first concerts in the last couple of years and report on the experience. After two years of living on our technology cooped up at home, do you really need to video the entire Dua Lipa concert you're at? We've got some anecdotes about participation trophy culture that are too spicy to share on the main show! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Laura kicks off the show with an update about her screen time - has she been successful in spending less time staring at her phone? We chat briefly about how the current chip shortage may be extended due to the war in Ukraine. Pixar is adding back a lesbian kiss to the upcoming Buzz Lightyear movie in the wake of the 'Don't Say Gay' backlash against Disney. Professor Sims has an exciting announcement: his new Patreon course is available NOW! Listeners of this show can get $25 off with code MILLENNIAL. Apple's new iOS update comes with 37 new emojis... but will we use all of them? There are one or two that make us feel ~uncomfortable~. In other news, Twitter is introducing a downvote feature. Will this help combat internet trolls, or further drive people into their own echo chambers? Twitter's also coming for Instagram's close friends feature. Now we don't need to maintain private accounts to be petty! (But also, is anyone else feeling overwhelmed by social media platforms constantly copying each other?) Also tech related, we chat about why seemingly every site asks us to accept its cookies. And no, we're unfortunately not talking about the edible variety. What's worse - cookies pop ups or auto-playing videos? Georgia gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams made a cameo on Star Trek Discovery as President of United Earth, and some people with nothing better to do had a hissy fit over it. Politicians making pop culture appearances is not as uncommon as you might think. How do we feel about elected representatives doing this? Need something new to do? We've got you covered with recommendations: Make your own cider kit (Andrew), Olive & June for press-ons that look great and actually last (Laura), and 'Turning Red' on Disney+ (Pam). This week's show is sponsored by Felix Gray (https://www.felixgrayglasses.com/MILL for free shipping, returns, and exchanges on the best blue light glasses on the market). Support #Millennial by supporting our sponsors! And in this week's installment of After Dark, available on Patreon: Do we have any regrets about friendships that didn't last? What about the ones that just fell by the wayside? We dig into the difference between a friend you don't talk to often (but maintain a strong bond with), and a friendship that naturally grows apart as people change. Is there ever a time where it's appropriate to burn bridges? We think listening to your gut is super important on that one! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices