Welcome to #Millennial Podcast!

#Millennial podcast is a weekly roundtable about our Generation Y experience. From news to politics and pop culture, a panel of friends digs in on why these stories matter and how they affect millennials. 

If you’ve ever wondered how to maneuver student loan debt, voting, relationships, careers, or just life in general, we feel that SO. HARD. And we’re here to share our stories, along with our greatest challenges and wins, along the way. Put simply, #Millennial is about journeying through young adulthood together.

#Millennial Podcast releases a new episode every Wednesday!

We can’t do it without your support. Pledge on Patreon and receive great benefits in return. You can also sign up for a subscription and receive Mega #Millennial through Apple Podcasts.

About the Team

Andrew Sims (he/him) (Host, Producer, Editor) began podcasting when he founded MuggleCast in 2005. Outside of #Millennial and the Potter podcast, he works in podcasting full time and created a Patreon online course and Patreon book to help creators master the platform. In his spare time, Andrew obsesses over Bruce Springsteen, dogs, and nature. He and his boyfriend Pat co-own a local business, Vegas Stock Tank Pools.

Laura Tee (she/her) (Host, Producer) was bitten by the podcasting bug in 2006 when she first joined MuggleCast. Podcasting stuck with her through living abroad in Costa Rica (pura vida, mae) and graduate school in New York City. Outside of #Millennial, Laura loves linguistics, story-based gaming, and analyzing current affairs. She lives in Atlanta with her boyfriend and adorable dog, Canela.

Pamela Gocobachi (she/her) (Host, Producer) is a Bay Area native and an entertainment journalist with a deep love for all things pop culture. When she’s not writing or podcasting you can often find her obsessing over new music finds, drinking coffee like it’s her job, or doting over her dog Jasper.

Chloé Laverson (she/her) (Social Media Manager) is based in Washington, DC, and is originally from sunny San Diego, California. Chloé studied Communications with minors in French and Musical Theatre at the University of Utah. She is also the social media manager for Hillel International, the largest Jewish campus organization in the world, as well as the #Millennial team’s other podcast, MuggleCast. When Chloé is not creating content, she enjoys dancing, skiing, writing poetry, fashion, and watching the Harry Potter movies in French.

Episode #10×10: Is TikTok Doomed in the U.S.?, How To Use ChatGPT Discreetly

  • Welcome to #Millennial, the home of pretend adulting and real TikTok talk!
  • Is a TikTok ban imminent? Where do we stand on whether or not it should be?
  • FYI college applicants: words like “tapestry” and “beacon” are common tipoffs that you might have used ChatGPT to write your college admissions essay. We discuss how to use ChatGPT without revealing you did.
  • We ask ChatGPT to write our hypothetical Harvard admissions essays, and the rumors are true: ChatGPT is really stuck on words like “tapestry” and “mosaic.”
  • How different is this latest trend from what has been happening since the dawn of time? People always look for ways to outsource work to save time.
  • It’s important to know how to use AI as a tool, not make it your entire strategy.
  • This conversation reminds Pam (who is a stellar writer btw) of a college professor who really had it out for her and made her take remedial English.
  • Critics were served some crow after months of criticism about Biden’s age and cognitive sharpness when he showed up at the State of the Union and did okay.
  • This political check in touches on all the fuckery: SCOTUS, Trump trials, and a foolish decision by the Fulton County DA.
  • This week’s recommendations will soothe and intrigue you: ‘Jazz in the Rain’ playlist on Spotify (Pam), Squishmallows (Andrew), and Neil DeGrasse Tyson’s podcast Star Talk (Laura).

And in this week’s installment of After Dark, available on Patreon:

  • Let’s go back to high school, specifically for the DANCES.
  • How on earth did our schools think it was a good idea to include “Get Low” (a millennial fan favorite) in our middle school dances? And yes, there was bumping and grinding!
  • “Con balls were my prom” “Come again?”

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Episode #10×09: Adapting Fantasy Books For TV, and Managing Fan Expectations (feat. the Fantasy Fangirls)

  • Welcome to Nicole and Lexi from the Fantasy Fangirls podcast!
  • We discuss the popularity of their show and why people connect to fandom-oriented podcasts. And they’ve become full time podcasters!?
  • Millennials always have to use their brains for hard adulting things (Don’t forget that tax season is coming up!). Let’s normalize using our brains for FUN things just as often!
  • We learn about A Court of Thorns and Roses, what types of audiences would be interested in this fantasy series, and why it’s been huge for nearly a decade.
  • The ACTOAR TV show has been in the works at Hulu but seems to have hit some development snags – What’s going on, and will it still see the light of day?
  • What would Nicole and Lexi like to see from an ACOTAR TV series?
  • We criticize because we care! As “prominent voices in fandom,” we discuss the backlash we receive as podcasters and how we handle it all.
  • Have we tempered our expectations for book-to-screen adaptations after the various works we’ve seen so far? And who’s actually done it RIGHT?
  • How many times can we forgive an author until they authorize too many changes from the original canon? (Nicole is still recovering from The Cursed Child….)
  • Recommendations: What the River Knows by Isabel Ibanez (Pam), AViewFromMySeat.com (Andrew), Everand (Nicole), and Anomolie and Throne of Glass (Lexi)

And this week in After Dark, available on Patreon and Apple Podcasts:

  • Smut can be a fun and light topic to talk about, but this discussion gets real when we analyze why it’s so popular: How can smut help improve one’s self, your confidence, and your relationship(s)?
  • Reading these books can also help someone find out what’s exciting to you, in order to feel fulfilled with your partner(s) or yourself.
  • How do us podcasters deal with with discussing smut when you might have kids listening? Well, we’ve got too many other problems to juggle (And smut discussions have seriously empowered listeners, so those talks are not going away)

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Episode #10×08: How Dark Brandon Can Appeal to Youngs, Consumers FINALLY Push Back on High Prices

  • Welcome to #Millennial, the home of pretend adulting and real talk!
  • Biden and Trump are each rolling out strategies to appeal to younger voters and… this is one of the results. 
  • What can major party candidates do to reach out to younger voters without being cringe? Maybe ask Chat GPT for ideas.
  • Biden leaning into Dark Brandon conspiracy theories? Yes please! Biden answering complicated geopolitical questions while clutching an ice cream cone? Nooooo.
  • It’s time for the hosts to reveal their monthly and yearly spends in the era of streaming wars when the average U.S. consumer is spending nearly $1k a year on streaming services. How do we stack up?
  • Inflation relief may be coming soon to your favorite fast food joint or snack company: McDonald’s, PepsiCo, and Coca Cola have all announced plans to slow their roll on price increases, and even cut some prices altogether.
  • Wendy is trying to fuck around and find out with dynamic pricing. Who’s gonna wanna pay surge prices for a square hamburger??
  • Watch out for increased costs to check baggage – American Airlines just announced theirs, and we suspect other airlines will soon follow.
  • This week’s recommendations will keep you organized and entertained: Clipa bag hanger (Pam), TooGoodToGo (Laura), and The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid (Andrew). 

And in this week’s installment of After Dark, available on Patreon:

  • MuggleSuck, Twilight Source and Hypable edition! Because we’ve worked with lots of muggles who suck.
  • Persistent resistance to new ideas, walls of text sent at all hours of the night, and entitlement are a few of the things we’ve dealt with in our heyday as fandom creators.
  • “How old is this person??”

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Episode #10×07: Lab Grown Diamonds Are a Girl’s Best Friend….?

  • Welcome to #Millennial, the home of pretend adulting and real talk!
  • Ethical consumerism: is it truly possible, what are the pros and cons, and do we feel like we’re better than everyone else when we make sustainable choices? :eyes:
  • #Millennialproblems: Turns out lab-grown diamonds aren’t totally conflict free (just like the millennial experience, yolo).
  • We rag on the trend of using sustainability as a status symbol – ethical consumerism often comes with a high price tag, rendering it inaccessible for some.
  • Let’s be real: how often are we actually following up on the ethics of a company of product we like?
  • If a deinfluencer convinces you to buy something you don’t need in the name of minimalism, is that a net positive?
  • In related news, an EU study has found that most influencers fail to disclose advertising, so how many times have we been advertised to without our knowledge?
  • Andrew (aka your internet savvy big bro) has some helpful tips and tricks to spot when advertising is happening, even if it’s not clearly disclosed.
  • This week’s recommendations are for all y’all on the move: Do a sibling road trip with your bro/sis/brother from another mother (Laura), prAna hiking gear (Andrew), and elastic shoelaces (Pam).

And in this week’s installment of After Dark:

  • The friendship series part 4: dealing with picky friends.
  • Who else face palms over friends with no service industry background making a scene at restaurants?
  • Excessive pickiness with little self-awareness can be a red flag for bigger issues.
  • The stunning update to Andrew’s Bumble BFF journey.

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Episode #10×06: The Power of Love Languages

  • Welcome to #Millennial, the home of pretend adulting and real LOVE talk!
  • It’s Valentine’s Day, and for the occasion we’re joined by friend of the show, clinical psychologist, and host of That Nerd Thing, Morgan!
  • But first (ugh) Donald Trump is obsessed with the Supreme Court – what are they gonna do about the Colorado ballot case and his immunity appeal?
  • Ever wonder how conversations around love languages became so mainstream?
  • Like all good millennials, we took a Buzzfeed quiz to find out what our love languages are. What is yours?
  • The father of the love languages framework, Dr. Gary Chapman, is a homophobic sexist douche, but is there still something to be gained from his theory of love languages?
  • Andrew is such a love bug this episode, Morgan pushes him to share what makes him feel loved!
  • What’s more important? Knowing your partner’s love language, or knowing your own?
  • Were you looking for a common theme in this week’s recommendations? We have two! STAY HOME IF YOU’RE SICK FOR THE LOVE OF GOD (Laura), Emergen-C (Andrew), “Where Are Your Boys Tonight? The Oral History of Emo’s Mainstream Explosion 1999-2008” by Chris Payne (Pam), and BookClubs.com (Morgan). 

And in this week’s installment of After Dark:

  • The Friendship Series part 3 – Loud Budgeting.
  • Are we comfortable enough with our friends to speak up when we can’t afford to do something?
  • How have we handled friendships where there is a significant disparity in incomes and spending behavior?
  • “I don’t want to spent gas money to listen to you complain about your ex for 3 hours girl!”

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Episode #10×05: TikTok Reminds Creators That Nothing is Guaranteed

  • Welcome to #Millennial, the home of pretend adulting and real talk!
  • First: DC Circuit Court issues a breaking announcement: the President actually isn’t above the law!
  • As relations crumble between music giant UMG and TikTok, Taylor Swift, BTS, and other major acts may leave the platform.
  • The latest drama with TikTok is leaving many creators without the musical tools to create their regular content. To add insult to injury, music has been removed from old videos.
  • Our very own Andrew in the Air has been impacted – will our TikTok behavior change forever? A good reminder that nothing is guaranteed?
  • You’ve heard of tiny houses, but have you heard of people buying tiny houses off Amazon?
  • For all the good reasons to invest in a tiny house (sustainability, affordability, minimalism) there are caveats (renting land for the tiny house to sit on, lack of value appreciation, and lack of multiple bathrooms).
  • While there is a lot to appreciate about tiny houses, let’s not forget that these are just fancy mobile homes with good PR.
  • We’re practical with this week’s recommendations: Whiskey making kits (Laura), BrickEconomy.com (Andrew), and Rain-X original glass water repellent.

And in this week’s installment of After Dark:

  • Andrew is one step closer to making his cruise ship dreams become a reality. Touching grass and eating ass comes with new friends who like cruises!
  • A panel divided: Laura enjoys cruises, Pam is triggered by the thought, and Andrew is thinking about the 274 night cruise around the world.
  • What is the party scene on a cruise ship like? Sex, drugs, & (sometimes) rock ‘n roll.

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Episode #10×04: Jon Stewart and the Era of Comebacks

  • Welcome to #Millennial, the home of pretend adulting and real JON STEWART IS COMING BACK TO THE DAILY SHOW OMG OMG OMG talk.
  • As a Jon Stewart super fan, this is the revival Laura has been waiting for.
  • Why did Jon’s Apple TV+ show come to an end? And why did he leave us during the Trump years?
  • Trevor Noah made the Daily Show his own, and updated it in many much-needed ways. Will the second era of Jon Stewart as host keep up the momentum?
  • Whether it’s Jon Stewart or Mean Girls, it is our time to watch childhood nostalgia come back around. Are we tired of the entertainment sphere recycling the same ideas over and over?
  • No Elmo, we’re not doing okay.
  • Pam finds catharsis in the latest news about the scrapped Lizzie McGuire reboot, but sometimes even the most anticipated revivals can feel hollow and out of pace with the original material, so maybe Lizzie is better off.
  • How soon is too soon to reboot a beloved story or franchise? (Hollywood vs fan takes on this question)
  • This week’s recommendations are (sort of) on theme: The West Wing special to benefit When We All Vote on Max (Laura), Planet Fitness (Andrew), and “The Greatest Night in Pop” on Netflix (Pam).

And in this week’s installment of After Dark:

  • Our friendship series continues! This week’s theme: timeliness and reciprocity.
  • How being chronically late with little to no communication has impacted past friendships for the panel.
  • What are we looking for in terms of reciprocity? Are relationships always 50-50?

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Episode #10×03: Gypsy Rose, Stan Culture, and the Inmate-to-Influencer Pipeline

  • Welcome to #Millennial, the home of pretend adulting and real talk!
  • We’re watching the results of the New Hampshire Republican primary come in over the course of this show, but tbh, there were no big surprises.
  • Friend of the show and host of Shaken and Disturbed John Thrasher is back with us this week to talk about the intersection of true crime and stan culture.
  • Check out Andrew (and soon Laura) on That Nerd Thing podcast, hosted by friend of the show Morgan!
  • We ask John to specifically look at the recent release of Gypsy Rose Blanchard, who served 8 years in prison on second degree murder charges in the killing of her mother, Dee Dee Blanchard.
  • Gypsy Rose has seemingly gone from inmate to influencer overnight. Is there a pipeline from prison to fame?
  • After the initial spike in interest and popularity, some of the social media tides seem to be shifting as more detractors speak up about the attention and celebrity being afforded to Gypsy Rose.
  • Does stan culture in general infantilize high-profile people and make their hardcore fans operate under the delusion that they can do no wrong?
  • We touch on famous figures we used to stan and when and why those shifts happened for us. Are we guilty of confirmation bias?
  • This week’s recommendations are across the board: “American Nightmare” on Netflix (Laura), Love’s travel stops for a delightful roadtrip experience (Andrew), StoryGraph for reading recommendations (Pam), and Pokémon Go for the throwback and motivation to get outside (John).

And in this week’s installment of After Dark:

  • Friendship bitch fest! We love our friends, but they’re not always the best at communicating or making plans.
  • “I don’t know what to do for my boyfriend’s birthday, can you give me ideas? Also you’re not invited.”
  • PSA: A friend agreeing to be in your wedding is doing you a favor. Be respectful of their time and communicate what you need from them in advance.

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Episode #10×02: Suburban Moms and the Kiss of Death

  • Welcome to #Millennial, the home of pretend adulting and real talk!
  • Hot on the heels of the Iowa caucus earlier this week, we aren’t at all surprised by the outcome.
  • Are pre-teens ruining Sephora, or are we turning into “olds”?
  • The lack of pre-teen spaces (shops, online spaces, for socializing) is leading to some adolescent girls leaning into trends that may not be healthy for them at this age.
  • The value of social currency still impacts us all, but it was at its height for our panel during those tween years.
  • What are the impacts of Gen Alpha not having their own Lizzie McGuire, Limited Too, and skincare brands?
  • Lest we forget that we are easily influenced: let’s discuss the rise (and soon to be fall) of the Stanley Cup (no, we’re not talking about hockey).
  • Suburban moms and kids getting in on viral trends are basically the kiss of death. Given the Stanley’s spot as a hot gift this holiday season, how long does it have before it’s usurped by the new hot trend in hydration?
  • Given these challenging economic times, our theme for this week’s recommendations is ‘little luxuries,’ or things you can still do to treat yourself without breaking the bank: Paleo Pines, which is on sale for $23.99 through 1/22 (Laura), TheLipStickLesbians on Tiktok for all your lipstick recs (Pam), and Celsius energy drinks (Andrew).

And in this week’s installment of After Dark:

  • How boomers ruined Facebook, and why our parents joining the platform changed the dynamics of how we were using it.
  • Are we too hard on boomers? “They started it!”
  • What are we thankful to boomers for? Rock n roll and birthing us (we guess).

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Episode #10×01: Our Father, Who Art in Avocado

  • Welcome to #Millennial, the home of pretend adulting and our TENTH YEAR of real talk!
  • What could have possibly happened in the two weeks we were off air? The panel recounts, and pays special tribute to the dearly departed creator of avocado toast.
  • We have to kick off 2024 with another round of ‘New Year, New Laws.’ What progress (or regress) will our union see this year?
  • Laura might have ruined indoor vaping for Pat by scaring Andrew with some info from the American Heart Association. Sorry Pat!!
  • Illinois and California are taking steps to combat censorship and discrimination, while North Carolina and Montana are trying to stop teenagers from accessing porn. Pornhub says “good luck with that!”
  • Nevada has given Laura another reason to prioritize a trip to see Andrew in 2024.
  • Will Georgia’s state income tax reductions come at the expense of higher costs elsewhere?
  • More than 20 states will raise minimum wages for workers which is great and all, but people are still battling inflation!
  • The Steamboat Willie version of Mickey Mouse has entered the public domain, so get ready for creators to leverage this iconic version of the Mouse.
  • New laws from abroad: England and Wales’ ban on XL Bully breed, NZ makes a far-right pivot, and more!
  • Start the new year right: Watch ‘Leave the World Behind’ on Netflix (Laura), ‘The Artful Dodger’ on Hulu (Pam), and use Waze when driving for the police alerts (Andrew).

And in this week’s installment of After Dark:

  • Is Mr. Brightside by The Killers the anthem of the millennial generation?
  • The millennial experience we love sing shouting about in bars: desperately wanting something we can’t have.
  • We age ourselves by reflecting on other possible millennial anthems, many of which are 20+ years old!

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