The Afternoon Special
Your friend who knows just a little bit too much about pop culture. Each week, join Bobbi Miller as she takes deep dives into everything in pop culture that you never knew to ask about, but now need the answer to.
“I started The Afternoon Special as a series of videos on TikTok to keep me sane in the beginning of the pandemic. Soon, I decided to take my pop culture love to podcasts and The Afternoon Special Podcast was born,” says Bobbi Miller, host and creator of the show, which was chosen as the Apple Podcasts' Spotlight pick for March 2023.
Bobbi, who describes herself on the show as “your friend who know just a little bit too much about pop culture” takes her audience on an eclectic deep dive of topics that range from adult animation to vampires in media, and what makes the perfect holiday special.
“The main approach I have when deciding topics for the show begins with the question of ‘What’s a pop culture question that you didn’t know to ask, but now you’re dying for the answer to?’ and then the episode is born from there,” she says.
Bobbi has great ambitions for the show, but ultimately, she wants to keep it enjoyable for both herself and the audience. “I hope the show will continue to expand into other formats like listen-alongs or live shows,” she says. “No matter what, I just want to make sure the show remains fun. I hope the audience always walks away from each episode either having learned something new or just having had a good time.”
51
Revisiting the Death of the Teen Comedy
A year ago, I made the bold claim that the teen comedy as a genre was on the decline. However, my mind has since changed. Following in the tradition of films like Heathers, Jawbreaker, and Mean Girls, Netflix's latest release "Do Revenge" has since revived a declining genre and reminded audience how the genre can be again. So get in loser, because we're revisiting how the teen comedy came to be, where it went wrong, and where it's heading.
38 min
52
1999: A Culture Shifting Year
Within pop culture, there are rarely whole years where you can pinpoint a shift in the cultural landscape, but 1999 is undoubtedly one of those years. The new millennium was knocking and that meant a year chock full of groundbreaking new filmmakers, the introduction of prestige TV, an incredibly colorful musical scene, and a pinch of political scandal for good measure. So spike those frosted tips and turn on “My Worst Enemy” by Lit, because this week, we’re taking a look back at the year 1999.
53 min
53
Say YES to NOPE
"Nope." This week, we're wrapping up season 2 of the Hi! I'm Bobbi podcast with a bang and discussing all things Comic Con and Nope! In this episode, I'm going to be giving all my thoughts on Jordan Peele's summer blockbuster, Nope, starring Keke Palmer, Daniel Kaluuya, Brandon Perea, and Steven Yeun. We even help to clarify some of the interesting critiques that the film has received (I'm looking at you Logan Paul). See you in season 3, Afternooners!
58 min
54
A (Brief) Eulogy for the #1 Show in Late Night
This week, we're taking a look at the reception from Jordan Peele's NOPE, The Russo Brothers and their thoughts on movie theatres, and saying goodbye to the show that was revolutionizing late night television, Desus & Mero.
39 min
55
It's Just An Honor to be Nominated!: Breaking D...
The second most wonderful time of the year is here: Emmy nominations are out! Join me as we go over my nominations favorites, including Abbott Elementary, Ted Lasso, and Only Murder in the Building, as well as some snubs and surprises from this year's nomination class.
38 min
56
Entering the Danger Zone
After a week away, I return to you having seen Top Gun: Maverick more times that I thought I would and I'm taking you to the danger zone. We're chatting about why I think it's the movie of the summer and why the nostalgia of it works so well.
25 min
57
Bobbi's Favorites: Emmy 2022 Hopefuls (but it i...
With Emmy nomination voting closing next week, I'm taking you through a few of my favorite Emmy hopefuls, including Ted Lasso, Abbott Elementary, and Only Murders in the Building, and I'm sharing the show that is my absolute favorite to win.
44 min
58
Scooby Doo (2002) - An American Masterpiece
"I got a call for a Mr. Doo?" "Uhh...Melvin Doo?" "Nah, Scooby." One of the greatest films in American history turned 20 this week. That's right, the live action Scooby Doo movie turned 20 and we're taking a brief deep dive into the movie, discussing the casting, the immaculate soundtrack, and the version of the movie we never got
41 min
59
Welcome to Jurassic Park
"Life..uh, finds a way." It's Dino Week at The Hi! I'm Bobbi Podcast! In celebration of the release of Jurassic World: Dominion, we're taking a deep dive into the film that started it all, 1993's Jurassic Park. We'll be taking a look into the performances, the music, and some of my favorite moments from the film. Listen if you need a healthy dose of Dino DNA.
50 min
60
D'oh!: A Brief-ish History of Adult Animation
"Flintstones, meet the Flintstones! They're a modern Stone Age family! From the town of Bedrock. They're a page right out of history" After a very brief hiatus, we're back this week and we're taking a deep dive into the history of adult animated televisions shows, including The Flintstones, The Simpsons, and Adult Swim. As I mentioned, I'll be a doing a special bonus episode to make up for the weeks I missed this month that should be up on Sunday!
35 min
61
Big, Stupid, Ugly Ogre: A Brief(ish) Production...
"Maybe I am just a big, stupid, ugly ogre." This week, we're taking a deep dive into the production history of America's favorite ogre, Shrek. Stay tuned until the end of the episode for a surprise project that I can't wait for y'all to see!
35 min
62
And You're Watching Disney Channel: A Brief(ish...
"We're all in this together!..." This week, I'm taking you on a pop culture deep dive of Disney Channel's golden age. In this episode, you're going to get a brief history on the channel up until the late 2000s/early 2010s and A LOT of (maybe embarrassing) stories from me since I was in the prime audience for this channel.
41 min
63
The Great Doll War
"Life in plastic...it's fantastic." This episode is for my Barbie girls and my girls with a passion for fashion. We're taking a look at the ages old war between Bratz and Barbie and the mechanics of how we view them. Yes, this episode was inspired by the news of the new Barbie movie, which I have endless opinions about (and I share them in great detail too).
31 min
64
It's Just Not That Easy Being Green
"I'm green and it'll do fine. It's beautiful, and I think it's what I want to be." This week, we're talking about one of television's best songs, "Bein' Green" by Kermit The Frog. We're gonna take a look at the very brief history of the song, it's deeper meaning, and one of it's best (and most heartbreaking) performances of it.
31 min
65
The Curious Case of Jennifer's Body
"No, I'm killing boys. Boys are just placeholders. They come and they go." This week, we're taking a look into the poorly handled marketing campaign of the horror cult classic, Jennifer's Body. We're going to look into how it happened, why it happened, and also one insane marketing tactic that was almost used for the film.
21 min
66
Let's Go to the Mall!
Get in besties, because we're heading to the mall! We got into the rich history of the American mall and how it came to be the one of the biggest, most tangible pieces of pop culture ever. I also share a quick rundown of The Grammys and my spoiler-free review of Everything Everywhere All at Once!
28 min
67
Hooray for (Old and Messy) Hollywood!
The Oscars were last week and The Slap Heard 'Round the World has taken over everything, but this isn't even Hollywood at its messiest. This week, we're hopping in the time machine and take a quick walk through some of the strangest things that came from Old Hollywood.
29 min
68
Boy Bands: A Brief(ish) History
Everybody!! Yeahhhh...Rock your body to this week's episode where we are talking about all things boy bands, including their history, their marketing, and most importantly, their fandom.
29 min
69
Growing Pains: Turning Red and The Complicated ...
We're back and better than ever, besties. Season 2 of The Hi! I'm Bobbi Podcast opens with a retrospective of all things about Pixar's newest coming of age film, Turning Red and the complicated world of pop culture geared towards teen girls.
37 min
70
Pass the Cranberry Sauce, We're Having Mashed P...
Oooh the turkey looks great! Happy Turkey Day everyone! In this week's episode, we're talking about the Thanksgiving episodes of Bob's Burgers and why they're the best pieces of Thanksgiving related content, as well as some fun facts about Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade!
17 min
71
The AstroWorld Fest Tragedy and Sesame Street
This week's episode is bit a somber one, because we're talking about some pretty tragic things, which include the AstroWorld tragedy. I hope that you'll join me for this conversation, and if not, I'll see you next week, friends.
20 min
72
My Time in The Good Place
Happy birthday week to me! This week, I'm sharing some thoughts and personal stories about one of my favorite shows of all time, The Good Place.
25 min
73
The Kids Are Al-Fright!
Happy Halloween week! This week, we're exploring horror (both intentional and not intentional) in kids/family friendly films through the lens of Coraline and E.T. The Extra Terrestrial.
31 min
74
Spooky Time is Upon Us!
Halloween time is right around the corner so this week, I'm sharing 3 Halloween TV specials that always get me in the spooky spirit!
25 min
75
Here's Why You Might Be Tired of Franchises
With news of more releases from Marvel, we're going to be discussing the concept of franchise fatigue and all the fun bits that come with it!
17 min