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It's Mental Health Awareness Month, so we're doing a real check-in on the show this week. How are we actually doing? We dig into this year's Mental Health America theme, "More Good Days, Together," and get honest about where we're at. We also get into looksmaxxing — the online subculture pushing young men toward increasingly extreme methods to "maximize" their attractiveness — and ask the uncomfortable question: why does it take men being harmed for society to notice what women have lived with forever? Then we zoom out to the male loneliness epidemic. The red pill crowd says men have it worst, but the data tells a more complicated story.

Per usual, we've got fun and timely recommendations! "The Drama" (available to rent) (Laura), checking your voter registration status (Pam), and Mario + Rabbids “Sparks of Hope” (Eric). 

And in this week's installment of After Dark:

Someone shit the bed. Literally (oops). And we reminisce about our cringiest roommate stories, and the experience of communal bathrooms in college dorms (how did we do this every day??).

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This week, we’re serving side parts, statement necklaces, and just a light sprinkle of existential dread. In the Dumpster Fire Corner, we’re talking hantavirus panic (but like… should we be panicking?), pouring one out for Spirit Airlines, and unpacking the latest chaos in election interference rhetoric that somehow keeps raising the bar.

Then, we cleanse our souls with something truly important: millennial fashion making a comeback. That’s right -- the side part lives, chunky necklaces are back, and twee fashion is once again haunting our closets. We’re diving into what trends we’re reclaiming, what we were too cowardly to wear the first time around, and whether thrifting culture is the real MVP behind this resurgence.

Plus, we get personal—how has our style evolved, do we need a full rebrand, and what happens when you actually work with a stylist? (Laura has thoughts.) We wrap things up with recs to upgrade your wardrobe: Judy Blue jeans (Laura), Land's End t-shirts (Pam), and finding a way to accessorize the 90's Jazz solo design (Eric).

And in this week's installment of After Dark, Eric opens up about their journey to fertility preservation as they've navigated their transition. This installment gets real honest and vulnerable - come join us on Patreon to learn more!

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This week, our Dumpster Fire corner is the perfect lead-in for our main topic. The headlines are somehow both horrifying and absurd: another Trump assassination attempt, a sudden call for “unity” that had the media doing emotional gymnastics, and yes, plans to slap his face into your passport. Meanwhile, global tensions simmer, but priorities remain… questionable.

Then Laura and Eric dive into The Boys Season 5 and why it’s hitting way too close to home. What started as a hyper-violent superhero satire now feels less like escapism and more like a slightly exaggerated documentary. From corporate control and influencer politics to nationalism wrapped in religion and monetized outrage, we break down how the show mirrors real-world power structures (and why that’s getting harder to laugh off.) We also get into the cultural whiplash of audiences realizing Homelander isn’t the hero (shocking, apparently), the rise of media manipulation that feels ripped straight from Vought’s playbook, and why this kind of storytelling resonates so deeply right now. When reality starts sounding like satire, what does that say about where we’re at?

If you love 'The Boys,' we've got recommended shows you should watch next! 'Generation V' ('The Boys' spinoff series on Amazon Prime) (Laura) and 'Alphas' on the Roku Channel (Eric).

And in this week's installment of After Dark... you thought you weren't getting any Pam this week, but SURPRISE! She joins us for an impromptu installment of our post-show banter where we compare notes on plant life (a category that goes verrrrrry broad with content that can only live behind the paywall. 👀

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This week on Millennial, we’re back with pretend adulting and very real chaos. In the Dumpster Fire Corner, it’s TACO Tuesday as Trump abruptly pumps the brakes on escalating tensions with Iran—while simultaneously making things more confusing, volatile, and… profitable? We unpack the ever-shifting status of the Strait of Hormuz (open? closed? vibes-based?), reports of internal panic over Trump’s unpredictability, and why some officials allegedly don’t trust him in the Situation Room.

Then, we shift gears into our main discussion inspired by new Pew Research: what do Americans consider immoral? From the death penalty to gambling to divorce, we explore where people draw the line—and why those lines aren’t as clear-cut as some perceive them to be. We reflect on how our own views have evolved, whether morality is subjective, and what it even means to judge someone else’s choices. And of course, the Pen Pals bring the heat with takes ranging from systemic injustice to iced coffee crimes against humanity. It’s a conversation full of nuance, contradictions, and a reminder that growing up might just mean getting more comfortable living in the gray.

Stick around for recommendations ('The Boys' on Amazon Prime and TravelPro luggage) and head over to Patreon to tune into this week's installment of After Dark. This week, Laura and Pam spill a little tea tied to their recent travels behind the paywall. 👀

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It’s another week in the dumpster fire, and somehow we’ve got presidential beef with the Pope, a brief identity crisis involving Jesus imagery, and even some conservatives going “uhhh maybe not.” Meanwhile, Ireland is literally grinding to a halt as fuel prices skyrocket past $9/gallon, with farmers and truckers leading massive protests that are disrupting the entire supply chain. You know, just normal global stability things.

Then we cleanse our souls (and ears) with something actually joyful: Record Store Day. We’re diving into what it is, why it still matters, and how vinyl made one of the most unexpected comebacks of our lifetime. From exclusive drops to the emotional pull of physical media, we talk about what keeps us coming back—and whether we actually play the records we buy.

Plus: first vinyl memories, the struggle of storing your ever-growing collection, and Eric’s truly unhinged saga of “inheriting” 2,500 records and dragging them across the country. If you’re thinking about hitting up Record Store Day for the first time this year, we’ve got tips to help you survive—and maybe even score something good.

This week's recommendations: Big Fudge record care system (Pam) and Discogs marketplace for vinyl sales and valuations (Eric). 

And in this week's installment of After Dark:

Laura joins the panel fresh off the heels of her latest MS infusion and answers listener questions about how the infusion works, how her MS is going, and compares your fraying iPhone charging cable to the state of MS-impacted nerves. We also branch into other personal medical stories, including one of us catching a life-changing clause that was sneakily hiding on a surgical consent form. 👀

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Welcome to Millennial, the home of pretend adulting and real talk — and this week, the vibes are… tense. In the Dumpster Fire Corner, we’re checking in on America where things feel one headline away from chaos: escalating threats overseas, whiplash policy shifts, and a President lashing out while juggling bad press on everything from gas prices to legal battles. Then we get into the main event: why the hell are concert tickets so expensive now? What used to be a fun night out is starting to feel like a luxury purchase, with fans dropping $1,000+ just to get in the door. We break down how pandemic fallout, rising production costs, and the loss of experienced crews have driven prices up — and why even face-value tickets now look like resale gouging. Plus, the psychology of fans: if you’re paying that much, you expect a show, which only drives costs higher.

To wrap up, we’ve got recs: check out 5calls.org if you’re looking for a simple way to stay civically engaged, and don’t miss Record Store Day for a reminder of why music still hits different offline.

And in this week's installment of After Dark: Pam's family has welcomed a new furry family member after a tragic origin story of owner abandonment. We get a little judgy this week behind the paywall about people who treat their furry companions as optional. We also give a little tease for what is to come in next week's After Dark - come hang out with us!

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It’s chaos, community, and candid conversation on this week’s episode! We kick things off with Eric’s return before diving headfirst into the Dumpster Fire Corner where we're continuing to watch rising gas prices, market whiplash amid escalating tensions with Iran, and a wild SCOTUS ruling on conversion therapy that dropped on Trans Day of Visibility. Then, we shift gears for a powerful and deeply personal main discussion as Eric shares their journey of self-discovery, coming out, and navigating life as a non-binary trans person. From heartfelt family moments to the realities of gender-affirming care and the alarming wave of anti-trans legislation across the U.S., it’s an honest, eye-opening conversation you won’t want to miss.

Of course, we have only the best recommendations for you inspired by today's discussion: Haus Labs Blush stick (Laura), IT Cosmetics do it all sheer tint face balm foundation (Pam), and Chris Pureka (non-binary singer/songwriter) (Eric). 

Interested in reaching out to Eric directly to hear more from them? Email [email protected]

Other resources from today's discussion:

And in this week's installment of After Dark:

We're all thinking about aging - but not in the grim, depressing way! We're getting really candid (but positive) about the changes we're seeing in our bodies as we get older. Not naming names, but someone on the panel got their first gray hair in an interesting location (and they decided to hold onto it). Tune in to hear who's getting botox next, how we feel about our own signs of aging, and how we've made peace with the inevitable march of time!

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Thoughts and prayers to anyone flying this week (sorry Andrew)! This week’s Dumpster Fire Corner takes us straight to the airport chaos you didn’t ask for. With TSA agents working unpaid during the ongoing shutdown and hundreds quitting, wait times are spiraling and now ICE has been deployed to just... stand around? Are they helping or just vibing ominously in groups? It's Andrew's final episode of #Millennial, so we wanted to send him on his way with the most unhinged (and maybe useful) tips and tricks for using the world of AI to his advantage. People are using ChatGPT to win insurance appeals, write obituaries, and decode messy text threads. We also share our own random use cases (seriously, asking chat to look at pictures of dog poop? Ew!) Then, we unpack the rise of “typomaxxing,” where bad spelling is suddenly a power move to prove you’re human.

This week's recommendations are important staples! Support independent podcasts (Andrew), Naturium's Glow Getter oil based cleanser (Laura), and getting a 3-in-1 soil tester (Pam).

And in this week's installment of After Dark:

The Roast of Andrew Sims! Y'all knew we weren't gonna let him get out the door without facing the music. Come one, come all for the airing of #Millennial family grievances one last time.

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It’s another week of pretend adulting and real talk as we welcome Eric (!!!) to the show and dive headfirst into the latest Dumpster Fire Corner. From a surprising Republican resignation over the Iran conflict to a leaky White House, rising gas prices, this doesn't look to be the easy in and out President Sundown promised. Then we blast off into a space-themed discussion inspired by Project Hail Mary, breaking down what makes a great space (and space disaster) movie, whether we prefer our sci-fi grounded in reality or pure escapism, and swapping favorites from Gravity to Star Wars. We also touch on the ever-weird “aliens are real” discourse making headlines after former President Obama baited Trump into making sweeping proclamations about releasing all files related to aliens (but not Epstein).

This week in recommendations: Atmosphere by Taylor Jenkins Reid (Andrew), African exfoliating nets (Laura), no-slip clothes hangers (Pam), and dual-monitor setups, bonus points if you can acquire yours on the cheap through Facebook Marketplace (Eric).

And in this week's installment of After Dark:

We're unpacking Gen Z’s obsession with iPods, the rise of digital minimalism, and whether we’re all secretly craving a low-tech “analogue bag” escape from the chaos. Join us to find out what we'd each carry in our analogue bag to stay entertained on a desert island!

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Trump and Israel's war on Iran isn't going well. There's mixed messages, rising gas prices, and Trump just admitted he doesn't know enough info about anything. Oh, and it's been confirmed that America bombed a school and killed over 100 girls. Is this the America voters wanted?

Meanwhile, the clocks have changed in America, and rather than complaining about how much the time change sucks, we're striving to help you transition easier with each time change going forward (Let's be honest: Lawmakers aren't going to fix this for us). 

We look at best practices for jumping forward without feeling groggy, and offer some practical tips on how you can conquer winter blues (Pam's a big fan of alarm clocks that recreate the sunrise!). Plus, we talk about SAD Lamps... but why are we calling them SAD? That sounds a little... sad...

Later, we look at if sleep tracking apps can help us conquer time changes and jet lag. Then of course there's always the medicine front - Andrew shares that he recently starting taking Wellbutrin, which can be used to take seasonal depression.

This week's recs: Andrew's Favorite Things returns with Slow Closing Toilet Seats, Pam recommends a cheaper sunrise alarm clock before getting a more expensive one (like the Hatch), and Laura recommends the new HBO Max show DTF St. Louis.

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