PODCAST · tv
The Afternoon Special
by Bobbi Miller | QCODE
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 d
Episodes
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2000's How The Grinch Stole Christmas is a Year Round Film
This week's episode is The Afternoon Special podcast's midseason finale and we're spending it by pleading with you for 30 minutes that you should watch 2000's How The Grinch Stole Christmas year round. Perhaps the best episode yet. See you in February 2024 for the second half of season 5! Happy…
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Snoopy: Gen Z's Animated Antidepressant
The days are getting shorter. The wind is getting a biting chill to it. Life can start feeling bleak around the holiday season and being frank, I know Seasonal Affective Disorder is kicking major ass right now. In this dark hour, we need a hero. A hero to save us all. And who know that hero would...
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Why May December is the Sleeper Hit of the Year
Last Friday, one of the best films of the year dropped on Netflix. From director Todd Haynes and starring Julianne Moore, Nathalie Portman, and Charles Melton, MAY DECEMBER was a film that was only somewhat on my radar and now I haven’t been able to stop thinking about it. It's easily in the top…
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Irony is Killing Rom Coms
This week’s episode was born out of conversation being had on Twitter. The topic at hand was around why rom coms don’t really feel like rom coms anymore with our irony obsessed culture being the main culprit. We yearn for the days of classic films like When Harry Met Sally or even newer picks…
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Scott Pilgrim is a Loser and I Can Prove It (Missed Connections)
With the newest edition to the Scott Pilgrimverse, Scott Pilgrim Takes Off, premiering on Netflix, I thought I'd finally right a wrong and watch 2010's Scott Pilgrim vs. the World (I know). This week, in a new series (that may only have one episode, you know me) that I'm calling Missed…
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Are The Looney Tunes Going to Save Hollywood?
When you think about Hollywood royalty, you may think about legacy studios or starlets of yesteryear, but when I think about Hollywood royalty, I think about characters and one group of characters that are the epitome of tinseltown nobility is the Looney Tunes. The Tunes of Loon have been in the...
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The Curious Case of Betty Boop
Betty Boop. She’s a pop culture icon. She’s recognized the world over for either her signature curls, her signature catchphrase (boop oop be doop), or the fact that she can be found on merch for almost every roadside attraction in America. No matter where from, you know Betty. But who is she?…
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It's Alive!: A Brief-ish History of the Movie Monster
Not too long after the invention of film, filmmakers began finding ways to put common emotions to the big screen. Happiness in comedies, sadness in dramas, love in romance. And of course, fear in horror. Horror films hold an important space in film history and is a genre that oftentimes uses a...
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A Dish Best Served Scary: A Look At How Food Can Scare Us in Film
A lot of what scares is centered around consumption, especially in horror movies. Zombies eating our brains. Demons eating our souls. Werewolves eating our flesh. Vampires drinking our blood. So it makes sense that food holds a really interesting place in films intended to terrify us. This week,...
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The Kids Don’t Know Their Pop Culture History
Across social media, there have been discussions of Gen Z's pop culture knowledge (or according to some, lack thereof). Thousands of videos and posts claiming that the young generation is not aware of pop culture history and this week, we're going to unpack these claims, decide if they're true…
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Please Stop Asking Martin Scorsese About The MCU (or Thoughts On Franchises in Hollywood)
Your friend who knows just a little bit too much about pop culture is back and for the season premiere, we're tackling Film Twitter's favorite discourse: Martin Scorsese vs. The MCU (or more broadly, franchises). Now before you start sharpening your pitchforks and placing a plague onto my house,...
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Welcome to The Afternoon Special!
Bobbi Miller, your friend who knows just a little bit too much about pop culture, is here to take you on your weekly pop culture deep dive. You may recognize her voice from The Afternoon Special on TikTok and Instagram, and she's so excited to continue to explore pop culture's most random topics...
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A message from The Afternoon Special!
This season has been my favorite thus far and I can't tell you how much I appreciate you listening along. The show will be back in the fall with the same pop culture shenanigans that you know and love. See you soon! SAG/WGA strike resources: SAG fund WGA strike resources ~~ Follow the show on...
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The Wonderful Wardrobe of Barbie: The Fashion History of a The World's Tiniest Model
For the entire month of July, we’ve been covering the world of Barbie and arguably one of the most important and most visible pieces in Barbie decorated history is her impeccable style. In her tenure, Barbie has managed to straddle being styled by some of the biggest fashion houses on the planet...
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The Good, The Bad, and The Complicated World of Barbie
Barbie. What a contentious doll. To one group of people she is THE representation of female empowerment. A girl boss, if you will. And to others she’s the opposite and ultimately both are true. This week, we’re diving into the good, the bad, and the complicated of Barbie and seeking to dissect…
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Plastic It Girl: A History of America’s Favorite Blonde, Barbie
Unless you’ve been sleeping under a rock, you’ll know that one of the year’s most anticipated films, Greta Gerwig’s Barbie starring Margot Robbie, Ryan Gosling, America Ferrera, Issa Rae, and dozens more, releases this month in theatres. And needless to say, the world is tickled pink with...
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The Afternoon Special News Hour - Superman: Legacy, Barbie and Ken's Malibu Dreamhouse, and SAG Strike Looms
In the very first edition of The Afternoon Special News Hour, we're covering all the biggest pop culture stories from this week, including a major casting announcement for DC's Superman: Legacy, all the details on how you can stay at Ken and Barbie's real life Malibu Dreamhouse, and the letter...
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A Special Announcement from The Afternoon Special!
No new normal episode this week but, join me on Friday for the first edition of The Afternoon Special News Hour! This will be the perfect way to kick off your weekend by recapping all of pop culture's biggest moments from this week with me! ~~ Follow the show on Instagram: @theafternoonspecial…
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Top 5 Best Spider-Man Films (with Emily Uribe!)
Our celebration of all things Spider-Man continues this week with what I’m calling a definitive and absolute correct ranking of top 5 best Spider-Man movies as decided by me and my very special guest this week. My guest is actress, fashion icon in the making, and TikTok extraordinaire, Emily…
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The Greatest Comic Book Movie Ever Is Full of Spiders
This month, we’re doing a little mini series on our favorite masked web slinger, Spider-Man! However, unlike most months where we start with a history lesson, we’re starting this month with a review. I had the privilege of attending the premiere for Spider-Man: Across the Spider-verse and I would...
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The Afternoon Special Movie Club Episode 1: Jurassic Park
We're kicking off the inaugural episode of The Afternoon Special Movie Club with an absolute classic, Jurassic Park! This is a full listen along/watch along episode with Bobbi's commentary (and general nonsense), that's perfect to throw on while watching the 1993 film. ~~ Follow the show on...
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A Special Announcement from The Afternoon Special!
No new normal episode this week but, to celebrate the 30th anniversary of a cinematic classic and one of my favorite films of all time, Jurassic Park, we’ll be doing a special listen-along style episode where you can watch the movie along with me. So, it may not be the best episode for a commute,...
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Disney Princess Tournament (with Cinema Joe!)
To cap off a fun month of waxing poetic about Disney Princesses, we're bringing in the host of the House of Cinema podcast and friend of the show, Joe to engage in a hilarious Disney Princess tournament! Joe's socials: Instagram: @cinema.joe_ Tik Tok: @cinemajoe Twitter: @cinema_joe23 Podcast:...
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In Defense and Opposition of Disney Princesses
When talking about Disney Princess for the last few weeks, I’ve highlighted briefly how complex they are. Depending on who you ask, they can be beacons for female representation and the power of dreaming or they are anti-women figures used only to hock Disney merchandise at young impressionable...
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The Story of The (little) Mermaid Who Saved Disney
For the past few weeks, we’ve been exploring the history and music of the Disney Princess and we discovered that at many key points in history, they have been the guiding light for Disney. However, you’ll also remember that for a time, Disney was in a really bad place as a studio and a company in...
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Adventure in the Great Wide Somewhere: Exploring the Music of the Disney Princess
The songs of Disney Princess films have this prevailing nature to them about the power of love, the power of a wish, and the power of a dream. These expertly composed songs almost take on a life of their own and in some ways transcend the movies they’re from. This week, we’re taking a deep dive...
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Disney Princesses Have Always Saved Disney
For almost 100 years, Disney Princesses have been a pillar of pop culture. They have a musical style, a fashion, and even a way of speaking that’s all their own. For the month of May and in celebration of the live action release of The Little Mermaid, we're talking about all things Disney...
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Congress Killed The Saturday Morning Cartoon
For the month of April, we've explored what made the Saturday morning cartoon great. However, there was one key question that we haven't fully been able to answer which is...what happened to the Saturday morning cartoon? This week, we're going to answer that question and the journey to get there…
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They’re Ani-many, Totally Insane-y: A Retrospective on Warner Bros' TV Animation of the 1990s
In the early 90s, there was one studio that seemed to have an unassuming dominance on the saturday morning cartoon space and that’s Warner Brothers. From Tiny Toons Adventures to Freakazoid to Animaniacs, Warner Bros. was responsible for a golden age of animation that came at the tail end of the...
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The Afternoon Special Superhero Friends Hour
Before the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Before the DC Entertainment Universe. Superheroes reigned supreme on the smaller screen. If you didn’t have access to their stories in comic books, saturday morning cartoons were the best place to hang with your super friends and this week, we’re going to…
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The History of the Saturday Morning Cartoon
For decades, it was a weekly tradition for almost every child in America to wake up at the crack of dawn, make themselves a bowl of sugariest cereal they could find, and plop down on the couch for a morning of cartoons. The Saturday morning cartoon was pillar of the first half of television's...
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For The Girlies: The Films and TV Shows That Made Us
This one's for girlies. For the entire month of March, we've been celebrating and deconstructing the societal concept of the teenage girl, examining how other see her and how she sees herself. In this episode, we're wrapping things up by chatting about the films and TV shows that we felt were...
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The Care and Keeping of You: Puberty as Told By Pop Culture
Growing up sucks. Like a lot. Puberty is a journey with no map. When you're experiencing this massive change in your life, who you have to run to? Your parents? Your 9th grade health class? No! You turn to pop culture of course. In this week's episode, we're going to be taking a look at the...
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The Anatomy (And Defense) of the Fangirl
Fandom is often seen as a male dominated activity, but the group that is the foundation for modern fandom is the teenage girl. Teen girls are often the group that informs us of what's new and next and ultimately are the pioneers of what it means to be a fan. In this episode, we're taking a deep...
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The History of the Teenage Girl
The teenage girl has existed since the dawn of time, but the idea of being a teen girl was invented in the late 1800s. To kick off our Women's History Month series, we're charting the history of the teenage girl and where our perception of them comes from. ~~ Follow the show on Instagram:...
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The Science of Preschool TV: Part 2
From Sesame Street to Bluey, some of first interactions with television come in the form of children's educational programming. They teach us shapes, numbers, and colors, and provide us with some necessary life lessons. This week, we're talking to Emmy Award-winning showrunner, writer, and...
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The Science of Preschool TV: Part 1
From Sesame Street to Bluey, some of first interactions with television come in the form of children's educational programming. They teach us shapes, numbers, and colors, and provide us with some necessary life lessons. This week, we're taking a deep dive into just how some of favorite preschool...
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Happy Holidays From The Afternoon Special
Special Holiday Message from Bobbi. ~~ Follow the show on Instagram: @theafternoonspecial Tik Tok: @theafternoonspecial Twitter: @hiimbobbi Email the show at [email protected] ~~ Afternoon Special is brought to you by QCODE. To advertise on the show, contact us! Learn more about…
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We Wish You A Very Grinchmas: Exploring The Grinch in Pop Culture
He's a mean one. His heart's an empty hole. For almost as long as we've had jolly old Santa Claus, we've had a figure exhibits the exact opposite of holiday cheer. With books, films, and TV specials about him galore, this week, we're taking a look at the pop culture journey of one of the holiday...
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What Makes The Perfect Holiday Special?
What makes a perfect holiday special? There are countless holiday themed films and TV specials that we watch every year, but what makes them so memorable? This week, we're taking a look at a few of the most beloved holiday films and TV specials and dissecting why they're so good. Learn more about...
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The (un) Official History of DreamWorks Animation
DreamWorks Animation has always been seen as a formidable and entertaining contender to the animated films of Disney. However, while many know the studio for its biggest hits, many don't know its very insane history behind the scenes. This week, we're chronicling the wild ride of the studio that...
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Happy Thanksgiving Afternooners!
Wanted to drop a line that we’re enjoying a little break for Thanksgiving but we’ll be right back next week with new episodes of The Afternoon Special. ~~ Follow the show on Instagram: @theafternoonspecial Tik Tok: @theafternoonspecial Twitter: @hiimbobbi Email the show at...
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The Story of Television's Greatest Primetime Cartoon
Premiering in a rare primetime slot in September of 1992, Batman: The Animated Series quickly cemented itself as one of television's greatest animated programs. Between gripping narratives and memorable characters, the series opened the door for superhero craze that we currently are finding...
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The Curious Case of Anastasia (1997)
The 90s was a wonderful, strange time for animation. One of the strangest aspect was the trend of animated films retelling historical events and one example of this is Anastasia (1997). The film, often considered to be a Disney Princess film never made by Disney, chose a unique subject in…
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The Coke Can is There On Purpose: Diving into the (Funny) World of Movie Product Placement
Born from a semi viral tweet about Scooby Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed, this week's episode is taking a look into the stories behind classic product placement moments in film. Product placement is a constant in pop culture and while it is blatant advertising, it can also be a pretty effective tool…
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Crazy, Vampy, Cool: Exploring Our Endless Love Affair With The Vampire - Part 2 (ft. Michael McMillian)
We're back with vampire business. This is part 2 of our exploration into our endless pop culture love affair with the vampire. This week, we're going into what the vampire means as a reflection of humanity. Later in the episode, I'm joined by Michael McMillian — actor/writer/star of HBO's True...
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Crazy, Vampy, Cool: Exploring Our Endless Love Affair With The Vampire - Part 1
Vampires. Mysterious. Alluring. Chaotic. And very very hot. Pop culture loves itself a good vampire story and we, as spectators, do too. From film to television to books to the stage, these bloodsuckers are everywhere and this week, we're taking a peek at some of the most iconic pieces of vampire...
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The One Where They Wear Costumes: A History of The Sitcom Halloween Special
We're officially in the spooky season and that means grabbing your favorite Halloween candy, getting cozy on the couch with your favorite sitcom Halloween special.The TV Halloween special is a mainstay and this week, we're taking a look into TV's greatest Halloween special, including "It's The...
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Can You Quote It?: Investigating How We Define Pop Culture Impact
What separates the pop culturally evergreen and the pop culturally forgotten? Does high box office or ratings automatically determine cultural relevance? There are a million and one different metrics for how we determine how impactful a piece of media is and this week, we're unpacking a few of…
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Armchair Detective: An Exploration into True Crime Media
True crime is one of guiltiest pop culture pleasures. From documentaries to fictional series to more podcasts than you can count, we have a morbid curiosity with some of history's most heinous crimes. The upcoming release of Netflix's Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story, which features…
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
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 d
HOSTED BY
Bobbi Miller | QCODE
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does The Afternoon Special have?
The Afternoon Special currently has 80 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is The Afternoon Special about?
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...
How often does The Afternoon Special release new episodes?
The Afternoon Special has 80 episodes. Check the episode list to see recent publication dates and frequency.
Where can I listen to The Afternoon Special?
You can listen to The Afternoon Special on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts The Afternoon Special?
The Afternoon Special is created and hosted by Bobbi Miller | QCODE.
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