The first time you do anything is complex — the first time you have sex, the first time you learn your boyfriend’s real name, the first time you’re low-key slut-shamed by the boarding school friends you are too old to still be living with in your 20s. Will Natalie navigate the choppy waters of this new life phase with grace and strength? Will Jo voice a value judgement on her friend’s decisions? Will the origins of this random Australian child ever be made known to us? Tune in to find out!
Category: All Eps
Ep 091: I Am The Fright Zone (“She-Ra and the Princesses of Power” S1E09)
Y’all… did you know the Netflix SHE-RA reboot is like, really really awesome?! This week, we’re back on Etheria for a way more nuanced plot and character discussion than we’ve ever had about this world. It’s almost like this show isn’t a half-hour commercial for toys! Join Chelsea, Andrew, Adora, and the other Princesses of Power (one of whom is Friend of the Pod Vella Lovell) as we do some actual learning in this time of virtual hugging.
Ep 90: Did I Hear Calculus? (“Diffrent Strokes” S7E24)
Figuring out if most VSEs of DIFF’RENT STROKES did more harm or more good, requires a degree in advanced mathematics. This one is no exception. Did we learn something about street buskers with epilepsy? Sure. But at what societal cost? All this and more will be pondered at length.
Ep 089: Miloš! (“The Office” S01E02)
Ah, THE OFFICE. So loveable. So quotable. So still finding its footing in this episode (but that’s a great thing!). Come along with three perennial OFFICE re-watchers as we join the ultimate fan of hugging and foe of learning — Michael Scott — and the rest of our heart’s coworkers on Diversity Training Day. Buckle up.
Ep 088: Emmy for Child Endangerment (“Kid Nation” S01E01)
Welcome to Bonanza City, where a group of 40 children will be allowed to form their own society — as long as it adheres exactly to the perameters the producers have laid out for them. In the early days of reality TV, it was quite literally the Wild West, and no one knows that better than the parents who signed the waivers that absolved CBS of responsiblity should their children actually die. Strap in, because this is gonna be a MEGASODE. It’s sinister as hell here in Kid Nation, and we all have a lot to learn.
Ep 087: Melanate Your Feed
If you were going to spend an hour this week listening to Hugging and Learning, we’d like to encourage you to listen/subscribe to one of these comedy/pop culture podcasts instead.
Ep 085: No. Problem!! (“ALF” S1E04)
We hate to break it to you, but if your childhood recollections of Gordon Shumway include character traits like “loveable,” “caring,” or “friendly,” you might want to rewatch ALF. Preferably with a good snack or a stiff drink close at hand. Join your hosts, Ronald Reagan (not really), Harry Shearer (yes really) and a very callus and unfeeling extraterrestrial as we debate nuclear disarmament and the addition of a second phone line as equally-weighted issues in the life of the Tanner family.
Ep 084: Miseri Bears (“Gummi Bears” S01E11a)
Can mythical anthropomorphic bears have sensitive, consent-filled filled relationships with the visually impared? Don’t get your hopes up. Join Chelsea, Andrew, Miles, Tummi Gummi, Duke Igthorn, and (Ka)Trina the shepherdess on an adventure where we learn a lot about self-sufficiency and nothing at all about sensitivity.
Ep 082: Just An Old Plant (“Thundercats” S1E09)
Would you like to be on drugs, but you’ve run out, and your dealer won’t come within six feet of you? We have the solution: THUNDERCATS. Join Chelsea, Andrew, Miles, and all fourteen citizens of Third Earth as we test the drug tolerance of cat/human hybrids (very low) and our own ability to drag a moral kicking and screaming out of a cartoon (top-notch).
Ep 081: A Johnny Dakota Joint (“Saved By the Bell” S3E21)
The hypocrisy really stacks up like a layer cake in this meta anti-drug-PSA episode of SAVED BY THE BELL. Let us break it all down for you: the unsubstantiated rumors, the real-life relationships, the bizarre writing choices, and that head-scratcher of an ending. After we delve into this, you’ll be saying, “Thanks, Guy.” And you’ll really mean it.