We’ve come to the end of the rainbow, friends and colleagues. It’s been a fantastic 101-episode-long ride, and we’re so happy that you came along. Before we ride off into the sunset (jk, it’s a pandemic, we never leave our apartments), we’d like to wrassle one last VSE with you — part two of the accurséd BICYCLE MAN. It’s got all the icky feelings and inappropriate jokes of part one, with 200% more police detectives. Come along. Show: DIFF’RENT STROKES “The Bicycle Man,” Season 5, Episode 16 Air Date: February 5, 1983 Find it: Hulu or Amazon Prime Video with the Starz add-on Snack: Maple Walnut Shortbread from Archer Farms Further Reading: A “very special” Diff’rent Strokes that’s terrifying for all the wrong reasons | The AV Club Child Sexual Abuse: 6 Stages of Grooming | Oprah.com Preventing Sexual Abuse At Summer Camp: Five Tips for Parents 

Hugging And Learning

The Most Special Episode, Part 2

The time has finally come. In this most cursed year of this darkest timeline, we must re-watch and re-evaluate one of the most cursed VSEs of all time. The one that started it all — which is apt, because after 100 episodes, we have nearly come to the end of the Hugging & Learning rainbow. Join Chelsea, Andrew, and Miles for the penultimate episode of our podcast, as we evaluate what, if anything, we have to learn from this bone-chilling tv artifact today. Show: DIFF’RENT STROKES “ep name,” Season #, Episode # Air Date: February 5, 1983 Find it: Hulu or Amazon Prime Video with the Starz add-on Snack: Camel Balls gum (Thanks, Josh!) Further Reading: A “very special” Diff’rent Strokes that’s terrifying for all the wrong reasons | The AV Club Child Sexual Abuse: 6 Stages of Grooming | Oprah.com Preventing Sexual Abuse At Summer Camp: Five Tips for Parents 

The Most Special Episode, Part 1

“Welcome to Hamilton High, where all the students major in drugs!” H&L is back with a real classic of the “Just Say No” genre. We’ve got an earnest protagonist, we’ve got grade-A freakouts, we’ve got future Oscar winners judo-kicking out of second-story windows. Will CARING SO MUCH triumph over indifference, drugs, and swimming? Or will yet another suburban teen succumb to his poorly-defined life pressures and terrible taste in friends? Join us to find out! Show: DESPERATE LIVES CBS TV Movie Air Date: March 3, 1982 Special Guest Stars: Future Oscar Winner Helen Hunt Dr. Joyce Brothers Rick Springfield Find it: parts of it are on YouTube Snack: Brach’s Candy Corn Pumpkins Trader Joe’s PB&J Snack Duo Further Reading: Effects and Dangers of PCP Use DESPERATE LIVES: Say No To Drugs, Say Yes to Overblown Message Movies | Schlockmania 

Emotional Rollycoaster: Part 2

 “Welcome to Hamilton High, where all the students major in drugs!” H&L is back with a real classic of the “Just Say No” genre. We’ve got an earnest protagonist, we’ve got grade-A freakouts, we’ve got future Oscar winners judo-kicking out of second-story windows. Will CARING SO MUCH triumph over indifference, drugs, and swimming? Or will yet another suburban teen succumb to his poorly-defined life pressures and terrible taste in friends? Join us to find out! Show: DESPERATE LIVES CBS TV Movie Air Date: March 3, 1982 Special Guest Stars: Future Oscar Winner Helen Hunt Dr. Joyce Brothers Rick Springfield Find it: parts of it are on YouTube Snack: Brach’s Candy Corn Pumpkins Trader Joe’s PB&J Snack Duo Further Reading: Effects and Dangers of PCP Use DESPERATE LIVES: Say No To Drugs, Say Yes to Overblown Message Movies | Schlockmania 

Ep 098: Emotional Rollycoaster: Part 1

Won’t someone please hug Terry? The boy moves like a ghost through his own life; in the words of his own sister, “he’s just kinda there.” When Terry goes punk, it’s not so much a rebellion as an inevitability. But, wait! What does this mean for Mom’s big anti-punker conference?! Is this actually an afterschool special FOR MOMS?? Join Chelsea, Andrew, long-suffering Terry, some of The Weirz, and the psychiatrist from Space Jam as we try to decipher what, if anything, we can learn from an afterschool special about the waning days of punk. Show: ABC Afterschool Specials “The Day My Kid Went Punk,” Season 16, Episode 3 Air Date: October 23, 1987 Find it: on YouTube Snack: Whittaker’s Chocolate Bar (Thanks, Josh!) Further Reading: “Afterschool Specials” | You’re Wrong About Podcast ABC Afterschool Special | Wikipedia 

Momchiatrist and the Conference of Secrets

What’s the only thing more fun that a lighthearted came of Clue with friends? Only a high-stakes reality TV version of the game that strangers take way too seriously! Come with us on a journey back to 2013, when ABC turned a half-built mansion into CSI: Beverly Hills, at almost unfathomable cost and with mediocre results. The game… is murder! But somehow, as always, it all comes back to Melora Hardin. Show: WHODUNNIT? “High Voltage,” Season 1, Episode 1 Air Date: June 23, 2013 Find it: on ABC.com Snack: Jampler! (jam sampler) from Trade Street Jam Co. Further Reading: Whodunnit? | Wikipedia Rue Manor | Reddit Viewers feared contestants actually died on ABC’s ‘Whodunnit?’ 8 Surprising Facts About ABC’s “Whodunnit” Whodunnit: all your questions answered | Reality Blurred 

Murder, She Twote

It’s a little wild and a little strange that this is our first HEY DUDE episode. And it’s a doozy of a debut — this is the LOST episode of the beloved Nickelodeon show. “Lost,” you say? Imagine if Sam Shepard wrote most of an episode of this light teen comedy, and you’ll soon figure out why. Join us for a deep dive into the fraught interpersonal relationships of the adult children of alcoholics, and also stinky feet jokes. Show: HEY DUDE “Melody’s Brother” Season 3, Episode 11 Air Date: June 15, 1990 Find it: Good luck finding this episode! The rest of the series is on Amazon Prime Video. Snack: Zach and Zoe Sweet Bee Farm Wildflower Honey with Ginger Root Further Reading: Melody’s Brother | Hey Dude Reviewed Hey Dude: Melody’s Brother (My White Whale) | The Very Special Blog 

Saved By the Cowbell

Have you ever heard of Gospel Bill? If not, let’s close that #blessed chapter of your life. Join Andrew, Chelsea, and the rest of the Dry Gulch Gang as we attempt to keep the devil out of our thoughts from way down deep inside God’s pouch. Confused? Don’t worry. We are, too. Show: THE GOSPEL BILL SHOW “Control Your Thoughts,” Season 1, Episode 21 Air Date: sometime around 1982? Find it: on YouTube Snack: Oh Mazing Granola Snack Further Reading: The Gospel Bill Show | Wikipedia 

Jesus Koala

What could be better than an episode of THE GOLDEN GIRLS in These Troubling Times™? How about an episode TGG that’s also THE WIRE, a rom/com, and a George Clooney vehicle all at once?! This week, we explore the twists and turns of a singular episode of sitcom television, and also launch our GoFundMe campaign to raise the $3MIL we need to purchase the Golden Girls house, which has just come on the LA real estate market. We’re doing important work over here. Join us. Show: THE GOLDEN GIRLS “To Catch a Neighbor,” Season 2, Episode 24 Air Date: May 2, 1987 Special Guest Star: young George Clooney Find it: on Hulu Snack: Sweet Dames Artisan Confections Macaroons Further Reading: Meet Sweet Dames Founder Genelle Drayton | BET The ‘Golden Girls’ House Is Up for Sale (and It’s in L.A.) | LA Magazine The “Golden Girls” House Is for Sale and Its Actual Interiors Are Not What We Expected | House Beautiful 18 Famous Faces Once on The Golden Girls | Bustle 

Golden Wonka

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! Show: THE FACTS OF LIFE “The First Time,” Season 9, Episode 16 Air Date: February 6, 1988 Find it: good luck! Snack: Caramel Coconut Oreos Further Reading: 15 Facts About the Facts of Life | Mental Floss Lisa Whelchel Explains the Controversial ‘Facts of Life’ Virginity Episode | Yahoo 

Alan Thicke Cinematic Universe

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. Show: SHE-RA AND THE PRINCESSES OF POWER “No Princess Left Behind,” Season 1, Episode 9 Air Date: November 13, 2018 Find it: on Netflix Snack: Chewy Cookie Butter and Crunchy Birthday Cake Cookies from Partake Further Reading: She-Ra and the Princesses of Power | Wikipedia Inside the Groundbreaking Queer Reboot of ‘She-Ra’ | Rolling Stone 

I Am The Fright Zone

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. Show: DIFF’RENT STROKES “A Special Friend” Season 7, Episode 24 Air Date: May 4, 1985 Find it: good luck! Snack: Butter Rum LifeSavers Health Discovery Super Food Nutrient Crackers Further Reading: Myths About Epilepsy | Epilepsy-Ohio.org Epilepsy Myths | Epilepsy Society 

Did I Hear Calculus?

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. Show: THE OFFICE “Diversity Day,” Season 1, Episode 2 Air Date: March 29, 2005 Special Guest Star: Larry Wilmore Find it: on Netflix Snack: Trader Joe’s Almond Croissants Further Reading: Diversity Day (The Office) | Wikipedia The Office (Classic): Pilot/“Diversity Day” | The AV Club Broccoli Rabe (Andy’s way) Broccoli Rabe (Chelsea’s way) DIY Ninja Mask VS MarMar! 

Miloš!

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 parameters the producers have laid out for them. In the early days of reality TV, it was quite literally the Wild 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 parameters laid out by the producers. 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 waivers that absolved CBS of responsibility should their children literally 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. Show: KID NATION “I’m Trying to Be a Leader Here” Season 1, Episode 1 Air Date: Sept 19, 2007 Find it: on YouTube Snack: S’Mores Chewy Chips Ahoy from Nabisco Double ‘D’ Sugar Free Marshmallows Further Reading: Kid Nation | Wikipedia 8 Reasons CBS’ ‘Kid Nation’ Was More Traumatizing For Children Than ‘The Hunger Games’ A CBS Reality Show Draws a Claim of Possible Child Abuse | NY Times Sophia Wise on Kid Nation | YouTube 

Emmy for Child Endangerment

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 the following comedy/pop culture podcasts instead: Still Processing Minority Korner Why Won’t You Date Me? The Nod So Here’s What Happened Introverted Black Girl FruitLoops: Serial Killers of Color 2 Dope Queens Code Switch Be well. Raise hell. Black Lives Matter.

Ep 087: Melanate Your Feed

Join Chelsea and Andrew as they re-watch the classic Very Special Episodes of TV sitcoms from the 70s, 80s, and 90s that we loved as kids, and explore what they have to say to us as adults.

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Hugging And Learning

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