SNL Auditions, Outdated Mascots & Internet Outrage | Akilah Hughes

Matt Buechele talks about influencer culture, a corgi who became internet-famous from inside a backpack, and the strange ways the internet shapes how we see ourselves and each other. Then Matt sits down with comedian, writer, and podcast host Akilah Hughes to talk about her podcast, Rebel Spirit, which follows her return to her Kentucky high school to push for replacing its Confederate mascot with a biscuit. They discuss why people hold onto Confederate symbols, and the challenge of changing traditions. They also reminisce about their Saturday Night Live auditions and talk about internet outrage, parasocial relationships, and when to stop taking the internet’s bait. Chapters: 00:00:00 Akilah Hughes, What a Day podcast, career pivots 00:04:14 Discussing Rebel Spirit and historical mascot debates 00:08:03 Examining public reactions to monument removal and social change 00:13:19 Navigating life in New York versus California 00:17:06 Reflecting on hosting news podcasts during turbulent times 00:22:50 Auditioning for Saturday Night Live during the pandemic 00:31:58 Facing the challenges of acting auditions and industry dynamics 00:36:24 Unpacking internet outrage and online commentary 00:41:29 Debating parasocial obsession and body image in social media 00:46:25 Playing small D energy with political tropes 00:51:41 Predicting the next viral internet animal 00:55:08 Guessing future video game characters and political figures Topics: Akilah Hughes: comedy and podcasting The pandemic SNL audition process on Zoom Changing the rebel high school mascot Auditioning for Colin Jost & Michael Che Hollywood’s struggle with podcasting Impact of southern history & statues Ariana grande, body image culture, media gaslighting Work life in NYC vs. Los Angeles Predicting the next viral character on Fortnite FOLLOW THE SHOW ►Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thatsoundslikealot/   ►Threads: https://www.threads.com/@thatsoundslikealot   FOLLOW MATT BUECHELE ►Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mattbooshell/   ►TikTok:  https://www.tiktok.com/@mattbooshell   ►Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/mattbooshell.bsky.social  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices