There are too many interview-based shows, podcasts, and infotainment series out there to count, which makes it vital — in this era of the ever-online — to stand out.
That’s a major culprit behind the continued popularity of shows like Hot Ones, which serves up its interviews alongside a plate of increasingly spicy hot wings, or The Really Good Podcast, which takes on its subjects with a dry, apathetic wit.
The latter is run by social media personality and podcaster Bobbi Althoff, who’s been on a gradual rise over on TikTok for years. Her podcast, launched in April 2023, combines the dry comedic stylings of Between Two Ferns with the sardonic wit of Philomena Cunk, and — for the most part, at least — it works. Not everyone understands, or enjoys, the humor, but those that do flock to the 26-year-old’s rapidly growing program.
Althoff’s already interviewed some huge names on her podcast, so an invite to Love & Hip Hop: Miami‘s Sukihana was essentially guaranteed to yield an interview. The pair met up recently and chatted about Sukihana’s blossoming career as a musician, and what appeared to be a gaffe led the interview to claim swift virality. But was that case of mistaken language a real exchange, or purposeful satire?
Was the Bobbi Althoff interview with Sukihana satire?
Clips from the interview, which hit Althoff’s podcast on Feb. 6, went starkly viral over on TikTok just after the interview’s full release. The clips in question all related to a specific moment in the interview, in which Althoff refers to Sukihana as a “musician,” and the 32-year-old rapper seemingly mistakes the word for “magician.”
After Althoff notes that Sukihana’s status as a “musician” is why she’s interviewing her in the first place, Suki responds by asking “what the f**k that mean, make magic or something?” The resulting misunderstanding feels classic Galifianakis, as Suki doubles down and even calls the act of thinking “ghetto,” before proclaiming “I don’t think. I know.”
The resulting clip is running riot over on TikTok, where the vast majority of people believe the bit. They’re gobsmacked at Suki’s seeming lack of intelligence, and they’re not shying away from letting her know in the comments. Even in response to the clip posted to Suki’s own page — which seems like clear proof that the bit is satire — people are reacting as though it’s genuine, with numerous comments noting that the “lights are on but nobody’s home” and asking for “a moment of silence for our education system.”
There is, of course, a possibility the exchange was genuine, but it’s extremely unlikely. Althoff is known for her dry stylings, and an exchange like this one, when carefully crafted, has the potential to rocket to viral status — which is exactly what it did. Now everyone is talking about Suki, Althoff, and The Really Good Podcast, which is exactly what the pair intended when they dreamed the bit up.
Published: Feb 9, 2024 09:43 am