No products in the cart.
Snackin' & Yakkin'
A year in, 56 episodes down, and Snackin’ & Yakkin’ is still doing what it set out to do: meet good people, eat a few snacks, and let Charleston show off a little. The anniversary episode is part victory lap, part behind-the-scenes check-in, and part “why on earth did I agree to eat squid chips on camera?”
There’s a new intro, a new season label, and a clear reminder that the heart of the show hasn’t changed. If anything, it’s gotten sharper.
New season, same weird little mission
Episode 56 is the official start of season 2, because in Ben Kennedy’s world, every year gets its own season. He rolled out a new 3D-style intro, a custom hat with the show logo on it, and even dusted off the old shirt from the garage days, back when it was one guy talking straight into a camera and hoping for the best.
The point of the show is still simple. Ben missed making weekly entertainment after years of touring as a comedian, and he wanted something that kept him creative, social, and moving again. The snack angle came from loving shows like Hot Ones and Good Mythical Morning, but also from a practical truth: little bites work a whole lot better than trying to wrestle a heavy meal through a long conversation.
He also said the quiet part out loud. Since starting the show, he’s been happier and the weight has started coming back down. Weird? Maybe. But when you’re making something every week, the rest of life sometimes starts moving too.
Why the long talks matter, especially in Charleston
Ben isn’t trying to cram a whole person into 15 minutes. That’s the whole reason Snackin’ & Yakkin’ works. With a celebrity on another interview show, you already know the backstory. With these guests, you don’t. That’s why the episodes breathe.
“They’re the most famous people in the world, you just haven’t met them yet.”
That idea runs through the whole show. After 18 years in Charleston, Ben admitted he still felt like a foreign exchange student for a lot of that time. The podcast changed that. Week by week, he found his people: musicians, brewers, bakers, comics, chefs, and dreamers, the kind of supremely talented folks hiding in plain sight while the rest of us stand next to them at the post office and never know.
He talked about visiting places in person that were featured in past episodes, like Johnny’s Garage and Frothy Beard Off World, and that’s part of the charm. These aren’t random guests dropped in from nowhere. They’re neighbors. They might start a little nervous, but by the halfway mark they’re loose, funny, and fully themselves.
The show may look easy, but a lot holds it together
For something that feels loose, a lot holds it together. Ben writes notes so the ADHD doesn’t take over. Carrie directs from off camera and gives him the signal when he starts telling too much of his own story. His son Benjamin helped shape the early rhythm of the show, then became the guy who’d stop after an episode, give him a hug, and say, “Good show.”
That support runs deeper. Bridget was the last green light before the show came to life, and Ben made it clear he doesn’t take that lightly. He also talked openly about medication, self-doubt, and how fast his brain looks for an exit when things get hard.
There was one full panic moment too. An 8TB hard drive hit the floor, and it looked like the whole show might be gone. He saved what he could, rebuilt the intro, upgraded his storage, and kept rolling. He also finally revealed the old logo mashup, stitched together from snack labels like Cheetos, Snickers, Chips Ahoy, Takis, Cheez-It, Butterfinger, and Reese’s, plus a Lance crackers nod to his middle name.
Voicemails, squid chips, and a pretty perfect year-one ending
The anniversary episode had six voicemails, and they hit every note. Sherry made him laugh. David Furr nearly made him cry. Michael Jean checked in with old friend energy. TJ from Michigan brought the EMScapades history with him, right down to “Clincy.” Q8Kids and Imee & Ylvie got in there too.
Then came the mystery box. That old bit is back, at least in spirit, and it led straight to tempura squid chips that smelled awful and tasted worse. Ben powered through them anyway, because GI distress is apparently part of the job now. Add in the hot dog stand save, the bathroom-mic panic from a past episode, and the runner-up finish for Best Local Podcast after only seven months, and you get the story of year one. That recognition even helped open the door to an upcoming Bill Walsh episode.
The celebration ended right, with a chocolate cake from Daddy’s Girls Bakery in North Charleston, made by Chassity and Nate Brown, and a toast to keeping the formula intact: meet more neighbors, share more snacks, and keep showing up every Monday.
If you want to keep up, the show’s official site is the home base. You can also subscribe on YouTube, listen on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, or call the voicemail line.
Here’s to year two
The best thing about this anniversary episode is that it never turns into a polished press release. It stays human. A little sentimental, a little gross, pretty funny, and honest the whole way through.
That feels right for Snackin’ & Yakkin’. The show works because it treats local people like stars, and after 56 episodes, that still feels like the whole point.
