PODCAST

Stuck In The Middle - A Gen X Podcast

Jason Ek

Welcome to Stuck in the Middle - the podcast about the music, movies, and culture of Generation X.

society & culture music history

All Episodes

43:23

Tech Predictions of the 60's, 70's & 80's

Stuck In The Middle - A Gen X Podcast ·

2024/02/21

In the year 2000. In the year 2000!On this week’s episode, we explore…the future. Or really the present. But from the past. Or something like that.Throughout the 60s, 70s, & 80s, TV and movies tried to give us a glimpse into the future. While some things they got right, many things were way off base.The Jetsons, and later Blade Runner, promised us flying cars! We don’t have flying cars for our daily commute…and that would be a terrible idea anyway.Gadgets like the Starfleet Communicator was the

48:42

Gen X in the News

Stuck In The Middle - A Gen X Podcast ·

2024/02/14

Extra, extra, read all about it, Slackers! Does anyone read newspapers anymore? I don’t, but news is still an (important?) thing, and this week I take a look at Gen X in the news.Just this week there have been articles from Business Insider, the New York Times, Forbes, and the most prestigious of them all, HuffPost. Some of the business related articles delve into attitudes in the workplace regarding “corporate loyalty”, investment concerns, and general differences in work/life concepts.The Times

52:12

Rock Concerts: 1988 - 1991

Stuck In The Middle - A Gen X Podcast ·

2024/02/07

Time to get those lighters in the air, Slackers!From the late 80’s into the early 90’s, there was no shortage of amazing live music. The “hair” bands of the time were hitting on all cylinders, with live shows rivaling anything that came before or since. With the bands from the Sunset Strip already used to the competitive nature of the music industry, opening acts would try to outperform the headliners - and more often than not, the headliners would take that challenge head on. Sometimes the opener,

37:04

The Names of Generation X

Stuck In The Middle - A Gen X Podcast ·

2024/01/31

What's in a name, Slackers?Apparently, when it comes to a certain period of the Gen X timeline, names are little more than passing trends! How else can you explain the sudden rise - then fall - of names like Jason, Eric, Jennifer, and Amy! How about Heather or Christopher?!I was one of MANY Jasons in my graduating class, with easily as many Jennifers. And names like Heather became part of the lexicon thanks to films like, you guessed it, Heathers!While all the biblical names remain en vogue, I can

46:36

Fitness Fads

Stuck In The Middle - A Gen X Podcast ·

2024/01/24

Let’s get physical, Slackers!Did you ever use a Thigh Master? Maybe participate in some Tae Bo? Did your mom or grandma ever rock a pair of Air Shorts?This week I dig in to the fitness trends by year - starting of course with 1965. Some of these so called “fads” have actually become legitimately accepted aspects of health & fitness - treadmills, stationary bikes, inversion tables - all starting in the 60’s, 70’s or 80’s. For every winner, there are of course many scams, scientifically disproven

64:53

NFL Championship History is Gen X History

Stuck In The Middle - A Gen X Podcast ·

2024/01/17

Are you ready for some football, Slackers?!Given that professional football has been a thing since the late 1800s, it crazy to think that the “Big Game” has only been around in OUR LIFETIME. Starting with the NFL/AFL merger in 1967, there was finally a true world championship - but even then it wasn’t until the third season that the term (don’t sue me) "Super Bowl" was used. I don’t know why this seems so odd to me, but watching footage of Namath, Bradshaw, and Staubach doesn’t seem like it could

45:43

Iconic Cars of TV & Movies

Stuck In The Middle - A Gen X Podcast ·

2024/01/10

You like fast cars, Slackers?Perhaps a 1976 Ford Gran Torino? What about a 1977 Pontiac Firebird? Maybe even a 1969 Dodge Charger - or would you prefer something more practical, like a 1979 Ford LTD Country Squire? Whatever your preference, the cars (and trucks) of Hollywood in 1970s & 80s were all pretty badass.Starsky & Hutch. The Dukes of Hazzard. Smokey & the Bandit. Even National Lampoon’s Vacation - all had what have become iconic vehicles. Now, I am not much of an under the hood

64:24

Movie Trilogies

Stuck In The Middle - A Gen X Podcast ·

2024/01/03

Good things come in threes, Slackers! And when it comes to movies, Gen X is all about trilogies!Perhaps it all started with the OG Star Wars, but it didn’t stop there. Indiana Jones. Aliens. Mad Max. Evil Dead. It seemed at the time that every sci-fi/action hit would wrap up in a trilogy.Sadly, the allure of nostalgia & a big box office take has led to second - or even third - trilogies. Or just slap the “franchise” tag on there and keep spitting out movie after movie with diminishing returns

36:48

Gifts of Christmas Past

Stuck In The Middle - A Gen X Podcast ·

2023/12/27

Merry Christmas, Slackers!Christmas was so much simpler as a kid. All it really took to make you happy was that one big Santa gift. And boy, did the 70’s & 80’s have some great toys! This episode I recount some of my favorite toys from each year - I have a weirdly specific memory when it comes to Christmas - going from 1976 until about 1984. From Remco’s McDonald’s Playland (and figures), to the Millennium Falcon, to the King of Pop, those Christmas mornings were full of joy & gratitude,

52:08

The Gen Xers We Lost in 2023

Stuck In The Middle - A Gen X Podcast ·

2023/12/20

Hey, Slackers. No witty one liners this week - just taking some time to honor those Gen Xers that have passed away this year.Athletes, musicians, actors, all notable in some way - but more importantly - they were one of ours. Regardless of the reasons for their passing - addiction, illness, or freak accident - the one thing that is abundantly clear is that they were all far too young.May they all rest in peace.

66:30

Christmas Flicks From A Gen X Childhood

Stuck In The Middle - A Gen X Podcast ·

2023/12/13

Jingle, jingle, jingle, Slackers!'Tis the season of giving, for the gathering of family & friends, and the hopes of a new year. It’s also time to be super nostalgic for Christmases past & the joy that it once brought to these cold, black Gen X hearts! There was no better way to get ready for the visit of jolly old St. Nick than the TV movies and specials that would be shown all throughout the month of December. Of course, these were the days of the Big 3 networks and having to check the TV

62:38

Can James Gunn Save Superman?

Stuck In The Middle - A Gen X Podcast ·

2023/12/06

It’s a bird! It’s a plane! It’s Superman, Slackers!Superman is undoubtedly an iconic figure. Often dubbed the first superhero, he is a character that is often considered hokey, even outdated. In response to this, many comics and tv/film writers have attempted to redefine The Man of Steel for a modern audience, with mixed results.With the demise of the DC Extended Universe - aka THE SNYDERVERSE - a new team is at the helm. And the question I have is, "Can James Gunn save Superman”?Although I am

73:39

You Can't Make That Today

Stuck In The Middle - A Gen X Podcast ·

2023/11/29

Are you easily offended, Slackers?If so, we probably can’t be friends! Have you ever heard someone say, “well, you can’t do that nowadays”? I see this sentiment all the time on social media, usually in regards to some tv show or movie from the 70’s, 80’s, or 90’s. But is this how Gen X feels about things?I have always maintained that Gen X is the least easily offended generation. Our gallows humor & general contempt for being told that we can’t or shouldn’t do something seems to extend into our

45:34

Thanksgiving Buffet

Stuck In The Middle - A Gen X Podcast ·

2023/11/22

Happy Turkey Day, Slackers!This episode is a little bit of a mish mosh - kind of like a Thanksgiving buffet! Mostly about the movies - or should I say lack of movies - dedicated to the MAJOR holiday between Halloween & Christmas!Sure there are the tried and true classics - Planes, Trains, and Automobiles. A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving. Home for the Holidays. There odd one offs like Pieces of April, and then a ton of movies that are only "kinda/sorta" Thanksgiving movies.My question is why is this

36:15

Best Actresses Of Our Generation

Stuck In The Middle - A Gen X Podcast ·

2023/11/15

Ready for part two, Slackers?Last week was about the guys - this week I try to determine who is the greatest film actress of Generation X. While we all have our own opinions, the most commonly uses metric for greatness in film is the Academy Award, aka the Oscar. Using only Academy Award nominations in the two key categories - Best Actress and Best Supporting Actress - we should be able to determine objectively who the greatest is - if you consider the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences

59:17

Best Actors Of Our Generation

Stuck In The Middle - A Gen X Podcast ·

2023/11/08

Who’s the best, Slackers?In the first of a two part series, I try to determine who is the greatest film actor of Generation X. While we all have our own opinions, the most commonly used metric for greatness in film is the Academy Award, aka the Oscar. Using only Academy Award nominations in the two key categories - Best Actor and Best Supporting Actor - we should be able to determine objectively who the greatest is - if you consider the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences objective that

58:49

New England Is Scary

Stuck In The Middle - A Gen X Podcast ·

2023/11/01

Happy All Saints' Day, Slackers!Being from New England, I think it is somewhat ingrained in us that there are things that do go bump in the night.There are many areas throughout the region that are known to have horrors both man made and of the (allegedly) supernatural variety. The Borden family comes to mind.After watching a few of the Conjuring movies, I was reminded of other events in New England, as well as New York state - with Amityville being an almost mythically scary place in my childhood

57:40

Serial Killers - 70's Edition

Stuck In The Middle - A Gen X Podcast ·

2023/10/25

The season of macabre topics continues, Slackers.The 1970's through the 1990's was considered the "golden age of serial killers". Many point to the Manson Family murders as the end of the "make love, not war" attitude of the 60's, but this was also the tipping point for American youth culture.During this time, dozens of psychopaths, many on the West coast of the US, seemed to have been unleashed on an unsuspecting populace. The most frequent targets? Young people between the ages of 12 -

53:51

Horror Movie Villains

Stuck In The Middle - A Gen X Podcast ·

2023/10/18

What's your favorite scary movie, Slackers?It's been said that "you either die a hero, or you live long enought to see yourself become the villain". But can the reverse be true as well?Anyone who has seen enough slasher flicks knows that the main character is almost always the villain - think Jason Voorhees or Freddy Krueger - and without them, there really is no franchise. I remember the first time seeing a Friday the 13th in theaters, and the crowd was fully behind Jason, waiting in anticipation

37:28

Halloween - Urban Legends

Stuck In The Middle - A Gen X Podcast ·

2023/10/12

Boo! It's Halloween season once again, Slackers!Remember being a kid and being terrified that maybe someone had packed razor blades in your candy? This time of year is the perfect time to talk about all the crazy urban legends of our youth.From Mikey of Life cereal fame, to tales of folks suddenly missing a kidney, this week celebrates the ridiculousness of urban legends.

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