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

39:28

Actors With Radio Hits

Stuck In The Middle - A Gen X Podcast ·

2023/10/04

Rock on, Slackers!Although nowadays every Disney Channel star gets at least one hit single, in the 70s, 80s, and 90s, actors getting hit records wasn't nearly as common. When this type of thing did happen, it often came from the most unexpected performers.From David Soul (Hutch of Starksy & Hutch fame) and his #1 soft rock hit "Don't Give Up On Us", to Jamie Walter's #1 ballad "How Do You Talk To An Angel", a number of tv and film stars hit the charts in big way.Soap opera hearthrobs Jack Wagner

60:20

Stand-Up Comics of Gen X

Stuck In The Middle - A Gen X Podcast ·

2023/09/27

Are you ready to be offended, Slackers?Maybe it's just me, but I find that Gen X has a fairly dark sense of humor - and I'm not sure that we are very easily offended. There is no other art form that can push the limits of good taste than stand-up comedy, and boy do we have some of the greats.With absolute legends like Chris Rock, Adam Sandler, and Dave Chappelle being firmly Gen X, the gallows humor that has come to define our generation has become the blueprint for the newer comics of today

46:48

TIME's Person of the Year - 80's Edition

Stuck In The Middle - A Gen X Podcast ·

2023/09/20

Does anyone read magazines anymore? Magazines used to be a pretty big deal, and even though print is nearly dead in this digital world, TIME magazine continues to survive. Most notably it's annual "Person of the Year" issue.This week we take a look at the "Person" - sometimes multiple people, sometimes "things" - of each year of the 80's. From Ronald Reagan to Mikhail Gorbachev, the Cold War was a major factor in determining the winners of each year.Technology, climate change, Nobel Peace prize

45:59

Catchphrases of the 70s & 80s

Stuck In The Middle - A Gen X Podcast ·

2023/09/13

Where's the beef, Slackers?!Have you fallen and now you can't get up? You know what would help? No, not a LifeAlert...Clap on, clap off, the Clapper!That's right, this episode is all about catchphrases - from ads, tv shows, movies - anywhere really. As long as they are from the 70s & 80s, that is.Some of these catchphrases are still an everyday part of the lexicon, demonstrating the power of repetition and marketing in shaping culture. I bet there are some that your kids know or have used but

54:40

Billboard Hot 100 of 1981

Stuck In The Middle - A Gen X Podcast ·

2023/09/06

Back to basics, Slackers!This week is all about the Billboard Hot 100 for 1981. The top song of the year was once described as "haunting", with the rest of the list comprised of country superstars, R&B legends, a posthumous release from a former Beatle, and a fair amount of "yacht rockers".Sheena Easton had what was probably her best year on the charts, while Smokey Robinson was still charting hits nearly 30 years into his already legendary career. And Sting...well, let's just say he had some

54:05

Top Rated TV Shows of the 70s & 80s

Stuck In The Middle - A Gen X Podcast ·

2023/08/30

It will rot your brain, Slackers, but who doesn't love some goold old fashioned network TV?Remember every fall when they would announce the new tv season? It was always exciting to have the new episodes of our favorite shows, but what shows really ruled the airwaves for the season,Not unlike professional sports, each TV season was actually a competition between networks, each vying for ratings dominance. I know that in the late 70s and early 80s, ABC was the dominant network, with shows like Happy

51:54

High School Flicks

Stuck In The Middle - A Gen X Podcast ·

2023/08/23

Greetings & Salutations, Slackers!Fall is in the air, and that means it is almost time for the kids to go back to school! With that in mind, this episode is all about the high school based flicks of Gen X.From Fast Times to Clueless, so many great movies have been set against the backdrop of high school. All of the angst, snark, naiveté, and optimism of youth are all competing inside of the teenage mind. And let’s be honest, high school is ultimately where some people peak, and others have yet

44:50

B.B.F.O.B.

Stuck In The Middle - A Gen X Podcast ·

2023/08/16

Acronyms! Who doesn't love acronyms?!So, what does BBFOB stand for? Bands Born From Other Bands!Perhaps one of the more famous examples is in 1980, with the untimely passing of Ian Curtis - the remaining members of Joy Division were determined to carry on. But rather than just continuing on as Joy Division, they relaunched as New Order and went on to international stardom.Other times, bands break up for lesser reasons: lack of mainstream success, interpersonal conflicts, drug abuse, or the most

45:15

Yacht Rock

Stuck In The Middle - A Gen X Podcast ·

2023/08/09

Do you like piña coladas, Slackers? It's time for the sweet sounds of soft rock, also known as Yacht Rock.Starting in the 1970s, groups like Seals & Crofts, Captain & Tennille, and even Chicago, were creating music that was mellow, smooth - even sensual - but was also filled with meloncholy and heartache.While never my favorite "genre" there are some real gems from this time period, with strong musicianship and melodies throughout. Although the qualifiers may be arbitrary - Hall & Oates

58:11

Dead Brands

Stuck In The Middle - A Gen X Podcast ·

2023/08/02

Hey! Slacker! Are those Bugle Boy jeans you're wearing?There are so many brands from our childhood that have simply ceased to exist. Sometimes due to marketing failures, sometimes competition, but often due to an unwillingess to adapt and accept change. Worse yet, there are companies like Blockbuster who scoffed at an offer to invest in some little company called Netflix! Remember Excite? I bet you don't. They had a ridiculously low dollar investment opportunity for a stake in Google - less than a

59:41

Lamentations of a Failed Rock Singer

Stuck In The Middle - A Gen X Podcast ·

2023/07/26

Greetings & Salutations, Slackers!This week is about failure. Or more specifically, my failure to make my earliest dreams come true - to be the lead singer in a rock band.Of course I was technically the lead singer in many bands, but my childhood dream was to sing professionally. After a particularly piss poor showing during a recording session with legendary producer Kramer - of @ShimmyDisc Records fame - I all but gave up on that dream. With the exception of a few self produced demos, I moved

51:01

The Gen X Mindset - Allegedly

Stuck In The Middle - A Gen X Podcast ·

2023/07/19

Did you miss me, Slackers?!I am back from vacation and once again I have scoured the internet for interesting takes on Gen X. One of the more detailed perspectives is from "The Mindset Lists" and one Professor Tom McBride. Using elements of anthropology and sociology, Professor McBride breaks down what he believes are the critical components that make up the Gen X mindsef.Some of the key drivers are - in no particular order - feminism, sexual revolution fallout, AIDS, birth control, divorce rates,

50:26

HAIR METAL MIXTAPE

Stuck In The Middle - A Gen X Podcast ·

2023/07/05

I wanna rock, Slackers!Remember the art of the mixtape? Carefully cultivating a cache of songs for a girlfriend, or a buddy, or a bandmate? The order of songs was of the utmost importance, as was the "flow" - mixing in the fast songs, the mid tempo stuff, and of course the slow songs, aka ballads. And of course including songs that were perhaps a little off the beaten path.With that in mind, I am presenting to all my stalwart listeners my "essential" Hair Metal Mixtape. There are some well known big

46:20

My Favorite 80's Movies

Stuck In The Middle - A Gen X Podcast ·

2023/06/28

You know what Jack Burton always says, Slackers?This week I give my top movies for each year of the 80's - but are my favorites from childhood still the same in adulthood? 1984 was the most difficult year to whittle down, because it was chock full of so many classics, most of which still hold up today.Sure, sensibilities have changed - as has technology - but a great story will always shine through. For example, one excellent movie that I once dismissed as "just a chick flick" is now one of my all

54:03

Superhero Movies

Stuck In The Middle - A Gen X Podcast ·

2023/06/21

Up, up & away, Slackers!Superhero movies are among some of the top grossing films of all time, with the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) and Christopher Nolan's Batman series being some of the very best. But before these movies could even exist, it was movies from our youth that set the stage for the big budget superhero franchises.Although there were earlier films, it was 1978's Christopher Reeve led Superman franchise that really set the stage and launched the genre into the public

44:18

Slang Terms of the 70's, 80's & 90's

Stuck In The Middle - A Gen X Podcast ·

2023/06/14

What's crack a lacking, Slackers?Ever say something out loud and say to yourself, "wow, that sounded like an old person"? Well, you'd be right if you use terms like - grody, far out, gag me, bodacious, rad, or maybe even tubular. Sure, our kids say some weird things, but really every generation of youth comes up with some bizarro forms of expression.From stoners, to surfers, to Valley Girls, to yuppies, to rockers, everyone has contributed to the evolution (or devolution) of our language and what

42:41

Gen X - The Hip Hop Generation

Stuck In The Middle - A Gen X Podcast ·

2023/06/07

Hip Hop Hooray, Slackers!Ever hear the term Generation Jones? Me either - until today. They are the late Boomers who share some traits with Gen X. More importantly, the artists that were groundbreaking in the world of rap and hip hop, were all part of this micro cohort. Despite the fact that these Generation Jones folks include the likes of the Sugar Hill Gang and The Furious Five, I am of the opinion that Gen X is THE hip hop generation.All of the greatest artists in the rap game are by and large

59:33

Summer Blockbusters - 1975 - 1999

Stuck In The Middle - A Gen X Podcast ·

2023/05/31

Get out of the water, Slackers!Starting with 1975’s Jaws, summer movie releases have become an annual competition between movie studios to see who takes the honor of THE HIT of the summer. Guys like Steven Spielberg and George Lucas are the kings of the big budget blockbuster, with a whopping 9 movies designated as summer blockbusters between 1975 and 1999 - basically a third of all the top hits had been made by those two directors.But let’s not forget Robert Zemeckis (Back to the Future, Who Framed

42:51

Did Gen X Ruin Pop Culture?

Stuck In The Middle - A Gen X Podcast ·

2023/05/24

Why are we the way that we are, Slackers?Is it possible that we have inadvertently - with our snarky, cynical view of the world - actually contributed to making the world of pop culture even worse? Maybe even somewhat toxic? After reading about the much maligned “adult” Scooby Doo series, it dawned on me that we are a generation that watches adult cartoons, still watches Star Wars movies, and often times act like big, dumb children. Okay, maybe that’s a little harsh, but it seems that we have held

66:27

The Cold War in the 70s & 80s

Stuck In The Middle - A Gen X Podcast ·

2023/05/17

It’s perestroika time, Comrades - I mean, Slackers!This week is all about Russia, Russia, Russia, fka the USSR. For most of our childhoods, the USSR was the “big bad” that made us duck & cover and worry about mutually assured nuclear destruction. The bad guys in so many action flicks of the 80s were communists, terrorists, or any combination thereof. Not to mention the fact that the movie War Games was more fact than fiction - did you know that computer programming errors almost caused nuclear

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Stuck In The Middle - A Gen X Podcast

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