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

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

61:57

The Brat Pack

Stuck In The Middle - A Gen X Podcast ·

2023/05/10

"Could You Describe The Ruckus, Slackers?”Emilio Estevez. Anthony Michael Hall. Andrew McCarthy. Judd Nelson. Molly Ringwald. Ally Sheedy. Rob Lowe. Demi Moore.You know them - you love them - they are the Brat Pack! Starting with 1983’s The Outsiders, these 6 young actors were cast side by side in many of the movies our generation hold dear. For nearly 10 years, they were considered the “go to” actors for projects across all genres of film. While their movie careers may have tapered off in the 90’s,

48:23

Just Another Whatever Wednesday

Stuck In The Middle - A Gen X Podcast ·

2023/05/03

Alright, alright, alright, Slackers.This week is another "Whatever Wednesday"™ - just a series of rants, rambles, and ridiculousness.I take a look at the terrible state of GenX social media, talk about the recent weirdness surrounding Matthew McConaughey, and the difference between "one hit" wonders and "some hit" wonders.If you haven't already, subscribe today!

72:47

Metallica Is Back (but never really left)

Stuck In The Middle - A Gen X Podcast ·

2023/04/26

Lux Æterna, Slackers!With the recent release of their new record 72 Seasons, Metallica has returned to form. While some would say that they have remained consistent album after album, for me, anything after Load never truly captured my attention. Sure, some tracks here and there caught my ear, but with the new album, I am fully reinvested in one of my favorite bands.Most surprising is the amazing vocal strength of one Mr. James Hetfield - his voice is stronger than ever - and although often

47:34

My Top Ten Sitcom Theme Songs

Stuck In The Middle - A Gen X Podcast ·

2023/04/19

Wouldn't you like to get away, Slackers?This week combines my love of music and my love of 70's & 80's sitcoms - my top ten favorite sitcom theme songs!From Three's Company to Cheers, the theme songs were often as iconic as the shows themselves. In most cases, you really did get a feel for what the show was about just by the music that was chosen to accompany the opening credits. Sure, there was at least one "theme doctor" with multiple songs on the list, but even that was part of the appeal -

66:29

Keanu Reeves - A Not Quite Gen X Icon

Stuck In The Middle - A Gen X Podcast ·

2023/04/12

Whoa, Slackers!After some terrible technical diffiulties, I had to make a last minute topic replacement. I thought that since John Wick 4 is currently in theaters, what better topic than Baba Yaga himself - Keanu Reeves.Born in 1964, Keanu is technically a Boomer, but let's be honest, he is so close to the cutoff and his movies all just scream Gen X. From The River's Edge to John Wick, his filmography is comprised of film after film that share all of the sensibilities that we all seem to

40:37

SCREAM - The Gen X Horror Franchise

Stuck In The Middle - A Gen X Podcast ·

2023/04/05

What’s your favorite scary movie, Slackers?Wes Craven has brought some of the finest horror movies of all time to the big screen. Starting with the Nightmare on Elm Street series, Mr. Craven was casting actors that were on the cusp or were early Gen Xers.When a script by a young screenwriter named Kevin Williamson (born 1965) made its way to Mr. Craven, an iconic horror franchise was born. This time, the casting was a who’s who of young Gen X actors on their way to becoming big stars of stage, film,

54:33

Brandon Lee 1965-1993

Stuck In The Middle - A Gen X Podcast ·

2023/03/29

It can’t rain all the time, Slackers.It's hard to believe that it has been 30 years since we lost Brandon Lee at the ridiculously young age of 28 - while filming the movie that would ultimately cement his legacy.As a third generation performer, Lee had the looks, charisma, and the acting chops (he was a Strasberg alum), to become a massive superstar.After a number of Hong Kong produced films, and TV movies, Lee started to make a name for himself in Hollywood with a role opposite action icon Dolph

58:31

1993 - Top Music & Movie Charts

Stuck In The Middle - A Gen X Podcast ·

2023/03/22

Back to basics, Slackers!This week I get back to how this podcast started…diving in to the top music and movie charts for a given (Gen X) year. This time it's all about 1993. Hard to believe that it has been 30 years since such classic songs as “Nuthin’ But A G Thang” and “I Will Always Love You” were riding high on the charts. It was also the year when some “hair bands” were able to shed that image so they could forge ahead in the post-grunge rock landscape.And why was there a “Whoot“ and a

63:13

Episode #52 - It's The One Year Anniversary Show!

Stuck In The Middle - A Gen X Podcast ·

2023/03/15

What is up, Slackers!Episode 52. It's been an entire year of me babbling on and on about random topics from our generation - Generation X! This week is a little different.For the one year anniversary of the show, I thought I would talk about some things I have never talked about on the podcast - things that inspired to me create this thing in the first place but I didn't cover in episode #1. In fact, some of the things I get into I have only shared with close friends and family. Frankly, some of it

54:35

Gen X Fashion Was...Interesting

Stuck In The Middle - A Gen X Podcast ·

2023/03/08

Time to bust out your acid washed jeans, Slackers!With the recent resurgence of retro "styles", I decided to take a trip down memory lane and discuss what can only be desribed as a heinous time in "fashion". From the half shirts and high socks of the 70s, the Coca-Cola rugbys, Eastlands & Swatch Watches of the 80s, to the excessively baggy pants and ringer tees of the 90s, Generation X has lived through some rough trends.What has really caught me by surprise is how my kids are actually wearing

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Stuck In The Middle - A Gen X Podcast

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