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

45:14

Gen X Tropes, Cliches, & Stereotypes (According To...

Stuck In The Middle - A Gen X Podcast ·

2022/10/12

Whatever, Slackers, whatever...according to the inter webs, and even some Gen Xers, we can be distilled down to the word "whatever". Using a good old Google search, I checked out some websites that claimed to have the definitive list of what characteristics, traits, and cultural markers make up Gen X. Some of these lists are just cliches that don't exactly line up with my own experiences growing up. Don't get me wrong, there are definitely things here that I can't really dispute...I'm just not sure

43:53

The Rap/Rock Connection

Stuck In The Middle - A Gen X Podcast ·

2022/10/05

Yo! Listen up, Slackers! Rap. Rock. Rock. Rap. These are two distinct genres of music that have been intertwined since the earliest days of the NY rap scene. With groups like Run DMC, the Beastie Boys, and Public Enemy embracing and working with rock and metal artists like Aerosmith, Slayer, and Anthrax, these seemingly disparate collection of artists paved the way for what would eventually become Nu-Metal.Regardless of what you may think of that sub-genre, it can't be denied that great music has

43:20

Worst Gamer

Stuck In The Middle - A Gen X Podcast ·

2022/09/21

Game time, Slackers! In this week's episode I share my favorite video games from 1986 - 2001, back when I was a regular gamer. But I was never a particularly good gamer. In fact, I might actually be the worst gamer ever!Now with my recent purchase of the Steam Deck, I have rediscovered some long lost gems, and that got me thinking about all the games that really grabbed my attention throughout the years. My picks are from multiple platforms/consoles, with selections from the NES, Sega Genesis,

56:38

Horror Movie Scares

Stuck In The Middle - A Gen X Podcast ·

2022/09/14

Fall is in the air, Slackers! And that can only mean one thing - Halloween is fast approaching! This time of year is prime time for new horror movie releases, but what about the classics from our childhood? And I do mean childhood!In this episode I recount some of the movies and horror characters that left an impression on me, particularly the moments that I was way too young to see. I'm looking at you Donald Sutherland!I focus on films that came out before I was born through around 1984, when I was

42:46

Foo Fighters

Stuck In The Middle - A Gen X Podcast ·

2022/09/07

This week’s episode is all about a band I had planned covering from the very beginning of the podcast - The Foo Fighters! With this past weekend’s Taylor Hawkins Tribute Concert at Wembley Stadium, I thought now was the right time for this episode. As much as I appreciated Dave Grohl’s work with Nirvana, the Foo Fighters music was much more interesting and captivating to me. Really from the first self-titled record I was hooked, with “The Colour and the Shape” solidifying my fandom. They are easily

48:00

The Big 4 of Thrash

Stuck In The Middle - A Gen X Podcast ·

2022/08/31

It's metal thrashing madness, Slackers! Slayer. Megadeth. Metallica. Anthrax. The "Big 4" of American ThrashWhile I am FAR from an expert, I have always enjoyed some good old school thrash metal. With Anthrax and Megadeth currently on tour, and making NEW music, I wanted to take a little journey through my first exposures to the genre (when I was about 9 years old) and how by 1988, I was a full blown fan. I give you my personal favorite tracks, as well as my general take on each band. What are YOUR

102:38

Record Rumble - Van Halen's 1984 vs. 5150

Stuck In The Middle - A Gen X Podcast ·

2022/08/24

Are you ready to rumble, Slackers?! What happens when you take two classic albums from a legendary band and pit them against each other in a duel for the ages? The only way to find out was for me to bring Carlos back on the show for the first ever “Record Rumble”!Carlos is one of the biggest Van Halen fans I know, and his fandom never wavered, even after Sammy Hagar replaced David Lee Roth. Me on the other hand, I was a “Diamond Dave” guy, and didn’t listen to Sammy’s first record with the band

46:41

Summer Songs

Stuck In The Middle - A Gen X Podcast ·

2022/08/17

It’s Summertime, Slackers! Although it is rapidly coming to an end, this is a vacation week for me and I was thinking about the sounds of summer. I decided to discuss my own personal top 10 favorite Summer Songs, with a few “honorable mentions”.I initially had some pretty strict rules for inclusion but that was quickly discarded and some newer, looser rules used to make this list. The only hard and fast rule was songs had to have been released at a time where I could have heard them and remembered

33:20

Olivia Newton-John Was An Icon

Stuck In The Middle - A Gen X Podcast ·

2022/08/10

Hey, Slackers. The news of the passing of Dame Olivia Newton-John reminded me of some of my earliest memories and how she was a HUGE star for basically my entire life!From teen singer, to movie star with Grease and Xanadu, to the massive success of her reinvention album, "Physical", Dame Olivia was a fixture in entertainment throughout the 70's and 80's.She then faced a long term battle with breast cancer, starting in 1991 until she passed away at the age of 73...but not without a fight. Dame Olivia

70:30

INXS "KICK" - Is It A Perfect Record?

Stuck In The Middle - A Gen X Podcast ·

2022/08/03

Last week I mentioned that perhaps INXS “KICK” was in contention for the title of “perfect album”. With no less than four top 10 hits, with at least one other single in the top 40, “KICK” was a juggernaut, and evidence of a band fully coming into their own.Michael Hutchence. Andrew, Jon, & Tim Farriss. Kirk Pengilly. Garry Gary Beers. They were all at their creative peak with this record!Now, I’m not sure if the “perfect record” exists, but I needed to test this record and see how it ranks. So, I

68:36

The Hot 100 Of 1988 - Nearly Everyone is a Legend

Stuck In The Middle - A Gen X Podcast ·

2022/07/27

A couple of Georges. Steve. Whitney. Aussie superstars. Rockers from Rockford, Illinois. One-armed drummers. Hair, really high hair. And Elton. Always Elton. What does it all mean?! It means the Hot 100 of 1988!The sheer number of legends (and future legends) on this chart is astounding. What I found so interesting is not only where certain songs or artists fell (or rose) on the chart, but how well many of these tunes actually hold up. It also turns out that a very famous guitar player for a REALLY

61:47

Wrestling with Gen X - From Rock & Wrestling to the...

Stuck In The Middle - A Gen X Podcast ·

2022/07/20

What’cha gonna do, Slackers!? Growing up in Connecticut meant living in the shadow of Titan Tower, aka the WWF. From Hulk Hogan, to “Stone Cold” Steve Austin, wrestling has been part of my consciousness for as long as I can remember.But just like music, I always sought out any alternatives to the mainstream. This is when I discovered wrestling out of Texas, with guys like the Von Erichs and the Fabulous Freebirds…coming straight out of the world famous Sportatorium in Dallas, TX.After becoming a

45:08

Last Summer on Earth 2022 - Boston Show

Stuck In The Middle - A Gen X Podcast ·

2022/07/13

It's been one week since the last episode, Slackers! And this week is all about what can only be described as one of the MOST GEN X shows you can imagine!After having Mrs. Slacker on the show, a series of serendipities occurred that provided us the opportunity to go to one of my favorite concert venues in all of Boston, the Leader Bank Pavilion, to see the Last Summer On Earth 2022 show. Who's on the bill, you ask? Get this: Barenaked Ladies, Gin Blossoms, and Toad the Wet Sprocket. Now that's what

46:58

Mrs. Slacker Joins The Pod!

Stuck In The Middle - A Gen X Podcast ·

2022/07/06

Happy Anniversary to me and the Mrs., Slackers! As we celebrate our 19th wedding anniversary (24 years as a couple), we thought it would be fun to dig in to our very different upbringings, and our often disparate tastes in music. Although, we are both Gen X, the few years difference in age means our main high school soundtracks couldn't be more different.Add in the fact that I am a northeast boy, and she is a midwestern girl, you get the age old story of two world's colliding into something

69:48

Faith No More - The Most Confounding Band In The...

Stuck In The Middle - A Gen X Podcast ·

2022/06/29

It's the Real Thing, Slackers! This week i gush over my favorite band of all time, with the lead singer that changed my entire perspective on music. Starting in the alternative/punk scene of San Francisco, when the band fired lead singer Chuck Mosley, they hired a 19 year-old kid from the Northern California city of Eureka, who would change the band's fortunes and thrust them into international fame.With a top 10 hit in "Epic", the band would follow up their platinum selling "The Real Thing" with

60:53

The U2 Paradox

Stuck In The Middle - A Gen X Podcast ·

2022/06/22

Thumb a lift there, Slackers! This week we discuss the band that everyone hates. Or are they really the band that everyone loves? Are they both? Are they neither?I was NOT a big a fan of the mid to late 80’s era of U2. I was a freshman in high school when “Rattle & Hum” was released, a poorly received (and some would say poorly conceived) album and film. After a period of three years off, the band returned, as something wholly different, and they finally gave me something to bite into. “Achtung

41:55

Action Stars of the 80s & 90s

Stuck In The Middle - A Gen X Podcast ·

2022/06/15

Get to the choppa, Slackers!!After a crazy week the podcast is back! Now dropping on Wednesdays!Schwarzenegger. Stallone. Gibson. Willis. Ford? On this episode I unveil my very loose rankings of the greatest action stars of the 80s & 90s. This isn’t based on box office, Q ratings, or even salaries, just my own criteria, with one really important metric: number of franchises! Anyone can have a blockbuster movie once, but who had the characters that fans wanted to see again and again?Be sure to like

139:55

1991-1992: 30th Reunion Special with Carlos

Stuck In The Middle - A Gen X Podcast ·

2022/06/05

Hey, Slackers! This is a super sized episode of the podcast!Although it is almost hard to believe, it’s been 30 years this month since Carlos and I graduated high school. What better excuse to take a look at the top of the charts for 1991 and 1992, and check out the top movies of those years?! There might also be a guilty pleasure or two (don't judge me)!We compare our own top 10 songs from senior year, and unsurprisingly we have very similar tastes! Our number ones may surprise you!So settle in and

65:28

Star Wars: From Lucas to Disney

Stuck In The Middle - A Gen X Podcast ·

2022/05/29

May the Force be with you, Slackers! In honor of the new Disney + series "Obi-Wan Kenobi"*, this episode is all about Star Wars, from 1977 until today. Star Wars started out as a very "Gen X" franchise, but now crosses numerous generations.The Obi-Wan series brings up so many emotions but also many questions about the legacy of George Lucas as Disney now holds the keys to that universe. And is Obi-Wan really the emotional center of the entire galaxy, given his close ties to all of the

62:52

1986 Was Weird But Great!

Stuck In The Middle - A Gen X Podcast ·

2022/05/22

Yo, Slackers! 1986 is a fun year for movies and music. The Billboard top 100 features such a mix of icons of pop like Prince, Madonna, Cyndi Lauper, Janet Jackson & Lionel Richie, along with a bunch of very 80’s centric groups hitting the charts. Mr. Mister, Glass Tiger, Pet Shop Boys, & Bananarama. There is also a return to the charts for legends like Steve Winwood and Boston. It’s a real eclectic list that just screams “Gen X”!The box office for 1986 is also a weird mix of horror, kids movies,

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Stuck In The Middle - A Gen X Podcast

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