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

50:59

Santa in TV & Film

Stuck In The Middle - A Gen X Podcast ·

2024/12/11

It’s the Christmas Season, Slackers!Did you know that Santa Claus first appeared in a short film all the way back in 1897?!Since then, there have been dozens of live action (and animated) movies and shows starring that jolly old elf. Given the iconic nature of the character, finding the right actor is important. And when Hollywood captures lightning in a bottle, you know they are going to capitalize on it!There have been a handful of actors that so nailed the role that they were brought back

52:07

Forgotten Gems or Just Forgettable?

Stuck In The Middle - A Gen X Podcast ·

2024/12/04

Gimme a break, Slackers!Sometimes, things end up lost to time. Great albums. Cult favorite movies. And of course, sitcoms. Some sitcoms are truly forgotten gems, while others are just forgettable - and perhaps best left in the past.This week's episode is dedicated to those sitcoms that might have been huge hits but lacked that rewatchability factor, the solid shows with extra life in syndication, and the shows that never made it past one season. Two shows that we will discuss boasted the earliest

30:40

Giving Thanks In 2024

Stuck In The Middle - A Gen X Podcast ·

2024/11/27

Happy Thanksgiving, Slackers!This episode is just me giving thanks for you, the listeners of the Stuck in the Middle Podcast.So, listen to the pod, then go eat some pumpkin pie. Watch Planes, Trains & Automobiles. Enjoy time with friends and family. Maybe listen to Depeche Mode. Or the new Linkin Park.Peace!

41:53

1984 - Top of the Charts

Stuck In The Middle - A Gen X Podcast ·

2024/11/20

Let’s go crazy, Slackers!Ah, it's been 40 years since 1984, a year filled with superstars and franchise movies topping the charts. This is definitely one of those oddly Gen X defining years. The early X-ers celebrated their last year as teenagers, while kids like me were just starting to explore music and movies separate from our parents.The music charts featured numerous songs from hit movie soundtracks, new wave artists, and established superstars. Stars like Bruce Springsteen, Elton John, and

48:18

My Top 10 (Most Listened To) Albums of All Time

Stuck In The Middle - A Gen X Podcast ·

2024/11/13

Time to get back to music, SlackersOn this week's episode, I give my top 10 most listened to albums of all time. While there are many other records that I would put among my favorite records if all time, this list is based on listens. Many of these albums are from my teen years - when I would listen to cassetes until the lettering had worn away or the tape became frayed or tangled - but these are the ones I keep going back to all these years later.A healthy mix of 80's hair and thrash metal, 90's

37:41

Elections Rewind: 1968 - 2020

Stuck In The Middle - A Gen X Podcast ·

2024/11/06

How we doing today, Slackers?!It's the day after Election Day and we may or may not know who the next President of the United States will be. In the spirit of Election Day, let's take a dive into all the elections that have occurred since 1965. Nixon, Carter, Reagan, Bush, Clinton, Bush, Obama, Trump, and Biden - those have been the winning candidates since Gen X has been alive.From third party segregationists, lewd scandals, national tragedies, and assassination attempts, the past 60 years have

33:58

Most Popular Halloween Costumes

Stuck In The Middle - A Gen X Podcast ·

2024/10/30

Happy Halloween, Slackers!Remember those hard plastic masks, with edges sharp enough to cut you, while completely obstructing your vision and breathing?! Perfect for a nighttime activity like trick or treating!Were you ever a Princess Leia, ET, Indiana Jones, or Michael Myers? What about Elvis, Michael Jackson, or Madonna?On this week's episode we break down the most popular costumes of the late 60's through the 90's. It is really a reflection of what was in the news, in the movie theaters, and on

68:17

Ranking 80's Horror

Stuck In The Middle - A Gen X Podcast ·

2024/10/23

Spooky SZN continues, Slackers!This week we break down the “top 36” 80’s horror flicks as ranked by Slashfilm. While I can’t say I agree with the exact order of these movies - and admittedly some I’ve never seen - the top 10 is pretty solid.The 80’s was peak horror in many ways, with not only slashers, but great tales of hauntings, monster movies, body horror, and worst of all - the evils of man.Some of the best directors of all time got their start in horror, so the list is full of absolute masters

59:22

4 Gen X Horror Masters

Stuck In The Middle - A Gen X Podcast ·

2024/10/16

It's spooky time once again, Slackers!Although I say it often, I really think that there is a certain sensibility that is convyed by Gen X filmmakers. There is something that I can't exactly put my finger on, but everything from shot selection, dialogue, pacing, and most significantly, the film score, all have an intangible that can only come from growing up in our era.Perhaps it is due the rise of the slasher genre in our childhoods, but modern horror is definitely influenced by the films of the

51:58

The POLICE

Stuck In The Middle - A Gen X Podcast ·

2024/10/09

Do you love 'em or hate 'em, Slackers?!After decades of having an ambivelent stance on this legendary group, I have recently started to go down The Police rabbit hole. Starting with Stewart Copeland's Drumeo video, I began to go back through the band's history and it's few but mighty records. With a career that lasted only 7 years, the five records that they did record have gone down in history as some of the most diverse and influential records of all time.While I certainly know all the hits, it

43:14

Captains of Industry

Stuck In The Middle - A Gen X Podcast ·

2024/10/02

Will Gen X ever truly “arrive”, Slackers? With the Boomers basically holding on to power with every bit of strength they have left and the Millennials seemingly leapfrogging us, when do we get into those top power positions? While we have not made the impact in the political sphere that I would like, we have several members of our generation seated at the heads of many well known corporations. Unsurprisingly, many of them are in the tech field.Sure everyone knows Elon Musk, but did you know that

68:51

Scandals!

Stuck In The Middle - A Gen X Podcast ·

2024/09/25

This is a scandalous episode, Slackers!While we see a new scandal hit the news seemingly every day, this is nothing new. This week I take a look at the biggest scandals of the 70’s, 80’s, and 90’s.There are tawdry affairs, criminal activities, murder, mayhem and much more!Names like Madonna, Jane Fonda, Roman Polanski, Jerry Seinfeld - and yes, even way back in the 90’s, Sean Combs - they all had their fair share of scandals making the front page news. To think that back then “social media” was

63:48

Gen X Filmmakers - Part 1

Stuck In The Middle - A Gen X Podcast ·

2024/09/18

Sure, everyone has heard of Coppola and Scorsese and Spielberg. But those guys are two silent generations and a Boomer!What about those Gen X filmmakers that have really made an impact on Hollywood? It turns out that there were way more notable directors from our generation than I had originally expected. This is only part one.Part 1 covers those directors born between 1965 and 1969. You may recognize names like Michael Bay, Wes Anderson, Antoine Fuqua, James Gunn, Zack Snyder, and Denis Villeneuve

48:48

Time Warp - '74, '84, '94

Stuck In The Middle - A Gen X Podcast ·

2024/09/11

Let’s take a trip into the past, Slackers.What was happening in the world, 30, 40, and 50 years ago? Was the world that different of a place?On this episode, we take a look at the economy, the political climate, top TV shows, music, movies, and general pop culture from 1974, 1984, and 1994. While many things are different, the general themes of the day never seem to change all that much. Between election year craziness, dark times with war, terrorism, and crime, it all seems so familiar.I’m sure the

55:21

One Season TV Shows

Stuck In The Middle - A Gen X Podcast ·

2024/09/04

Time to access the memory banks, Slackers.A few weeks ago we covered one hit wonders, but what about those one season TV shows? Why does a show that was barely on our TV screens have such a strong imprint in our memories?Regardless of quality, shows like Misfits of Science and Manimal have somehow endured in pop culture. Was it because they were actually terrible, were they any good, or were they just a product of their time? They were probably terrible, but some shows that only got one season

57:45

Gen X Loves A Good Comeback

Stuck In The Middle - A Gen X Podcast ·

2024/08/28

Who doesn’t love a comeback, Slackers?Many huge stars of the 80's & 90's had their careers stalled at some point. Some due to substance abuse. Some had legal issues. Others just made poor business decisions. While for many, Hollywood just no longer viewed them as bankable stars.One example is Winona Ryder. Ms. Ryder was one of the most popular and successful stars of the late 80’s and early 90’s. But after an arrest for shoplifting, her career came to a grinding halt. After year of smaller

60:37

One Hit Wonders - 80's Edition

Stuck In The Middle - A Gen X Podcast ·

2024/08/21

All it takes is one, Slackers.One hit is all a band really needs to leave a lasting impact on music history. More importantly, one hit song can sustain a band for many, many years. The so-called “one hit wonders”, have often found lasting success, just from fans wanting to hear “the big one”. Now the main source for this episode didn’t exactly vet their information - shame on me for not vetting their information! Some of the artists mentioned have actually had one, if not several additional hit

55:31

High School Cliques

Stuck In The Middle - A Gen X Podcast ·

2024/08/14

Where did you fit in, Slackers?Were you a jock? A nerd? A theater kid? Or did you just kind of blend in? Some of us were definitely rockers, with a side of dragger, and some geek mixed in. Maybe you were a drifter? Or maybe, just maybe, you were a punk/goth?It’s strange to think how little of this was in our control. We liked what we liked, wore what we wore, and hung out with the people that made us feel comfortable - at a time in our lives when many of us were really unsure of where we fit in. At

61:55

WW4: Revenge of the Whatever Wednesday

Stuck In The Middle - A Gen X Podcast ·

2024/08/07

Howdy, Slackers!The Whatever Wednesday has returned. What does that mean, you ask? It means a muddled mass of disparate - but still Gen X related - topics.We have some less than stellar health news, both my own and of our whole generation, a little retirement talk, a Gen X icon continues being both inspiring and cringey at the same time, we discover which demo rules the box office, and some of the big concerts tours for Summer 2024.Oh, and some college kid went off on Blink-182 for

58:25

The 1984 Olympic Games

Stuck In The Middle - A Gen X Podcast ·

2024/07/31

USA! USA! USA! One thing about getting older that kind of sucks is not being as excited about things as we did as kids and young adults. I’ll admit, I haven’t watched any of the 2024 Olympics - but as a kid, the 1984 games in Los Angeles was a major event. I can remember where I was that summer and some moments are forever etched in my memory.I clearly remember the amazing Carl Lewis dominating, Mary Lou Retton becoming “America’s Sweetheart”, Greg Louganis sweeping the diving events, and the men’s

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