Stuck In The Middle - A Gen X Podcast
Welcome to Stuck in the Middle - the podcast about the music, movies, and culture of Generation X.
Episodes
This week we take a journey through the pages of the books and magazines that shaped our Gen X childhoods!
From choose-your-own-adventure stories to fantastical tales of chocolate factories and epic fantasy worlds, we’ll revisit the books that sparked our imaginations. Plus, we’ll flip through the colorful, quirky magazines filled with comics, humor, and puzzles that kept us entertained for hours.
The Books: Reliv...
This episode was inspired by the 1989 monster hit by Cher. Yes, that Cher, who was 43 years old and leaving nothing to the imagination!
As I’ve done in the past, we’re going to dig into the music charts and major box office hits, along with a few newsworthy events from the last year of the '80s.The music charts featured a mix of hair metal ballads and classic rock bands enj...
First though, this episode is dedicated to Rick Derringer. Rock legend, producer extraordinaire, and of course the man who brought us the classic wrestling theme song, Real American. Rest in peace, - brother.
This week we dive into a selection of 1980s sci-fi and fantasy films that shaped Gen X, including Krull, The Beastmaster, and Flash Gordon. Blending sword-and-sorcery with space opera, ...
It has been 30 years since I made the fateful decision to make the move to Boston. It was also a time to expand my musical palette. Thankfully, there was plenty of new music to choose from, with tons of second hand music shops like CD Spins, interspersed with the big retailers lik...
This episode honors ECW legend Sabu and previews the killer music festivals lighting up summer 2025. From metal to alternative, these lineups prove ‘80s & ‘90s music is still very much alive.
Tribute to Sabu We salute Sabu, the hardcore ECW icon whose death-defying style defined ‘90s wrestling. His fearless dives and chaotic energy left a lasting mark on Gen X wrestling fans and the entire wrestling...
A social media claim challenges the authenticity of a core childhood memory, sparking passionate responses. Some Gen X men are embracing bold health experiments, raising eyebrows with their approach to aging. Others are playfully disrupting digital music culture with clever tricks, while a few adopt survivalist-inspired lifestyles reminiscent of the apocalyptic films of our youth. Gen X clearly...
This week we are going to explore the educational live-action children’s shows of the 1970s and 1980s that defined the Generation X experience. These programs were foundational, delivering lessons with creativity and care in an era before digital media. From the community spirit of Sesame Street to the gentle guidance of Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood, it’s all about the shows that made education engagin...
This week’s episode is all about how PC games like DOOM, console titles such as Mortal Kombat - on Sega Genesis of course - and early games on the first Xbox sparked intense controversy.
We dive into the societal fears that linked pixelated violence to real-world crimes, from Senate hearings scrutinizing Night Trap to media reports tying Grand Theft Auto and DOOM’s gory first-person action to youth aggression. ...
On this week’s episode we explore the evolution of grunge beyond its iconic pioneers. Sometimes it is easy to forget that grunge had a second (early to mid-1990s) and even third wave (late 1990s to early 2000s) of bands that shaped the genre’s legacy.
We highlight 14 second-wave acts, from Seattle’s sludgy core to punk-infused and noise-rock outliers - some initially dismissed as posers who would go on to be ma...
This week, we’re digging into ten rainy day songs that capture the gray and the heavy. Spanning the late '70s to the late '90s, the list pulls from dark corners and quiet moments—think industrial beats, NY alt metal, acoustic ballads, and lyrics that can get pretty dreary. It’s the kind of music that fits a slow drizzle or a full downpour, perfect for staring out a window, preferably with a hot cup of coffee.
...
It’s 2025, and Gen X (born ‘65–‘79, now 45–60) is wrestling a quiet crisis—too many of us are taking our own lives. Gen X men at a rate of 27–29 per 100,000, women at 7–8, both up since 2002. In this episode we unpack why—financial struggles, ...
Today, we’re diving into ‘80s rap—a new genre that was exploding right before our eyes. We’ll cover the top-selling albums and the pioneers who started it all.
Rap kicked off in the early ‘80s in New York City. LL Cool J’s debut record Radio sold over a million units with “I Can’t Live Without My Radio” as the lead single. Then Run-D.M.C.’s Raising Hell broke huge, selling three million copies, led by the f...
This week we take a dive into cinema's cult classics - films that took the long road to legendary status. These films - think dark humored high school flicks like Heathers or demonic, medieval chaos courtesy of Army of Darkness - often stumbled at the box office, barely making a dent with opening crowds.
But at Blockbuster, they found their groove, turning late-night rentals into a rite of passage for fa...
During a past episode, we asked ChatGPT to spill the beans on Generation X, but this round, it’s Grok’s turn - unpacking ten ways us 45-to-60-year-olds are handling 2025.
Grok says we’re snapping up multigenerational homes to bunk with parents or kids—practical as ever. Gen X women are flipping the script on midlife, dropping bold takes on living fully.
We’re stretched th...
A few episodes back, I dove into my most-listened-to albums. Now, it’s time to switch gears and talk about my most-watched movies of all time. No shocker here: Star Wars ranks high. What Gen Xer hasn’t rewatched those classics dozens of times?
The list has all the usual suspects—Indiana Jones, Back to the Future, Mad Max—but I’ve also got some newer favorites like John W...
In a recent podcast, Tom Morello and Billy Corgan discussed a number of topics, but when Billy talked about "Gen X not having a second act” and Tom said he had “Punk Rock Guilt”, this really struck a chord with me.
Growing up in the ‘80s and ‘90s—amid economic flux, cultural cynicism, and punk’s rebirth via hardcore and grunge — gave us a somewhat strange worldview. In 1989 Family Ties ended while ...
When we were young, there were so many movie stars—and not just the Brat Pack. Sean Penn, Kiefer Sutherland, and Elisabeth Shue come to mind. Fast forward to today, and these former young heartthrobs and beloved teen idols have become Hollywood royalty, winning some of the industry’s most prestigious awards, including Golden Globes, Academy Awards, Emmys, and Tonys. Movies like TAPS and Fast Times at Ridge...
Ever wonder why we have always been "list" oriented - or maybe that's just me? "Top 5" this or "Top 10" that - from Casey Kasem's American Top 40, MTV's Top 20 Countdown, later TRL, to Rolling Stone Magazine's Top 500 series, lists have been a regular part of our lives.
With the advent of the internet, many of us were the early adopters of "listicles" on web forums where we chimed in on "Top 5 Tag Teams" or ...
This used to be appointment viewing back in the day, but now - not so much. I thought, let’s revisit the ceremonies of 1975, 1985, and 1995. While we might not be tuning in now, these past shows seems to actually matter - and I recognize that is because I am an old man yelling at clouds!
While you early Xers may recall the ’75 awards, for me it was 1985. Ti...
In this episode we will revisit the Diamond-certified albums from the 1980s that dominated the charts. These weren’t just records—they were the soundtrack for our generation.
From Michael Jackson’s Thriller, which owned the airwaves, to AC/DC’s Back in Black, the 80s gave us albums that endure today. Bon Jovi’s Slippery When Wet gave us new global superstars (and a few timeless hits), while Def Leppard...
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