Gen X Guide To The Universe

Heather and Jameson explore the exciting world of 1990s sketch comedy on MTV including The State, The Ben Stiller Show, The Jenny McCarthy show, and some others you definitely haven’t heard of (but that cast a lot of today’s comedy legends).

Both giggle at muppets looking at Jenny’s tits, Jameson can still only tell us that Juan is eating some apples, and Heather has to differentiate Princess Diaries from Princess Bride and explain that no, Michael Ian Black is not in the Smashing Pumpkins. 

Jameson interviews Heather for her amazing thrice attendance at SNL (#legend) and the duo watch I Wanna Sex You Up by Color Me Bad and question the lyrical choice “makin’ love until we drown”. 

And remember, Donna Martin graduates!

Heather and Jameson explore the musical program Rockline, which aired on MTV from 1991 to 1992 for fifteen months.   Jameson conflates all the musical programs from this season into one amorphous program, but Rockline was a spin-off of the radio program of the same name with a live call-in format to engage fans (same same but different).  

More importantly, Jameson was 13 minutes late to this recording and caused Heather to lose almost a quarter of an hour of her life. Heather offers a quick “Google Docs 101” course to appease Jameson’s fear of highlights and counteract his raised voice. 

The Gen Xperts spend a great deal of time talking about the greatness that is Slash but really question whether or not November Rain requires nine minutes of music video.  Remember, Chuck Page invented beer.

Once again, Heather and Jameson take a break from their historical timeline of MTV to discuss the reality television series Siesta Key, which is basically a Costco version of Laguna Beach.   And, of course, Heather and Jameson have nothing nice to say about this Kirkland brand show.

In other news, Heather is getting a Peloton bike and Jameson shares what it's really like in Sarasota, Florida. The Gen Xperts watch the Opposites Attract music video by Paula Abdul and Jameson shares out the very best headlines from Florida (here’s two, if you want the rest, message us: https://tinyurl.com/2p8s975z and https://tinyurl.com/22ed37bz).
 
Until next time, Heather and Jameson will work on the patent for their new board game “Fiction or Florida”.

In this very special episode, Heather and Jameson talk about World AIDS Day, which is today, December 1st!

Learn more about World AIDS Day here: https://www.cdc.gov/worldaidsday/index.html

Dust off that acoustic guitar sitting in the corner and get ready to jam, softly, with Heather and Jameson this week as they explore MTV Unplugged, the musical program launched in 1989 featuring a bevy of musical artists playing, well, acoustic instruments. 

Jameson recounts the time he gifted Tori Amos a homemade necklace (um, thanks?) and continues to rage about Rod Stewart.  Heather has to explain who’s dead, again, including Cranberries lead singer.

 And remember, violence isn’t the answer unless you need your 90s backpack back.

You know you didn’t ask for a bonus episode and likely didn’t realize you wanted a bonus episode, but here’s a very special episode for Thanksgiving!

Heather is spending the day in Connecticut with family wearing softpants, Jameson is cooking a turkey boob for family and friends, both are avoiding the Beehive Bowl. And when you watch the parade today, enjoy Sonic the Hedgehog who’s returning and is “hungry for blood” (https://tinyurl.com/5ctzd8hw).
 
Tune in next week when we return to MTV and Unplugged.

Heather and Jameson are again joined by two special guests this week, Fawziah and Guy, to talk all about Yo! MTV Raps, which debuted on MTV in 1988 as a hip-hop and rap formatted musical program.

Jameson offers his best Ed Lover Dance, Guy again dazzles us with his music knowledge, and Fawziah offers Heather a Dave Matthews/Travis Scott Mashup (she’s here for it).

This week’s “Listen to this Shit” has Jameson talking about the women who shaped the male dominated world of hip hop, check out the article here: https://tinyurl.com/yt3zxfhb.  Return guest Guy picks this week’s video, with Scenario by Tribe Called Quest (https://tinyurl.com/m2nwfr5h). 

Before next week, Fawziah promises to watch “Set it Off”.

Grab some snacks, toss on your college hoodie, settle into that La-Z-Boy in your parents’ basement and get ready to play Remote Control with Heather and Jameson!

This week, our favorite Gen Xperts talk about MTV’s first non-musical program, Remote Control, a TV game show hosted by Ken Ober that aired from 1987 to 1990 (check out this oral history of the show here: https://tinyurl.com/bthduw46).  And just like Heather and Jameson, you can play the NES version of Remote Control here: https://tinyurl.com/rdvc2u89. 

Jameson forces Heather to watch ZZ Top’s Legs, which is is not a feminist masterpiece and instead messages “show off your legs and be more attractive”.

In 1989, MTV broadcast the fall of the Berlin Wall. In 2021, Heather and Jameson talked about, and some other stuff. Tune in this week to hear about the Berlin wall (Check out this article: “MTV’s revolutionary hour on the Berlin Wall” https://tinyurl.com/78bt56va), how annoying Bono is (very), Jameson’s lack of appreciation for Hedwig and the Angry Inch, confirmed for Jameson it’s Taye Diggs and not Taint Diggs, Heather’s “summering” in Berlin (check out the Checkpoint Charlie museum: https://tinyurl.com/y3bpjw6s), and Jameson confuses Lindsay Graham with Ashley Graham. 

The duo also breaks down Berlin’s “Take My Breath Away” (https://tinyurl.com/xrvdf6ew). 

And of course, get your tickets here to Afterwork Theater’s production of Newsies starring the incomparable broadway baby, Julie Mirwis: https://tinyurl.com/ymzu4d5d

Celebrate election day with Gen X Guide to the Universe!

Heather and Jameson are joined by super guest Eddie Jones to talk about MTV’s election campaigns, starting with “Choose or Lose”, a pro-democracy campaign started in 1992 to encourage people to register to vote.

 Jameson challenges Eddie and Heather to a “political insult quiz” during Listen to this Shit (https://www.ipl.org/div/potus/ and https://tinyurl.com/9h8e7n9r).   Eddie facilitates a much need discussion on the feminist, political, and sociocultural intersections of Beyoncé.

For next week, read up on MTV and the Berlin Wall: https://tinyurl.com/78bt56va.