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Remember the episode earlier this season  where each co-host picked a 1986 GenX album and we got way too into it? Yeah… we’re doing that again. This time, it’s 1987—and no, we’re not out of opinions yet (not even close). Each of us picked an album from that iconic year, we all (mostly) gave ‘em a listen, and then lovingly (and loudly) overanalyzed them.

Expect deep tracks, random trivia no one asked for, and at least one “omg I totally forgot about that song!” moment. Oh, and as usual, we’ll be dragging our former teenage selves and probably uncovering something weird about each other along the way.

So press play, roll up those acid-wash jeans, and let’s get back to 1987—because clearly, we think it rocked.

Episode links

• Did this concept earlier this season
• Best albums of 1987
• How Sting made art from loss
• Sting’s November 1987 Nothing Like the Sun Spin Cover Story: Invisible Son
• 10 things you didn’t know about INXS’s Kick
• The Unlikely Story of How INXS Came to Rule the Late ’80s With ‘Kick’
• Rock And Walk: Husker Du's 'Warehouse'
• ‘Warehouse” marked the begnning of the end
• ‘Kiss Me Kiss Me Kiss Me’ Fall Back In Love With A Classic Cure Album
• Just Like A Dream: The Cure’s Kiss Me Kiss Me Kiss Me Revisited

OUR ALBUMS

• Lori: Kick, INXS
• Courtney: Nothing Like the Sun, Sting
• Chris: Warehouse: songs and stories, Husker Du
• Eve: Kiss me, kiss me, kiss Me: The Cure

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We totally planned this episode… by not planning at all. Instead, we each showed up with a handful of random topics, hit record, and hoped for the best. So if you've ever wondered what Gen X ad jingles, annoying earworms, pet psychics, and a questionable amount of DayQuil have in common—same.  Does it all make sense? Probably not. Will it be fun to hear? Absolutely. Tune in for a totally unplanned, mildly chaotic ride—because let’s be real, we could all use a few unhinged laughs right now.

Links 

• The Local Chicago Commercial Hall of Fame
• “My Neck, My Back” lyrics
• Dove’s  “My neck, my back” ad
• Budweiser wassup commercial
• “We built this city” lyrics
• Kars for Kids jingle
• Mahna mahna - Muppet Show
• Camptown Races song
• What does an animal communicator do?
• Wanda Sykes and the Mosquito Man

Eve’s list of Ads using GenX Music 

• Push it - soda stream 
• Melt with you - Hershey 
• We quilt this city - quilted northern
• Don't change – Chevy EV car
• Listen to your heart – repatha heart med
• Simply irresistible – Calfia almond milk
• I wanna be with you, Everywhere – PayPal 
• I want you to want me – kerrygold
• Holding out for a hero - Bet 365
• Total Eclipse Of The Heart – Downey rinse and refresh
• Goodbye to you - Airsupra asthma drug
• You make me feel like dancing – Osteo Bi-Flex
• Roam - Marriott bonvoy 
• Situation - [ truly ] hard seltzer 
• All nite long  – mattress firm 
• Oohh yeahhh - Meibo 

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Look, we weren’t gonna talk about aging, but here we are—because apparently, it’s happening whether we like it or not. People say GenX is aging differently, but tell that to our knees, eyesight, and ability to function after 9 PM. From shifting looks to mystery aches to questioning if we can still pull off certain outfits, we’re covering it all. As always, expect brutal honesty, a little oversharing, and plenty of “WTF happened?!” moments. Buckle up, cuz midlife is wild.

Episode links

• Aging Well: Generation X, examined
• How Old Were The Golden Girls During The Show
• OPINION: Are old folks looking younger? They are. Now, get off my lawn!
• Why Gen-X Women Will Not Be Aging Quietly
• Gen X Woman's Epic Response to Those Who Say You Should 'Dress Your Age'
• Gen X has hit 'that stage' of life and is not handling it very well
• Gen X Is Getting Plastic Surgery Right
• 10 Gen X Celebrities Who Make Us Feel Good About Aging
• I'm an Influencer in My 50s—These 6 Ageless Trends Have Refreshed My Wardrobe
• Dressing Bridget Jones in her 50s: The ‘Frazzled Englishwoman’ grows up
• 16 Clothing Brands Every Woman in Her 40s and 50s Needs in Her Wardrobe
•  Society ‘disappears’ ageing women. So I harnessed that cloak of invisibility to do all sorts of ‘inappropriate’ things
• Here's the Real Reason Older Women Don't Want to Be Invisible
• 'Gen X has had to learn or die': Mid-career workers are facing ageism in the job market
• Why Divorce at 60 Was the Best Thing That Ever Happened to Me
• AARP GenX ASMR
• Younger Is Here to Stream, and It’s Never Too Late to Watch
  
  

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Grab your sugary cereal and get comfy—we’re throwing it back to the cartoons that defined our childhoods! From Saturday morning classics to the animated gems we still love today, we’re diving into what made these shows so special. Did we move on to “grown-up” animation, or are we still watching our old favorites? OH! And you know you want to know Courtney's Saturday morning parental theory and why Eve named her Roomba after a favorite cartoon chatacter. Tune in for a kickass & nostalgic ride!

Episode links

• The 50 Greatest Saturday Morning Cartoons
• The 40 Best Nostalgic Saturday Morning Cartoons That Fans Still Love
• Muttley
• Kids weren't always 'Free to Be... You and Me' — here's a look at its legacy, at 50
• Free to Be. . . You and Me: 50 Years of Stories and Song
• Schoolhouse Rock
• Knowledge Is Power: The History of Schoolhouse Rock!
• ‘Schoolhouse Rock’ premiered 50 years ago — and shaped a generation
• Schoolhouse Rock Rocks! Album
• 12 far-out things you never knew about 'The Jetsons'
• ‘We jumped the shark in the very first episode!’ Thirty-five years of The Simpsons
• Every Simpsons Episode Conan O’Brien Wrote
• How Pixar Started
• All 28 Pixar Movies, Ranked
• The Making of Fantasia: Disney’s Masterpiece
• When the Wind Blows
• Adult Swim
• Cartoon Network Website Shuts Down, Warner Bros. Discovery Kicks Visitors Over to Max
• Star Trek Lower Decks
• The Best Current Animated Series Airing Now

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Miss us? We took a little breather after the 2024 election, but guess what? We’re BACK, whether you’re ready or not! Today, we’re diving into all the wild, questionable, and downright dangerous things we did as kids. Seatbelts? Helmets? Never heard of ‘em. Left home alone with zero supervision? Of course. Roaming on our bikes for hours with no cell phone or tracking? How did we even survive?! Plus, our Facebook group chimed in with their own insane childhood stories—you won’t believe what they got away with. Buckle up (or don’t, in true 80s style) and hit play!

Episode links

• Those Who Grew Up Latchkey Kids Are Opening Up About The Lives No One Knew They Had
• 10 Things Kids in the 80s Did That Would Shock Kids Today
• Things '80s Kids Did That Could Get Us Arrested Today
• 21 Things ’80s Kids’ Did That Would Horrify Us Now
• Things in the 80s that are unacceptable in today’s society
• 27 Dangerous And/Or Illegal Things People Did As Kids That Would Never, Ever Fly Today
• How did “Latchkey” Kids Become Snowplow Parents?

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While we’re on hiatus, we thought you’d dig hearing this Thanksgiving episode again! Enjoy. 🤘
——-
Embracing holiday traditions, dealing with crazy family and filling up on appetizers - that’s what is on the holiday menu this week with Eve, Courtney, Chris and Lori. Prepare for your Thanksgiving by hearing our insane family stories (because weaponized sticky buns), finding out the right time to eat holiday dinner and getting advice for this hectic time of year, including the best way to handle a "drive-by bunning”. Hanging out at the kid's table was never this fun.

original episode links

• Family holidays memes
• Holiday “Incidents”
• What time should Thanksgiving dinner be?
• Home for the Holidays (movie)
• Dealing w /family during the holidays
• How to ask for vaccine status before holiday
• Tips for a peaceful family holiday gathering
• Recipe for sweet potato orange cups

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After the shock of the 2024 election, the podcast crew has decided to take a little breather. We want to show up as our most authentic (and snarky) selves, so we’re putting the show on hold for now while we figure out next steps. To all our listeners—you have no idea how much you mean to us. This show has been a lifeline for the four of us through all the ups and downs of the past few years, and we just need some time to reset & regroup.

We hope to be back with new episodes in 2025, but if anything changes, we’ll let you know! In the meantime, come hang out in our Facebook group to stay in the loop and soak up some GenX vibes.

Seeya on the flip side, kids. #loveyou #meanit

Links

• TikTok Rabbi’s thoughts
• Join our Facebook Group
•  Send a FanMail to the GenX Stories gang via text message!

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Get ready for a blast from the past! This encore Halloween episode, originally released in October 2020 (remember the lockdown Halloween?!) is one of our favorites—and when Lori, Courtney, Chris, and I started to come together as a podcast family.

Join us as we dive into Lori's candy corn obsession, my blue fuzzy dog costume, Courtney's legendary front yard celebrations, and Chris’s hysterical late-night TV pumpkin adventures. Get a taste of Gen X Halloween experiences that are sure to make you laugh your pillowcase right off. But make sure to hide those candy wrappers.

Episode links (from the original episode show notes)

• Original episode (Sn 2 ep 6)
• Mike Pence pumpkin meme
• Mercedes Ruhl in Married to the Mob
• Halloween masks of the 70’s and 80’s
• Halloween family photo
• Cincinnati dad created a Halloween chute 
• Krispy Kreme and Lowes costume drive-by
• What IS a trebuchet?
• Who created the t-shirt cannon?
• OPI’s Stay off the Lawn nail color 
• Songs of the Humpback whale that chris says played at level 10 will solve your neighbors loud music issue

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Last season, we took a deep dive into four iconic Gen X albums, each handpicked by one of us. We had so much fun, we’re bringing it back—this time with a twist!

Just like before, each of us has selected an album, we’ve all listened, and now we’re sharing our thoughts (because, let’s be honest, we always have plenty to say). But this time, we’re focusing on one specific year: 1986.

Don't worry—we’re still diving into the tracks, digging up behind-the-scenes trivia, and offering our usual commentary. But we’ll also explore who we were during that time and how it influenced our choices. Who knows? We might even discover something new about each other—and what being Gen X really means.

Episode links

• Did this concept last season
• Best albums of 1986
• “Control” album cover art
• What is “Jangle Pop”?
• Fatboy Slim “Weapon of Choice” video with Christopher Walken
• Peter Gabriel song at the end of “Snowden”
• Peter Gabriel song from City of Angels

OUR ALBUMS

• Lori: Control, Janet Jackson 
• Chris: Life’s Rich Pageant, REM
• Courtney: London 0 Hull 4, HouseMartins
• Eve: So, Peter Gabriel

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As we finally start Season 6 of the podcast, we’re talking all about the upcoming election. BUT hold your horses before you yell at us for getting political. We're NOT gonna go there. Who you vote for is up to YOU and we are very very aware that politics is the third rail these days. However, we ARE gonna talk about the what it looks like when GenXers (or those we claim as ours) run for National office in terms of attitude, the role of pop culture in the process and how the 2024 election cycle feels as a result. And even if you don't listen to this awesome episode, VOTE! 

Episode links

• Todd Heisler
• A photo captures what Harris’ nomination could mean for young girls
• Is Kamala the first Genx presidential candidate?
• Some Boomers Might Actually Be 'Generation Jones'
• Kamala Harris: a Gen X woman with Gen Z appeal
• Meet the First GenX-tleman
• A Deep Reading of Tim Walz’s Dad Rock 
• Obsession Chucks and Pearls Are So Back
• Harris/Walz Playlist
• DNC Roll Call Playlist
• The DNC roll call featured a musical salute to each state.
• Kamala Harris identifies as Gen X – and, believe you me, you really don’t want to mess with us
• DNC Producer Ricky Kirshner On Kamala Harris’ Big Night
• Using purple ink, Gov. Walz signs bill that renames stretch of highway after Prince
• What's behind Harris' social media dominance
• Babydog the English bulldog steals the show at Republican National Convention
• Voter Registration Rates by Generation 
• Obama mocks Trump about his ‘weird obsession with crowd sizes’
• Register to vote

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