GenX Stories

Send a FanMail to the GenX Stories gang via text message!

Well, it happened - we couldn’t get our schedules lined up to record this week. BUT the good news is that we have an encore episode for you we think is pretty special -  our first ever together on the podcast! Learn how Lori, Courtney, Christopher and I started doing this wacky thing in season 2 (since season one was a totally different format.) 

In this episode, we dig into what being GenX means to each of us knowing how pivotal the 80’s were for music, fashion, crisis and more. We'll also discuss our generation’s creativity & innovation and why Chris thinks that sequins and the SpaceX Dragon capsule don’t mix.

So as spring is starting around the country, why not find out a bit more of our origin story? (Which also happens to be a really fun episode.)

Fun Episode links

• Meet our new hosts
• Check out Tremor, the SpaceX sequined zero-g dinosaur
• See Chris’ pug’s MRI on Twitter

Connect with us
Subscribe to GenX Stories in your favorite podcast app
Buy some kickass merch
Write us a review
Visit our site
Join our Facebook Group
Follow our 80’s inspired Instagram
Send us an email

Send a FanMail to the GenX Stories gang via text message!

Today on the podcast we're talking all about jobs. The ones we had as kids, our first “real” ones, and even the ones that taught us a thing or two about life and ourselves. In a world where “quiet quitting”,“quiet firing” and the “great resignation” are now just part of work life, what do 50+ year olds expect in a job now? (Other that retire - well, maybe). We also share some of our beloved Facebook community’s first jobs, and pick one to send some awesome show swag to. Seriously, make it your job (see what we did there?) to listen.

Episode links 

• How to Highlight The Unique Attributes of a Gen X Jobseeker
• Brief History of AOL
• The short but destructive history of mass layoffs
• GenXers in the workforce
• Job searching for GenXers
• GenX and the Great Resignation
• Early 1990’s Recession
• The Year in Quiet Quitting
• "Follow your bliss”
• How to balance your passion project with full time job
• For GenX, retirement bites
• Eve’s strange job path (plus video)

Connect with us
Subscribe to GenX Stories in your favorite podcast app
Buy some kickass merch
Write us a review
Visit our site
Join our Facebook Group
Follow our 80’s inspired Instagram
Send us an email

Send a FanMail to the GenX Stories gang via text message!

Did you want your MTV? We certainly did! Today’s episode is all about being the “MTV generation”, the iconic music video cable channel launched the summer of 1981. What was the first day like? Who were these “VeeJays”? And why does MTV still feels like a cultural rite of passage for GenX. We are also joined by music video historian and the brains behind website & magazine Music Video Time Machine, Stephen Pitalo. Hear all the behind the scene stories of your favorite videos from Madonna to Duran Duran to Bon Jovi and even Michael Jackson's Thriller in 3D. Trust us - you’re gonna be surprised.

Episode links 

• Music video Time Machine
• Michael Jackson's Thriller 3D
• MTV Launch day
• First videos aired on MTV
• MTV’s impact on GenX
• Music Videos by David Mallet
• 10 Favorite Videos by Steve Barron
• I want my MTV campaign
• Videos Directed by Wayne Isham
• Original MTV VeeJays
• David Bowie Rips Into MTV for Not Spotlighting Black Artists
• Peter Kagan Videos

Videos

• Video Killed the Radio Star
• Infatuation
• Take on Me
• Money for Nothing
• Girls Just Want to have Fun 
• Living on a Prayer
• Tell her About it
• Tim Jones' Kiss
• Thriller
• Lucky Star
• Higher Love
• Rock the Casbah
• Every Breath you take

Connect with us
Subscribe to GenX Stories in your favorite podcast app
Buy some kickass merch
Write us a review
Visit our site
Join our Facebook Group
Follow our 80’s inspired Instagram
Send us an email

Send a FanMail to the GenX Stories gang via text message!

Today’s podcast episode is going to be a little different. We’re taking on a topic that both Courtney and I have sadly experienced firsthand - losing a parent as a Gen Xer - and it’s just the two of us. This is also a longer episode than usual and barely edited because we felt it was important to be as authentic as possible with you.

While we know this is an emotional topic, we don’t cover any of that up. You'll will hear us lose it, get angry and even laugh, because that’s how grief is. It’s also how GenX is - never one dimensional. We really hope this will start to normalize how we talk about grief, and helps you heal.

All that being said, if hearing about loss and grief upsets you to much, especially when it relates to someone you love, we will understand if you skip this episode because we are really really really open.

Thank you for being there for us. Let us be there for you? 

Episode links 

• The Grief of Losing a Parent Is Complex — Here’s How to Start Navigating It
• 64 Things I Wish Someone Had Told Me About Grief
• 22 Things No One Tells You After A Parent Or Loved One Passes Away Unexpectedly
• Older generations are half as likely to seek bereavement support
• Finding a Therapist Who Can Help You 
• Grief therapist look up
• How to Start Hard Conversations About End-of-Life Planning 

Eve’s writing about grief

• The problem with caring
• GirlDad
• Dad’s Eulogy

Connect with us
Subscribe to GenX Stories in your favorite podcast app
Buy some kickass merch
Write us a review
Visit our site
Join our Facebook Group
Follow our 80’s inspired Instagram
Send us an email

Send a FanMail to the GenX Stories gang via text message!

Today the GenX Series Podcast gang is talking about cult classic films with with a special guest - Final Destination and American Pie movie producer Craig Perry (who happens to be married to one of our hosts). Given his vast amount of knowledge and the ton of research he asked us to read (OMG!) about the difference between a Cult Classic movie vs a cult following, we’re definitely going deep. 

You know you want the behind the scenes info about your favorite cult classic movies so don’t miss this one.

Episode links 

• Craig Perry IMDB
• Cult Classics Explained: How a Movie Fits the Definition
• Surprising Cult Classics
• The 40 best cult movies of all time
• What is a cult movie?
• What is cult following?
• Motherfucking Snakes on motherfuking plane scene
• “There was this one time at band Camp” scene
• What we miss about the Video Store
• Mystery Science Theater 3000
• Secrets of ''Rebel Without a Cause''
• 'Star Trek': The Cult of William Shatner
• 7 reasons why ‘Die Hard’ is a Christmas movie
• Peter Jackson’s Brain Dead
• Attack of the Killer Tomatoes
• 15 Gen X Movies That Summarize An Entire Generation of Angst
• The Old Cult Mixlist: Songs from and inspired by classic cult films
• The Holiday: 6 things you didn't know about the cult Christmas film

Connect with us
Subscribe to GenX Stories in your favorite podcast app
Buy some kickass merch
Write us a review
Visit our site
Join our Facebook Group
Follow our 80’s inspired Instagram
Send us an email

Send a FanMail to the GenX Stories gang via text message!

Today the GenX Stories gang is talking about obsessions. I mean… fandoms & collecting. Were you into puffy stickers or comics as a kid?  And let’s get really honest and admit what weird thing you still collect. So grab that Holly Hobby lunch box and Star Wars Pez dispenser and get ready to get deep into it with your favorite GenX Geeks.

Episode links 

• Collecting Stickers in the 1980s
• What is a Fandom?
• What did we collect?
• Corky the dog
• Victorian Heating grates
• Post office doors
• Wacky packs
• Poppin' fresh doughboy
• Divorced Couple Splitting Up  Beanie Babies
• Funko pop
• Conan Funkos
• 9 questions about furries 
• 80s stuff Worth a Fortune Now
• LEGO Minifigures The Muppets
• Animal Lego Minifig
• 30 worthless Collectibles
• Wheat pennies
• Bicentennial quarters
• State Spoons
• Boo Buckets 
• Charvel Surfcaster Electric Guitar

Connect with us
Subscribe to GenX Stories in your favorite podcast app
Buy some kickass merch
Write us a review
Visit our site
Join our Facebook Group
Follow our 80’s inspired Instagram
Send us an email

Send a FanMail to the GenX Stories gang via text message!

2022 just hasn't been our year here over at GenX stories. Life keeps interfering so we’re just gonna start fresh in 2023. We plan to be back to publishing every two weeks starting January 11, 2023 and can’t wait to bring you new episodes about fandom, cult movies, ageism, music videos, & more.

Courtney, Lori, Chris, and Eve hope you’re having a wonderful holiday season, and look forward to seeing everyone in the new year. Love you. Mean it. Keep rocking.

Connect with us
Subscribe to GenX Stories in your favorite podcast app
Buy some kickass merch
Write us a review
Visit our site
Join our Facebook Group
Follow our 80’s inspired Instagram
Send us an email

Send a FanMail to the GenX Stories gang via text message!

Today we have a special little bonus episide for you - an interview with Gabi Lorino, a kick ass book editor and 100% pure GenXer. We originally thought this would be part of the books episode published last week, but it was too fabulous to edit down to a few minutes so it got it’s own. 

Gabi's actually the type of GenXer we created this podcast for because she’s got some amazing stories to share. Hear all about her work as an anthology editor, the books she loved as a kid (and which she re-reads) the books she’s written already and what her “big birthday” goal is.

Episode links 

• Made in LA Writers
• Photos of Gabi’s Books
• Gabi’s Books on Amazon
• Gabi’s "author blog"
• Gabi on Twitter
• Gsbi on Instagram
• Gabi on Facebook
• Gabi’s GenX Blog
• The musical stylings of the Ukeladies singing "Single in December."

Connect with us
Subscribe to GenX Stories in your favorite podcast app
Buy some kickass merch
Write us a review
Visit our site
Join our Facebook Group
Follow our 80’s inspired Instagram
Send us an email

Send a FanMail to the GenX Stories gang via text message!

This week, the gang talks about books, books, and more books. The ones we loved reading as kids, the ones we shouldn't have read as kids, the books that shaped us how we grew up and what role books & reading plays now in our increasingly digital world.

Between rolling into the Scholastic book fairs, paying fines from overdue library books, sneaking forbidden books as a teenager and audio books vs old school reading, jump into to the land of make believe and imagination with us. Call us geeks, call us bookworms but don’t cancel our library card because we have opinions.

Episode links 

• A Century of Reading: The 10 Books That Defined the 1980s
• 17 Required High School Books We Ended Up Loving
• 30 Books Everyone Should Read At Least Once In Their Lives
• The Golden Booksgoldenbooks.com/
• Dr. Seuss
• Richard Scarry books
• Highlights magazine
• Scholastic Book Fair
• William Stieg
• Mr. Nosey
• Shel Silverstein
• Judy Blume
• The Enduring Allure of Choose Your Own Adventure Books
• Is Listening to Audiobooks Really Reading?
• As Book Bans Escalate, Here’s What You Need to Know
• Book Review: The Tales of Generation X Feel as Poignant Now as in the 1990s
• Prince Harry will read audiobook of his memoir which promises to be 'candid and powerful' 
• Little Free Library

Connect with us
Subscribe to GenX Stories in your favorite podcast app
Buy some kickass merch
Write us a review
Visit our site
Join our Facebook Group
Follow our 80’s inspired Instagram
Send us an email

Send a FanMail to the GenX Stories gang via text message!

The GenX Stories gang needed some laughs so we took on the Muppets & Sesame Street which caused a serious conversation. (because of course it did).

Did you grow up with the Muppet Show or Sesame Street? Is Yoda really a muppet? (don’t fight Courtney about it!). And seriously, what character would YOU be? We get brutally honest and share our thoughts on muppet doppelgängers among other Jim Henson/Frank Oz stuff. You know you need a break from Thanksgiving so it's time to play the music, it's time to light the lights. Yayyyyyyy!

Episode links 

• Sesame Street Characters
• Muppet Characters
• Sesame Street Characters are muppets
• Differences between Muppets and Sesame Street
• Kermit was an old coat before a frog 
• The Dark Crystal
• Fizzgig
• Yoda is not a Muppet per Frank Oz
• Sesame Street: fly in his soup
• RNC and fight with Big Bird
• Kermit hosted the Tonight Show
• Muppets on SNL
• Miss Piggy’s dog
• Animal commercial
• QUIZ: Which muppet are you?
• The Muppets Mayhem: Everything We Know About the Disney+ Series
• Sam & Friends book

Connect with us
Subscribe to GenX Stories in your favorite podcast app
Buy some kickass merch
Write us a review
Visit our site
Join our Facebook Group
Follow our 80’s inspired Instagram
Send us an email