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Remember when summer vacation actually lasted until Labor Day? When your biggest back-to-school worry wasn't active shooter drills but whether your Trapper Keeper matched your folders? We're diving deep into the nostalgia of Gen X school experiences this week as we honor the passing of Loni Anderson and reflect on the holiday weekend that once marked the true end of summer.

Our conversation meanders through the hallowed halls of department stores past – from Lazarus to Montgomery Ward, from Air-way to the early days of Target when we all thought "what a dumb name." We unpack the critical importance of metal lunchboxes adorned with our favorite TV characters, those big pink erasers that never quite worked, and the wide-rule paper with its blue lines and dotted middle line that guided our early handwriting attempts.

The Garanimals clothing system perfectly encapsulates the self-sufficient nature of our generation: "Match your animals, get a Pop-Tart, get to the bus, and I'll see you at 3 o'clock." This hands-off approach to childhood would horrify many modern parents, but it was simply the norm for us latchkey kids. We compare our half-day kindergarten experiences (complete with mandatory nap time!) to today's academic pressure cooker that somehow starts in July.

For Gen X parents who've navigated the vastly different back-to-school landscape with our own children, this episode offers a comforting reminder that we survived and thrived with far less structure and supervision. So whether you were the kid with the perfectly organized Trapper Keeper or the one desperately trying to hide that you hadn't done your homework, this episode will transport you back to a time when school started after Labor Day and summer actually felt like summer.

Share your own school memories with us! Call 1-888-GEN-X-POD or visit genxwomenpod.com to connect and keep the conversation going.

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Remember that moment when your neighbor invited you over for "just wine and apps with the girls," only to ambush you with a sales pitch for overpriced leggings or miracle vitamins? You're not alone.

In this episode, we dive deep into the cultural phenomenon of multi-level marketing schemes that targeted Gen X women throughout the 80s, 90s, and beyond. From Tupperware parties our mothers hosted to the Mary Kay consultants with their pink Cadillacs, these pyramid-shaped businesses promised financial freedom while delivering financial ruin for 99.6% of participants.

Lesley shares her family's personal journey with Shaklee vitamins, including her grandfather's run-in with the IRS after some creative accounting with his vitamin business. We explore the awkward social dynamics of being invited to jewelry, candle, or kitchen gadget parties in our twenties when our bank accounts were running on fumes, and the guilt trip of saying no to friends who desperately needed to make sales.

The conversation covers a nostalgic tour through the MLM landscape - Amway, Avon, PartyLite, Pampered Chef, Silpada jewelry, LuLaRoe leggings, and dozens more that promised riches but mostly delivered debt. We analyze how these companies specifically targeted women with products related to beauty, home, wellness, and childcare, capitalizing on both financial needs and social connections.

As we reflect on these experiences, we question whether today's social media influencer marketing has simply become the digital evolution of the MLM hustle. Has anything really changed, or are we just seeing the same exploitation with new packaging?

Share your own MLM horror stories with us! Call our hotline at 1-888-GEN-X-POD or visit our website at genxwomenpod.com to connect with other Gen X women who survived the pyramid scheme era.

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What happens when the stars who shaped our childhoods turn out to be deeply flawed, problematic, or even criminal? Megan and Lesley dive deep into the emotional complexity of reconciling nostalgic memories with disturbing revelations about our once-beloved celebrities.

Fresh from their summer break, they tackle this thorny subject through the lens of recent celebrity deaths – particularly Hulk Hogan, whose passing stirred up complicated feelings given his history of racist comments. This kicks off a fascinating exploration of how we process disappointment when our heroes fall from grace.

The hosts compile an eye-opening list of over 40 celebrities from the 70s, 80s and 90s who've been "canceled" or revealed to have committed harmful acts – from Bill Cosby to JK Rowling, Michael Jackson to Johnny Depp. Some made offensive comments, others faced serious criminal allegations, and many simply couldn't adapt to changing social standards. The question isn't just whether these figures deserve forgiveness, but how we as fans reconcile our emotional connections to their work.

"You can have this complexity of thought," Lesley notes, offering a path forward that acknowledges both our cherished memories and the disappointing reality. This isn't about making excuses for bad behavior, but rather developing the emotional maturity to hold contradictory truths simultaneously – a skill that serves us well beyond just processing celebrity scandals.

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Enjoy this episode from last summer while we get our shit together and take some vacations! 

We take a nostalgic dive into the world of soap operas and their impact on Gen X women's lives, exploring both daytime dramas and primetime sensations that dominated television from the 1970s through the 1990s.

• Daytime soaps like General Hospital, Days of Our Lives, and Young and the Restless provided entertainment primarily for stay-at-home mothers
• Famous stars including Rick Springfield, John Stamos, Demi Moore, and Mark Hamill got their start on General Hospital
• The "Who Shot JR?" Dallas storyline in 1980 was such a cultural phenomenon that one mother asked if her daughter's hospitalization was "serious enough to miss Dallas"
• Primetime soap operas including Dallas, Dynasty, Falcon Crest and Knots Landing featured wealthy families, glamorous settings and high drama
• Soap operas evolved in the 90s to include supernatural elements with shows like Passions and Dark Shadows incorporating vampires, witches and paranormal adventures
• The shift from traditional melodrama to supernatural content parallels changing interests as Gen X women entered adulthood

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Need a summer laugh while we take a quick breather? Lesley's holding down the fort this week as Megan vacations with the mouse at Disney, and she's got some hot recommendations from our back catalog to keep you entertained.

The summer heat is no match for perimenopausal hot flashes, and Lesley candidly admits she's feeling a bit exhausted this July. Rather than cobbling together new content, she's pointing listeners to some gems from last summer – specifically Episode 5, "Life, Death and Disney" (perfect timing with Megan's vacation), and the hilarious Episode 6, "Desperately Seeking Ron Popeill: An After School Special," featuring our infamous call to a 1-800 number that's been "transitioned for other middle-aged women." Trust us, it's worth revisiting just for the laughs.

While we're on break, there are plenty of ways to stay connected with the Gen X Women community. Our LYLAS (Love You Like A Sis) membership program keeps this podcast running for just $10 a month. We've got merch available on our website and Etsy store, and Lesley's even uploading a YouTube short featuring our first-ever fan mail from "super fan Sue" – complete with trinkets and snacks referencing past episodes. We'd love your stories for our "Five Minutes of Fame" segment too – just call 1-888-GEN-X-POD or submit through our website. The world may be on fire, but we're still groovy, and we'll be back with fresh content in two weeks! Leave us those five-star reviews while you wait – we promise we check them all.

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Remember when your parents smoked in the car with the windows up? When teachers could paddle students in front of the class? When asbestos was in our schools and lead was in our paint? Megan and Lesley strip away the nostalgia to examine the genuinely problematic aspects of growing up in the 70s and 80s that shaped our generation.

Following their catch-up on recent life changes, the hosts pay tribute to recently departed musical icons Sly Stone and Brian Wilson, then celebrate the 50th anniversaries of both Rocky Horror Picture Show and Jaws. But the heart of this episode confronts the darker realities behind Gen X childhoods—from environmental hazards we somehow survived to educational practices that would be considered abusive today.

The conversation weaves through vivid memories of corporal punishment in schools, public shaming as a teaching tool, and the complete absence of mental health awareness. They explore how these experiences shaped our generation's characteristic resilience and skepticism, while acknowledging the trauma that often accompanied it. From smoking being permitted virtually everywhere to the casual dismissal of abuse allegations, this episode serves as a reality check about the "good old days" that weren't always so good.

Rather than simply criticizing the past, Megan and Lesley emphasize why acknowledging these truths matters—without confronting history honestly, we risk repeating it. As they note while discussing current regulatory rollbacks: we've been here before, and it wasn't pretty. Join us for this unflinching look at the experiences that defined a generation and continue to influence Gen X perspectives today.

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Remember when summer lasted forever? Megan and Lesley take you back to those glorious days when school let out on Memorial Day and didn't resume until after Labor Day—a true three-month break that today's kids can only dream about.

The hosts share their wildly different summer experiences, from Megan's structured daycare and camp life to Lesley's rural gardening adventures and theater camps. They reminisce about the sensory touchstones of Gen X summers: the distinctive sound of approaching ice cream trucks, orange sherbet push-ups that defined childhood happiness, and those plastic sleeve popsicles that inevitably cut the corners of your mouth (but you'd still eat ten of them).

Food memories dominate the conversation as they recall homemade ice cream in giant electric makers that "they don't even make that size anymore," fresh strawberry shortcake, and corn so sweet it needed cross-pollination by hand (which Megan admits to facilitating while serenading her corn plants with Marvin Gaye's "Let's Get It On").

The conversation wanders through drive-in movies, State Fair adventures, and the incredible freedom children once had—being sent outside until dinner with minimal supervision. Both hosts lament how summer break has shrunk over the decades, with schools often starting in late July and stealing away weeks of traditional summer freedom.

Whether you spent your summers at camp, working a summer job, or just riding bikes until dusk, this episode will transport you back to a time when summer meant freedom, discovery, and seemingly endless possibilities. What summer traditions do you miss most? Connect with us and share your memories!

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Remember when a birthday party meant friends, pizza, and a Mylar balloon that floated in your house for months? When financial advice was more reassuring than "we just don't know"? When the sound of race cars echoed through an entire city on Memorial Day weekend?

In this episode, Megan and Lesley dive into the unique experience of growing up as latchkey kids in the 1980s—a generation whose parents were busy "doing shit" and sometimes forgot we existed. The conversation takes a timely turn when Megan shares her recent financial advisor meeting, where the typical reassurances about market stability were notably absent. Suddenly, our grandparents' habit of hiding cash in aluminum foil and cereal boxes seems less paranoid and more prophetic.

Childhood birthday celebrations become a lens to examine generational shifts. The hosts reminisce about simple pool parties, roller skating outings, and Showbiz Pizza gatherings of their youth, complete with Rock-a-Fire Explosion animatronics and Madonna's "Lucky Star" blasting in the background. These memories stand in stark contrast to the elaborate productions many Gen Xers now create for their own children—complete with pony rides and themed extravaganzas. Is this overcompensation for our latchkey upbringing or just succumbing to party competition pressure?

The episode also pays tribute to George Wendt, known to most as Norm from Cheers, imagining his funeral where everyone shouts "NORM!" as the casket enters. As Memorial Day approaches, they explore what the holiday weekend means in Indianapolis—from the unmistakable sound of race cars heard throughout the city to family cookouts marking the unofficial start of summer.

Whether you're planning your weekend, reflecting on your childhood, or wondering if you should start hiding cash in your freezer, this episode captures the unique perspective of a generation caught between analog memories and digital uncertainties. Subscribe, leave a review, and share your own "Five Minutes of Fame" story with us!

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Megan and Lesley dive into the surprising disconnect between celebrity ages and our mental images of them, sparked by discovering Kurt Loder recently turned 80 years old.

• Lesley shares her harrowing experience with a stomach virus that left her with a "puke baby"
• Discussion of the new American Pope Leo XIV, his Midwestern roots, and what his selection might signify about America's changing global position
• Revelation that Kermit the Frog is 70 years old while Miss Piggy is only 50, creating a surprising 20-year age gap between the Muppet couple
• Exploration of how MTV VJs including Kurt Loder, Martha Quinn, and Nina Blackwood are now in their 60s, 70s, and 80s
• Call for listeners to share which celebrities' ages have shocked them the most

Support public television! Visit genxwomenpod.com to share your "five minutes of fame" stories or call 1-888-GEN-X-POD to leave a message that might be played on the next episode.

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Remember when Friday nights didn't require checking your phone every five minutes? When plans were made in person at school and then you just showed up somewhere? Megan and Lesley take us back to their teenage weekend rituals in the 1980s and early '90s, and the nostalgia hits like a caffeine rush from those bottomless Perkins coffees (or teas) we all drank at 2am.

With their new vintage bar setup as the perfect backdrop, the hosts trade stories about the weekend social rituals that defined Gen X adolescence. From roller skating parties that required good grades to attend, to midnight showings of Rocky Horror Picture Show (complete with toast, toilet paper, and squirt guns), they map the geography of teen hangouts in Indianapolis. Noble Romans Pizza with its mythical $99 Dom Perignon special, Denny's with "Moons Over My Hammy," and small-town cruising rituals all get their moments in the spotlight.

What's striking is how these memories reveal a different relationship with rebellion and fun. Both hosts confess they didn't drink in high school – not because they were straight-laced, but because they were genuinely having a great time without it. Megan's confession about stealing a velvet rope from a movie theater and proudly displaying it in her bedroom captures the perfect level of Gen X rebellion – just enough to feel dangerous without causing real harm. Whether you were playing Dungeons & Dragons on Friday nights, working at TCBY, or watching MTV's 120 Minutes instead of sleeping before school, you'll recognize yourself in these stories.

So pour yourself something delicious, settle in, and join us for this journey back to a time when weekend entertainment didn't require Wi-Fi, when malls were social hubs rather than dying institutions, and when the most important thing was just being together with your friends, figuring out this weird thing called adolescence. What was your Friday night ritual? We'd love to hear about it.

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