Silent Generation

Silent Generation

Silent Generation is a Chicago-based cultural analysis podcast that surveys the cultural consequences of car-oriented development in the mid-20th century. It explores what was lost between the Silent Generation and Generation Z. Topics discussed include aesthetics, fashion, history, and urbanism. Find us on Instagram: silent.generation

  1. 2025-12-08

    Bidding Farewell to Joseph

    In this important announcement, Joseph shares his plans to leave Silent Generation and Nathan shares his plans to continue it. The podcast will relaunch in two to three months with a new co-host that is familiar to the community. Nathan also shares that he is open to adding other regular contributors, and that a Discord member named Juniper is going to make a commemorative zine for the first iteration of the podcast.    Links: Nathan’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nathan_knize/ Silent Generation’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/silent.generation/   Recorded on 12/3/2025

    4 min
  2. Ep. 93: Bicoastal Lifestyles w/ Nevadastyles

    2025-12-01

    Ep. 93: Bicoastal Lifestyles w/ Nevadastyles

    Nevada (also known as Nevadastyles on Instagram) is a hair artist from New York City who has lived a bicoastal lifestyle for the last half decade. For the majority of that time she has lived and worked in both New York City and Los Angeles, but her career as a hair artist has brought her all over the world. On this week’s episode of Silent Generation, she joins Nathan for a conversation about why she and other creatives aspire to live bicoastal lifestyles. They begin with a conversation about the pros and cons of New York City and Los Angeles, focusing on key geographic and cultural differences. Nathan then argues that the rise of bicoastal living represents the latest stage in the elite’s drift toward rootlessness and cosmopolitanism, a pattern described by Christopher Lasch in The Revolt of the Elites. The episode concludes with a discussion about whether having roots (and not being bicoastal) is a status symbol and the common traits shared by big city natives.    Links: @nevadastyles - Instagram Profile  https://www.nevadaraffaele.com/ New Data Tool and Research Show Where People Move as Young Adults by  Nathaniel Hendren, Sonya R. Porter and Ben Sprung-Keyser The Death and Life of the Great Lakes by Dan Egan The Revolt of the Elites by Christopher Lasch The messy, viral fight over America's fourth 'major' city by Tessa Mclean What are the 4 major US cities? The internet can't decide. Vote for your picks by Melina Khan   Artwork: New York 1971 by Hans-Peter Balfanz CC BY-SA 3.0 , via Wikimedia Commons Boyle Heights, 1979 by John Humble   Recorded on 11/19/2025

    1 hr
  3. Ep. 92: Adult Contemporary

    2025-11-17

    Ep. 92: Adult Contemporary

    Adult contemporary is a radio format and marketing category originally created by Billboard magazine. It has encompassed many genres, starting with easy listening in the 1960s. What could be considered adult contemporary changed over the decades as genres like rock and roll and electronic music grew older, and older listeners found their sounds more palatable. But what does “adult contemporary” mean, and why do the songs that get grouped into the category appeal to adults so much?   This week’s episode of Silent Generation focuses on adult contemporary music in the 1990s and 2000s. Joseph and Nathan begin by outlining the history of the radio format before discussing the common features of adult contemporary songs. They then review the music of U2, Vanessa Carlton, The Verve, Zero 7, Ivy, and After. The episode concludes with a discussion of what happened to adult contemporary, focusing on why the radio format no longer has a distinct sound.    Links: Adult Contemporary Spotify Playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/… Adult Contemporary Music Guide: What Is Adult Contemporary?  The Adult Contemporary Billboard Chart When Rock Bands Become Adult Contemporary (part 1)  by Eduard Banulescu 90s Adult Contemporary - Totally 80s and 90s Recall Clocks by Coldplay Beautiful Day by U2 A Thousand Miles by Vanessa Carlton  Bitter Sweet Symphony by The Verve Destiny by Zero 7 Disappointed by Ivy Deep Diving by After Most craziest American Idol contestant ever, Mary Roach U2:UV Achtung Baby Live at Sphere The Story of 'A Thousand Miles' by Vanessa Carlton White Chicks (2004) - A Thousand Miles Terry Crews Scene The greatest songwriting theft of all time - David Hartly Ivy Talks Making the Seminal Y2K Dreampop LP ‘Long Distance’ by Myke Dodge Weiskopf Meet After, the L.A. Duo Making Y2k-Inspired Pop That Feels Like Right Now by Jeff Ihaza You’re deep diving - @aftertheband Gen X Soft Club - CARI page List of Billboard Adult Contemporary number ones of 2025 Adult Contemporary 100 week of 11/09/2025 Where Have All the Adult Contemporary Artists Gone? - Daniel Montoya Jr.    Artwork: U2 at the Charles de Gaulle Airport, Paris, Summer 2000   Recorded on 11/12/2025

    1h 5m
  4. Ep. 91: Fraternities

    2025-11-10

    Ep. 91: Fraternities

    Prior episodes of Silent Generation have focused on secular social movements that emerged around the turn of the 20th century. Fraternities technically predate this era, but they occupy a similar niche, and Joseph shares an important connection to them as a former fraternity brother. Why did they first emerge, and why do universities continue to tolerate them on campus?    This week’s episode of Silent Generation addresses those questions. The boys begin with a survey of the history of fraternities and related groups (social fraternities, professional organizations, secret societies, and fraternal orders). They then discuss commonalities between fraternities, the architectural characteristics of fraternity houses, the prevalence of hazing and hazing deaths, and the 1978 sex comedy Animal House.    Links: Fraternity by Alexandra Robins The Founding of the North-American Fraternity and Sorority System Fraternity and Sorority Mies van der Rohe’s Forgotten Frat House Design Is Resurrected and Repurposed by Lauren Moya Ford The Sorority Quad at Northwestern University by Fran Becque Join HOTEL KAPPA for PC ‘25! - #RushTok IN DG WE TRUST: Empowering Community Engagement - #RushTok Lorax - #Sorority - #RushTok Mr. Bobinsky Halloween Costume Tik Tok Video It's Time for Congress to Ban Fraternities—Sororities, Too by Matt Robinson Here’s how much more money you could make just from joining a frat by Yoni Blumberg Why Colleges Tolerate Fraternities  Houses of Horror: Secrets of College Greek Life (2024) My son was blindfolded, led to the basement and left to die on a couch by Ruth Bashinsky Animal House (1978) Gay History of Men’s Fraternities Image archive of the Theta Chi chapter at Penn State University   Artwork: Theta Chi of Penn State - Spring 1988 Initiation    Recorded on 11/5/2025

    1h 21m
  5. Ep. 90: Cryptids [TEASER]

    2025-10-31

    Ep. 90: Cryptids [TEASER]

    Full episode available on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/SilentGeneration The field of cryptozoology emerged in the mid-20th century as people began to investigate sightings of mysterious creatures like Bigfoot and the Loch Ness Monster using pseudoscientific methods. On this week’s episode of Silent Generation, Joseph and Nathan begin by theorizing that cryptozoology emerged as a way for the United States and other Anglosphere countries to generate their own folklore. They delineate why it is a primarily American phenomenon, pointing to the country's huge swaths of undeveloped land. They then discuss several famous cryptids such as Bigfoot, Mothman, the Michigan Dogman, the Flatwoods Monster, the Loch Ness Monster, and Thunderbirds. They conclude with a discussion of how paranormal media “slopified” cable television in the early 2010s, and how the rise of AI has made photo and video evidence of cryptids even less believable.    Links: What is a cryptid? Cryptomundo The Cryptid Zoo: Satyrs (or Fauns) in Cryptozoology On the Track of Unknown Animals by Bernard Heuvelmans  The Discovery of the Okapi, Part 1 Backwoods Horror The Maryland Snallygaster: Devil of Racist Politics by Jake Seboe The racist roots of Maryland’s mythical Snallygaster monster by Julie Scharper  Patterson-Gimlin Film HD 60fps The Mothman Prophecies by John A. Keel  The Mothman Revisited - Unsolved Mysteries Episode 14: Chicago Tales - Otherworld podcast Ep. 113: The Michigan Dogman Pt. 1 - Otherworld podcast Ep. 114: The Michigan Dogman Pt. 2 - Otherworld podcast #70: Flatwoods Monster - Cryptonauts podcast Flatwoods Monster - Cryptid Wiki The Flatwoods Monster The Cryptid Collector’s Trio Scooby-Doo and the Loch Ness Monster (2004) Thunderbird - Cryptid Wiki MonsterQuest (2007-2010) Dragons: A Fantasy Made Real (2004) The Truth is out there” the Alan Champagne Morro Bay Disappearance by Katya Cengel   Artwork: unknown   Recorded on 10/29/2025

    5 min
  6. Ep. 89: Witch House

    2025-10-27

    Ep. 89: Witch House

    Witch house is a music genre and internet aesthetic that emerged in the late 2000s as bands combined occult imagery and sounds. On this week’s episode of Silent Generation, Joseph and Nathan begin by noting that it was the very first internet aesthetic, with the earliest example being the 2005 blog Runawaytoday. They then talk about common witch house aesthetic elements such as horror, “the woods,” and occult symbols (particularly inverted crosses). The conversation then shifts to music, with a survey of several witch house bands such as SALEM, Pictureplane, CRIM3S, and Crystal Castles. The episode concludes with discussion of witch house’s legacy and what it was trying to express.    Links: Pinterest board: https://www.pinterest.com/silentgeneration/witch-house/  witch-house.com Witch House - Aesthetics Wiki OG Witch House Spotify Playlist True Witch House Only Spotify Playlist Sick by SALEM Trapdoor by SALEM Better Off Alone by SALEM Goth Star by Picturplane Hyper Real by Picureplane Salt by CRIM3S Pumpkin Pumpkin by Zombelle Runawaytoday (2005) GODBLESS - Untitled (2008) by Ponyboy Guest List: Best of 2009 by Tyler Grisham Got any witch house? Why I'm on the genre-mongers' side | Music by Tom Ewing https://www.blairwitch.com/  Making of The Blair Witch Project— From a $35k Budget to $250 Million Box Office Phenomenon The surprising evolution of hipsters in the 2000s - Brad Troemel Alek Morgan’s Facebook page (NVRMND archive) Witch House Band Iceberg Infographic Witch House Music History Lana del Rey/ Jack Donoghue Cook County Penitentiary photo SALEM: The Midwest's Most Wanted (Documentary) This is the CRIM3S Biography Tik Tok video CRIM3S SQUATT RAVE @Rourotfan Rou Rot and Alice Glass MTV CRIBS: pictureplane gives a tour of Rhinoceropolis shout out to male producer female lead witch house duos Reddit post Witch House: The Ghostly Genre of The Music Industry by Clara C. Steemer Which house for witch house? Pictureplane’s goth beats are taking flight by P. J. Nutting Witch House: An Intro To The Microgenre That Influenced Everyone From Tyler, The Creator To ASAP Rocky by Kyle Garb The Occult Genre Known As "Witch House" - Pad Chennington Whatever happened to witch house? by Al Horner   Artwork: Mexico City’s Dark Electronic Music Project Ritualz Releases Dual Video Premiere for “Nothing” and “Testify” by Alice Teeple   Recorded on 10/22/2025

    57 min
  7. Ep. 88: Privately Owned Rail

    2025-10-15

    Ep. 88: Privately Owned Rail

    The United States once had the best public transportation system in the world. Private companies built subway, elevated, interurban, trolley, and long distance train lines with passenger service in mind. But as the automobile rose in popularity, ridership declined, and the country’s transit systems eventually became publicly run.   But what made privately owned rail during that era so great, and what does modern private passenger service look like? On this week’s episode of Silent Generation, Joseph and Nathan begin by detailing some of the things that were better about the Chicago ‘L’ 100 years ago: more stations, more express service, and better frequency. They then talk about Brightline and JR Railways before examining how those companies invest in real estate to increase profits. The episode concludes with a discussion about privately owned freight rail and how Class I railroads are poorly managed.    Links: The Lost Subways of North America by Jake Berman  New York Subway Operator Life 1980s vs 90s vs Today chicago-l.org Ridership Reports - Performance metrics - CTA Why Chicago's Express Train Isn't Really Express - Car Free Keith Car 553 First new private rail passenger service in over 100 years by Terry Spencer and Daniel Kozin Killer Train by Brittany Wallman, Aaron Leibowitz and Shradha Dinesh Killer Train Podcast Brightline rolls out expanded services from Orlando to Miami by Jaclyn Harold High Speed Rail in Florida and the History of Brightline - Alan Fisher Brightline West Las Vegas doesn't have a purpose anymore as the designated area for American vices How Japan Builds Suburbs That Don't Suck - Car Free Keith Why Japanese Railways Win - Wendover Productions Japan Kept A Train Running For Years Just For One Girl, The Inspiring Story Will Move You by Nikhil Pandey Should Amtrak be Privatized? by Car Free Keith Katrina: Come Hell or High Water Freight Rail Overview - US Department of Transportation How America's Largest Railroads are Ruining our Supply Chains - Alan Fisher US rail companies grant paid sick days after public pressure in win for unions by Steven Greenhouse   Artwork: Jamaica Ave El   Recorded on 10/12/2025

    1h 5m
  8. Ep. 87: Civil Servant Culture [TEASER]

    2025-10-08

    Ep. 87: Civil Servant Culture [TEASER]

    Full episode available on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/SilentGeneration   “Civil servants” are employees of the municipal, state, or federal government. Within cities they often live in far-flung areas that are colloquially referred to as “police neighborhoods" or “firefighter neighborhoods.” The tendency of civil servants to live amongst each other has caused them to develop a distinct set of customs and norms that can be described as “civil servant culture.”   On this week’s episode of Silent Generation, Joseph and Nathan begin by discussing whether civil servants constitute their own subculture or social class. They then talk about the symbols they use to identify one another such as thin line flags, punisher symbols, and regional accents. They then survey the areas that civil servants tend to cluster in Chicago (Beverly/ Mt. Greenwood, Garfield Ridge/ Clearing, and Norwood Park/ O’Hare) and NYC (Staten Island, Breezy Point), before concluding with a discussion on the differences between public facing and administrative civil servants.   Links: Residency Requirements for City Employees by Connie M Hager Mayoral challenger outlines plan to ease police staffing shortage by Fran Spielman The thin blue line: The history behind the controversial police emblem by David Hernandez The Thin Blue Line (1988) Thin Line Flags Infographic First Responder American Flag, 3 x 5 Feet Man walking to every CPD station to raise awareness for police mental health The Punisher Skull - 99% Invisible  Italian cop in NYC Infographic: Where Cubs and White Sox Fans Live City Active Employees: Map and Census Data Hey Jackass’s 2025 homicide map "Cop neighborhoods" in NYC? Why is there no outrage over the Breezy Point Cooperative? Burn After Reading (2008) Toward a Theory of Street-Level Bureaucracy by Michael Lipsky  Bangladeshis Build Careers in New York Traffic by Jodi Kantor How Stereotypes of the Irish Evolved From ‘Criminals’ to Cops by Livia Gershon  Cops Rarely Pull Over Drivers In Their Own Neighborhoods, Data Shows. Motorists In Black Neighborhoods Aren’t So Lucky by Pascal Sabin Chicago’s first firefighters entrance exam since 2014 draws diverse pool, but rules have changed by Fran Spielman   Artwork: ThrowbackThursday: Weekly Garbage Service - Eltham District Historical Society   Recorded on 10/5/2025

    10 min
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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
2 Ratings

About

Silent Generation is a Chicago-based cultural analysis podcast that surveys the cultural consequences of car-oriented development in the mid-20th century. It explores what was lost between the Silent Generation and Generation Z. Topics discussed include aesthetics, fashion, history, and urbanism. Find us on Instagram: silent.generation

Information

  • Creator
    Silent Generation
  • Years Active
    2023 - 2025
  • Episodes
    94
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Copyright 2023 All rights reserved.
  • Show Website
    Silent Generation

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