Stuck In The Middle - A Gen X Podcast Jason Ek

Time to adjust the old rabbit ears, Slackers!

This week is dedicated to the old ultra high frequency television channels of our youth. Kids these days have no idea what VHF or UHF even mean, because even broadcast TV went digital in 2009! But we had two dials, one on top and one on the bottom.

The cool stuff was always on the lower dial and in New England we had channels like 25, 38, and 56. Some of my fondest memories are of watching TV on Saturday afternoons - after the cartoons were over - and seeing the “Creature Double Feature” or later, “Kung Fu Theater”. 

The “Creature Double Feature” gave us Japanese monster movies (kaiju) like Godzilla and Gamera, or classic horror from Universal and Hammer Studios. Think Christopher Lee’s Dracula. And lots of Roger Corman flicks.

“Kung Fu Theater” brought the best of Chinese martial arts to America. Remember Pai Mei from Tarantino’s “Kill Bill”? Do you remember that same character from the martial arts movies in the late 70’s & 80’s? Check out the Shaw Brothers “Shaolin” films.

And with the advent of cable TV, similar shows were broadcast nationally with “Commander USA’s Groovie Movies” and Elvira’s “Movie Macabre”.

Such a fun time to be a kid and getting to watch some really absurd, totally surreal filmmaking!

Here’s Johnny, Slackers!

Starting all the way back in 1954 with the Steve Allen led “The Tonight Show”, there has been a steady succession of late night talk shows - and hosts. What is so surprising is how much behind the scenes drama occurred, particularly when it comes to that “Tonight Show” gig.

Starting with the retirement of Johnny Carson, much has been said about the internal struggles at NBC, ultimately leading to the departure of Dave Letterman from the network after not getting the “Tonight Show - which of course went to Jay Leno.

Similar themes have played out over and over again at NBC, but also at CBS where Letterman launched his direct competitor to the “Tonight Show” called “The Late Show”.
 
Names like Conan O’Brien, Craig Ferguson, Jimmy Fallon, and many others have sat in the host’s chair throughout the years - and that’s just NBC & CBS!

Don't worry, FOX, ABC, TBS, and others, will be covered!

Hey, Slackers! This is one of those, “I couldn’t decide on a topic” episodes - so why not take a look at the latest posts on r/GenX?

If there is a social media platform that feels both morbidly right and intuitively wrong for Gen X, Reddit is the one!

I tried to keep it light - because you can go down some dark paths on that site - and it was mission accomplished. 

Some nostalgia, personal anecdotes, music, movies, a little bit of everything, really. Just what you would expect from r/GenX!

Raise your hands, Slackers!

After being prompted by a listener to check out Thank you, Goodnight: The Bon Jovi Story, this week I give my thoughts on this legendary band and try to answer the question, “were they a hair band or just lumped in with them”?

This is actually a really good question, and to be honest, it’s hard to ignore the time in which they broke through, the sound of albums like Slippery When Wet and New Jersey, and the bands they toured with, when making that assessment. I think a case can be made that they were a hair band, but they didn’t stay a hair band.

While some bands tried to radically change their sound and image, Bon Jovi managed to shift ever so slightly within the framework of their existing catalog and sound. These subtle shifts kept fans interested, maintained the band’s integrity, and allowed for them to continue producing platinum albums, with massive tours.

There are only a few bona fide stadium level acts these days, and by sheer hard work and determination, Bon Jovi has remained one of the top tier rock acts for over 30 years. Not bad for a “hair band” out of New Jersey!

I don't wanna grow up, Slackers!

This week is dedicated to the some of the best jingles from the 70s & 80s. I don't know about you, but I consider jingle writing to be an art form. Some of these are instantly recognizable and many actually occupy a place in my jaded little heart. 

From the Toys R Us theme to the the classic "I'd Like To Buy The World A Coke", many of these jingles have stood the test of time. Sure, they were written to help sell some consumer goods, but when the songs are this catchy, I can't help but have a certain sentimental reaction. I mean, doesn't your balogna have a first & last name!? And who doesn't love short shorts?

Some of the commercials featured actors that would go on to have classic roles on stage and screen - everyone starts somewhere - but the Jaleel White sighting threw me for a loop!

Anyway, check it out. I really enjoyed this one!

Witness me, Slackers!

This week is a petal to the metal episode. No chit chat, no personal anecdotes from the week, nada - just straight out the gate just like the opening of every Mad Max movie. George Miller knows to keep all that pesky dialogue to a minimum and let the story unfold visually.

From the very first installment, Max Rockatansky has been one of the most interesting cinematic characters, in large part because he says so little. Whether Max is played by Mel Gibson or Tom Hardy, so much is expressed via facial expressions and the chaos happening all around him. Paired with some memorable villains, and you get cinematic gold. 

Speaking of villains, what a list of names: Toecutter. Night Rider. Lord Humongous. Wez. Aunty Entity. Ironbar. And of course, Immortan Joe. They just keep getting more and more over the top as the franchise progressed.

And what’s truly remarkable is the fact that Max is actually the deuteragonist of Mad Max: Fury Road. That’s right, he’s the second most important character - the protagonist is one Imperator Furiosa, originally played to perfection by Charlize Theron, and soon to be embodied by Anya Taylor-Joy in the upcoming Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga. 

I don’t know about you, but I am pretty stoked to see another installment in the franchise - Max or no Max!