Silent Generation

Silent Generation
  • 4.6 (34)
  • SOCIETY & CULTURE
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

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. Ep. 95: Dinner Parties

    5D AGO

    Ep. 95: Dinner Parties

    On this week’s episode of Silent Generation, Nathan and Breanna discuss all things dinner parties. The two begin by discussing what they like about dinner parties and their personal experiences hosting and attending them. They then review common features of traditional dinner parties (cocktail hour, place settings, multiple course meals, and after-dinner entertainment) before detailing how they have changed over time. Amongst other things they discuss how Emily Post and Martha Stewart presented competing visions of the high-effort dinner party, how the depreciation of dining-related antiques demonstrates the decline of dinner parties in America, and how modern dinner parties emphasize a relaxed approach that is best demonstrated by Allison Roman’s Nothing Fancy.    Links: Etiquette in Society, in Business, in Politics, and at Home by Emily Post How Dinner Parties Became the Fuzzy Blanket of Adulthood by Alissa Wilkinson The Dinners That Shaped History by Brenda Wineapple Eating Together : Food, Friendship and Inequality Alice P. Julier The Pleasure of Your Company (but No Gaucheries, Please!): Dinner Parties in 19th-Century America by mansionmusings Entirely Entertaining: Dishing Dinner Party Trends Through the Decades I Tracked Down The Company Ruining Restaurants The Art of Entertaining Why Dinner Parties Still Matter Entertaining by Martha Stewart Martha (2024) Martha Stewart wheelbarrow clip The Exterminating Angel (1962) The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie (1972) Fantastic Mr. Fox (2009) Why the dinner party is a declining art by Harmeet Kaur Politics on the menu in Seoul as Donald Trump dines on shrimp from disputed waters and 360-year-old soy sauce by Nicola Smith Cameron praises Obama at lavish state dinner by Mark Madell Presidents at State Dinners: A Historical Overview Nothing Fancy by Allison Roman Alison Roman’s “Nothing Fancy” and the Art of the Unpretentious Dinner Party by Michele Moses With 'Nothing Fancy,' Alison Roman Aims To Rebrand Having People Over For Dinner by Wynne Davis   Artwork: Charlie Chaplin, Buster Keaton (and others) at a party given for Rudolph Valentino   Recorded on 02/08/2026

    1h 16m
  2. Ep. 94: Soft Colonial Wanderlust

    FEB 10

    Ep. 94: Soft Colonial Wanderlust

    Soft Colonial Wanderlust is a Victorian-inspired consumer aesthetic that was popular from the late 1980s to mid 2010s. It consists of black and white photographs, hand-colored photographs, antiquated technology, chinoiserie, japonisme, and general orientalism. Nathan and Breanna detail the aesthetic in this week’s episode of Silent Generation, from its murky origins in ‘60s/‘70s British animation to its eventual identification by CARI in 2017. They discuss how Twee is the “girl version” of Soft Colonial Wanderlust, how hand-colored photographs serve as the foundation for the aesthetic’s color scheme, and how Soft Colonial Wanderlust differentiates itself from Steampunk by eschewing digital technology.    Links: Soft Colonial Wanderlust Pinterest Board: https://www.pinterest.com/silentgeneration/soft-colonial-wanderlust/ Soft Colonial Wanderlust CARI Page Soft Colonial Wanderlust Aesthetics Wiki Page What is Soft Colonialist Wanderlust? Facebook Group Soft Colonialist Wanderlust Are.na Page https://anemptyblissbeyondthisworld.neocities.org/CARI/soft-colonial The surprising evolution of hipsters in the 2000s The Mysterious Geographic Explorations Of Jasper Morello   Artwork: Hendrick's Gin "Escape"   Recorded on 01/31/2026

    1h 19m
  3. Introducing Breanna

    FEB 10

    Introducing Breanna

    In this special announcement, Nathan welcomes Breanna as the newest cohost of Silent Generation! The two kick things off by reflecting on their time in Dallas and the activities they shared the day before. Nathan then interviews Breanna about her background (who she is, where she has lived, and what lenses she uses for cultural analysis) before outlining the future of Silent Generation.    Links: Breanna’s Instagram Labyrinth of Art Breanna’s TikTok Breanna’s Letterboxd   Artwork: Photograph by Studio Solaire   Recorded on 01/31/2026

    17 min

  4. 12/08/2025

    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
  5. Ep. 93: Bicoastal Lifestyles w/ Nevadastyles

    12/01/2025

    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
  6. Ep. 92: Adult Contemporary

    11/17/2025

    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
  7. Ep. 91: Fraternities

    11/10/2025

    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
  8. Ep. 90: Cryptids [TEASER]

    10/31/2025

    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
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4.6
out of 5
34 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 - 2026
  • Episodes
    97
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Copyright 2023 All rights reserved.
  • Show Website
    Silent Generation

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