Like Whatever

The week felt heavy, so we reached for the stories and rituals that hold us together. We start with a quick programming note for the holidays, then slide into the things that actually lift our moods: football catharsis, Krampus Fest dreams, and the strange power of a Taylor Swift doc to make us laugh, cry, and clap in the living room. From there, we sink into a heartfelt tribute to Rob Reiner and the films that quietly built our Ge...

What if the toy aisle was actually a story engine? We crack open the sticker book of Gen X memory to uncover the real origins, marketing magic, and cultural chaos behind the 80s toys that defined a generation. From the sweet scent of Strawberry Shortcake to the riot-fueled rise of Cabbage Patch Kids, we follow the trail of how small design choices—fragrance, adoption papers, vinyl heads—became sparks for national obsession.

The glow of a cabinet screen. The clack of a trackball. The thrum of a Skee-Ball lane in the back of a noisy boardwalk hall. We go all-in on arcade culture—where it started, why it exploded, and how those simple, perfect loops still hook us decades later.

We trace the timeline from penny arcades and pinball to Atari’s first experiments, then the breakout hits that defined a generation: Space Invaders, Asteroids, Pac-Man, C...

Sun, pelicans, and a stubborn thermostat set the scene for a Florida catch‑up that quickly shifts into big news and even bigger monsters. We start with family stories, beach walks on Sanibel, and the joy of tiny airports that save you from giant-hub headaches. Then we share a win we’ve been chasing for months: our new website is live, and the merch shelf is stocked with hats, tees, hoodies, and water bottles you’ve been asking for....

A Monday mailbox note sets the fuse, but the story grows fast: two best friends unpack modern impatience, real-world logistics, and why a noon delivery isn’t a crisis. That everyday friction becomes a gateway to bigger questions—how we normalize danger, how schools script safety, and how mentors step into the gaps. The mood swings from rant to reflection and lands in a textured tour of the White House East Wing, a place that has qu...

The wind is howling, the coffee’s hot, and we’re already arguing about why a low‑scoring NFL slugfest is the most beautiful kind of football. Defense and field position feel like chess to us, not a lull—so we dig into the joy of a stress‑free Sunday when your team isn’t playing, the magic of watching RedZone without stakes, and the weird way a city’s first championship changes your heart forever. Couch vs. stadium? We weigh the Roc...

A dark true-crime binge and a stack of holiday catalogs aren’t the setup you’d expect for a joy-soaked tour through novelty music history, but that’s exactly where we go. We start with the emotional whiplash of the week—Gacy’s psychology, DNA breakthroughs, and why missing kids get dismissed—then pivot to therapy, Florence + The Machine’s pagan-tinged lyrics, and the everyday grind of USPS life. From porch-light PSAs to why tipping...

The wind howled outside, and we took the hint: time to build the ultimate Gen X Halloween playlist and see what memories come crawling out. We kick things off with the messy joy of spooky season—script swaps, bonus codes, and the kind of inside-baseball friendship banter that only happens this time of year—then settle into the songs that turn October into a world of its own. From Talking Heads’ Psycho Killer and the sued-but-still-...

Pop the tape, hear that whirr, and step back into the glow of a Friday night video run. We unpack the magic of VHS-era rituals—debating picks under fluorescent lights, scanning cover art for clues, trusting the clerk’s scribbled staff picks—and then follow the trail that turned neighborhood browsing into a streaming scroll. From VCRs and the Betamax vs VHS showdown to rapid rewinders, tape splicing, and late fees, we map how home v...

A year goes by fast when you build a ritual around friendship. We clink mimosas, raid the bagel plate, and trace the thread that brought us here: a weekly hour that forces life to slow down long enough to talk, laugh, and actually catch up. From a pink Hello Kitty diary found in a move to the choice to delete hundreds of photos, we explore what memory means to Gen X now—what we keep, what we toss, and why patience felt different wh...

A pop lyric can flip your mood, a true-crime twist can spark outrage, and a simple comic strip can outlive its creator by generations. We dive headfirst into that messy middle where culture meets memory: one of us swooning over Taylor’s newest hooks and audacious lines, the other craving the ache of her sadder eras; both of us stuck on the question that won’t let go—what happens when a show like Monster: Ed Gein chooses drama over ...

What if one date could hold a lifetime of cultural whiplash? We start with birthday football bliss, a raw story about losing a friend’s elderly dog, and that awkward post-count tension at work—then spiral into the pop culture rabbit hole October 3rd always seems to crack open. From kids’ TV confessions (Reading Rainbow without LeVar, Teletubbies dread, SpongeBob joy) to a Springsteen biopic sighting and a halftime-show debate, we m...

Slip into your fishnet stockings and get ready to do the Time Warp! We're celebrating the 50th anniversary of The Rocky Horror Picture Show, the boundary-pushing cult classic that transformed from theatrical flop to cultural phenomenon through the power of midnight screenings and passionate fandom.

From the creative genius of Richard O'Brien (who played Riff Raff and wrote the original stage show) to Tim Curry&ap...

Glass ceilings were made to be shattered, and throughout history, extraordinary women have been doing just that. From the tennis courts to outer space, from courtrooms to football fields, these trailblazers weren't just the first—they fundamentally changed what was possible for all women who followed.

Join us as we dive into the fascinating stories of female pioneers whose achievements opened doors and minds. We explo...

Remember those Disney fairytales you grew up with? Turns out they were heavily sanitized versions of much darker, often horrific stories that would give most adults nightmares—let alone children.

We're diving deep into the true origins of beloved classics like Snow White, Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, and The Little Mermaid, revealing the disturbing elements Disney conveniently left out. From cannibalism and self-mutil...

988 Lifeline - If you need emotional support, reach out to the national mental health hotline: 988.

The Trevor Project - Suicide Prevention for LGBTQ+ Young People

Remember when television dance shows weren't just entertainment but cultural institutions that shaped how we dressed, danced, and understood America? From American Bandstand's wholesome beginnings to Soul Train's revolutionary celebration of Black culture, t...

Remember when the most exciting moment of your week was spotting the new issue of Tiger Beat on the newsstand? When you'd carefully pry open the staples to extract that Johnny Depp poster without damaging his perfect face? Nicole and Heather take us back to those glorious days when print magazines ruled our Gen X world.

This episode reveals the surprising history behind the publications that shaped our youth. Did you ...

Step into the weird and wonderful world of Gen X nostalgia as Nicole and Heather take you on a journey that begins at the Philadelphia Oddities and Curiosities Expo and transforms into a heartfelt exploration of the school supplies that shaped our youth.

The adventure kicks off with Heather in her element among taxidermy, preserved specimens, and macabre collectibles, while Nicole good-naturedly tags along. Between the mic...