Silent Generation

Nothing expresses the aesthetics of infrastructure as clearly as American rest stops. On this week’s episode of Silent Generation, Nathan is joined by artist and professor Madeline Rupard, whose paintings “consider the American landscape” and frequently depict rest stops. They begin by defining what constitutes rest stops (fast food chains, gas stations, motels, and plentiful car-oriented infrastructure) before surveying their aesthetics. Amongst other things they discuss how the history of rest areas differs from that of service areas, how America’s first transcontinental highway (the Lincoln Highway) was financed through private sources, how Buc-ee’s lures in customers with spacious and clean restrooms, and how Eden, Idaho is home to a spectacular Garden of Eden themed rest stop.    Links: Madeline Rupard - Instagram Page Luxurydeptstore - Instagram Page https://www.madelinerupard.com/  Passages / Madeline Rupard An Interview With Madeline Rupard The sky at grocery stores meme The European mind can’t comprehend this meme The Real-Life Places Along Route 66 that Inspired Cars Before Route 66: The Story of America’s First Highway restareahistory.org Daniel Everett - Instagram Page What Internet Memes Get Wrong About Breezewood, Pennsylvania by Amanda Kolson Hurley Breezewood, Pennsylvania Is Not What You Think It Is by Classy Whale A “lost” photo set of sorts… Traveler’s Oasis “Garden of Eatin’” in Eden, Idaho The Store (1983) Nonstandard - A Documentary (2025) Why our buildings lost their soul by Pearlmania500   Artwork: Photograph provided by Madeline Rupard   Recorded on 8/30/2025

The aesthetics of infrastructure are often treated as an expensive afterthought, noticed and appreciated only by artists. But can it even be beautiful to begin with? On this week’s episode of Silent Generation, Joseph and Nathan begin by discussing the four primary ways that infrastructure achieves beauty: engineering and design, paint, public art, and disguise (as is the case with stealth towers). Amongst other things they discuss how it is cringe when infrastructure is made to look like public art, how redesigned streets with painted bike/ bus lanes are a rare instance of society becoming more colorful, how many people assume that hostile design choices that impact homeless people are aesthetic ones, and how infrastructure built by the Works Progress Administration incorporated ornamentation and vernacular architectural traditions.    Links: Around the Antenna Tree by Lisa Parks A Prehistory of the Cloud by Tung-Hui Hu How Infrastructure Works: Inside the Systems That Shape Our World by Deb Chachra Rust: The Longest War by Johnathan Waldman The Danger of Minimalist Design  A Visual History of the British Telephone Box by Nick Sturgess The Hand by Jiří Trnka Places & Traces 'Ridiculous' Blue Seats Face Buildings, Don't Attract Shoppers, Critics Say by Mina Bloom Ampelmännchen Hall of Waters   Artwork: Glenn Jackson Bridge aerial Steve Morgan, CC BY-SA 3.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0>, via Wikimedia Commons   Recorded on 8/24/2025

Full episode available on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/SilentGeneration This week’s episode attempts to address how and why many American cultural practices and institutions have been replaced by those of Disney adults. Nathan is joined by his friend Tiffany Wright, a Disney theme park aficionado with a deep knowledge of the community, to discuss the topic. They begin by defining “Disney adult” and note their psychological motivations. They then survey several Disney resorts (Disneyland, Disney World, and Disneyland Abu Dhabi) and popular Disney influencers like Dear and Darling. Amongst other things they discuss Disney adult critiques and defenses, the enduring relevance of Mickey Mouse in fashion, and the phenomenon of adult infantilization more broadly through Funko Pops and Labububus.    Links: Tiffany Wright - Instagram page Tiffany’s Disney adult Halloween costume Disney Adults: Exploring (and Falling in Love With) a Magical Subculture by AJ Wolfe  The ‘Disney Adult’ Industrial Complex by Amelia Tait  Three Maligned Modern Tourists Defend Themselves by Amelia Tait How ‘Disney Adults’ Became the Most Hated Group on the Internet by EJ Dickson Don’t Judge Disney Adults. Try to Understand Them by Jodi Eichler-Levine What Exactly Is the Magic of Disney World? by Kathryn Jezer-Morton K-HOLE #5: A Report on Doubt Disney’s FastPass: A Complicated History - Defunctland  A Deep Dive Into Disney Adults - Kurtis Connor Disney Adult (Urban Dictionary definition) Grown woman who cried upon meeting Goofy Tik Tok video The Segregation of Social Desire: “Religion” and Disney World by William Arnal Disneyland Abu Dhabi Would 'Never Work' Outdoors Says Park Boss by Caroline Reid Dear and Darling   Dear and Darling Pluto story Bad Influence: The Dark Side of Kidfluencing Pokemon scalper cleans out entire shelf of destined rivals etb in front of kid Once Upon A Time: The Pop Culture Impact of Mickey Mouse Watches by Rhonda Riche The enduring appeal of Mickey Mouse: Why the fashion industry is still interested by Anya Georgijevic Disney adults when they're not at Disney?   Artwork: Britney Spears Once Went On an INSANE Disney World Shopping Spree by Alessia Dunn   Recorded on 8/17/2025

On this week’s episode of Silent Generation, Joseph and Nathan discuss all things men’s fragrances. They begin by weighing the reasons men typically wear fragrances (“sex sells,” general presentation) versus why they might not (fragrance sensitivity, “men should smell like men”). They then review several fragrances: Dior Sauvage, Bleu de Chanel, Paco Rabanne Phantom, 4711 Original Eau de Cologne, Greenbriar by Caswell Massey, Maii Bogue, Weekend for Men by Burberry, and Knize Ten. They round out the episode by discussing Jeremy Fragrance’s career as “the number one fragrance icon that follows the teachings of Jesus” before reflecting on the totemic qualities of fragrances.    Links: Smellmaxxing Studio Ready Teen Spirit in Pink Crush Fragrance sensitivity: why perfumed products can cause profound health problems by Sirin Kale Last of the NYC Leathermen Fragrance Concentration Guide Everything You Need To Know About Fragrance Concentration Levels - EDT, EDP, Parfum, & MORE Official cologne flowchart of the 4chan fragrance board Fragrance Groups 101 fragrantica.com Dior Sauvage - Fragrantica page Bleu de Chanel - Fragrantica page Paco Rabanne Phantom - Fragrantica page 4711 Original Eau de Cologne - Fragrantica page Greenbriar Caswell Massey - Fragrantica page Maai Bogue - Fragrantica page Weekend for Men Burberry - Fragrantica page Knize Ten - Fragrantica page Dior Sauvage in 2015 according to The History of the Hero: Dior Sauvage by Sarah Karmali I Wore The World's Oldest Cologne For a Week Bogue Profumo Maai: Valkyrie Chypres & Vintage Animalism Knize Ten - A Masterpiece from 1925 Kniže & Co.: A First-Hand Look at Vienna’s Most Storied Tailor by Sven Raphael Schneider Jeremy Fragrance: The Smell of Success Jeremyfragrance - Tik Tok page How Abercrombie, Victoria’s Secret and Vitamin Shoppe use smell to get you to spend more Say Goodbye To The Scent Of Fierce In Abercrombie & Fitch Stores by Christopher Luu Subway: What the Hell Is That Smell? by Joel Burrows The Woman Who Wants to Give Birth to a Shark by Nikhil Roy Gabriel O’Hara (niche fragrance brand inspired by Chicago streets)   Artwork: Knize Ten Eau de Toilette   Recorded on 8/11/2025

Gorpcore is a hiking-inspired aesthetic that was first identified in a 2017 article published in The Cut. On this week’s episode of Silent Generation, Joseph begins by interviewing Nathan about his gorpcore-esque wardrobe. The boys then detail the various elements of the aesthetic (outerwear, technical fabrics, face concealment, and high definition landscapes) before introducing a vintage sub-aesthetic they call “lindy gorpcore.” Towards the later half of the episode they discuss Death Stranding 1 and its recent sequel Death Stranding 2: On the Beach, which are standout examples of the gorpcore aesthetic in gaming.    Links:  Gorpcore Pinterest Board: https://www.pinterest.com/silentgeneration/gorpcore/  Lindy Gorpcore Pinterest Board: https://www.pinterest.com/silentgeneration/lindy-gorpcore/   r/Gorpcore  A Guide To: Gorpcore Everything to Know About Gorpcore, the Outdoorsy Trend Celebs Love The Origins of GORP by Ashley Brown First Came Normcore. Now Get Ready for Gorpcore by Jason Chen Rihanna Lookin' like a Pokemon gym leader meme pride month outfit meme Gorpworld - Instagram page Gorpcore.jpeg - Instagram page Gorpcore.world - Instagram page Outdoorrecarchive - Instagram page Presta94 - Instagram page Dimi_tt7 - Instagram page The Story of Fleece by Rachel G Clark The Darkside of Gorpcore by Wrong Trousers Oze’s Mighty Bokka Porters Hideo Kojima and Yoji Shinkawa Open Up About Death Stranding 2: Connection, Creativity, and Walking Through Loneliness by Ralph Check Out This Sick $1700 Death Stranding 2 Jacket You’ll Never Get by Alyssa Mercante Death Stranding 2 Photo Session with Fragile, Tomorrow and Rainy   Artwork: Source unknown   Recorded on 8/2/2025

Full episode available on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/SilentGeneration This is the third and final installment of Silent Generation’s three part series on Bohemianism. In this week’s episode, Joseph and Nathan finally address the most popular definition of “bohemian”: the trope of the impoverished artist living on the fringes of society. They detail how the combined impacts of the French and Industrial Revolutions caused bohemians to first emerge in Paris during the 1830s, and how the cultural figure was defined and popularized by Henri Murger’s Scenes of Bohemian Life and Giacamo Puccini’s La Bohème. They conclude by discussing other 19th century cultural figures (flaneurs, dandies), the movie Moulin Rouge!, and boho-chic fashion.    Links: Scenes of Bohemian Life by Henri Murger La bohème by Giacomo Puccini Bohemians: A Very Short Introduction by David Weir Bohemians: The Glamorous Outcasts by Elizabeth Wilson Bohemianism - In Our Time (BBC) Cross-section of a Parisian house in the 1850s Mexico City Gentrification Towertown: LOST COMMUNITIES OF CHICAGO Nabe ni Dangan wo Ukenagara (manga that features Chicago) “Water only” family Tik Tok Labelle - Lady Marmalade Bo-ho Chic/ Whimsicraft Designs from Bohemian Style (1999) Decorating Cents worst designs Tik Tok   Artwork: Photos of Bohemian Partiers in New York’s Greenwich Village, 1910-1920   Recorded on 7/28/2025

On this week’s episode of Silent Generation, Joseph interviews Nathan about his recent trip to Poland and the Czech Republic. He recaps his travels to Gdansk, Warsaw, Krakow, and Prague. Amongst other things he discusses how Gdansk was once a city-state known as the Free City of Danzig, how Warsaw’s Museum of Communism is above a KFC, how one of Krakow’s largest tourist attractions is a salt mine in the town of Wieliczka, and how Prague is home to the largest European castle still in use.  This is the second installment of a four part series that explores the cultural figure of the Bohemian and its origins. This segment briefly explains how “Bohemia” is a region and kingdom that is now part of the modern day Czech Republic.   Links: Prague is a Parody of Europe   Artwork: Exploring Prague in May, 1991   Recorded on 7/13/2025

Manouche jazz is a musical genre (or musical idiom) pioneered by Django Reinhardt, a French-Romani jazz guitarist and composer who lived from 1910 to 1953. He developed manouche jazz in collaboration with Stéphane Grappelli after being inspired by American jazz musicians, and the genre is notable for its percussive guitars, virtuosic lead guitarists, and reliance on acoustic instruments. Joseph and Nathan are joined by Kelly from the Significant Lovers podcast to discuss the genre.    This is the first installment of a four part series that explores the cultural figure of the Bohemian and its origins. The French believed that the Romani people came from Bohemia when they first arrived in their country, and the term “Bohemian” meant “Romani” for several centuries. “Bohemian” came to be associated with all of the stereotypes of the Romani people (positive and negative) before coming to only be associated with positive Romani stereotypes by the end of the 20th century: artsy, creative, free-spirited, and prone to wanderlust.   Links: Significant Lovers Spotify Significant Lovers Instagram Manouche Jazz Playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5yZf7mGsSpZteSa41sUD84?si=0da77b26e481443c   Rendezvous A Paris (Starbucks) playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0Z8SiyBtkpaHaB3LFHC9wf?si=4de387e2bb20429e  Gypsy Jazz: in Search of Django Reinhardt and the Soul of Gypsy Swing by Michael Dregni  #8 Michael Dregni - The Life and Times of Django Reinhardt Stéphane Grappelli - His Life and Legacy: Part One. Gypsy Jazz Violinist with/after Django Reinhardt Wish You Were Here by Pink Floyd Bohemianism - In Our Time (BBC)   Artwork: Django Reinhardt   Recorded on 6/29/2025

Full episode available on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/SilentGeneration    On this week’s episode of Silent Generation, Joseph and Nathan discuss one of the biggest culprits of car-oriented development in the mid-20th century: malls. The boys begin by surveying several malls in Chicago (900 N. Michigan, The Water Tower Place, Block 37, and Ford City Mall) before delving into the largest malls in the country (Mall of America, American Dream Mall, and King of Prussia Mall). They then discuss a multitude of mall brands, noting the mall goth feedback loop generated by Hot Topic and the toxicity of Bath and Body Works. They conclude by discussing the urbanist critique of malls and what should be done with dying ones.    Links: The Economics and Nostalgia of Dead Malls by Nelson D. Schwartz The Great American Shopping Mall: Past, Present, and Future by Spencer Li The Perfectly Optimized Building for Late Capitalism - Stewart Hicks Opening of Minnesota's Southdale Center 99 Percent Invisible: Meet me by the fountain How Malls Are Evolving In The U.S What Is a Class A Mall? Why Restaurants Have Become So Important To Shopping Malls Water Tower Place ‘Past Its Prime’ As A Mall — But Mag Mile Recovery In Full Swing, Backers Say by Melody Mercado The Only Thing To Do in a Dying Mall by Edward Robert McClelland What is The Metropolitan? What to know about the new urban village in Phoenix by Taylor Seely Meet the ‘Queen Spinner of Shell Shock,’ a local celebrity at MOA by Nicole Ki Spencer’s Gifts existed back in the ‘40s as a mail order catalog that sold donkeys Yankee Candles Levels of Abstraction Mall Chicken Made Me Feel More American by Su Jit-Lin Luxurydeptstore Instagram account The Great Places Erased by Suburbia - Notjustbikes What We Should (Actually) Do with Dying Malls - Chuck from Strong Towns   Artwork: 1990s aerial photo of Glendale Galleria and pre-Americana   Recorded on 6/22/2025

On this week’s episode of Silent Generation, Joseph and Nathan detail all of the garments men wear to the beach and the various ways they make men look attractive. They begin with beachwear bottoms (speedos, jammers, box leg trunks, swim trunks, boardshorts), before discussing tops (tank tops, Hawaiian shirts, button downs, Italian knits), and accessories (straw hats, sandals, dive watches). Afterward, the boys examine how the version of preppy style common in coastal Southern states naturally resembles beachwear, citing the Ratliffs from the most recent season of The White Lotus as their primary example. They then discuss beachwear in additional TV shows and movies (The Beach, Seinfeld, and Magnum PI) before concluding with an exposé on shirtlessness.    Links: Beachwear Pinterest board: https://www.pinterest.com/silentgeneration/beachwear/  Bitches from Wisconsin be like BEACH DAY meme Bitches from Chicago be like BEACH DAY meme Milverine A cool guide about swimwear color safety Interview: The Designers of Chubbies Shorts by Geoffrey Brown Men's Swimwear Guide - Bathing Suits for Gentlemen: Trunks, Briefs & Speedos 1970’s Men’s Swimwear Tik Tok video Macy's Beachwear June 2025 - Chicago, IL You can’t arrest me my dad is a lawyer meme Mike White Teases Location For Season 4 Of ‘The White Lotus’ by Peter White The White Lotus Costume Designer Alex Bovaird on Season 3's Designer-Loving Blondes, the Catalog-Worthy Ratliffs, and Chelsea's DIY Expat Style - Who What Wear Podcast BONUS: Alex Bovaird Returns! The White Lotus Costume Designer on Every Fashion Easter Egg in Season 3 and the Impact of Her Costumes - Who What Wear Podcast Duvin Design Vacation Brand Sunscreen Orlebar Brown Frescobol Carioca Chubbies   Artwork: Surfers   Recorded on 6/15/2025

Full episode available on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/SilentGeneration   “Gayborhoods” (also known as gay villages) are gay neighborhoods that emerged in the United States at the end of World War II. Returning soldiers were sent home to port cities like New York City and San Francisco, and the sudden influx of gay veterans in those places caused a profusion of gay bars to appear. But how did clusters of LGBT nightlife venues come to gain official recognition as neighborhoods? On this week’s episode of Silent Generation, Joseph and Nathan begin by detailing how Boystown in Chicago came to be the first officially recognized gayborhood in the country. They then survey gayborhoods in several other cities (Milwaukee, New York City, and San Francisco) before debating the pros and cons of living in gayborhoods in the modern era.    Links: From Antarctica with Love by Allegra Rosenberg Milestones in the American Gay Rights Movement The new LGBT neighborhood: Everywhere Searching for the Last Lesbian Bars in America Why Do Lesbian Bars Keep Disappearing? by Stef Rubino What should a gay district look like in Detroit? Survey seeks input by Micah Walker A Tavern On (Almost) Every Corner: Why Did So Many Chicago Bars Disappear? by Jake Smith Making Chicago’s Boystown by Steven Jackson and Jason Nargis Boytown: How Chicago Got its Gay Neighborhood The History of Boystown's Rainbow Pylons Decoplex - CARI Aesthetic Labor Dispute Closes Berlin, the Beloved Chicago Gay Bar by Emily Schmall Resistance Remains in Renaming of Chicago’s ‘Boystown’ Neighborhood to ‘Northalsted’ by Miguel Johnson Berlin Nightclub Workers Call For Boycott As They Fight For Contract by Amber Stoutenborough Berlin nightclub union demands OUTgoing: Mapping the Hidden History of New York’s Gay Nightlife by Jeff Ferzoco Photograph of the gay village in Manchester in 1995 The Simpson’s gay pride parade scene Women & Women First book store SoDoSoPa   Artwork: Gilbert Baker & “Raise the Rainbow” Workshop    Recorded on 6/1/2025

Normcore is a “a post-authenticity coolness that opts into sameness.” The term was first coined by the trend forecasting group K-HOLE in their 2013 report Youth Mode: A Report on Freedom, which was a larger philosophical deliberation on the degree to which people should remain alternative into adulthood. This week’s episode of Silent Generation focuses on how the fashion world’s misclassification of normcore as an aesthetic caused internet aesthetics to become less subculture-oriented after the mid-2010s. Nathan and Solana begin by discussing the history of internet aesthetics by breaking them down into four categories and three periods: consumer aesthetics, early internet subcultures (2009-2014), Vaporwave-inspired aesthetics (2014-2020), and Tik Tok aesthetics (2020-2025). They then discuss the true meaning of K-HOLE’s report and question what normcore fashion conceptually looked like. They round out the episode by recapping the reasons why normcore killed off the subculture component of internet aesthetics: aesthetics could now be vibes or metaphysical concepts, aesthetics became a formula that could be capitalized off of by brands, and internet aesthetics became more fashion-centric.    Links: Youth Mode: A Report on Freedom Normcore: Fashion for Those Who Realize They’re One in 7 Billion by Fiona Duncan Normcore: Fashion Movement or Massive In-Joke? by Alex Williams Normcore Never Died. It Just Got More Expensive by Vanessa Friedman Normcore Was Always A Misunderstood Fantasy by Delia Cai ASOS: What is Normcore/90s Normal? ASOS explains... Gap’s Dress Normal Campaign Isn’t Working Because Normal People Don’t Want to Be Normal by Rachel Raczka   Artwork: Seinfeld   Recorded on 5/25/2025

Utopian Scholastic is an aesthetic that was popular in the education field from the late 1980s to early 2000s. It consists of stock image collage, early CGI, references to academia, references to surrealism, and serifed fonts. On this week’s episode, Joseph and Nathan go into a deep dive of Utopian Scholastic and begin by discussing how the aesthetic was first identified by someone inspired by the Consumer Aesthetics Research Institute. They then theorize how factors like the echo boom, utopian beliefs about the internet, and the relative parity of traditional and digital mediums caused Utopian Scholastic to first emerge. Amongst other things they discuss how Frasurbane acts as a base for the aesthetic and how the Eyewitness TV show replicated the style of DK Eyewitness books.   Links: Pinterest board: https://www.pinterest.com/silentgeneration/utopian-scholastic/  Utopian Scholastic CARI Page  Utopian Scholastic Aesthetics Wiki Page Evan Collin’s Utopian Scholastic Are.Na Page The Most Overlooked Aesthetic : Utopian Scholastic by Kat Online Utopian Scholastic Designs from a Pre-9/11 World The post in Global Village Coffeehouse and Suze Huldt’s comments Peggy McNamara’s art website Ship With Butterfly Sails by Salvador Dali  DK Eyewitness Intro  The Making of Eyewitness Get Lit: Grown-Up Book Fair   Artwork: The Arts in Education Poster   Recorded on 5/18/2025

Full episode available on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/SilentGeneration    On this week’s episode of Silent Generation the boys discuss what makes IKEA one of Joseph’s favorite companies. They begin by briefly summarizing how IKEA was founded by Swedish entrepreneur Ingvar Kamprad in 1943 before detailing the various innovations that made it successful (the showroom model, flat packing, and self-assembly). They then talk about how IKEA acts as a point of cross-cultural exchange between Sweden and the United States through its furniture and food products. Amongst other things they discuss how IKEA just released their largest premium collection ever and may be experiencing the effects of premiumization, how IKEA was a pioneer in using recycled materials but is still responsible for 1% of the world’s annual wood consumption, and how IKEA has eight categories of consumers that they cater to but most strongly appeals to people in their 20s.    Links: Everyday Tastes from High-Brow to Low-Brow, 1949 Everyday Tastes from High-Brow to Low-Brow, Modern Interpretation Hacking IKEA - 99% Invisible  IKEA - Acquired Podcast IKEA Museum House Perfect by Lauren Collins IKEA Invented "Eureka Spiritis" to Showcase Its Quality Furnishings by Laura McQuarrie  At what age do people stop shopping at Ikea? by Zachary Crockett What's New at IKEA | IKEA's New LUXURY Collection! Why You Might Want To Throw Away Your Black Kitchen Utensils and Takeout Containers by Christine Byrne  These Ugly Big Box Stores are Literally Bankrupting Cities - Not Just Bikes   Artwork: IKEA Store in Yokohama, Japan Jmho, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons   Recorded on 5/12/2025

Scene is a youth subculture that evolved from emo in the mid to late 2000s. Members of the subculture were typically referred to as “scene kids”, but scene kids with large online followings were also referred to as “scene queens” or “scene kings.” On this week’s episode of Silent Generation, Joseph and Nathan begin by sharing their theory that scene spread in a diffuse manner throughout exurbia (particularly in the Sun Belt) due to early social media sites like Myspace. They then detail the elements of scene fashion (brightly colored hair, heavy eyeliner, skinny jeans, band tees, kandi bracelets, and cartoon characters) before examining notable scene queens like Kiki Kannibal, Ambrehhh Is Dead, and Vanna Venom. Amongst other things they discuss how scene kids would act performatively hyper in the way that emo kids would act performatively sad, how Warped Tour’s lineup reflected the wide range of musical genres scene kids liked (metal, EDM, crunkcore), and how modern Zoomers and TikTok influencers have reinterpreted scene through scenecore.    Links: Scene Kids Pinterest board: https://www.pinterest.com/silentgeneration/scene-kids/  “Scene Kids” on Google Trends From Hardcore to Harajuku: The Origins of Scene Subculture by Ethan Stewart The comprehensive guide to scene culture (from a former scene kid) // video essay by Saoirse The Scene Queens Of Myspace: Web’s First Ever Stars (2000s Guide) by Vitalyspace everyday hair&makeup routine by Ambrehhh Is Dead Kiki Kannibal: The Girl Who Played With Fire by Sabrina Rubin Erdely Kiki Kannibal’s necklaces Scene Wolf - Know Your Meme Scene Nostalgia/ fuckyeah2012 From a real 2000-2010s former scene girl.. (w/ proof pix and playlist - Reddit post Freaxx - brokeNCYDE Alcohol - Millionaires 23 Former Scene Kids From The '00s Who Glowed The Heck Up by Anna Kopsky How zoomers think skinny jeans look vs. how millennials think skinny jeans look   Artwork: Ambrehhh Is Dead   Recorded on 5/5/2025

Vernacular architecture is architecture that uses local materials and traditional techniques to construct buildings without the guidance of licensed architects. It is surprisingly common in the United States despite the country's young age, including in cities like Chicago. This week the boys are joined by Will Quam, the founder of walking tour company Brick of Chicago, to discuss Chicago's rich vernacular traditions and building types. Amongst other things they discuss how the Great Chicago Fire led to the proliferation of brick architecture throughout the city, how Chicago produced over a billion common bricks per year at the peak of brick production, how many of the city's two and three flats were built using "plan books,"  and how the city has a "bungalow belt" of bungalow homes that were built in the 1920s.    Links: Brick of Chicago website - https://www.brickofchicago.com/  Brick of Chicago - Instagram Page Architecture Without Architects by Rusofsky Bernard Vernacular Architecture by Henry Glassie Out of the Loop: Chicago Vernacular Architecture Forum Chicago Vernacular Architecture The Chicago Workers Cottage Initiative Are Two-Flats Only A Chicago Thing? Why These Uniquely Chicago Homes Have Thrived For A Century by Kelly Bauer How bungalow-y is the Bungalow Belt? by Daniel Kay Hertz After design competition, architect will get to build vision for new Chicago two-flat by Sara Freund Even the Moon Has a Dark Side: A Critical Look at Vernacular Architecture by Sanjoy Mazumdar   Artwork: Provided by Will Quam   4/28/2025

Full episode available on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/SilentGeneration   Historical dressing refers to the act of wearing clothing that is authentic to a specific time period, while historical reenactment refers to the act of recreating past events (such as battles). These two overlapping activities and communities have much in common but are rarely analyzed together. On this week’s episode of Silent Generation, Joseph and Nathan begin by considering the psychological motivations behind historical dressing and reenactment. They then detail the various types of historical reenactment, where to buy reenactment clothing and supplies, and why some people chose to wear historical clothing daily. Amongst other things they discuss how “farb” is used as a pejorative term to describe inauthentic reenactors, how tailors like The Progressive Tailor hand stitch their clothing, how Dandy Wellington popularized the phrase “vintage style, not vintage values,” and what the debate around vintage values in the community really means.    Links: I was obsessed with the mid 19th century as kid Blunderyears post  Uniforms: Why We Are What We Wear by Paul Fussell The Grenadier Company The Grenadier Company’s crashing out Instagram post The Ragged Victorians – The Great Unwashed The Milwaukee Vintage Style Society  Deer Hunting in the Oregon Cascades, circa 1925. The Progressive Tailor - Instagram Page The Progressive Tailor - Facebook Page Pinsent Tailoring - https://www.pinsenttailoring.co.uk/  Pinsent Tailoring - Instagram Page Dandy Wellington - Instagram Page Mistress Pennywhistle - Instagram Page What We Each Wear in a Week: 3 Daily Historical Fashion Wearers ‘I don’t see jeans in my future’: the people who wear complete historical dress – every day by Ammar Kali Victorian Era Couple Live Like It's The 19th Century Millennial Lives His Life In Victorian Era This woman lives every day like it’s 1958 This man lives every day like it's 1965 The Meaning of ‘Vintage Style, Not Vintage Values’ in the Modern Age by Lena Bramsen Fashion-focused Jan. 6 rioter who snapped selfies with Roger Stone and white supremacist arrested thanks to Instagram: Feds by Brandi Buchman   Artwork: Farb   Recorded on 4/22/2025

World’s fairs, now called World Expos, are large global expositions that exhibit the achievements of nations. They originally focused on industry and technology before shifting to a focus on cultural exchange and nation branding in the mid-20th century. On this week’s episode of Silent Generation, the boys go into a deep dive of several notable world’s fairs including the 1851 Great Exhibition in London, the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition in Chicago, the 1904 Louisiana Purchase Exposition in St. Louis, The 1933 Century of Progress Exposition in Chicago, and the 1964 World’s Fair in New York City. They conclude the episode by talking about how and why the world’s fair has declined as a cultural institution. Amongst other things they discuss how the Ferris wheel was first invented for Chicago’s 1893 world’s fair, how the 1904 St. Louis world’s fair put over 1,000 Filipino people on display, how the Van Wyck Expressway was extended to provide access to the 1964 NYC world’s fair, and how the newest world’s fair just opened in Osaka, Japan this week.  Links: What Was the Great Exhibition of 1851 by Steven Brindle Falsifying History by Destroying Cities - Stewart Hicks 1500 Buildings Built in 3 Years - Louisiana Purchase Exposition 1904 - Auto Didactic Long-delayed DiCaprio/Scorsese serial killer film Devil in the White City back on track by Andrew Pulver The 1964 World’s Fair (1996) OSAKA EXPO 2025! All To Know Before You Go! Ticket presales, pavilion completion slow 1 month before Osaka Expo Expo 2025 Osaka: 8 Must-See National Pavilions The Fall of The Fair by Harry Swartout Artwork: NY World's Fair 1964-1965 by PLCjr Attribution-NonCommercial 2.0 Generic Recorded on 4/13/2025

Metrosexual is a term first coined by British journalist Mark Simpson in 1994. It is a portmanteau of the words “metropolitan” and “heterosexual,” and it describes straight men who care about their personal style in a similar manner to gay men. The term only entered mainstream discourse in 2002 after Simpson “outed” David Beckham as metrosexual in his Meet the Metrosexual article. On this week’s episode of Silent Generation, Joseph and Nathan compare and contrast the metrosexual with similar cultural figures like the flâneur and the Yuppie. Amongst other things they discuss how the 2003 series Queer Eye for the Straight Guy functioned as “metrosexuality: the reality TV show,” how there was a “retrosexual” backlash against metrosexuality towards the later half of the 2000s, and how we might be experiencing the fifth wave of the “men move to cities and become more stylish” phenomenon in the present day.    Links: Here Come the Mirror Men: Why the future is metrosexual by Mark Simpson Meet the Metrosexual by Mark Simpson Metrodaddy Speaks by Mark Simpson Forget new man. Now you're hetero, retro or metro by Mark Simpson Who are you calling a metrosexual? Is it time to return to when 'men were men'? by Dave Besley Metrosexuals - A Documentary (2004) What Is a Metrosexual? The 2003 Trend That Came With the Success of ‘Queer Eye Are You a Heterosexual Male Diva? By David Crunk The Rise of the Brosexual by Megan Collins Discussing Menswear as a Woman by Ash Callaghan   Artwork: AI generated    Recorded on 3/30/2025  

Full episode available on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/SilentGeneration   On this week’s episode of Silent Generation, Joseph and Nathan examine all things related to air travel. They begin with a historical deep dive that breaks air travel down into six distinct eras: the invention of aviation, the first golden age, WWII, the jet age, deregulation after 1978, and the modern era. The boys then go in several anecdotal directions, reminiscing about the airlines of yesteryear (Pan Am and TWA) and the decline of in-flight service. Amongst other things they discuss how the Airline Deregulation Act of 1978 caused airlines to begin competing on price instead of service, how Southwest recently got rid of their two free checked bags policy, how Pan Am used to serve passengers beluga caviar, and how the TWA Hotel in NYC gives modern people the opportunity to experience Jet Age luxury.   Links: The Case For Santos Dumont The Wind Rises (2013) Airlines’ Secret Scheme to Keep Airfare Prices High Boeing: How much trouble is the company in? by Theo Leggett  Passengers evacuate onto wing of American Airlines plane after engine catches fire at Denver airport by Pete Muntean and Alexandra Skores Fury as Southwest Airlines puts an end to one of its most popular perks by Ben Shimkus Goodbye to ‘bags fly free’ on Southwest Airlines, the last freebie in America by Leslie Joseph Matt Stoller: How To Fix The Airline Industry's Structural Problems The Rise And Fall Of Pan Am Come Fly With Me: The Story of Pan Am (2011, BBC Documentary) The meme about galas Joseph Meeting Griz from 30 Rock Joseph on a cargo plane Woman strips naked and walks screaming down the aisle on Southwest flight to Phoenix by Terry Dickerson Whitneylynn1 (Instagram Evangelist)  You’re Crazy For Taking the Bus by Johnathan Richman Artwork: TWA Convair 880 Lounge Publicity Photo San Diego Air and Space Museum Archive, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons   Recorded on 3/20/2025