Eric Thompson

Gen X Experience

History EN ↓ 2 episodes

The Gen X Experience is the podcast that rewinds the greatest years of our lives—the 1970s and 80s. Hosted by Eric Thompson, each episode dives into the cultural moments, trends, music, sports, and politics that defined Generation X, the last truly analog kids who grew up in a digital world. From latchkey living and Saturday morning cartoons to Reagan, Rubik’s Cubes, and the rise of MTV, this show blends memory and meaning. Whether you were glued to your boombox making mixtapes, waiting in line at the arcade with a pocket full of quarters, or riding your bike until the streetlights came on—yo...

Author

Eric Thompson

Episodes

How MTV Shaped Gen X Culture Overnight 30.08.2025 17:39

On August 1st, 1981, the world of music—and the world of Gen X—changed forever with the launch of MTV. Those first words, “Ladies and gentlemen, rock and roll,” ushered in a brand-new way of experiencing music. No longer just something you listened to, music became something you watched, and for an entire generation, it became the soundtrack to growing up. From Michael Jackson’s moonwalk to Madonn...

Latchkey Life: Freedom or Neglect? 29.08.2025 12:00

For many Gen Xers, childhood meant coming home to an empty house. Parents were at work, and after school was a time of independence, responsibility—and sometimes loneliness. The “latchkey kid” became a symbol of a generation caught between shifting family dynamics and cultural change. In this episode, we rewind to what it meant to be a latchkey kid in the 70s and 80s. From after-school snacks and...