The Midlife Guys

We grew up with a lot more freedom than kids seem to have today. We rode our bikes freely around the neighborhood, went out with friends after school, and got back home by sunset. "Latchkey kids" have a bad rep, but it seems better than being the child of a helicopter parent, always having your mom and dad figure out life for you.   So today, we're digging into the pros and cons of the last few pa...

Ask millennials whether they're religious, and they're statistically likely to tell you they avoid organized religion—but are still "spiritual". It's true across countries, beliefs and denominations. So this week we're looking at what that means—the loss of community and "third spaces", the rise of individualism and social isolation, the schisms created by politicized churches, and the corruption...

Youth sports used to be pretty simple: sign up for the local rec league, play with your friends and go home. Now, for many families, sports can mean travel teams, private coaches, expensive equipment, packed weekends and thousands of dollars in spending—sometimes starting when kids are barely out of elementary school. What happened? This week we're looking at the high-pressure, fast-growing, trill...

To celebrate doing this podcast for one whole calendar year, we decided to answer listener questions and reflect on a year of our awesome podcasting journey—all totally live on YouTube and Facebook. Then Facebook refused to connect to the live stream. Fuck you, Meta.  To everyone else: thanks for listening over the past year, thanks for tuning in to our live show, and we hope you stick around. Loo...

We're taking another trip back into the 1990s—it's part 2 of our '90s nostalgia series. Last week, we focused on once-great brands that disappointed us; this time, we're remembering the brands that made growing up feel special—but have since disappeared. That's right, we're taking a trip to Blockbuster Video, folks! Log onto your AOL Messenger account and grab your favorite toy from Toys R Us, bec...

The things we loved in the 1990s don't always hold up so well in the 2020s. Over the next two weeks, we're looking back at some of the brands and cultural institutions that once seemed like an essential part of growing up—and ask how they went from cultural cornerstones to total afterthoughts. We dig into how McDonald’s changed, whatever Nickelodeon airs these days, and what the hell happened to M...

Ultra-processed food has become one of the defining nutrition concerns for Gen X and Millennials. But how much of it should we actually be worried about? Turns out, a lot more than most people realize. This week we're breaking down the difference between unprocessed, processed and ultra-processed foods, and why so much of what we eat falls into the last category, even when we try to avoid it. Conv...

Millennials entered the workforce with higher-ups teaching them a set of unwritten rules: stay humble, be grateful for the opportunity, avoid workplace drama, figure things out for yourself, and do your job well—everything else will fall into place. Now those same millennials are managing a younger generation with a dramatically different attitude toward work, recognition and career advancement. T...

Back-to-school season has, whether parents like it or not, become a full-blown cultural event. A season! Just for shopping for kids' stuff! Who needs all this? This week, we're talking the pressure to buy new clothes and supplies, and the growing number of back-to-school activities and meetups. Was August always this stressful?  Life was different then, but so was school itself. The quality of edu...

Some midlife changes happen gradually. Others seemly spring up overnight. Suddenly lighter beer tastes better, strategic napping is a thing, and restaurant menus are harder to read. These are just a few of the small, universal shifts that come with getting older—while also becoming increasingly curmudgeonly about other folks' newfangled habits, like FaceTiming in the grocery store. 

Everyone knows social media drives people apart—deeper into echo chambers, conspiratorial thinking and dehumanized realities—but few can see the forest through the trees. Many still believe they are right about everything; they are owed justice for injustices committed against them; and they cannot comprehend why someone else might be right about something. How do we crack this reality and return...

Do you have one foot in the grave once you hit 40? Maybe it was true in the Middle Ages... but not anymore. Inspired by Emma Rosenblum’s Wall Street Journal essay , Mike and Andrew explore the idea that one's 40s is adulthood's "prime time", and highlight how midlifers are redefining success, joy, and fulfillment in their 40s and beyond. 

Movie theatres were once the centre of summer entertainment, but are midlifers still showing up? Mike and Andrew dive into the changing movie-going experience, from rising ticket prices and family budgets to streaming convenience and nostalgia-fuelled rewatches. They compare today's theatre experience with the blockbuster era they grew up in, share favourite movie memories, and debate whether cine...

Baseball was supposed to be fading away. Soccer was never supposed to catch on in America. Yet both sports are attracting younger fans, filling stadiums with families, and gaining momentum while other leagues struggle with rising costs and ageing audiences. This week, we're exploring how older millennials and Gen Xers are driving this shift, from the explosion of youth sports in the 1980s and '90s...

Social media isn't just affecting teenagers. It's reshaping midlife, parenthood and middle-class personal finances. Parents are bombarded with unrealistic family content that foments guilt and FOMO, distorting reality by curating highlight reels of impossible lifestyles. Between those unrealistic expectations and finance influencers encouraging risky investments and get-rich-quick schemes, we're w...

Looksmaxxing. Mewing. The manosphere. A growing ecosystem of influencers is selling young boys a version of masculinity built on appearance, status and performative online stunts. But how do these communities attract vulnerable teenagers? Why do social media algorithms keep pushing increasingly extreme content? And what happens when online personalities become role models for an entire generation?

Fathers' Day is around the corner, and we're asking the age-old question: is being a boy dad really different from being a girl dad? Squaring off in the debate are Andrew, father of two sons, and Braxton, father of two daughters, who compare notes on everything from discipline and emotional support to playground chaos, social media fears, and the moments that make parenting worthwhile. 

AI is everywhere now: at work, at home, in our inboxes, our fitness plans, and even our relationships. But are we using it to become more productive—or just asking it for life advice, therapy and fan fiction? This week, the Midlife Guys are joined once again by their longtime friend Braxton for a lively conversation about how artificial intelligence fits into our midlife lives. From health trackin...

Last week, Mike and Andrew talked about the best—and worst—parts of life in their 40s. Now, they're keeping that train running—talking about the biggest surprises. Turns out sleep actually becomes way more important (who knew) and friendships become harder to maintain (sigh). With so much noise fighting for your attention, life is less about trying to accomplish everything and more about making ch...

Your 40s arrive quietly—and suddenly everything feels different. This week, Mike and Andrew get personal as they compare notes on what they love (and hate) most about entering their 40s: confidence, freedom, soreness, perspective, hangovers, friendships, sex, shifting priorities and having no fucks left to give. 

Midlife changes the relationship people have with food. The habits built over decades suddenly collide with slower recovery times, stress, weight gain, inflammation, and the creeping realization that the body no longer quietly forgives everything. Suddenly, boredom snacking, stress eating, emotional habits and social pressures force us to re-examine everything we put into our mouths. In this week'...

A seventh-grade teacher asked students what 40-year-olds do for fun, and the answers were brutal (and a bit accurate): pickleball, Facebook, grilling (true); counting coupons, watching black-and-white TV, and yelling at kids to get off the lawn (questionable). The question got us thinking: What do midlifers REALLY want to do this summer? Answer: pool hangs, home decorating, getting in shape.... an...

Summer used to feel simple—long days at the pool, neighbourhood freedom, and affordable camps that filled the gaps. Now, it’s a logistical and financial nightmare. Costs for day and overnight camps have surged beyond inflation, leaving families scrambling to piece together childcare—sometimes even going into debt to pay for six weeks of summer camp that cost more than a car. What was once a shared...

Research confirms it: the Sandwich Generation (ages 40-55), taking care of both kids and parents, is being squeezed like never before. With out-of-pocket costs climbing to roughly $10,000 a year and time demands exceeding 1,300 hours, caregiving is quietly reshaping careers, finances, and daily life—especially for women. This week, to cap off our series on personal finances, Mike and Andrew focus...

According to the 2026 Northwestern Mutual Planning & Progress Study, Americans believe they need to have accumulated $1.46 million to retire comfortably. But the reality is far bleaker: the average household of couples in their high 50s doesn't even have $250,000 saved up for their retirement.  Midlifers are... well, midway through their life journey. Retirement savings is critical, but not al...