Silent Generation

Ep. 86: Finance Bros

In 2017 a new uniform emerged for men employed by the financial industry: fleece/ puffer vests, dress shirts, slacks, and dress shoes. The unadorned look was first documented by the Instagram account Midtownuniform, and it became the signature outfit of “finance bros.” Finance bros are the latest “corporate subculture” to come out of Wall Street, but they are far less fashionable than previous corporate subcultures like Yuppies. 
 
On this week’s episode of Silent Generation, Joseph and Nathan begin by delineating the elements of finance bro fashion before speculating where trends in casualization might lead things. They then note that “quants” (quantitative analysts) have even lower professional standards for their appearance. Amongst other things they discuss how finance bro fashion began to bleed into politics in the 2020s, how finance bros fueled the “bowl slop” trend in fast casual dining, and how the vulgarity of Finance Bros was depicted on Succession. 
 
Links:Finance bros Pinterest board: https://www.pinterest.com/silentgeneration/finance-bros/ MidtownuniformThen and Now: Wall Street Power Dressing by Pierre Schermann/ WWDFleece Is In Full Bloom by George Chinsee/ WWDThe Patagonia vest endures in San Francisco tech circles, despite ridicule by Bobby AllynPatagonia Is Refusing To Sell Its Iconic Power Vests To Some Financial Firms by Katie Notopoulos
Four lads in jeans meme“Deal Sleds” wtf is a “Quant”... (finance bro + autism)The House Painters by Gustave Caillebotte Who wears the power sweater vest better? Democrats or Republicans? by Marni PykeAlpha Dads at their Son’s GameAlpha Dads at the Hardware Store"Be white collar, the money is insane" meme‘Chipotle boys’ are rampant in NYC — and even the burrito chain has commented by Brooke SteinbergChipotle Boy Bowl' Promo Is Aimed at Finance Bros - Business Insider by Dominick ReuterWhy fast casual chains like Chipotle, Sweetgreen, and Cava are losing their freshness by Dominick ReuterThe Executive Coloring BookEvery Finance Bro 
 
Artwork:#Finnhall
 
Recorded on 9/22/2025

Ep. 85: Father Figures [TEASER]

Full episode available on Patreon:https://www.patreon.com/SilentGeneration
 
On this week’s episode of Silent Generation, Joseph and Nathan talk about father figures in their personal lives and in society more broadly. The episode opens with a discussion of familiar archetypes such as coaches, scout leaders, teachers, and bosses. The boys also note that children sometimes latch onto “parasocial father figures” like Mr. Rogers and Hank Hill in the absence of real-life ones. They then share observations about “daddy issues” (the negative traits that emerge in the absence of father figures) before deliberating whether daddy issues and mommy issues can arise independently of one another. 
 
Links:
"Friendly Guy in a Pub" starter pack meme
Sweet middle aged vietnamese ladies calling their customers handsome boy meme
Various memes about the lunch lady calling you sugar
Look Me In The Eyes (Air Jordan ad)
The Joy of Six: US athletes' pushy parents by Les Carpenter
The Slap (2011)
Japanese adult adoption
Best of Jenelle & Barbara (Part 1) | Teen Mom 2
The Jenelle Evans Dating Timeline - A Visual Guide
Big Brother Big Sisters of America - History That Spans More Than A Century
The Making of a Misogynist: How Andrew Tate inherited his father's toxic beliefs by Claudia Cockerell
 
Artwork:https://www.pinterest.com/pin/417990409147457395/ 
 
Recorded on 9/14/2025

Ep. 84: Rest Stops w/ Madeline Rupard

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

Ep. 83: Infrastructure Aesthetics

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

Ep. 82: Disney Adults w/ Tiffany Wright [EXTENDED TEASER]

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 pageTiffany’s Disney adult Halloween costumeDisney 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 TaitHow ‘Disney Adults’ Became the Most Hated Group on the Internet by EJ DicksonDon’t Judge Disney Adults. Try to Understand Them by Jodi Eichler-LevineWhat Exactly Is the Magic of Disney World? by Kathryn Jezer-MortonK-HOLE #5: A Report on DoubtDisney’s FastPass: A Complicated History - Defunctland A Deep Dive Into Disney Adults - Kurtis ConnorDisney Adult (Urban Dictionary definition)Grown woman who cried upon meeting Goofy Tik Tok videoThe Segregation of Social Desire: “Religion” and Disney World by William ArnalDisneyland Abu Dhabi Would 'Never Work' Outdoors Says Park Boss by Caroline ReidDear and Darling  Dear and Darling Pluto storyBad Influence: The Dark Side of KidfluencingPokemon scalper cleans out entire shelf of destined rivals etb in front of kidOnce Upon A Time: The Pop Culture Impact of Mickey Mouse Watches by Rhonda RicheThe enduring appeal of Mickey Mouse: Why the fashion industry is still interested by Anya GeorgijevicDisney 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

Ep. 81: Men's Fragrances

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

Ep. 80: Gorpcore

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: GorpcoreEverything to Know About Gorpcore, the Outdoorsy Trend Celebs LoveThe Origins of GORP by Ashley BrownFirst Came Normcore. Now Get Ready for Gorpcore by Jason ChenRihanna Lookin' like a Pokemon gym leader memepride month outfit memeGorpworld - Instagram pageGorpcore.jpeg - Instagram pageGorpcore.world - Instagram pageOutdoorrecarchive - Instagram pagePresta94 - Instagram pageDimi_tt7 - Instagram pageThe Story of Fleece by Rachel G ClarkThe Darkside of Gorpcore by Wrong TrousersOze’s Mighty Bokka PortersHideo Kojima and Yoji Shinkawa Open Up About Death Stranding 2: Connection, Creativity, and Walking Through Loneliness by RalphCheck Out This Sick $1700 Death Stranding 2 Jacket You’ll Never Get by Alyssa MercanteDeath Stranding 2 Photo Session with Fragile, Tomorrow and Rainy
 
Artwork:Source unknown
 
Recorded on 8/2/2025

Ep. 79: Bohemianism [TEASER]

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 MurgerLa bohème by Giacomo PucciniBohemians: A Very Short Introduction by David WeirBohemians: The Glamorous Outcasts by Elizabeth WilsonBohemianism - In Our Time (BBC)Cross-section of a Parisian house in the 1850sMexico City GentrificationTowertown: LOST COMMUNITIES OF CHICAGONabe ni Dangan wo Ukenagara (manga that features Chicago)“Water only” family Tik TokLabelle - Lady MarmaladeBo-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

Ep. 78: Krakow & Prague

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

Ep. 77: Manouche Jazz w/ Significant Lovers

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 SpotifySignificant Lovers InstagramManouche 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 ReinhardtStéphane Grappelli - His Life and Legacy: Part One. Gypsy Jazz Violinist with/after Django ReinhardtWish You Were Here by Pink FloydBohemianism - In Our Time (BBC)
 
Artwork:Django Reinhardt
 
Recorded on 6/29/2025