Silent Generation

On this week’s episode of Silent Generation, Nathan and Breanna begin by discussing how fine dining transitioned from an activity enjoyed at home to an activity enjoyed at restaurants. They then survey primary figures in the world of fine dining (A. Boulanger, Marie-Antoine Careme, Eugénie Brazier, Ferran Adria, Rene Redzepi, Joel Robuchon, and Gordon Ramsey) before discussing the pillars of fine dining. The two then detail the history of the Michelin Guide before reflecting on their recent dining experience at a restaurant in Dallas that was awarded one Michelin star, Mamani. The episode concludes with a discussion about where they want to see fine dining go moving forward.
 
Links: 
Origins of the Restaurant
Boulanger and the restaurant: the snowballing of a myth
Eugénie Brazier: The legendary 'mother of French cuisine' by Anna Richards
Bazaar Classics: Liquid Olives
What Is Molecular Gastronomy!?
The MICHELIN Guide 101
What Is The MICHELIN Bib Gourmand Award?
Eating at Alinea. Chicago. 3 Michelin Stars. An Amazing 9 Course $345 Tasting Menu
Culinary Theatre at Alinea in Chicago | World's Best Restaurants | Our Taste
Chef’s Table - Season 2 Episode 1 (2016)
Jiro Dreams of Sushi (2011)
American Psycho, Fine Dining, and Scams
VSauce - Molecular Gastronomy
 
Artwork:
Etrusca restaurant in San Francisco 
from Restaurants in California (Restaurant Design 3) (1993)
 
Recorded on 2/15/2026

On this week’s episode of Silent Generation, Nathan and Breanna discuss all things dinner parties. The two begin by discussing what they like about dinner parties and their personal experiences hosting and attending them. They then review common features of traditional dinner parties (cocktail hour, place settings, multiple course meals, and after-dinner entertainment) before detailing how they have changed over time. Amongst other things they discuss how Emily Post and Martha Stewart presented competing visions of the high-effort dinner party, how the depreciation of dining-related antiques demonstrates the decline of dinner parties in America, and how modern dinner parties emphasize a relaxed approach that is best demonstrated by Allison Roman’s Nothing Fancy. 
 
Links:
Etiquette in Society, in Business, in Politics, and at Home by Emily Post
How Dinner Parties Became the Fuzzy Blanket of Adulthood by Alissa Wilkinson
The Dinners That Shaped History by Brenda Wineapple
Eating Together : Food, Friendship and Inequality Alice P. Julier
The Pleasure of Your Company (but No Gaucheries, Please!): Dinner Parties in 19th-Century America by mansionmusings
Entirely Entertaining: Dishing Dinner Party Trends Through the Decades
I Tracked Down The Company Ruining Restaurants
The Art of Entertaining
Why Dinner Parties Still Matter
Entertaining by Martha Stewart
Martha (2024)
Martha Stewart wheelbarrow clip
The Exterminating Angel (1962)
The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie (1972)
Fantastic Mr. Fox (2009)
Why the dinner party is a declining art by Harmeet Kaur
Politics on the menu in Seoul as Donald Trump dines on shrimp from disputed waters and 360-year-old soy sauce by Nicola Smith
Cameron praises Obama at lavish state dinner by Mark Madell
Presidents at State Dinners: A Historical Overview
Nothing Fancy by Allison Roman
Alison Roman’s “Nothing Fancy” and the Art of the Unpretentious Dinner Party by Michele Moses
With 'Nothing Fancy,' Alison Roman Aims To Rebrand Having People Over For Dinner by Wynne Davis
 
Artwork:
Charlie Chaplin, Buster Keaton (and others) at a party given for Rudolph Valentino
 
Recorded on 02/08/2026

Soft Colonial Wanderlust is a Victorian-inspired consumer aesthetic that was popular from the late 1980s to mid 2010s. It consists of black and white photographs, hand-colored photographs, antiquated technology, chinoiserie, japonisme, and general orientalism. Nathan and Breanna detail the aesthetic in this week’s episode of Silent Generation, from its murky origins in ‘60s/‘70s British animation to its eventual identification by CARI in 2017. They discuss how Twee is the “girl version” of Soft Colonial Wanderlust, how hand-colored photographs serve as the foundation for the aesthetic’s color scheme, and how Soft Colonial Wanderlust differentiates itself from Steampunk by eschewing digital technology. 
 
Links:Soft Colonial Wanderlust Pinterest Board: https://www.pinterest.com/silentgeneration/soft-colonial-wanderlust/Soft Colonial Wanderlust CARI PageSoft Colonial Wanderlust Aesthetics Wiki PageWhat is Soft Colonialist Wanderlust? Facebook GroupSoft Colonialist Wanderlust Are.na Pagehttps://anemptyblissbeyondthisworld.neocities.org/CARI/soft-colonialThe surprising evolution of hipsters in the 2000sThe Mysterious Geographic Explorations Of Jasper Morello
 
Artwork:Hendrick's Gin "Escape"
 
Recorded on 01/31/2026

In this special announcement, Nathan welcomes Breanna as the newest cohost of Silent Generation! The two kick things off by reflecting on their time in Dallas and the activities they shared the day before. Nathan then interviews Breanna about her background (who she is, where she has lived, and what lenses she uses for cultural analysis) before outlining the future of Silent Generation. 
 
Links:Breanna’s InstagramLabyrinth of ArtBreanna’s TikTokBreanna’s Letterboxd
 
Artwork:Photograph by Studio Solaire
 
Recorded on 01/31/2026

In this important announcement, Joseph shares his plans to leave Silent Generation and Nathan shares his plans to continue it. The podcast will relaunch in two to three months with a new co-host that is familiar to the community. Nathan also shares that he is open to adding other regular contributors, and that a Discord member named Juniper is going to make a commemorative zine for the first iteration of the podcast. 
 
Links:
Nathan’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nathan_knize/
Silent Generation’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/silent.generation/
 
Recorded on 12/3/2025

Nevada (also known as Nevadastyles on Instagram) is a hair artist from New York City who has lived a bicoastal lifestyle for the last half decade. For the majority of that time she has lived and worked in both New York City and Los Angeles, but her career as a hair artist has brought her all over the world. On this week’s episode of Silent Generation, she joins Nathan for a conversation about why she and other creatives aspire to live bicoastal lifestyles. They begin with a conversation about the pros and cons of New York City and Los Angeles, focusing on key geographic and cultural differences. Nathan then argues that the rise of bicoastal living represents the latest stage in the elite’s drift toward rootlessness and cosmopolitanism, a pattern described by Christopher Lasch in The Revolt of the Elites. The episode concludes with a discussion about whether having roots (and not being bicoastal) is a status symbol and the common traits shared by big city natives. 
 
Links:
@nevadastyles - Instagram Profile 
https://www.nevadaraffaele.com/
New Data Tool and Research Show Where People Move as Young Adults by 
Nathaniel Hendren, Sonya R. Porter and Ben Sprung-Keyser
The Death and Life of the Great Lakes by Dan Egan
The Revolt of the Elites by Christopher Lasch
The messy, viral fight over America's fourth 'major' city by Tessa Mclean
What are the 4 major US cities? The internet can't decide. Vote for your picks by Melina Khan
 
Artwork:
New York 1971 by Hans-Peter Balfanz
CC BY-SA 3.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0>, via Wikimedia Commons
Boyle Heights, 1979 by John Humble
 
Recorded on 11/19/2025

Adult contemporary is a radio format and marketing category originally created by Billboard magazine. It has encompassed many genres, starting with easy listening in the 1960s. What could be considered adult contemporary changed over the decades as genres like rock and roll and electronic music grew older, and older listeners found their sounds more palatable. But what does “adult contemporary” mean, and why do the songs that get grouped into the category appeal to adults so much?
 
This week’s episode of Silent Generation focuses on adult contemporary music in the 1990s and 2000s. Joseph and Nathan begin by outlining the history of the radio format before discussing the common features of adult contemporary songs. They then review the music of U2, Vanessa Carlton, The Verve, Zero 7, Ivy, and After. The episode concludes with a discussion of what happened to adult contemporary, focusing on why the radio format no longer has a distinct sound. 
 
Links:
Adult Contemporary Spotify Playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/…
Adult Contemporary Music Guide: What Is Adult Contemporary? 
The Adult Contemporary Billboard Chart
When Rock Bands Become Adult Contemporary (part 1)  by Eduard Banulescu
90s Adult Contemporary - Totally 80s and 90s Recall
Clocks by Coldplay
Beautiful Day by U2
A Thousand Miles by Vanessa Carlton 
Bitter Sweet Symphony by The Verve
Destiny by Zero 7
Disappointed by Ivy
Deep Diving by After
Most craziest American Idol contestant ever, Mary Roach
U2:UV Achtung Baby Live at Sphere
The Story of 'A Thousand Miles' by Vanessa Carlton
White Chicks (2004) - A Thousand Miles Terry Crews Scene
The greatest songwriting theft of all time - David Hartly
Ivy Talks Making the Seminal Y2K Dreampop LP ‘Long Distance’ by Myke Dodge Weiskopf
Meet After, the L.A. Duo Making Y2k-Inspired Pop That Feels Like Right Now by Jeff Ihaza
You’re deep diving - @aftertheband
Gen X Soft Club - CARI page
List of Billboard Adult Contemporary number ones of 2025
Adult Contemporary 100 week of 11/09/2025
Where Have All the Adult Contemporary Artists Gone? - Daniel Montoya Jr. 
 
Artwork:
U2 at the Charles de Gaulle Airport, Paris, Summer 2000
 
Recorded on 11/12/2025

Prior episodes of Silent Generation have focused on secular social movements that emerged around the turn of the 20th century. Fraternities technically predate this era, but they occupy a similar niche, and Joseph shares an important connection to them as a former fraternity brother. Why did they first emerge, and why do universities continue to tolerate them on campus? 
 
This week’s episode of Silent Generation addresses those questions. The boys begin with a survey of the history of fraternities and related groups (social fraternities, professional organizations, secret societies, and fraternal orders). They then discuss commonalities between fraternities, the architectural characteristics of fraternity houses, the prevalence of hazing and hazing deaths, and the 1978 sex comedy Animal House. 
 
Links:
Fraternity by Alexandra Robins
The Founding of the North-American Fraternity and Sorority System
Fraternity and Sorority
Mies van der Rohe’s Forgotten Frat House Design Is Resurrected and Repurposed by Lauren Moya Ford
The Sorority Quad at Northwestern University by Fran Becque
Join HOTEL KAPPA for PC ‘25! - #RushTok
IN DG WE TRUST: Empowering Community Engagement - #RushTok
Lorax - #Sorority - #RushTok
Mr. Bobinsky Halloween Costume Tik Tok Video
It's Time for Congress to Ban Fraternities—Sororities, Too by Matt Robinson
Here’s how much more money you could make just from joining a frat by Yoni Blumberg
Why Colleges Tolerate Fraternities 
Houses of Horror: Secrets of College Greek Life (2024)
My son was blindfolded, led to the basement and left to die on a couch by Ruth Bashinsky
Animal House (1978)
Gay History of Men’s Fraternities
Image archive of the Theta Chi chapter at Penn State University
 
Artwork:
Theta Chi of Penn State - Spring 1988 Initiation 
 
Recorded on 11/5/2025

Full episode available on Patreon:https://www.patreon.com/SilentGeneration
The field of cryptozoology emerged in the mid-20th century as people began to investigate sightings of mysterious creatures like Bigfoot and the Loch Ness Monster using pseudoscientific methods. On this week’s episode of Silent Generation, Joseph and Nathan begin by theorizing that cryptozoology emerged as a way for the United States and other Anglosphere countries to generate their own folklore. They delineate why it is a primarily American phenomenon, pointing to the country's huge swaths of undeveloped land. They then discuss several famous cryptids such as Bigfoot, Mothman, the Michigan Dogman, the Flatwoods Monster, the Loch Ness Monster, and Thunderbirds. They conclude with a discussion of how paranormal media “slopified” cable television in the early 2010s, and how the rise of AI has made photo and video evidence of cryptids even less believable. 
 
Links:What is a cryptid?CryptomundoThe Cryptid Zoo: Satyrs (or Fauns) in CryptozoologyOn the Track of Unknown Animals by Bernard Heuvelmans The Discovery of the Okapi, Part 1Backwoods HorrorThe Maryland Snallygaster: Devil of Racist Politics by Jake SeboeThe racist roots of Maryland’s mythical Snallygaster monster by Julie Scharper Patterson-Gimlin Film HD 60fpsThe Mothman Prophecies by John A. Keel The Mothman Revisited - Unsolved MysteriesEpisode 14: Chicago Tales - Otherworld podcastEp. 113: The Michigan Dogman Pt. 1 - Otherworld podcastEp. 114: The Michigan Dogman Pt. 2 - Otherworld podcast#70: Flatwoods Monster - Cryptonauts podcastFlatwoods Monster - Cryptid WikiThe Flatwoods MonsterThe Cryptid Collector’s TrioScooby-Doo and the Loch Ness Monster (2004)Thunderbird - Cryptid WikiMonsterQuest (2007-2010)Dragons: A Fantasy Made Real (2004)The Truth is out there” the Alan Champagne Morro Bay Disappearance by Katya Cengel
 
Artwork:unknown
 
Recorded on 10/29/2025

Witch house is a music genre and internet aesthetic that emerged in the late 2000s as bands combined occult imagery and sounds. On this week’s episode of Silent Generation, Joseph and Nathan begin by noting that it was the very first internet aesthetic, with the earliest example being the 2005 blog Runawaytoday. They then talk about common witch house aesthetic elements such as horror, “the woods,” and occult symbols (particularly inverted crosses). The conversation then shifts to music, with a survey of several witch house bands such as SALEM, Pictureplane, CRIM3S, and Crystal Castles. The episode concludes with discussion of witch house’s legacy and what it was trying to express. 
 
Links:
Pinterest board: https://www.pinterest.com/silentgeneration/witch-house/ 
witch-house.com
Witch House - Aesthetics Wiki
OG Witch House Spotify Playlist
True Witch House Only Spotify Playlist
Sick by SALEM
Trapdoor by SALEM
Better Off Alone by SALEM
Goth Star by Picturplane
Hyper Real by Picureplane
Salt by CRIM3S
Pumpkin Pumpkin by Zombelle
Runawaytoday (2005)
GODBLESS - Untitled (2008) by Ponyboy
Guest List: Best of 2009 by Tyler Grisham
Got any witch house? Why I'm on the genre-mongers' side | Music by Tom Ewing
https://www.blairwitch.com/ 
Making of The Blair Witch Project— From a $35k Budget to $250 Million Box Office Phenomenon
The surprising evolution of hipsters in the 2000s - Brad Troemel
Alek Morgan’s Facebook page (NVRMND archive)
Witch House Band Iceberg Infographic
Witch House Music History
Lana del Rey/ Jack Donoghue Cook County Penitentiary photo
SALEM: The Midwest's Most Wanted (Documentary)
This is the CRIM3S Biography Tik Tok video
CRIM3S SQUATT RAVE
@Rourotfan
Rou Rot and Alice Glass
MTV CRIBS: pictureplane gives a tour of Rhinoceropolis
shout out to male producer female lead witch house duos Reddit post
Witch House: The Ghostly Genre of The Music Industry by Clara C. Steemer
Which house for witch house? Pictureplane’s goth beats are taking flight by P. J. Nutting
Witch House: An Intro To The Microgenre That Influenced Everyone From Tyler, The Creator To ASAP Rocky by Kyle Garb
The Occult Genre Known As "Witch House" - Pad Chennington
Whatever happened to witch house? by Al Horner
 
Artwork:
Mexico City’s Dark Electronic Music Project Ritualz Releases Dual Video Premiere for “Nothing” and “Testify” by Alice Teeple
 
Recorded on 10/22/2025