Silent Generation

Ep. 8: Silicon Valley Aesthetics w/ Rafa

This week the boys are joined by their personal friend and the pod’s first ever guest, Rafa, a Palo Alto native and Chicago transplant. They begin by examining the aesthetics of individual FAANG companies (Facebook, Amazon, Apple, Netflix, Google) before examining the tech industry and silicon valley as a whole. Amongst other things they discuss skeuomorphism, Corporate Memphis, the Clear Craze, the Thompson Center,  BART’s Silicon Valley Extension, blobitecture, and the philanthropic pursuits of billionaires. 
 
Links:Corporate MemphisSilicon Valley has a Sustainability Crisis by Alice BucknellBubble Vision by Hito SteyerlWhy Does Everything On Netflix Look Like That?
 
Arwork: By Dicklyon - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=140969915
Recorded on 1/14/2024

Ep. 7: Men in Uniform

Are men in crisis? What role can uniforms play in mitigating the “deaths of despair” and anomie we see in our larger society? This week Joseph and Nathan begin with a quote from Uniforms by Paul Fussell and start to address the various social and psychological effects that uniforms induce: patriotism, pride, shame, and (on a darker note) deindividuation. Amongst other things they discuss the Village People, Nathan’s cycles, chainmaille epaulets, Trump’s Space Force uniforms, and the dress code of the U.S Senate.
 
Links: 
 
Men in Uniform Pinterest Board Uniforms: Why We Are What We WearThe American AstronautBreaking Points - Saagar Celebrates Senate Nuking Fetterman Dress CodeMammoths and Mastodons: All American Monsters
 
Recorded on 1/7/2024

Ep. 6: Legalize Slums

This week the boys discuss one of the most controversial ideas alluded to by the Strong Towns organization: “legalize slums.” Strong Towns is a non-profit organization that advocates for walkable neighborhoods, higher-density housing, ending parking minimums and many other urbanist policies but they have largely avoided addressing the topic of informal housing. While “legalize slums” can be interpreted quite literally, Joseph and Nathan envision on this week’s episode that the slogan can be used as a dysphemism for vernacular architecture, higher density housing, loosening zoning restrictions, and reducing permitting hurdles for new construction. Amongst other things they discuss Jane Jacobs, Englewood, the migrant crisis, and San Francisco NIMBYs.
 
Links:
Upzone’s “legalize slums”-esque episodeYou don’t need to move to the Netherlands to be happyThe U.S. Needs More Housing Than Almost Anyone Can Imagine by Annie Lowry Curing Slums: The Jane Jacobs WayLibrary Patrons' Psychosocial NeedsA Love Letter to the Slums: The Urbanism of Final Fantasy 7
 
Art by Daniel Rautenbach 
 
Recorded on 12/17/2023

Ep. 5: Interwar Modernism

The interwar period is defined as being from 1918 to 1939 while the modernist period is loosely defined as being from the early 1900s to 1940s. What were architecture, design, and art like during the time period where the two overlapped? Within this week’s episode Joseph and Nathan pay particular attention to the Streamline Moderne, Bauhaus, Deutscher Werkbund, and International styles of architecture and design. Other ideas explored include the aesthetics of the future, the color chrome, Jean-Michel Frank’s interior design, the Age of Anxiety, glass blocks, antiquing, and the potential demolition of the Century & Consumers buildings. 
 
Links:
Interwar Modernism Pinterest boardThorne miniature rooms’ California HallwayGun that shoots frozen tearsThe original Chicago Federal Building
 
Art:
Narcissa Niblack Thorne. California Hallway c.1940. The Art Institute of Chicago.(CC0) 
 
Recorded on 12/10/2023

Ep. 4: Mid-2000s Prep

Abercrombie & Fitch, Hollister, Aeropostale, American Eagle, and Pink were dominant clothing brands during the mid-2000s. Despite their immense popularity during this time period they are scarcely referenced in alternative fashion today. In this week’s episode Joseph and Nathan suggest that said logo-centric aesthetic be labeled “logoprep.” Amidst a larger discussion about prep in the mid-2000s the boys discuss the great recession, malls, Uggs, American Apparel (again), the Netflix film White Hot, and Why I Hate Abercrombie & Fitch by Dwight A. McBride.
 
Links:
Logoprep Pinterest boardIsabel Clancy’s Tiktok accountAmerican Apparel’s fingerless gloves adNo Logo: Brands, Globalization, Resistance (Featuring Naomi Klein) - Full Movie
 
Recorded on 12/03/2023

Ep. 3: Crystal Castles

Crystal Castles was a Canadian electronic music group known for their experimental sound characterized by video game sound effects and synthesizers. It was initially formed in 2006 by vocalist Alice Glass and producer Ethan Kath and lasted until it ended in controversy in 2017. Their music has become popular on Tiktok recently and has influenced a new wave of electronic producers such as Pastel Ghost, JUHVAHN, Akiaura, and Alice Gas. Joseph and Nathan discuss Crystal Castle's troubled past, present popularity, and future legacy on this week’s episode of Silent Generation. 
 
Links:
Pinterest board with Tiktok linksAlice Glass is not afraid to punch you in the face (recent Alice Glass Interview)Hoodie by Lady Sovereign
 
Recorded on 11/26/2023
 
All song clips used in this episode are claimed as fair use

Ep. 2: Saudade & Nostalgia

This week the boys discuss saudade, an emotion unique to Portuguese-speaking cultures that is similar to nostalgia. In the second half of the episode they discuss notalgia-driven media in American culture. Amongst other things they discuss Nathan’s undergrad thesis, culture bound syndromes, the stories of how they got their names, Grief and a Headhunter’s Rage by Renato Resaldo, American Apparel, and Lady Bird.
 
Links:
 
Wisconsin Dells location on a map
Homesickness by Emahoy Tsegué-Maryam Guèbrou
 
Recorded on 10/29/2023
 

Ep. 1: Flaneur [TEASER]

Full episode available on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/SilentGeneration 
 
Silent Generation is a Chicago based cultural analysis that covers topics in art, fashion, politics, and urbanism. In this episode Joseph and Nathan discuss the flaneur, a French literary archetype that described modern young men who wandered around Paris and observed modern life in the late 19th century. They also discuss Paris’s boulevard system, lindy walks and LindyMan, watching as entertainment, early trend forecasting, and the film In Time starring Justin Timberlake. 
 
Links:
LindyMan’s Twitter Account 
Ohio State University’s oval walkway based off of desire paths
Sunbelt sidewalks
 
Recorded on 10/22/2023