Join us today for a continuation of our discussion about the most beloved ancient relic that ultimately belonged to just one generation (hint: it was us): and that is the mixtape, a DIY medium exchanged between friends and lovers that was, on its surface, a way to share music but was actually a thinly veiled communication device intended to express our feelings to another person.

There is one very particular kind of mixtape that we couldn’t fit into last week’s discussion – and to shortchange it would’ve been to erase an entire generation’s yearning for something very specific…Today we are talking about the Make Out Mixtape. Because of the age we were when we were making mixtapes – whether you were in middle school, high school, or college – a lot of our mixtapes were intended to woo. Or inspire special feelings that encouraged us to get closer to another person. Possibly with our bodies. Because we were in the midst of our sexual awakening.

Even if you never got any action in high school, these tapes were aspirational. Maybe they were helping you fantasize about the things you would like to do if you were ever given the chance. Or maybe your tape was just step one in helping someone think about you in that way.

Today's episode will take you behind the curtain of both Carolyn's and Kristin's adolescent makeout sessions and the soundtracks that accompanied them. Get ready for the swoonworthy sounds of makeout masters like DeBarge, Phil Collins, Chicago, Anita Baker, Lionel Richie, and Feivel the mouse (not even kidding). Time travel with us and let's see if we can get that estrogen flowing again!

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In today's episode, we’ll be saving an art form that belongs almost solely to Gen Xers – the friendship bracelet of the 80s and 90s, the analog version of posting and sharing – we’re talking about the making and gifting of mixtapes. Born in the 1980s and peaking in the mid 1990s, the mixtape truly belongs to Gen Xers. Boomers were adults and Millennials were babies when mixtapes emerged as a DIY way – a very DIY, handmade, homemade way – to share music.There might be a few older Millennials who embraced the making of mixtapes but they wouldn’t have had them very long before their desktop computers started coming with CD drives. The mixtape was, of course, about music -- but it could also be intensely personal, created with a theme and a purpose to make a connection with another person. Join us as we share our own mixtapes from friends and lovers; their names, their stories and their songs. Who learned about The Time from a party mixtape? Who had a Winnie-the-Pooh-themed mixtape? And which PCPS tagline came directly from a mixtape created in 1991? Grab a Memorex tape and hold down the play and record buttons for this tribute to Gen X's most beloved music sharing platform.

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Join us for a trip down memory lane as we celebrate the 50th anniversary of some of our favorite tv shows of all time. From Little House on the Prairie to Hong Kong Phooey, 1974 provided some of the most iconic tv shows for Generation X. This episode is dedicated to exploring the cultural impact and enduring legacy of these shows as well as some fun rabbit hole facts. Learn what tv show made President Gerald Ford reschedule a press conference so he could watch it and what famous character became the voice of Garfield.

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If you could name one magazine from your Gen X youth that captured your heart, it would likely be Tiger Beat. This photo-filled lovefest is where our first crushes bloomed and prospered, helping us cover our walls and possibly even teaching us to kiss (ask Michelle about those "kissable" photos). And today's episode features an interview with one of the people responsible for curating those photos and writing those stories that fed our preteen fantasies; Ann Moses was just nineteen years old when she started at Tiger Beat Magazine -- she was practically one of us! -- and to this day she cherishes the work she did on our behalf. She was up close and personal with the biggest crushes of the late 60s and early 70s and she has the stories to prove it.

From the Monkees and David Cassidy to Donny Osmond (and the locks of his hair she picked up off the floor to raffle off to Tiger Beat readers), Ann Moses was living her best life and sharing it with the world. But there is one bombshell story that she kept secret until writing her memoir, MEOW: MY GROOVY LIFE WITH TIGER BEAT'S TEEN IDOLS -- it was Ann's own Tiger Beat fantasy coming true. Tune in today to find out which Tiger Beat fave starred in Ann's real-life romance.

Purchase a copy of Ann's book MEOW!: MY GROOVY LIFE WITH TIGER BEAT'S IDOLS here

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After discussing the unforgettable characters, scenes and lines (so many quotable lines!) from Fast Times at Ridgemont High in our last episode, it's time to go deeper --with a discussion of the unforgettable music that cemented it as a teen classic. But what many disappointed 80s teens learned was that some of the music that sent you directly to the mall record store after the movie was NOT included on the soundtrack! LAME. What's up with that?! We'll discuss the best and most important songs (even if they weren't included on the soundtrack), the scenes they supported, and how that music was used to help us understand the story in a deeper way. Which 70s rockers dominated this movie (despite protests from the director)? Which songs got buried (despite protests from the producer)? And which song accompanied the least satisfying sexual encounter(s) on film? Will there be tangents about Stacy's swimsuit and Damone's socks? You know it.

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Fast Times at Ridgemont High, we learned it, knew it, lived it. It’s an iconic and unforgettable film for — dare we say? — our entire generation. And this week we dove deep in that pool (yes, that pool) to talk all about it.

Is it fair that Fast Times is included in the same category as Porky's and other exploitation movies? What scenes and lines of dialogue are burned into our brains (and yours)? Who was originally offered the role of Jeff Spicoli (and who we are very happy did not accept)? Which PCPS host is still is afraid of carrots? Do we actually like Stacy? And oh yes, don't worry, we'll talk about that swimming pool scene, and of course, Phoebe Cates' perfect boobs.

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Welcome to Season 13!!! We're kicking it off with a Gen X Back-to-School memory-palooza! We're talking Trapper Keepers, lunchboxes, Critter Sitters, Fair Isle sweaters, designer jeans and so much more. Fashion designer, Liz Lange, joins us for this super fun trip down memory lane.

Listen to Liz Lange's podcast, The Just Enough Family, on Apple podcasts, Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts.

Take a video tour of Liz Lange's home, Grey Gardens, here.

Check out Liz Lange's fashion line Figue.

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Support the PCPS by becoming a patron on Patreon. Check all the extra perks you get here.

Help the PCPS keep on truckin' by making a one-time donation here

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Those memories we have of our favorite picture books live in vivid color in our minds. In this new opening to one the most popular PCPS episodes,"Where The Wild Things Are," Carolyn, Kristin and Michelle share why those memories don't just have to live in your minds. Learn what fun ways they surround themselves with those iconic books from their childhoods. So snuggle up close as we share our memories of our favorite children’s picture books! We’ll discuss the magic of these books, share our society’s long list of favorites, each give our top three childhood picks (which changes daily!), and Kristin will share which book prompted an impromptu cross-country journey to see the original illustrations!

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Support the PCPS by becoming a patron on Patreon. Check all the extra perks you get here.

Help the PCPS keep on truckin' by making a one-time donation here

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Send us an email at hello@poppreservationists.com