If there’s one thing we love on The Daily Whatever Show, it’s a returning guest who feels like home—and
of GenExcellent brought exactly that energy in her triumphant return this week.From the jump, Liz reminded us why she’s a favorite in our little Gen X universe: she’s smart, grounded, funny, and deeply thoughtful about what makes our generation tick. Her Substack, GenExcellent, is part pop-culture anthropology, part therapy session, and part love letter to the latchkey kids who somehow grew up to be stealth-fighter parents (yes, that’s the new term we’re claiming).
We talked about her brilliant essay, “Gen Xers Are Skeptical of the Claim That We’re Skeptical,” and the way she dissects how media keeps trying—and failing—to capture who we are.
Liz argued that Gen X’s defining trait isn’t cynicism, it’s authenticity: a hunger for truth that grew out of being lied to by parents who thought fibs were good parenting. (Raise your hand if your “blankie fell apart in the wash.”)
From there, the conversation turned into a collective group therapy session about parenting—how Gen Xers broke the “children should be seen and not heard” model, and why being honest, humble, and emotionally available with our kids matters more than the veneer of authority our parents prized. Liz introduced us to Neil Howe’s idea of stealth-fighter parenting—the art of swooping in when it counts, but giving your kid space to become who they are. Dana nodded along, maybe with a touch of guilt about parenting while podcasting.
We laughed, we confessed, we reminisced. Mostly, we celebrated what makes Liz—and her writing—so damn good: she gives voice to the things Gen X feels but hasn’t quite said out loud.
Thank you
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Hello, friends! We’ve got some amazing guests and topics lined up for The Daily Whatever Show this week and beyond!genXy is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support our work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.
