Gen Pre-Z

From comic strip to animated show, The Boondocks stirred controversy for its unapologetic views on black culture. A reboot is now in the works, but will a show meant for the black community find a wider audience? Join us as we explore this question and more on our season finale. 

Caitlyn Jenner is a lot of things: Olympic athlete, reality TV star, and even woman of the year. But is she actually someone that we should look up to? We break down her legacy in search of an answer. 

When FOX's hit show Glee premiered in 2009, it was hailed as a champion for diversity. But could that diversity have just been tokenization? We watch the show and break down some of its most out of tune moments. 

South Park is one of the most controversial series of all time. The Right believe the show is corrupting children; the Left believe it goes unnecessarily far. But what do we think about this equal opportunist offender? 

The 1993 family comedy Mrs. Doubtfire made Fox millions of dollars. But did the studio make big bank off jokes at the expense of trans people? We take a closer look at this beloved film and ruin your childhood. 

Indiana Jones is considered one of the greatest adventure series of all times. But why is it still glorified despite obvious misogyny, racist exoticism and brown face? We watch The Temple of Doom on a quest for answers. 

On the surface, the 2004 film White Chicks is a slapstick comedy that many critics scoff at. But is there more to it than we think? Is it possible this film is... smart? Listen as we consider this and more. 

The mission of the Peace Corps is to promote world peace and friendship. But would a good friend use you for your resources, create an unsafe environment, and impose their values on you? It's time to reevaluate our relationship with this government agency. 

Join us as we discuss the coming-of-age film, Call Me By Your Name. There's a lot of problematic themes to unpack here: straight men portraying gay men, sexual predation, and twink fetishizing to name a few. Oh, and did someone mention cannibalism?

What's in a name? Until 2020, the Washington Football Team was named the Washington Redskins. American Indigenous communities fought a long battle to get the team renamed, yet still fans defend the slur by pointing to tradition. Join us as we dissect this bizarre point of view while discussing the power of names.

​The early 2000s era show MTV Cribs featured celebrities showing off their fabulous homes. They threw their wealth in our faces and we begged for more. Join us for a lively discussion on money and privilege, changing societal attitudes towards the lavish lifestyles of the rich and famous, and whether or not a future iteration of this series is doomed.

The 2011 film, The Help, took almost 3 hours to demonstrate how white people cured racism in the 1950s. Hear us discuss what we think about white savior narratives, shit pies, and whether or not this movie might have ended racism if it were shorter.

Could the beloved sitcom The Office survive in the era of cancel culture? This question launched this podcast, and we discuss it in our last episode of Season 1. We can't believe we've come this far! (That's what she said!). Thank you for listening!

This summer we learned that Ellen, who challenged us to 'be kind', was not so kind herself. She was a diva behind the scenes while projecting her wholesome aura to the cameras. But can Ellen redeem herself or is her reign over?

The breastaurant Hooters promises to serve you wings with a side of breasts. Even in the era of #metoo, the franchise shows no signs of going anywhere. But who goes to Hooters? And how is it still open? Gen PreZ takes a field trip to do some investigative journalism. The results will mildly amuse you!

The Harry Potter book series taught a whole generation to love reading and was so memorable that it spawned theme parks, video games, and blockbuster movies. However, the series has one problem: J.K. Rowling. The problematic author of the series seems intent on obliviating all its good will. Can the series survive its real-life Voldemort?

The Pope of Trash, film director John Waters started his career 50 years ago by lampooning conservative America with his campy films like Pink Flamingos and Multiple Maniacs. He almost made bad taste mainstream. Could he do the same today?

Stanley Kubrick's film The Shining debuted in 1980 and is now considered a masterpiece. Lesser known is the psychological torture Kubrick inflicted on lead actress Shelly Duvall to obtain his desired performance. Kubrick often crossed the line between art and abuse with his unconventional techniques - could he get away with it today?

Before he walked away from superstardom, Dave Chappelle pushed the limits of comedy on his massively successful Chappelle's Show.  Now that he's returned, woke culture thinks his voice is too dangerous for America. Has he lost his touch, or are we unwilling to hear his message?

The reality competition show RuPaul's Drag Race launched in 2009, a simpler time when queer folk couldn't get married (in America) and trans identities were actively suppressed on all fronts. So why, in 2020, does RuPaul continue to suppress trans identities on his show? And what other problematic positions will we find when we look under the hood?

We were all rooting for you, Tyra! When America's Next Top Model premiered, we didn't expect a side of blackface and cultural appropriation. Yet the show remains a stalwart of the early reality TV boom. Are Tyra Banks and her franchise too hot to cancel?

The long running sitcom It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia is known for tearing into uncomfortable topics. In the pilot episode, its straight white cast deals with their conscious and unconscious biases towards the Black and gay communities. Nonetheless, the creators and stars of the show have failed to gain recognition from their peers. Is it having conversations a so-called 'woke' America's still not ready to hear? 

Tina Fey broke barriers as the first female head writer for SNL. She wrote and starred in the iconic Mean Girls, and created the celebrated series 30 Rock and Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt. But when cancel culture came for her, she refused to stand down. Did her gambit work out?

America's beloved aquatic theme park, SeaWorld, enjoyed a sensational rise to fame. Then in 2012, the documentary Blackfish exposed the park's dark secrets, ensuring the public would never see its killer whales the same way again. Now SeaWorld is desperately rebranding in order to bring back parents, but will its efforts sink under the tide of popular opinion?

Tropic Thunder was the most controversial comedy of 2008. The movie risked alienating a significant portion of America due to its portrayal of blackface and people with disabilities. But when we look deeper, we find a lot of layered commentary. Was it too woke for its time?

Looney Tunes gave us kid-friendly fare in the form of Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, and Porky Pig. But when we look under the surface, the Looney Tunes franchise contains a lot of material that makes you go 'hmmm.' Is this another piece of our childhood lost to the times?

We add our voices to the national conversation on law enforcement by analyzing a unique American invention: the show COPS! Why would Americans consent to being filmed at the lowest point of their lives? And why did we watch?

Listen to the trailer for Gen Pre-Z!