Best Todd and Cathy Adams Podcasts (2025)

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Trading Places Episode# 846 1:03:18

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7d ago1:03:18

1:03:18

Cathy and Todd discuss Trading Places for “Christmas movies that might not be Christmas movies” month. John Landis’ 1983 comedy-satire dropped the same year as Return of the Jedi, Flashdance, WarGames, and Risky Business, yet still became one of the biggest hits of the year. With Dan Aykroyd, a very young Eddie Murphy (only 21!), Jamie Lee Curtis, …

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Die Hard: The Great Christmas-Movie Debate- Episode #845 1:11:40

14d ago1:11:40

1:11:40

Cathy and Todd discuss Die Hard, the 1988 action classic that redefined the genre, covering everything from its Christmas Eve plot and iconic Nakatomi Plaza setting to the film’s surprisingly heartfelt themes of family, reconciliation, and love. They discuss why so many (including Cathy) consider it a Christmas movie, break down the characters and …

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Toy Story — The Psychology and Nostalgia That Made It a Classic- Episode #844 1:04:51

21d ago1:04:51

1:04:51

Cathy and Todd discuss the making of Toy Story, the 1995 film that changed animation forever. They explore the film’s massive cultural impact and the introduction of emotionally complex heroes like Woody and Buzz, who grew up alongside their audience. They also look at the creative forces behind the movie, including John Lasseter’s rise and fall an…

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Forrest Gump: A Paradoxical Parable- Episode #843 1:16:10

28d ago1:16:10

1:16:10

Cathy and Todd discuss Forrest Gump, a movie they’ve loved for years, one they even saw together when it first came out. They explore how this emotional epic serves as both parable and modern American myth, following Forrest’s innocence through some of the country’s most turbulent moments while Jenny’s life reflects a very different America marked …

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Cast Away: A Movie About Time, Control, and Surrender- Episode #842 1:23:05

1M ago1:23:05

1:23:05

Cathy and Todd continue Tom Hanks Month with Cast Away, the 2000 classic that came out just as the world was speeding up with email, cell phones, and the dot-com boom. They talk about how this quiet, lonely movie made such an impact and why it hit so differently in an era obsessed with productivity and control. They go through their categories and …

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BIG and the Wisdom of Staying Young & Playful- Episode #840 1:19:27

1M ago1:19:27

1:19:27

To kick off Tom Hanks month, Cathy and Todd revisit Big, the 1988 classic that made him a star and reminded us what it means to grow up too fast. The movie blends humor, heart, and magic (and a somewhat inappropriate romance), letting us laugh at the absurdity of adult life while remembering what it felt like to be young. They talk about why Big st…

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Se7en: The Movie That Made Us Ask What’s in the Box- Episode #839 1:24:03

2M ago1:24:03

1:24:03

Cathy and Todd discuss Se7en, David Fincher’s dark and unforgettable thriller. They talk about how the movie came together from the casting of Brad Pitt and Morgan Freeman to the decision to keep Kevin Spacey’s role a secret, and how Fincher’s style changed what crime movies could be. They also dig into the story’s moral questions, the infamous end…

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The Haunting of Hill House: A Gen X Ghost Story About Grief & Family Secrets- Episode #838 1:26:50

2M ago1:26:50

1:26:50

Cathy and Todd discuss The Haunting of Hill House and how Mike Flanagan turned a classic ghost story into an emotional story of family trauma, grief, and repair. From the houses we grew up in to the ghosts we still carry, they talk about the energy that lingers and the monsters we end up sympathizing with. They discuss why Hill House hit Gen X so d…

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Twilight, Vampires, and Werewolves- Episode #837 1:25:21

2M ago1:25:21

1:25:21

Released in 2008, Twilight dropped into a perfect cultural storm with Obama’s election, iPhones taking off, emo Tumblr in full swing, and the YA craze exploding after Harry Potter. Catherine Hardwicke’s film felt raw and indie with blue-grey filters, handheld cameras, and the emotional awkwardness of being seventeen. It wasn’t polished Hollywood fa…

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Scream: The Gen X Horror Movie About Gen X Horror Movies- Episode #836 1:08:19

2M ago1:08:19

1:08:19

When Scream hit theaters in 1996, horror was stuck in a loop of sequels and fading scares. What made Scream different was its sharp, self-aware, and deeply Gen X voice. It mocked the rules of slashers while playing by them, spoke the language of VHS rentals and MTV, and turned Ghostface into an instant icon. In this episode, we look at how Scream c…

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Halloween: Gen X Suburban Fear and the Final Girl- Episode #835 1:12:09

3M ago1:12:09

1:12:09

Cathy and Todd revisit John Carpenter’s Halloween, the 1978 film that cost just over $300,000 to make and went on to shape the slasher genre. For Gen X kids, it was more than a scary movie, it was a cultural milestone. They talk about why the suburban setting felt so close to home, how a cheap William Shatner mask turned into Michael Myers, and why…

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Airplane! The Film That Defined Gen X Humor- Episode #834 1:04:25

3M ago1:04:25

1:04:25

Airplane! hit theaters in 1980 and reshaped comedy for Gen X. It was a clear break from the more earnest films of the ’70s and set the tone for how parody and absurdist humor would play out for decades. By casting serious actors like Leslie Nielsen, Lloyd Bridges & Robert Stack to deliver nonsense with total sincerity, the Zucker-Abrahams-Zucker te…

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The Summer I Turned Pretty, Shaped by Gen X Pop Culture- Episode #833 1:16:35

3M ago1:16:35

1:16:35

Jenny Han’s The Summer I Turned Pretty is rooted in Gen X pop culture, taking inspiration from 80s movies to the soundtrack choices that set the mood. In this episode, we connect Belly’s summer at Cousins Beach to the stories that shaped us, from Jane Austen to John Hughes, from Dirty Dancing to Taylor Swift. We’ll talk about the love triangles tha…

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Unknown Number- The High School Catfish- Episode #832 1:18:15

3M ago1:18:15

1:18:15

Cathy and Todd discuss Netflix’s documentary Unknown Number: The High School Catfish and how texts and constant accessibility blur the line between connection and chaos. What started as “stranger danger” in Gen X childhood has become “tech danger” in our kids’ phones—cyberbullying, rumors, and anonymous numbers lighting up at all hours. The documen…

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The Wishful Politics of Gen X: The American President and Dave- Episode #831 1:22:29

3M ago1:22:29

1:22:29

Cathy and Todd talk about two 90s political favorites, Dave and The American President, and how they captured Gen X’s wishful politics. From an ordinary guy running the White House with kindness to a widowed president balancing romance and leadership, both films imagined a world where decency could still win in Washington. They explore what these s…

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Boybands and Performative Masculinity- Episode #830 1:50:52

4M ago1:50:52

1:50:52

Cathy and Todd look at how groups like Backstreet Boys, *NSYNC, Boyz II Men, and One Direction shaped pop culture and redefined what young men were allowed to sing about. They created space for emotion, love, and vulnerability on stage, but always within a carefully controlled, marketable image. From Lou Pearlman’s factory-style boyband empire to S…

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Hairbands and Performative Masculinity- Episode #829 1:20:57

4M ago1:20:57

1:20:57

Cathy and Todd explore how 1980s glam metal, later dubbed “hairbands” in the ’90s, fused hypersexual, alpha-male posturing with makeup, teased hair, and flamboyant style, creating a theatrical masculinity that rose with MTV and collapsed with the arrival of grunge. From Def Leppard to Poison, these bands borrowed from femininity while reinforcing t…

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Gen X Feminism in “9 to 5” and “Working Girl” Episode #828 1:46:33

4M ago1:46:33

1:46:33

Cathy and Todd discuss 9 to 5 and Working Girl, two movies Gen X women grew up on that shaped how we think about work, power, and what it means to succeed. We watched women push through, keep their heads down, and prove themselves in systems that were never really made for them, and we learned to do the same. We’ve told our daughters they can be an…

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What The Hunger Games Teaches Us About Dehumanization with Jacey, Camryn and Skylar Adams Episode #827 2:06:19

4M ago2:06:19

2:06:19

Our daughters Jacey, Camryn, and Skylar join us as we explore the themes behind The Hunger Games books and movies and what they say about power, survival, and the cost of being human in an inhumane system. We talk about the Capitol’s need for control, how hope threatens oppression, and what happens when kids are forced to grow up too soon. Plus, we…

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Ferris & The Dude: The Art of Doing Nothing- Episode #826 1:14:20

5M ago1:14:20

1:14:20

Cathy and Todd discuss Ferris Bueller’s Day Off and The Big Lebowski, two films that ask the same question in totally different ways: what if we just stopped playing the game? They set the scene with the cultural vibes of the ’80s and ’90s including achievement culture, Reaganomics, slacker disillusionment and reflect on how Ferris and The Dude eac…

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Stranger Things Season 1: What the Upside Down Teaches Us About Our Shadow Selves, Trauma, and Grief- Episode #825 1:23:15

5M ago1:23:15

1:23:15

Cathy and Todd discuss Stranger Things Season 1 through a cultural, emotional, and psychological lens. They explore how the show’s 80s nostalgia, supernatural mystery, and strong character dynamics reflect deeper themes of trauma, shadow work, friendship, and resilience. Set against the backdrop of 2016 (Cubs World Series Win, presidential election…

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Pulling a Milli Vanilli: How Pop’s Biggest Scandal Became a Metaphor for Imposter Syndrome Episode #824 1:23:43

5M ago1:23:43

1:23:43

Cathy & Todd revisit the rise and fall of Milli Vanilli, one of pop music’s most infamous scandals, and discuss how their story became a powerful metaphor for imposter syndrome. In the late ’80s, image was everything—style often mattered more than substance. They take a look at what happens when performance is rewarded over honesty, and how that sa…

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Revenge of the Nerds & Weird Science -The Nerds Grew Up and took over- Episode #823 1:23:57

5M ago1:23:57

1:23:57

Cathy and Todd discuss what 80’s nerd movies like Weird Science and Revenge of the Nerds taught Gen X and what those messages look like in hindsight. They break down how these films centered male fantasies, ignored consent, and portrayed women as tools for male transformation, all while positioning the “nerd” as a misunderstood hero. They discuss t…

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What the Brady Bunch & Modern Family Teach Us About Blending Families- Episode #822 1:50:23

6M ago1:50:23

1:50:23

Cathy and Todd discuss how two iconic shows—The Brady Bunch and Modern Family—reflect changing ideas about family across generations. They look at what made The Brady Bunch groundbreaking in the late ’60s and how Modern Family pushed those boundaries further by exploring race, sexuality, parenting, and identity. They compare how each show handles c…

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Fell on Black Days: The Deaths of 90s Lead Singers and What It Teaches Us About Mental Health and Addiction- Episode #821 1:21:10

6M ago1:21:10

1:21:10

Cathy and Todd explore the rise of 90s grunge and the tragic stories of its most iconic frontmen — Kurt Cobain, Chris Cornell, Layne Staley, Scott Weiland, and others — whose music reshaped rock while exposing the industry’s deep neglect of mental health and addiction. From the breakthroughs of Nevermind and Ten to the cultural shift away from glam…

Todd And Cathy Adams Podcasts

1
Zen Pop Parenting

Todd and Cathy Adams

1
Trading Places Episode# 846 1:03:18

1
Die Hard: The Great Christmas-Movie Debate- Episode #845 1:11:40

1
Toy Story — The Psychology and Nostalgia That Made It a Classic- Episode #844 1:04:51

1
Forrest Gump: A Paradoxical Parable- Episode #843 1:16:10

1
Cast Away: A Movie About Time, Control, and Surrender- Episode #842 1:23:05

1
BIG and the Wisdom of Staying Young & Playful- Episode #840 1:19:27

1
Se7en: The Movie That Made Us Ask What’s in the Box- Episode #839 1:24:03

1
The Haunting of Hill House: A Gen X Ghost Story About Grief & Family Secrets- Episode #838 1:26:50

1
Twilight, Vampires, and Werewolves- Episode #837 1:25:21

1
Scream: The Gen X Horror Movie About Gen X Horror Movies- Episode #836 1:08:19

1
Halloween: Gen X Suburban Fear and the Final Girl- Episode #835 1:12:09

1
Airplane! The Film That Defined Gen X Humor- Episode #834 1:04:25

1
The Summer I Turned Pretty, Shaped by Gen X Pop Culture- Episode #833 1:16:35

1
Unknown Number- The High School Catfish- Episode #832 1:18:15

1
The Wishful Politics of Gen X: The American President and Dave- Episode #831 1:22:29

1
Boybands and Performative Masculinity- Episode #830 1:50:52

1
Hairbands and Performative Masculinity- Episode #829 1:20:57

1
Gen X Feminism in “9 to 5” and “Working Girl” Episode #828 1:46:33

1
What The Hunger Games Teaches Us About Dehumanization with Jacey, Camryn and Skylar Adams Episode #827 2:06:19

1
Ferris & The Dude: The Art of Doing Nothing- Episode #826 1:14:20

1
Stranger Things Season 1: What the Upside Down Teaches Us About Our Shadow Selves, Trauma, and Grief- Episode #825 1:23:15

1
Pulling a Milli Vanilli: How Pop’s Biggest Scandal Became a Metaphor for Imposter Syndrome Episode #824 1:23:43

1
Revenge of the Nerds & Weird Science -The Nerds Grew Up and took over- Episode #823 1:23:57

1
What the Brady Bunch & Modern Family Teach Us About Blending Families- Episode #822 1:50:23

1
Fell on Black Days: The Deaths of 90s Lead Singers and What It Teaches Us About Mental Health and Addiction- Episode #821 1:21:10