Generation X grew up expecting dystopia: nukes, Watergate, oil crises, Threads on PBS, Orwell on the nightstand, and Rambo at the multiplex. We were taught to roll our eyes at everything… and somehow still keep going.
In this episode, Scot and Bunny ask a very un-cool question:
Is hope the last real act of rebellion left?
We dig into the difference between hope and optimism (weather vs climate), why hope is closer to faith than vibes, and how it quietly keeps people alive even when they’re clinically done with everything. We talk doomscrolling, edgelords, propaganda, “you’re perfect, don’t change” culture, and how marketing makes a killing by carefully crushing your hope and then selling it back to you for $9.99.
From Gen X dystopia programming to Gen Alpha nihilism, from type 1 diabetes to TikTok dances, from Star Wars metaphors to The Shawshank Redemption, we keep circling the same idea:
It’s probably screwed. We’re showing up anyway.
If you’ve ever felt like the flame’s getting low but you’re still crawling through the tunnel, this one’s for you.
