Shows
BoomerLennialsFor Good (with Billy and Deb Shore, Hillary Cohen and Samantha Luu)2025. A Wicked year of bipartisan assassinations, bookended by an air crash over the Potomac and the desecration of the living national monument to a fallen young president who inspired a nation with a call to “ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country.” But also a year For Good, in which John F Kennedy’s challenge still resonated across the decades for many Americans. Josh and Doug welcome the founders of Share Our Strength/No Kid Hungry and the founders of Every Day Action, who are addressing the daily needs of Ame...
2025-12-2547 min
BoomerLennialsMilestonesA young TV/film star, a retired government official and a GenZ poet walk into a bar, and — no, wait; not a bar. They’re on a Zoom call marking milestones that converged this year: family milestones, birthday milestones, relationship milestones, career milestones, life milestones. Oh, and podcast milestones, too. Pull up a chair and join Josh, Doug and producer Jon for BoomerLennials. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit boomerlennials.substack.com
2025-11-2648 min
BoomerLennialsAmerica—What (now) In The World? (with Ned Price, Emma Ashford and Stephen Collinson)From postwar and post-Cold War universal dominance to China’s rise, Russia’s belligerence and uncertainty on the parts of adversaries and allies alike, America’s roles and directions in international engagement need significant and pro-active re-examination. How to most effectively dealing with an increasing number of autocracies? How to better and more effectively use American power without abandoning fundamental values and ideals? How to engage the support of an American public increasingly disinterested in foreign policy? How to separate the foreign policy lessons worth keeping from Administration policies that seem volatile and unpredictable, often hostile towards traditional allies and sy...
2025-11-0652 min
BoomerLennials“Shana Tovah”(with Theo Baker and Jeremy Ben-Ami)Jews around the world will celebrate Rosh Hashana, the beginning of the Jewish New Year. The recent global rise in anti-Semitism and events in Israel and Gaza have created new and unexpected contexts for Jewish men and women as they focus on annual reflections, religious upbringings and Jewish identities. Josh and Doug - joined by Stanford senior Theo Baker, the youngest-ever winner of the George Polk Award for special achievement in journalism, and J Street founder Jeremy Ben-Ami - host a special Rosh Hashana BoomerLennials discussion of the generational contexts shaping those reflections.For the most thoughtful...
2025-09-2550 min
BoomerLennialsHope, Interrupted (with Mike Medavoy, Gayle Smith and Suzanne Nossel)Not so long ago, the United States was seen by millions around the globe as their aspirational goal – the symbol of freedom, compassion for others, aid and assistance for those who desperately needed it, and a beacon for those who wanted to make a better life for themselves and their families. It has become increasingly clear that that is no longer the case. Does America’s reputation, values and standing matter any more to those in the United States who feel it’s time to turn to more domestic concerns? Can we ever return to the values-based standing America once h...
2025-08-2149 min
BoomerLennialsHollywhoops - How TV and Film Left LA (with Tommy Dewey and Helen Estabrook)What happens when an industry town loses its industry? America saw it happen with auto manufacturing in Detroit in the 20th century, and now, it appears something similar may be happening to the film and television industry of Los Angeles. Once synonymous with the biz itself, "Hollywood" is rapidly losing its status as the entertainment capital of the world. As film and TV productions flee to cheaper shooting locations, many Angelenos who moved to LA to chase their Hollywood dreams are left wondering if Hollywood is ever coming back to LA. We'll discuss runaway production, tax credits, Trump film...
2025-08-0742 min
BoomerLennialsStuck In The Middle? With You? (With Holly Page and Matt Bai)Clowns to the left of me, Jokers to the Right, Here I am, Stuck in the Middle with You.These lyrics from the Stealers Wheel ‘70’s hit seem to summarize what an increasing number of Americans feel about our politics today. But is that where disillusioned Americans are? Stuck in the middle? Or looking for alternatives to politics and politicians as channels for change? No Labels’ Holly Page and columnist and screenwriter Matt Bai join BoomerLennials for the discussion.Host: Doug WilsonGuests: Holly Page and Matt BaiProducer: Jonathan Kermah
2025-07-1753 min
BoomerLennialsThe Student Becomes the Teacher (with Pete Buttigieg)Pete Buttigieg joins Doug and Josh to discuss his vision for America, his take on the politics of today and the challenges of tomorrow. Together, we'll discuss everything from climate change, school shootings, and AI to the current threats against democratic norms, the economy, and America's institutions of higher learning.Hosts: Doug Wilson and Josh BrenerGuest: Pete ButtigiegProducer: Jonathan Kermah This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit boomerlennials.substack.com
2025-06-1945 min
BoomerLennialsRemembering Emma Lazarus“Give me your tired, your poor, Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free.” The words of Emma Lazarus, mounted on the pedestal of the Statue of Liberty. Lest we forget the faces of immigration – our grandparents, parents, friends and family, who built this country – at a time when immigration has now become miscast as synonymous with fentanyl, Venezuelan gangs and unsecured borders. On today’s episode of BoomerLennials, Josh and Doug welcome Emmy-nominated actor Mamoudou Athie (whose family was granted asylum from Mauritania) and Afghan-American entrepreneur Najlla Habibyar: her harrowing escape from the Taliban following the fall of Afghanistan was cellph...
2025-06-1248 min
BoomerLennialsCanada, With All Due RespectGolden Globe-winning and four-time Academy Award nominated Canadian-American director Jason Reitman (Thank You For Smoking; Juno; Up In The Air; Saturday Night) and former US Ambassador to Canada and former Governor of Michigan James Blanchard join Josh and Doug to discuss “WTF Are We Doing Turning One Of Our Best Friends Into An Enemy?” This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit boomerlennials.substack.com
2025-05-2240 min
BoomerLennialsDemocrats In The WildernessNew York Times political reporter Tyler Pager, author and activist Rosa Brooks and former Yahoo and CBS executive Brian Goldsmith bring talking point-free and platitude-free insights into the “WT#!* Do Democrats Do Now?” discussion with Josh and Doug. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit boomerlennials.substack.com
2025-05-0846 min
BoomerLennialsThis Is Us (No, Not The TV Series…)Josh Brener and Doug Wilson discuss the origins, framework and focus of their new podcast, BoomerLennials and talk about the roads that brought them together. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit boomerlennials.substack.com
2025-04-2429 min
BoomerLennialsIntroducing BoomerLennialsFormer Assistant Defense Secretary Doug Wilson was Pentagon senior spokesman under President Obama, and advisor to White House hopefuls from Gary Hart to Pete Buttigieg. He’s a Baby Boomer.Film and television actor Josh Brener starred in HBO’s acclaimed series Silicon Valley and played a young Doug in The Front Runner, the Hugh Jackman movie about Gary Hart. He’s a Millennial.Now, together, they’re co-hosting BoomerLennials , with a mix of guests, young and old, from politics and show biz, to discuss all things political, social and cultural through the lens of the gene...
2025-04-1301 min