Pop Xulture Newsletter # 35
Xollection Machine: Videos, Boomers & the Church, Google’s Popular Times & More. 7/12/25
Hi Friends! This will be a shorter Newsletter with a quick update and some fun stuff like several videos, one Millennial’s fascinating take on Boomers effect on the Church, and how Google’s “Popular Times” works.
Xurrent News
A few weeks ago I celebrated the half-way point of 2025 with lists of my favorites thus far. I included all the media I’ve watched (around 50 films and shows), a fantastic podcast, the books I’ve read and some random stuff like a TV record recently broken and the ability to back a film studio.
I’m excited to say my article “Back to the Future: A 40th Anniversary Lesson in Adaptability” posted on the exact date the film was released (July 3rd). I’ve dreamed about writing this piece for years even though I wasn’t sure exactly where it would go. I ended up exploring why BTTF is still relevant, where it fails (although has been modernized recently), and, surprisingly, how it teaches us about adaptability. There’s a really high chance you’ve seen the movie, so check out the article and enjoy!
Xollection Machine: Videos, Boomers & the Church, and “Popular Times”
Random Videos: Brooklyn’s Interstate, Alien Ant Farm and The Kelly Family
Below are a few videos I’ve collected over the last few months:
-The YouTube channel Half as Interesting’s video “Brooklyn’s Only Interstate Is Doomed”
-The band Alien Ant Farm’s music video “Movies”
-The band The Kelly Family’s weird music video “Fell in Love With An Alien”
A Millennial’s Comparison to Boomers and the Church
Labeled the “Me Generation,” Boomers emphasized individualism and accidentally raised Millennials to value teamwork. In this video, Instagram user “Shwa004” explains that as Millennials entered the work force they split: some valued their parents’ dog-eat-dog focus; some valued participation and cleaning up the mess that extreme selfishness inflicted.
But Boomers doubled down on belittling the participation trophy generation they created. Many Boomers don’t comprehend that they came into a booming economy, but what goes up, must come down. Shwa004 elaborates,
“This split is similar to what we’re seeing in Christianity: you’ve got prosperity gospel Christians who think that all they have to do is be saved, versus Christians who are focused on doing the work of the gospel…every time the opportunity presents itself regardless of whether they’re going to get compensated or not.”
How Google’s “Popular Times” Works
Have you ever looked up a business and seen Google’s projection for how busy it will be? I use this to plan my visits for particularly slow times – and it’s usually right! But for all this convenience, how does it actually work?
Sydney Yang gives a quick rundown in the aptly titled article “How Does Google’s Popular Times Work?”
Xoncluding Thoughts
There it is. A quick update and smattering of pop culture I found interesting. I’ll be posting my annual July 1980’s vs. 2020’s extended exclusive in a few weeks. Read you then!
Thanks, in Him,
-Chris (the Bearded Wonder) Fogle