Midlife Crisis, the Podcast

This week on Midlife Crisis, Adrian and Jeff are joined by special guest Victoria Rose Warren (a.k.a. Jeff’s Wife) for a rapid-fire breakdown of everything stressing, confusing, and entertaining millennials right now.
 
The crew starts with Spotify Wrapped reactions—debating Drake vs. Kendrick supremacy, judging each other’s music taste, and roasting suspiciously high listening minutes. From there they pivot into the huge Netflix vs. Warner Bros. Discovery acquisition drama, unpacking what mega-streaming mergers mean for creators, competition, and the future of filmmaking.
 
They react to Time’s upcoming Person of the Year odds (spoiler: AI might beat out actual humans) before diving headfirst into financial reality—nearly half of Americans are working multiple jobs, everyone’s shopping on credit, and Black Friday “deals” might just be perfectly disguised debt traps.
Dating doesn’t escape the criticism either, with a jaw-dropping stat revealing more men over 25 are virgins than ever, leading into a discussion about post-pandemic social anxiety, dating apps, and why approaching strangers now feels like extreme sports.
 
On the culture front, the crew debates Australia banning social media for kids under 16, the internet’s collective meltdown over Pantone naming “Cloud Dancer” (aka off-white) the Color of the Year, and the wild impact of the viral Diddy documentary executive-produced by 50 Cent.
 
Sports chaos dominates the second half:
The Chiefs’ playoff panic (are they actually dead?)
Indiana shocking Ohio State in college football
The unlikely hero run of NBA’s Pat Spencer (yes, the lacrosse guy)
Philip Rivers returning to the NFL at 44 years old because why not
And the emotional hype around John Cena’s final WWE match
 
The episode wraps with spicy hot takes on hustle culture, influencer delusion, and why passion—not clout—is still the real fuel for doing creative work that actually lasts.
+ BEST XMAS MOVIES OF ALL TIME DRAFT

This week on Midlife Crisis, Adrian and Jeff jump into the annual Spotify Wrapped debate—is it still fun or officially played out? They predict their top artists (Morgan Wallen, Post Malone, Mac Miller) and react to Spotify’s rumored price hike, sparking talk about subscription fatigue. From there, the duo unpacks Oxford’s 2025 Word of the Year, “Rage Bait,” using it as a lens to examine online outrage culture alongside runner-up trends like “aura farming” and “biohack.” The conversation veers into wild territory with a viral breakdown of DNA data storage, before touching on the upcoming Netflix Diddy documentary, questioning how nonstop coverage impacts real public accountability.
TV and sports drive the back half of the episode: a spoiler-light review of Stranger Things Season 5 (Vol. 1) covers the emotional Episode 4 moment with Will, fan nitpicks, and theories about Vecna and the Mind Flayer, plus notes on the Dec. 31 theatrical finale and other December watch recommendations like Zootopia 2, Wake Up Dead Man, and Fallout Season 2. Adrian also shouts out Wale’s new album before Jeff unleashes his NFL overreactions, debates Justin Jefferson’s impact, and processes Michigan’s heartbreak loss to Ohio State while celebrating Michigan basketball’s rise to #3 nationally. The episode closes with personal “What Hurts/Feels Good” check-ins, brainstorming a potential Midlife Crisis Tough Mudder team, and a chaotic 5v5 Villains Draft featuring legends like Darth Vader, The Joker, Thanos, and Voldemort, perfectly capturing the show’s blend of humor, pop culture, and millennial chaos.
 
 
 

This week on Midlife Crisis, we kick things off with a mail-in hypothetical: if Adrian and Jeff played one-on-one basketball every year since 2008, who would dominate the record? The guys break down their hoops “primes,” athletic delusion, and the glory days at the ARC.
From there, it's a Thanksgiving-week hangout episode covering Gen Z calling Air Force 1s “dad shoes,” the rise of the quarter zip + matcha aesthetic, and the larger theme of that moment when you realize: damn… we’re not the cool generation anymore.
They dive into the post-pandemic reality of work culture and the FlexJobs report claiming 3 out of 4 employees would quit if forced back to the office, debating whether anyone actually has that leverage in today’s economy.
Black Friday shopping plans, the mental load of the holidays, and the nostalgia vs. sadness that hits—plus navigating parenthood, expectations, and trying to stay present as adults.
In TV & film, the guys break down Netflix’s The Beast in Me, reactions to Frankenstein, the potential of Rush Hour 4, hype for Zootopia 2, and Jeff’s surprising early love of Apple TV’s Pluribus. Adrian drops music recs—Samy Sharif and Party of Two—and reflects on building your taste beyond algorithm culture.
Gaming talk includes first impressions of the new Call of Duty (“feels like a parody of itself”), Jeff’s obsession with Arc Raiders, and how extraction shooters have turned strangers into surprisingly wholesome teammates.
Sports highlights this week include Adrian’s fantasy football heartbreak, Thanksgiving NFL picks, Jameis Winston chaos, whether the Rams are the NFC’s best team, and the big one: Michigan vs. Ohio State and why Adrian might be joining Jeff as a Michigan fan for pure content purposes at the Rose Bowl.
“What Hurts This Week” hits real-life problems—ants taking over the kitchen, car brake expenses, mental fatigue—and “What Feels Good” brings it home with Adrian settling into his new apartment and Jeff doing something dope for a student on his way to SDSU.
They close with a hilarious 5v5 draft of “Worst Corporate Jargon,” calling out phrases like "circle back," "touch base," "growth mindset," "rigor," and "take this offline"—and why we all  hate how often we say them.
Another week, another hang with your favorite millennial duo.

In this week’s episode of Midlife Crisis, Adrian and Jeff return after a two-week break with a freshly set-up studio (which is really just Adrian's apartment) and a stacked lineup of millennial-core topics. They dive into the death of the American penny, a proposed 50-year mortgage, and the surprising return of Vine (now “deVine”). The guys debate the unsettling rise of AI that lets you “talk” to dead loved ones, Wendy’s massive closures R.I.P. Frosty, Funko Pop’s downfall, and Flamin’ Hot Cheetos going dye-free. They also break down Tom Brady cloning his dog, why 45% of Gen Z men have never asked someone out IRL... LOL losers, and share personal stories from their own awkward teenage years.
On the culture front, they review new music recs like Porchlight, react to the Toy Story 5 trailer, weigh in on the Zelda live-action cast first-look photos, and discuss the wave of Disney remakes. They cover Black Phone 2, upcoming Stranger Things 5 predictions, and Jeff's new "game of the year" Dispatch. Sports includes NFL Week 11 chaos (Adrian's team sucks ass), NBA picks, Lions/Seahawks fraud talk, Shaduer Sanders hype, and fantasy football pain. They close out with work-life balance struggles, personal wins, and a thoughtful discussion about how spontaneity is disappearing from modern friendships.
 
Thanks for listening mfrs!
 

In this episode of Midlife Crisis, Adrian and Jeff sit down with longtime friend and multi-hyphenate creative Sterling Hampton IV — a filmmaker, director, photographer, and founder of COTAM (Clash of the Artistic Minds). Together, they dive into Sterling’s journey from Inland Empire dance crews and jerkin’ videos to touring with G-Eazy and Black Eyed Peas, directing campaigns for Mercedes and LG, and premiering short documentaries like Kylie and Merman at Sundance and Tribeca.
 
The conversation explores the creative grind of your 20s vs. the self-awareness of your 30s, touching on ambition, failure, mentorship, and the struggle with imposter syndrome. Sterling opens up about learning to transmute frustration into creative energy, building purpose-driven art, and defining success on his own terms after years of chasing validation through “cool” projects.
 
They reflect on:
Growing up as DIY creatives without industry access
How trauma and curiosity fuel great artists
The importance of working horizontally with peers rather than chasing up the ladder
Balancing artistic authenticity with financial sustainability
What it means to “finally feel like yourself” in your 30s
 
Sterling also teases two feature-length documentary films in production and his latest Oscar-qualified short Feniche about sexual assault survivor and activist Sabrina Lassegue, now screening for Academy members.
 
The episode closes with laughs about “midlife crisis purchases,” creative discipline, and the ongoing pursuit of freedom — financial, artistic, and personal.

In this episode, the guys welcome Sterling Hampton IV, creative multi-hyphenate, film director and founder of COTAM, for a deep dive into the chaos of culture, creativity, and millennial aging. They kick things off with a discussion on why adults stop discovering new music, how TikTok has resurrected 2000s hits, and why we’re all just chasing nostalgia at this point.
From there, they touch on the subscription-obsessed future Sterling foresaw years ago, Amazon replacing 500K workers with robots, and whether AI will wipe out the middle class. Halloween plans, “first-date red flags,” and the viral list of places women refuse to go on dates somehow make their way into the mix — along with scientists claiming winter sex boosts immunity (yes, that’s a real study).
They also tackle America’s literacy crisis, Nike’s neuroscience shoes, and the story of an eight-year-old kid who let a black widow bite him to become Spider-Man.
 
Plus: movie scenes they wish they could live in, fantasy football chaos, existential gym thoughts, and Sterling’s hot take on how social media turned everyone into a “character.”
🎵 Music nostalgia, 🤖 robot jobs, and 🕷️ Spider-Man dreams — this one’s pure millennial mayhem.

In Episode 30 of Midlife Crisis, Adrian and Jeff dive into one of their wildest mixes yet—covering everything from AI getting freaky to real-life jewelry heists and zero-percent beer Sundays. The guys react to the viral headline that one in five teens have “romantic relationships” with AI, debate OpenAI’s new adult content policy, and break down how Netflix and Spotify’s video podcast partnership might change entertainment forever. They also unpack the viral “6–7” brain rot meme, the $60M+ Louvre robbery that feels straight out of Ocean’s 11, and a hilarious 5v5 draft of which NBA and NFL players they’d want on their heist crew.
In sports, they discuss Shohei Ohtani’s historic playoff performance, early NBA MVP picks, and another week of fantasy football chaos. On the personal side, Adrian reflects on moving out of his longtime home and bonding with his son over Mario Kart, while Jeff shares updates from his golf team’s playoff run. It’s equal parts pop culture, fatherhood, and absurd millennial humor—the perfect mix of chaos and comfort you’ve come to expect from Midlife Crisis.

This week on Midlife Crisis, Adrian and Jeff unpack one of the wildest weeks in sports, culture, and life... from Michigan’s brutal football weekend to LeBron’s “Decision 2.0” Hennessy ad flop. The episode kicks off with an emotional story about a woman who wrote her own obituary, sparking a conversation on gratitude and perspective. The guys dive into the global decline of social media, AI’s growing influence through OpenAI’s new “Sora” app, and Jeff’s temporary boycott of ChatGPT. They also roast Disneyland’s skyrocketing prices, question Netflix’s decision to drop its “Netflix Original” label, and debate why 78% of men supposedly enjoy being scolded by their girlfriend. In sports, they break down LeBron’s ad backlash, NBA preseason buzz around Wemby and Cooper Flagg, and the latest fantasy football heartbreaks; including Adrian’s regretful trade of Cam Skattebo. Plus, Michigan football’s collapse, the Mariners’ “Big Dumper” magic, and Jeff’s rain-soaked Post Malone weekend in Utah all get airtime. The episode wraps with a 5v5 draft of dream U.S. travel destinations, proving that even in chaos, the guys can still make a vacation out of it.

In this episode, the guys welcome Daniel Martinez, CEO and co-founder of Mas Vida Tequila, to talk about launching a tequila brand from scratch and reflecting on creative growth, friendship, and hitting your 30s. Daniel shares how late-night drinks with roommates evolved into a full-fledged brand inspired by his roots in Jalisco, Mexico, and a drive to turn passion into profit.
They dive into lessons on collaboration (“you can’t do it alone”), staying curious, and the importance of playing the cards in front of you instead of waiting for the perfect moment. Daniel also reveals his “midlife crisis purchase” — a 3D printer — and what it’s taught him about tinkering, creativity, and adult hobbies.
 
From there, the crew tackles trending topics:
📈 Childhood obesity surpasses underweight rates globally — who’s to blame, and how parenting plays a role.
🛒 Shopify x OpenAI and how AI shopping might challenge Amazon.
💤 Millennials using PTO to rest instead of travel — burnout or self-care?
💔 California named worst state for online dating — is hustle culture killing romance?
🏪 Rite Aid’s bankruptcy (and Thrifty’s ice cream living on under Monster Energy).
💍 Instagram’s “Rings” awards for creators — innovation or ego trip?
🤕 Mark Sanchez’s wild arrest story and lessons in aging gracefully.
🏈 NFL Week 5 reactions, fantasy frustrations, and Cam Skattebo hype.
🏀 LeBron’s “Decision 2.0” — retirement, rebrand, or classic drama?
⚾ Dodgers playoff talk, UFC 320 recap, and WNBA Finals updates.
🎮 Black Ops 7 vs. Battlefield 6 debate and favorite new games.
🎵 Taylor Swift’s “Life of a Showgirl” and album rollout design talk.

This week, Adrian and Jeff dive into a packed episode covering pop culture, sports, streaming, and hot takes. The guys kick things off with Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl Halftime Show announcement, debating if the NFL’s move is a business play or a cultural milestone and predicting what family members will say at Super Bowl parties. From there, they break down Michelob Ultra becoming America’s top-selling beer, the downfall of Bud Light, and how brands like Modelo and Corona market to different audiences.
 
The conversation shifts into streaming and tech with reactions to Disney+ price hikes, the Jimmy Kimmel suspension fallout, and Instagram’s new “Your Algorithm” feature. They also cover the rise of AI in Hollywood, spotlighting the controversy around the virtual actress Tilly Norwood, and ask whether fans actually care if entertainment is created by people or machines.
 
Other cultural touchpoints include Gen Z’s relationship with work, the backlash against return-to-office mandates, and Live Nation’s CEO suggesting concerts are underpriced. The guys also joke about Charlie Sheen’s claim of 47,000 partners, discuss Amazon’s $2.5B Prime settlement, and highlight Kai Cenat’s record-breaking Mafia-thon stream.
 
In music and entertainment, they review what they have been listening to lately, hype the violent new Wolverine game, and break down the announcement of The Social Network sequel, The Social Reckoning.
They also share thoughts on Leonardo DiCaprio’s new movie One Battle After Another and the latest in gaming.
 
Sports talk centers on the Ryder Cup’s wild U.S. fan behavior, their own fantasy football smack talk, and finally a 5v5 draft on the worst things to do or say on a first date.