
Rufus, Outhouses, and Should we give a $#@%? Or, Do Boomers owe their children a better life?
From Views on the News from the Couch by Jeff Cross
May 20, 2026 · 14 min
About this episode
The episode challenges the notion that Boomers had it easy and explores the struggles of different generations regarding work and housing.
Send us Fan Mail In this episode, I push back on the idea that Boomers “had it easy” and owe their kids a softer life. Starting with the story of Rufus—a kid who walked into an auto shop two weeks before his 14th birthday to ask for a job—I connect three generations: my dad shoveling outhouses, a young hustler running a repair shop in his teens, and today’s grads struggling with housing and work. We talk college degrees vs trades, starter homes then vs now, participation trophies, Sweden and ...
People in this episode
Host: Jeff Cross
Topics covered
- Boomers
- generational differences
- work ethics
- housing crisis
- education
Keywords
- Boomers
- Rufus
- outhouses
- college degrees
- trades
- housing
- participation trophies
Mentioned in this episode
Places: Sweden
More episodes of Views on the News from the Couch
- How Climate Change advocates lost me and what it would take to get me back. · May 31, 2026 · 17 min
- Why the hell do they keep calling conservatives Fascists. And your mother wears Army Boots. · May 25, 2026 · 17 min
- You Can Vote It In, But You Can't Vote It Out · May 12, 2026 · 16 min
- What would Churchill do on Iran? · April 27, 2026 · 13 min
- Golf: I like the Courses, Cherish the People · April 18, 2026 · 25 min
- Shut Up and Affirm: The NBA vs. Jaden Ivey. · April 4, 2026 · 10 min
Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the Views on the News from the Couch podcast page.