Episode 223: The X-Files

America at 250 Episode 8: "X Marks the Spot: How The X-Files represent 1990s society and culture."  Val is the archivist at the Museum of Broadcast Communications in Chicago, and therefore a deep thinker about television and radio programming's place in history.  She chose her favorite TV show, The X-Files, to be the subject of the first drop-in episode in the Windy City, and we had a great conversation about the groundbreaking science fiction show. The letter X appeared frequently in 1990s pop culture: Gen X, X-Games, X-Men, and of course, The X-Files. The running theme of all Xs seemed to be something different, edgy and outside of the ordinary.  Val explains that it wasn't just the topics of The X-Files that set the show apart, but that it was made in an unconventional way, symptomatic of the last decade of the 20th century.  This is the eighth episode of a special season of the Everything is a Primary Source where, in celebration of the 250th anniversary of the United States, American pop culture is examined for historical value and for connection to the founding of the country in July of 1776. Teaching resources and supplements available soon at everything-history.com/america250This episode is brought to you by iCivics and their new educational game, Investigation Declaration.#podcast #popculture #1990s #xfiles