🚨 Welcome to this week’s issue! I’m Robert Tuchman, entrepreneur, author, and publisher of Generation Xcellent, and like you, I’m doing all I can to survive the moshpit of midlife. Thanks for joining me on the journey! If you like what you see, send us an email—and share this newsletter with another guy who could use our help.  

📩 Thanks for joining the conversation!

- SEXUAL HEALTH -

How Much Plastic Is in Your Body—Down There?

This new scientific finding freaked us out. We think it may do the same for you.

By Elizabeth Kavaler, M.D.

PET, which is also used in clear plastic bottles, has been found to cause hormonal imbalances, reduced immune function, nervous system disorders and even cancer in humans. Polypropylene, on the other hand, has been shown to have anti-androgenic properties. (That means they’re a testosterone-killer.) There’s also that little death problem: Recent research has linked plastic particles in our bodies to more than 50K  heart-related fatalities a year in the US.

But how did plastic get into your phallus? Most plastics aren’t biodegradable, so whatever we put into the environment–400 million tons of it, every single year–is still there, where it can enter your body through drinking water, food, even the air you breathe. Your penis might contain PET from a water bottle you drank from yesterday–especially if you let it get hot in your car. It might come from the tiny dust particles that fly up when you pull on a shirt or rip open a package. And, as a surgeon, I’m well aware that polypropylene is a primary component of surgical masks. But your penis might also contain bits of plastic from a Play-Doh container you threw away when you were 5—again, once plastic enters the environment, it never goes away.

The point is, we know this stuff is inside of us: Plastic particles have been found in the brain, the lungs, the liver, breast milk, placental tissue and now penile tissue. But we don’t know what it’s doing to us.

The best way to cut down your exposure is to look at your food and water supply. Choose cans over bottles and glass storage containers over plastic. And don’t put anything in the dishwasher or microwave that you wouldn’t put in the oven; both devices can damage plastic and cause them to leach into your food. Those steaks you bought at the store? Take them out of the styrofoam and wrap them in aluminum foil, then a freezer bag, before you pop them in the fridge.

—Elizabeth Kavaler, M.D., is a surgeon and Medical Director of Total Urology Care of New York.

- SPORTS -

World’s Greatest 19th Holes ⛳️

At the end of every legendary golf course is an equally iconic pub 🥃

By John McCarthy

>After a long day on the links, there’s nothing better than kicking back with friends over a pint to brag about the holes you conquered and lament the ones that conquered you. From history-soaked rustic British pubs to posh modern marvels of extravagant imbibing, here are our picks of the world’s greatest 19^th holes.

The Tap Room, Pebble Beach, California
Sitting adjacent to Pebble’s 18th green, the bar — which opened in 1949 — was originally a place for players, celebrities, and sports reporters to gather before the advent of modern press rooms. Despite its history, this cozy and civilized bar retains a small pub feel.

The Clubhouse At The Farm Cape Kidnappers, Hawkes Bay, New Zealand
Take in stunning views of Hawkes Bay while sipping local Pinot Noir atop 400-foot cliffs. The vibe here is one of solitude, a meditative spot where you will feel like you are on top of the world. Even though you are on the bottom.

The Thirsty Camel Lounge, Scottsdale, Arizona
You’ll realize why it was named one of the world’s greatest bars by Forbes Travel Guide the moment you walk onto the expansive terrace overlooking the painted desert. Order a confit chicken empanada with the signature 5-Diamond Manhattan, and settle in for the most incredible Sonoran sunset you’ll ever witness.

The Old Clubhouse, Gullane, Scotland
A perfect balance of tradition and English charm, this proper village pub served as the course’s original clubhouse from 1889 until 1927, and it hasn’t changed much since. Order fried haddock and chips with a local ale and allow the 350 year history of the game to wash over you.  

The Clubhouse at Royal West Norfolk Golf Club, Brancaster, England
Once you nestle in, you might not be able to leave. With the North Sea on one side and the saltmarsh on the other, when the tide comes in twice a day, you are stuck until it rolls back out. You’ll have no choice but to sit back and tip another pint.  Or three. 

Oak Room At The Lodge at Sea Island, Saint Simons Island, Georgia
Sea Island is a serious golf village wrapped in a family-friendly sea resort. Ditch the kids to play golf and kill some time in the Oak Room. Order a pimento cheese sandwich and a single malt and unwind by the roaring fire.

Lounge at Ballybunion Golf Club, Ballybunion, Ireland
Play one of the world's great courses, then hit the lounge overlooking the beach with a clear shot of the first tees. Ballybunion’s unassuming clubhouse doubles as a local Irish community center where you’ll be rubbing elbows with a colorful cast of devoted locals known for their quick wits and evident pride in their course.

—John McCarthy is the founder of Barleycorn Drinks and the author of Whiskey Rebels: The Dreamers, Visionaries & Badasses Who Are Revolutionizing American Whiskey 

Battle of the ‘90s Crushes: The Quarterfinals
Courteney Cox vs. Molly Ringwald

>Welcome to the first quarterfinal showdown of our epic March Madness–style tournament. Last week, Shania Twain felt like more of a woman than Gwen Stefani, at least according to the readers of Generation Xcellent.

This week, our best Friend Courteney Cox—who vanquished Pamela Anderson—takes on Pretty in Pink Molly Ringwald, who triumphed over Demi Moore. Will the Scream heroine advance to the next round, or will you elevate the most iconic Gen X redhead of them all? Take the poll! 

We’ll have a new showdown every week, with more Gen X goddesses competing for your vote. And check out our social pages (we’re on Instagram, Facebook, and Threads) for updates and a full rundown of the winners.

- GEN X CULTURE -

Why The Empire Strikes Back Still Matters to Gen X

And what it says about our childhood–and our children’s

By Bob Larkin

>May 21st marks the 45th anniversary of the release of The Empire Strikes Back, and I’ll be celebrating like any self-respecting Gen Xer: by watching it alone, without pestering my 15-year-old kid to join me. Because I’ve finally realized why I have yet to meet somebody under 40 who cares for George Lucas’s fictional universe like those of us who’ve been fans since the beginning. 

Part of it is shared history. The Star Wars trilogy is to Gen Xers what Woodstock was to Baby Boomers; it’ll always be part of our generational identity. But in reality, no movie today–not even a blockbuster like The Avengers or Dune–is going to resonate with our kids the way Star Wars resonated with us. Sure, the special effects are better, the haircuts less goofy. But the world in which we experienced Star Wars, Raiders of the Lost Ark, and other blockbusters of the 70s and 80s–a world of childhood wonder and surprise–is simply gone.

Related:   The Movies that Define Generation X

It's impossible to explain what it was like to walk into a theater having no preconceived notions: The entire Star Wars universe was made up from scratch, whereas today’s biggest films are based on existing content–everybody knows about Barbie or the Batmobile or the giant sand worms before they buy a ticket. There were no viral trailers, social media chatter, Wiki pages or Reddit threads explaining all the mysteries of Star Wars before you even saw it. 

My friends and I spent the summer of 1980 debating what we’d seen and what it meant. Was Darth Vader really Luke’s father? What had Yoda meant by, “There is another?” And when the opening scroll announced that this was “Episode V,” did that mean there were three other movies that came before Star Wars? Where were they? Why were they being hidden from us?!

As I hit middle age, the uncertainty resonated more every time I watched it. Luke can’t decide which mentor has been lying to him. Han can’t accept that he’s reached an age where one’s “Millennium Falcon” can’t always be depended on to go to “light speed” anymore, if you catch my drift. And how is it that the bad guys are winning?

The worst thing to happen to The Empire Strikes Back was Return of the Jedi and all the well-meaning films and TV shows that came after. They chipped away at what made those first few films so special; the beautiful, uneasy feeling of not having any idea what happens next.

That’s what I was trying to show my son every time I begged him to watch The Empire Strikes Back with me. There once existed a world where it wasn’t a fundamental right to know everything. Sometimes you just had to wait… and wonder.

—Bob Larkin has written for Men’s Health, Esquire, The New York Post, and other outlets.