S00E03 — Bouncy Houses and the Great Tech-Change Debate

From a 1959 backyard invention to a backyard industry anyone can order online, this episode traces the surprisingly deep history of the bounce house — then argues about which generation has actually lived through the most technological whiplash.

Meet the Guest

Tyson Kliem — musician, realtor, former youth pastor, dad of two, and self-described "Zenial" — is back for round two.

In This Episode

• The real history of the bouncy castle

• Which generation has seen the most tech change

The (Actual) History of the Bouncy Castle

It started as a heavy-duty vinyl "Space Pillow" built by John Scurlock in 1959. Decades later it's a full backyard industry — slides, ladders, pools, and all — available for less than $200 thanks to Alibaba.

Which Generation Has Seen the Most Tech Change?

Boomers argue their case from vinyl records to smartphones; Gen X remembers Facebook "poking" and $5 Blockbuster rewind fines; and Gen Z makes the case that social media and AI have changed more in a decade than prior generations saw in fifty years.

I think all that stuff killed high school reunions.

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