A Gen-Xer at Radar has declared war on Millenials (that means you Gen-Y). At long last, it's time to stop hating on the Boomers and start hating on their second families (y'know, the kids your dad had after he divorced your mom). If you know someone who was born between, let's say, 1980 and 1995, they are, in all likelihood, a complete freaking idiot. And as they get older, they will destroy us all.
Like the Boomers before them, they are materialistic and self-absorbed. Their over-inflated sense of self leaves them delusionaly oblivious to their own lack of talent or aptitude, and renders them incapable of the sort of self-reflection or introspection required for personal growth. They destroy everything they touch turning MTV into "The Hills", transforming punk rock into a mall aesthetic, and transforming the internet into endless drunken facebook, drunken texting, and drunken Flicker.
Beyond that, their basic world view is the infantilization of all adult activities, creating nostalgia for nostalgia, and taking with them childish things wherever they go. Toy collecting, kickball playing, emo-listening know-nothings. Who needs to grow up when you've had parents as great as theirs? Who needs personal growth when you've been so well nurtured from the start? Not them, obviously.
And we, as Gen-Xers have been gently putting up them for far too long. If, like me, you've been worried about getting older, worried about getting squeezed out of the next high tech revolution, the next big cultural moment, worried that our entire generation has been cheated out of its due, its turn, every step of the way, then it's time to fight back. As Gen-Xers we're smarter, better, and tougher than either the Boomers or the Millenials, and we need to remind them of that every chance we get.
Don't sell out, don't buy in. Reject wealth. Reject materialism. Reject fads. Reject trends. Reject moving up the corporate ladder. Reject retirement. Reject the idea that your kid is a genius. Reject youth. Reject bobo-ism. Reject hipster consumerism. Reject the masses. Reject politicians. Reject the news. Reject commercial appeal. Reject nostalgia. Reject apocalyptic thinking. Reject careerism. Reject options. Reject collaboration. Reject fear.
So what if you're 30-something, or 40-something? You survived Ronald Reagan. You saw Raiders of the Lost Ark in the theater. You owned Prince on vinyl AND cassette. Heathers and The Breakfast Club are cultural milestones.
Everything they told you when you were 16 was a lie. What, exactly, do you think has changed?
Like the Boomers before them, they are materialistic and self-absorbed. Their over-inflated sense of self leaves them delusionaly oblivious to their own lack of talent or aptitude, and renders them incapable of the sort of self-reflection or introspection required for personal growth. They destroy everything they touch turning MTV into "The Hills", transforming punk rock into a mall aesthetic, and transforming the internet into endless drunken facebook, drunken texting, and drunken Flicker.
Beyond that, their basic world view is the infantilization of all adult activities, creating nostalgia for nostalgia, and taking with them childish things wherever they go. Toy collecting, kickball playing, emo-listening know-nothings. Who needs to grow up when you've had parents as great as theirs? Who needs personal growth when you've been so well nurtured from the start? Not them, obviously.
And we, as Gen-Xers have been gently putting up them for far too long. If, like me, you've been worried about getting older, worried about getting squeezed out of the next high tech revolution, the next big cultural moment, worried that our entire generation has been cheated out of its due, its turn, every step of the way, then it's time to fight back. As Gen-Xers we're smarter, better, and tougher than either the Boomers or the Millenials, and we need to remind them of that every chance we get.
Don't sell out, don't buy in. Reject wealth. Reject materialism. Reject fads. Reject trends. Reject moving up the corporate ladder. Reject retirement. Reject the idea that your kid is a genius. Reject youth. Reject bobo-ism. Reject hipster consumerism. Reject the masses. Reject politicians. Reject the news. Reject commercial appeal. Reject nostalgia. Reject apocalyptic thinking. Reject careerism. Reject options. Reject collaboration. Reject fear.
So what if you're 30-something, or 40-something? You survived Ronald Reagan. You saw Raiders of the Lost Ark in the theater. You owned Prince on vinyl AND cassette. Heathers and The Breakfast Club are cultural milestones.
Everything they told you when you were 16 was a lie. What, exactly, do you think has changed?
