Generation X
musicismylife78
Posts: 6,116
What is everyones thought on this generational construct, because I would assume, a lot of people on this board, including myself, belong to this generation.
Our parents, the boomers, all 60 plus million of them, certainly all didn’t act the same in the 60’s or 70’s, but they didn’t disdain, or shy away from being called boomers or the “peace and love generation”. To say that the Boomers rejected the values of their parents and turned on, tuned in and dropped out, isn’t obviously going to describe the actions of 60 million people, but it certainly describes a lot of them. To say The Graduate or Easy Rider defined 60 million people, isn’t accurate, but to say those films describe and accurately portray how some of the Boomers felt at that time, is indeed accurate.
Flash forward to Generation X. Most Gen X’s reject that label. They seem to see it more as a media construct than an actual idea or accurate description.
Why do the Boomers accept and feel much of the media portray their generation, both back then, and now, as accurate? And conversely why does Generation X, continually run away from the term Generation X and the characteristics of it?
To boil it down, Generation X, was defined by the ideas of being a slacker, or being cynical, of being angry, of being nihilistic.
So my question is, why is Generation X so angry about being defined or categorized, by some accurate descriptions that did describe many of us? And additionally, what happened to Generation X? The Boomers as we all know, tuned in and dropped out, and then got jobs, married and had us. They became Yuppies. They moved to the suburbs and are now soccer moms.
What happened to our generation, and where are they now? Are they still the cynical, slacker, alternative, activist, nihilist, that they were in 1992?
Our parents, the boomers, all 60 plus million of them, certainly all didn’t act the same in the 60’s or 70’s, but they didn’t disdain, or shy away from being called boomers or the “peace and love generation”. To say that the Boomers rejected the values of their parents and turned on, tuned in and dropped out, isn’t obviously going to describe the actions of 60 million people, but it certainly describes a lot of them. To say The Graduate or Easy Rider defined 60 million people, isn’t accurate, but to say those films describe and accurately portray how some of the Boomers felt at that time, is indeed accurate.
Flash forward to Generation X. Most Gen X’s reject that label. They seem to see it more as a media construct than an actual idea or accurate description.
Why do the Boomers accept and feel much of the media portray their generation, both back then, and now, as accurate? And conversely why does Generation X, continually run away from the term Generation X and the characteristics of it?
To boil it down, Generation X, was defined by the ideas of being a slacker, or being cynical, of being angry, of being nihilistic.
So my question is, why is Generation X so angry about being defined or categorized, by some accurate descriptions that did describe many of us? And additionally, what happened to Generation X? The Boomers as we all know, tuned in and dropped out, and then got jobs, married and had us. They became Yuppies. They moved to the suburbs and are now soccer moms.
What happened to our generation, and where are they now? Are they still the cynical, slacker, alternative, activist, nihilist, that they were in 1992?
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Thats a very Gen X thing to ask.
Verona??? it's all surmountable
Dublin 23.08.06 "The beauty of Ireland, right there!"
Wembley? We all believe!
Copenhagen?? your light made us stars
Chicago 07? And love
What a different life
Had I not found this love with you
I prefer not to be labeled either.
My thought is generalizations about groups of people are generally hogwash and cause people to view others with prejudice.
...are those who've helped us.
Right 'round the corner could be bigger than ourselves.
They love you so badly for sharing their sorrow, so pick up that guitar and go break a heart - Kris Kristofferson
gen x revolted against the media construct of labels...until we realized that we can control said media...once the boomers drop off...of course now we are destined to be another "lost" generation skipped between the boomers and the "y's"
meh, whatever. at least we still influence and define cool.
:cool:
So my question is, why is Generation X so angry about being defined or categorized, by some accurate descriptions that did describe many of us?"
Perhaps because they're all slackers, cynical, angry and nihilistic?
Wouldn't fit the Gen X stereotype to embrace the Gen X stereotype now would it?
If US MTV is anything like the European version now is, it probably means you have a brain and are not afraid to use it.
I was also born in 1976 and never thought about what generation that would be. I think it's an easy and stupid way of pigeonhole-ing.
Funny thing btw - none of those labels like boomers or Generation X are used over here. The exception being people born during WWII because they do show a lot of similar behaviour patterns like refusing to throw anything away and eating a lot of fat foods or refusing to throw away remains because there wasn't a lot of food (or anything basically) when they grew up.
They love you so badly for sharing their sorrow, so pick up that guitar and go break a heart - Kris Kristofferson
What I see around me, is that people start taking an interest in the more 'optimistic' side of things, like IT and business (money, yay!). To me, that seems more hedonistic than optimistic, but I guess I am a true Gen X'er, hehehe!
By the way, I also like Girlfriend In A Coma, but All Families Are Psychotic is my favourite I think
I'm discarding all thought
I'll dry up, leaving puddles on the ground
I'm like an opening band for the sun
Lay at their feet now use it to burn
For marketing the use of the word generation
A false alliance of money persuading
I'm form 1964, which I have been told is the last year of the Baby boomer gang, others have told me 1960 was , which makes me easily Gen X.
I thought it was just a general descriptor for roughly when you were born. Thoise characterizations will fit some people from every generation.
I think we grew up in very good years, the world was simpler, teh Pill had been invented but political correctness had not, we were the upwardly mobile generation, our parents came from the Great Depression, but we grew in a tiem of increasing wealth amnd knew no hunger or privation. There was no war for Gen X to worry about or contend with. MOrals were liberal, nude sunbathing was OK, streakers at teh cricket got a cheer, now they get 5 yrs jail. It was a time of sunshine and shagging and great rock music.
These days teh world is more complex, corporations are taking over, property is criminally expensive, insurance and legal stuff is out of control
It's easy to see the world as an increasingly hostile place compared to the cruisy comfortable liberal one we grew up in.
what about all families are psychotic?
take a good look
this could be the day
hold my hand
lie beside me
i just need to say
not bad either
They love you so badly for sharing their sorrow, so pick up that guitar and go break a heart - Kris Kristofferson
oh god yes. i like eleanor rigby a lot too. i'm trying to get through life after god. it's not a difficult read by any stretch, im just distracted.
take a good look
this could be the day
hold my hand
lie beside me
i just need to say
Very nice.
Makes me think of Roger Daltry's j-j-j-itery pronunciation in My Generation
Actually anytime these "generation" market-tools come up I think of that song.
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How old is the oldest GenXer and how young is the youngest GenXer?
I thought the oldest GenXer would be 35ish right now and the youngest 25ish...?
You got to spend it all
"those born in the U.S. between 1964 (often 1961: see Coupland and Strauss and Howe, below) and 1980 (sometimes 1981) received the "X" tag for lack of a defining social identity"
Being distracted while reading Coupland doesn't work for me, too easy to miss something. Have you read JPod? I read excerpts online and decided to wait for it to be priced down. I own all of his books but that one seemed off somehow...
They love you so badly for sharing their sorrow, so pick up that guitar and go break a heart - Kris Kristofferson
Exactly they can call me Generation Fucknut...who give's a rat's ass?
the other foot in the gutter
sweet smell that they adore
I think I'd rather smother
-The Replacements-