Generation X - Still whining after all these years.

Some things stick in my mind and I'm not sure why.  One thing I loved as a kid was Mad Magazine.  I don't even know if Mad Magazine exists anymore, although I'm sure that it's on the web somewhere.



Smells like Nostalgia

It really was quite a brilliant magazine, and I enjoyed everything about it.  I would digest every article.  Even though today's generation doesn't really ever need to know what a magazine is, I'd recommend checking it out.  One particular joke I recall was " "It's scary to think that tomorrow's teenagers will have to come up with music loud and distasteful enough to offend parents who grew up loving the Beastie Boys." I still remember all that joke after years, because it always made me think what would offend my generation.  The truth is the Beastie Boys were certainly not the most offencive band my generation produced, although they did encourage me to fight for my right to party.  Still that's pretty standard.  Twisted Sister also told me I didn't have to take it, Motley Crue told me I had to smoke in the boys room and Weird Al told a generation to Eat It.


What really stuck out though to me was that Baby Boomer writer was really out of touch thinking that my music was loud and distasteful.  I'm sure that he listened to some crap like the Rolling Stones, Beatles, or perhaps Mozart, you know, those OLD people.  I listened to Megadeth, RUN DMC, and Right Said Fred.



Brilliant Lyrics and totally
heterosexual music. 
(Not that there's anything
wrong with that.)

But his generation always had bad things to say about us X'ers.  We were lazy, unmotivated, didn't want McJobs, and we were a bunch of whiners. 

The Baby Boomers have all the good jobs.  We'll have to take care of the ageing population when they retire.  Your killing the environment and the O-Zone.  You old fogies are selfish and you don't understand our generation man!  We're not lazy, we just have nothing to motivate us. 



My point is we came off as a bunch of lazy self-entitled whiners, misunderstood by the old fogies, refusing to grow up and take responsibilities, and thinking that plaid shirts and Doc Martens were awesome. 





Spoiler Alert:  They totally are!

I think in retrospect we had some pretty good points though.  The Baby Boomers really were a pretty hefty generation that learnt that birth control meant a higher standard of living.  Less kids meant less had to be spent on kids.  A generation that started out protesting Vietnam police actions and living for peace love and dope, ended up being the corporate climbers and being the selfish generation, living for 'me'.  Yuppies was an evil word, and that's what they were.  (Not you mom and dad, you did great.)  ;)

Over all we felt forgotten, we felt lost, we felt like we had no direction.  We yelled loudly and no one payed attention.  One thing though...  We would NEVER grow up to be our parents.  We'd show our kids how be awesome, and give them the respect we never got.

Fast Forward 20 years...

We're all winners here!

Kids today don't know how good they got it!  Talk about a selfish generation!  For some reason they all expect to succeed without trying.  They are willing to knuckle down and work for a living.  They do nothing but play video games and text on their phones.  They don't listen to reason.  For some fool reason they think that everyone deserves a trophy even if they come in last place!  We raised a generation of wimps, and how on earth do we expect them to take over our hard-earned middle management jobs when these snot nosed kids can't won't even flip a burger.  I'm sorry, but updating your 'Myspacebook twitter' account and typing with your thumbs doesn't count as a skill.

 

And while we are on the subject, learn to spell and use grammar.  Acronyms are not even on the radar in real English.  If you have to type things out, learn how to properly articulate yourself using real words! 



God Damn Right!



Back in my day we played outside, got in trouble, didn't wear helmets, climbed trees, ate mud, skinned our knees, and got minor concussions, and we liked it that way.  We survived.  We are still here.  Today's kids are so mamby pamby, I swear bubble wrap is going to be the next fashion trend.  (In fairness though, to all who make this argument...  Those who didn't survive those childhood adventures aren't here to give the other side of the story.)  When I was a kid I walked to school by myself or with a friend at the age of 6.  It was probably 500 meters away.  Can you imagine that happening today?  The parents would be arrested.

In retrospect, I'm pretty sure the greatest generation whined about the Boomers, the Boomers whined about the X'ers, and we whine about the...  Well, what the hell do you even call them?  Gen Y?  Milliniumers? FaceBook generation?  Pick a name already!  Or do we have to do that for you too!

Talking 'bout my g-g-g-generation

I did figure out one thing for sure.  What kind of music will tomorrow's teenagers have to come up with music loud and distasteful enough to offend parents who grew up loving the Beastie Boys?

You win this one Millennium generation.
You win this one.