Generation X

[imperfect_cupcake]

One of the best movies I've seen on Gen X attitude was "Slackers" - conspiracy theory, disillusioned, independent and slightly grumpy, non-religious. Douglas Coupland did a fantastic book about this in "Life After God" as one of the majour things affecting GenX was the constant impending threat of nuclear war. I remember the bomb sirens being tested every so often on a sunday. I remember Peace Day (now earth day) when 80,000 people marched across the lions gate bridge against warheads. Carl Sagan's Cosmos series warning people to treasure the earth, AIDs information packs being given to us at highschool in sex ed (age 14).

I used to wake up, frozen, literally unable to move I was so scared, waiting for the "wave" to hit me when thunder woke me up. Once planes zoomed low over the house to drop antimoth spray at 4am and I had the same reaction, heart in my throat. I couldn't stop shaking after I could move and I realised it was the spray team.

I no longer dream of nuclear war and AIDs. It stopped when I was about 26/7. The world seemed a bit safer, I guess.

Movies - When The Wind Blows, Threads, Wargames... it was a very, very big deal. It affected a lot of our psyches. What was the point of anything if we are all going to be blown to shit? at anytime? All those warheads and missile silos... what happened to them? what happened to the peace agreements? where did all the protesters go?

I honestly didn't think I was going to make 30 when I was a teen.

[chefhmboyrd]

[chefhmboyrd]

[chefhmboyrd]

[chefhmboyrd]

[chefhmboyrd]

[chefhmboyrd]

[LaneyDoll]

Originally Posted by honeybarbara

I honestly didn't think I was going to make 30 when I was a teen.

Same here. I do not think it was the movies for me though but I find your point of view to be interesting.

[femmeInterrupted]

http://etd.ohiolink.edu/send-pdf.cgi...case1259803398

Partial Abstract:

Generation X and the Invention of a Third Feminist Wave is a study of late twentieth century feminist activism, popular culture, and the gendered implications of the 1990s political conflict known as the culture wars. The dissertation explores two inextricably linked phenomena: Generation X and third wave feminism. Third wave, what I term “GenX,” feminism emerged as an example of political action in an age of paralyzing ironic detachment. GenX feminism surfaced at a time in history when it seemed impossible to incite political activism based solely on gender. Feminists of this generation understood the ways in which various socially constructed categories of identity intermingled and produced social inequality. As activists and scholars grappled with the complex implications of the intersections of identity, markers such as “woman” came to be understood as problematically limiting concepts. In charting the life cycle of white, middle-class GenX women, this dissertation illuminates the forces that shaped the generation’s worldview. It also elucidates the ways in which GenX feminism both challenged and maintained conventions of femininity and feminist activism during the last decade of the twentieth century.

It's long, but worth the read if these two intersections interest you

[femmeInterrupted]

http://www.emptyage.com/post/1159186...ant-to-hear-it

Generation X Doesn’t Want to Hear It

Earlier generations have weathered recessions, of course; this stall we’re in has the look of something nastier. Social Security and Medicare are going to be diminished, at best. Hours worked are up even as hiring staggers along: Blood from a stone looks to be the normal order of things “going forward,” to borrow the business-speak. Economists are warning that even when the economy recuperates, full employment will be lower and growth will be slower—a sad little rhyme that adds up to something decidedly ­unpoetic. A majority of Americans say, for the first time ever, that this generation will not be better off than its parents.

— New York Magazine

Generation X is sick of your bullshit.

The first generation to do worse than its parents? Please. Been there. Generation X was told that so many times that it can’t even read those words without hearing Winona Ryder’s voice in its heads. Or maybe it’s Ethan Hawke’s. Possibly Bridget Fonda’s. Generation X is getting older, and can’t remember those movies so well anymore. In retrospect, maybe they weren’t very good to begin with.

But Generation X is tired of your sense of entitlement. Generation X also graduated during a recession. It had even shittier jobs, and actually had to pay for its own music. (At least, when music mattered most to it.) Generation X is used to being fucked over. It lost its meager savings in the dot-com bust. Then came George Bush, and 9/11, and the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Generation X bore the brunt of all that. And then came the housing crisis.

Generation X wasn’t surprised. Generation X kind of expected it.

Generation X is a journeyman. It didn’t invent hip hop, or punk rock, or even electronica (it’s pretty sure those dudes in Kraftwerk are boomers) but it perfected all of them, and made them its own. It didn’t invent the Web, but it largely built the damn thing. Generation X gave you Google and Twitter and blogging; Run DMC and Radiohead and Nirvana and Notorious B.I.G. Not that it gets any credit.

But that’s okay. Generation X is used to being ignored, stuffed between two much larger, much more vocal, demographics. But whatever! Generation X is self-sufficient. It was a latchkey child. Its parents were too busy fulfilling their own personal ambitions to notice any of its trophies—which were admittedly few and far between because they were only awarded for victories, not participation.

In fairness, Generation X could use a better spokesperson. Barack Obama is just a little too senior to count among its own, and it has debts older than Mark Zuckerberg. Generation X hasn’t had a real voice since Kurt Cobain blew his brains out, Tupac was murdered, Jeff Mangum went crazy, David Foster Wallace hung himself, Jeff Buckley drowned, River Phoenix overdosed, Elliott Smith stabbed himself (twice) in the heart, Axl got fat.

Generation X is beyond all that bullshit now. It quit smoking and doing coke a long time ago. It has blood pressure issues and is heavier than it would like to be. It might still take some ecstasy, if it knew where to get some. But probably not. Generation X has to be up really early tomorrow morning.

Generation X is tired.

It’s a parent now, and there’s always so damn much to do. Generation X wishes it had better health insurance and a deeper savings account. It wonders where its 30s went. It wonders if it still has time to catch up.

Right now, Generation X just wants a beer and to be left alone. It just wants to sit here quietly and think for a minute. Can you just do that, okay? It knows that you are so very special and so very numerous, but can you just leave it alone? Just for a little bit? Just long enough to sneak one last fucking cigarette? No?

Whatever. It’s cool.

Generation X is used to disappointments. Generation X knows you didn’t even read the whole thing. It doesn’t want or expect your reblogs; it picked the wrong platform.

Generation X should have posted this to LiveJournal.

[DapperButch]

Originally Posted by femmeInterrupted

http://www.emptyage.com/post/1159186...ant-to-hear-it

Generation X Doesn’t Want to Hear It

Earlier generations have weathered recessions, of course; this stall we’re in has the look of something nastier. Social Security and Medicare are going to be diminished, at best. Hours worked are up even as hiring staggers along: Blood from a stone looks to be the normal order of things “going forward,” to borrow the business-speak. Economists are warning that even when the economy recuperates, full employment will be lower and growth will be slower—a sad little rhyme that adds up to something decidedly ­unpoetic. A majority of Americans say, for the first time ever, that this generation will not be better off than its parents.

— New York Magazine

Generation X is sick of your bullshit.

The first generation to do worse than its parents? Please. Been there. Generation X was told that so many times that it can’t even read those words without hearing Winona Ryder’s voice in its heads. Or maybe it’s Ethan Hawke’s. Possibly Bridget Fonda’s. Generation X is getting older, and can’t remember those movies so well anymore. In retrospect, maybe they weren’t very good to begin with.

But Generation X is tired of your sense of entitlement. Generation X also graduated during a recession. It had even shittier jobs, and actually had to pay for its own music. (At least, when music mattered most to it.) Generation X is used to being fucked over. It lost its meager savings in the dot-com bust. Then came George Bush, and 9/11, and the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Generation X bore the brunt of all that. And then came the housing crisis.

Generation X wasn’t surprised. Generation X kind of expected it.

Generation X is a journeyman. It didn’t invent hip hop, or punk rock, or even electronica (it’s pretty sure those dudes in Kraftwerk are boomers) but it perfected all of them, and made them its own. It didn’t invent the Web, but it largely built the damn thing. Generation X gave you Google and Twitter and blogging; Run DMC and Radiohead and Nirvana and Notorious B.I.G. Not that it gets any credit.

But that’s okay. Generation X is used to being ignored, stuffed between two much larger, much more vocal, demographics. But whatever! Generation X is self-sufficient. It was a latchkey child. Its parents were too busy fulfilling their own personal ambitions to notice any of its trophies—which were admittedly few and far between because they were only awarded for victories, not participation.

In fairness, Generation X could use a better spokesperson. Barack Obama is just a little too senior to count among its own, and it has debts older than Mark Zuckerberg. Generation X hasn’t had a real voice since Kurt Cobain blew his brains out, Tupac was murdered, Jeff Mangum went crazy, David Foster Wallace hung himself, Jeff Buckley drowned, River Phoenix overdosed, Elliott Smith stabbed himself (twice) in the heart, Axl got fat.

Generation X is beyond all that bullshit now. It quit smoking and doing coke a long time ago. It has blood pressure issues and is heavier than it would like to be. It might still take some ecstasy, if it knew where to get some. But probably not. Generation X has to be up really early tomorrow morning.

Generation X is tired.

It’s a parent now, and there’s always so damn much to do. Generation X wishes it had better health insurance and a deeper savings account. It wonders where its 30s went. It wonders if it still has time to catch up.

Right now, Generation X just wants a beer and to be left alone. It just wants to sit here quietly and think for a minute. Can you just do that, okay? It knows that you are so very special and so very numerous, but can you just leave it alone? Just for a little bit? Just long enough to sneak one last fucking cigarette? No?

Whatever. It’s cool.

Generation X is used to disappointments. Generation X knows you didn’t even read the whole thing. It doesn’t want or expect your reblogs; it picked the wrong platform.

Generation X should have posted this to LiveJournal.

This is awesome! ha!

[Soon]

Originally Posted by femmeInterrupted

http://www.emptyage.com/post/1159186...ant-to-hear-it

Love it.


.

[imperfect_cupcake]

I look at the Hipsters in the drive and I first thought "hey, why are they all dressing like we did but frumpier and with the glasses missing from the frames?"

then I realised that the hipsters are being ironic about our irony. Meta irony. but they don't really know it. unaware meta-irony. that's, like, deep, deep irony.

tossers. I wish the indie beer hadn't gotten so over priced.

and why do all the bands sound like Mud Honey did 20 years ago, except worse?

Someone asked me who Douglas Coupland was. In fucking Vancouver. I just said "oh, nevermind." and sighed, looked at some scent free, carboard-recycled liquid laundy soap bottles on the shelf and wondered why things that we actually fought for, environmentally was being packaged and then sold at twice the price. that wasn't the point.

I still haven't paid off my student loan.

[spritzerJ]

Struggling how to put up with people while the "go through their process" knowing they are going to learn it is all just a pile of BS in the end.

I know they won't believe me though. And it will take a long time.

I'm not cynical. I just know what I can and can't really change. And any thing short of a revolution is only worth so much.

[Tuff Stuff]

Originally Posted by imperfect_cupcake

I used to wake up, frozen, literally unable to move I was so scared, waiting for the "wave" to hit me when thunder woke me up. Once planes zoomed low over the house to drop antimoth spray at 4am and I had the same reaction, heart in my throat. I couldn't stop shaking after I could move and I realised it was the spray team.

It affected a lot of our psyches. What was the point of anything if we are all going to be blown to shit? at anytime? All those warheads and missile silos... what happened to them? what happened to the peace agreements? where did all the protesters go?

I honestly didn't think I was going to make 30 when I was a teen.

Felt the same way...it really hasn't gone away you know,what with this crazy business with Russia all over the news..all those fears are back.

<---- ahhh,this was a favorite past time.

[JDeere]

I wonder who in here is really a Generation Xer!

the cut off year for a gen xer is 1979 and the begin date is 1965.

[Gemme]

I am.

[JDeere]

Same here! I get tired of the non Gen xer's saying shit about our generation!