I Hate Baby-Boomers

After WWII, they were handed the entire planet on a silver platter. They've pissed the entire thing away. Now younger people must pay while the boomers continue to wallow in their own fucking self-absorption. Assholes.

Reasons:

• Beatles tunes invade every public sphere. You can't get away from it.
• Disco
• EST, Scientology and other bullshit, "ME-generation" philosophies
• Scheduled play dates for their kids
• They elected Reagan
• Personal ads
• Fast-food
• Disposable diapers

This is why the destruction of Social Security resonates with some younger people. Yet, most of the boomers will be protected in the 55-and-over clause. Just saying ...

Comments

[alt hippo]

My oldest brother is a boomer. In fact, he just retired.

In his viewpoint I'm the young irresponsible one. Why I didn't buy a house at 33k and sell it at 400k like he did stumps him.

By the way did they ever come up with a name for our generation?

[Roxanne]

According to Elle at LaDiDa, we're generation jones.

[PSoTD]

At 46, I'm a baby-boomer. We have screwed a lot of things up, and in our defense, we have improved some things. In a way, you could blame the generation that spawned us, since many of the troubles created are really a problem of numbers - a generation dominating every other generation down in the marketplace by sheer size.

But blame ain't gonna get anything fixed. As far as I can tell, we have a philosophical problem in this country to fix, it's a problem that has existed for a long time but completely crushes everything now that there are so many people.

The problem is addiction to immediate gratification. It infects everything in our society. I don't know how we replace it, but we need to figure out a way to kill this cancer.

[Kat]

I'm Generation X, so *ppphhtttgghttt*

[sylamore]

Surely, you're simply trying to being provocative, Rox. Calling 40 million people "self-absorbed assholes" is just simplistic and stupid. Every generation has its achievements and failures, its geniuses and, yes, its assholes. For every complaint you have about Boomers, I can come up with one about any other so-called "generation" you care to name. There's enough conflict in the world already. We don't need to be creating this kind of meaningless dissonance.

(And if you were just kidding, sorry for the overreaction. I tend to be self-absorbed at times)

[Blue]

I think growing up in a much more sheltered environment gave people an all too idealistic view on life. They also grew up thinking that the way they gre up is the better way, hence the divide we see today in this nation.

Blue

[Roxanne]

Maybe I woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning, but ...

I didn't make up the "Don't trust anyone over 30' meme. The boomers invented generational warfare. So, it's time for them to suck it up and take what they've got coming.

I didn't appoint myself the arbiter of all things that matter. I'm not the one buying a house in Tuscany while Rome burns. I'm not the one popping a pill every time I feel bad or can't get it up. And I'm not drugging my over-sugared, over-induldged children, either.

And, no. I'm not talking about individual people. As a group, that's another matter.

[PSoTD]

I think the Boomers also came up with "Make Love, Not War". I would rather we had that coming...

[Roxanne]

Yes, you guys said that back in the 60s/ early 70s. Now that it's someone else's sacrifice, I don't hear that phrase too much.

Also, my general comments aren't directed to the commenters here or even people who read this blog. But, I think you guys know what I'm talking about.

[Randy Paul]

Roxanne,

I'm 48. Time to own up: just how old are you? As I understand the boomer generation extends well into the 1960's.

[Roxanne]

I'm 42. It depends on who you ask. Some demographers have me at the last years of boomer. My parents were at the first year of boomer. Some say I'm "Generation Jones." Psychographically, I have nothing in common with the Boomers or Gen X. Watergate for me was an interruption of afternoon TV cartoons. I wasn't old enough to vote the first time Reagan ran, but I can barely remember the Moon Walk.

In my mind, I don't really have a generation.

[norbizness]

The boomers are 1946-1964. Gen X is 1965 to 1976 (Jan. 1973 here).

However, this means that only 3-plus years of boomerdom (1946-1949) are in the exempted Social Security category, so the impetus for the rant may be off.

Plus, the President's idiot plan is DOA in the Senate.

[Roxanne]

His plan is probably DOA, but he's over-asking so that they can settle on something smaller. That may well be a change in the retirement age. Anyone want to place bets as to where that cut-off will be?

[PSoTD]

I think we see here the problem with the whole concept of the Baby Boomers as a generation. Seriously, how much does someone born in 1946 have in common with someone born in 1961? The 46er has the issues of Vietnam and the draft, race riots, assassinations, Cold War fears to deal with in their older child/young adult life. The 61er has the issues of Reaganomics, drugs, decay of many employment centers such as manufacturing when they reach adulthood. The 46er was listening to the Big Bopper as a teenager, the 61er was listening to Pink Floyd. The only real connection is the fact that people keep combining them.

[Roxanne]

And, besides that, they eat up all the fucking free cheese samples at the Whole Foods. ;-0 If you want real entertainment, read the comment cards there.

[PSoTD]

Free cheese? Gotta get to Whole Foods!

[Taylor]

Let's not forget SUVs. With "Save the Planet" bumperstickers on them. Was the SUV not originally a Boomer phenom?

[larkspur]

(1) Beatles tunes invade every public sphere. You can't get away from it. (a) I'm sorry. Honest. Let me also apologize for the recent radio ad featuring a cheesy (a Cream-cheesy) Eric Clapton "Layla" riff. While I'm at it, I also apologize for the increasing frequency of pseudo-50's "ironic" throwback commercials, although I think Mr. Lileks is responsible for those.

(2) Disco (a) I fought this one from the very beginning. I have scars.

(3) EST, Scientology and other bullshit, "ME-generation" philosophies. (a) I apologize for this one. I participated in (and thereby promoted) a certain amount of me-generation stuff. In mitigation, please note I never had enough money to sign on to EST or Scientology. Also, I know we were whining, but our parents wouldn't *talk* to us. I realize now that many of them were totally traumatized by WWII, and wanted nothing more than to hunker down in their ranch house with everything all the same, all neat and orderly, with no evidence of bombing or horrible bloody death. But I didn't get that then.

(4) Scheduled play dates for their kids. (a) Somebody else can apologize for that one. I neglected to reproduce. (It was all about me, me, me, remember?)

(5) They elected Reagan. (a) I'm sorry. I didn't vote for him, and he ruined my life, but I understand that you didn't even have the chance to vote against him.

(6) Personal ads. (a) Oh come on, tell me you're not thoroughly entertained.

(7) Fast-food (a) Actually, my mother started that one. As soon as Swanson TV dinners came off the line, that's all we ever ate. Except when we went out for a fancy dinner at Howard Johnson's.

(8) Disposable diapers. (a) Again, while I have issues, I have no issue. Also? There is compelling evidence that the energy required to make and clean cloth diapers is pretty substantial. But yes, yuck. Sorry.

Mostly, I say yes, sorry. Really sorry. If it's any consolation, I'm still pretty much trailer trash, although I can talk kinda pretty if I try hard.

I didn't mean for this to happen. It seemed all along like I was trying hard to make things come out differently. But now here we are.

But it ain't over yet.

[Amanda]

Can I be admitted as an honorary Gen-Xer? I mean, I was born in '77, but all of my friends are solidly in the Gen X catergory. It's really the generation I feel a part of....

[norbizness]

Amanda:

After consulting with the Welcome Committee of the Elders of Generation X-dom, we must offer a regretful "no." It's not that you don't possess the credentials one needs for our exclusive club, but we're afraid that this will set a dangerous precedent for all other Gen-Yers on the cusp. What's next? People born in 1978? 1980? 1983 (shudder)? You can see our dilemma.

Sincerely,

[eRobin]

I think Twitchy McWink is going after more than just a change to the retirement age. He's counting on enough Dems to go along with something that opens the door to privatization and that's the ballgame. We'll lose Social Security just as surely as I'm sitting here, it'll just take a little bit longer to do it. These are scary times.

[Richard Bellikoff]

Self-absorption is an American pastime not restricted to Baby Boomers. For the record:

- I always preferred the Stones to the Beatles, and Steely Dan to both.
- I have never lip-synched to the "Saturday Night Fever" soundtrack
- I am not now, nor have I ever been, a member of EST, Scientology, or any other cult.
- To the best of my knowledge, I have no kids.
- I have never voted for Reagan or any other Republican.
- I don't read or run personal ads.
- I don't eat fast food.
- I don't wear a disposable diaper -- not yet, anyway.

Politicians pander to Baby Boomers and seniors because they show up at the polls. If younger citizens want to avoid getting screwed on Social Security and everything else, a good start would be to unplug their I-pods on election day and vote.

[newswriter]

Another of the later years Boomers here ... and I'm thoroughly convinced that Dumbya and his ilk want nothing more than to eliminate Social Security. I'm also not personally responsible for anything in your list, except maybe fast food because sometimes I can't slow down to eat. Bad, I know, and I do apologize.

Seriously, though, I don't feel particularly connected to the boomers, and I agree with whoever up there said that thing about instant gratification, although I'm not convinced that's the whole problem. The rest, I think, has a lot to do with an unwillingness to look beyond one's own nose at the rest of the world (again, present company excepted).

[Eli]

I think you hate Yuppies, not boomers.

[Ellen]

I agree about the Yuppie thing. Boomers just are. Yuppies have a choice.