OK Boomer

[kerouac2]

This expression was brought to light in politics recently, but it is really much more than that.

Most boomers probably do not even know about TikTok, the Chinese social media site that is attracting millenials and already has more than a billion users, but this video which comes from there probably explains the OK Boomer situation better than I could.  And to think that a lot of us never thought that we would be on the wrong side of the generation gap...

[lagatta]

I always thought that stuff was silly, even when I was very much on the other side of the line.

[kerouac2]

Considering all of the current youth uprisings around the world, it be time to start taking things like that a big more seriously. After all, the anti-Trump camp in the United States cannot win the next presidential election unless the millenials take things into their hands. Presenting boomer candidates only appeals to old hippies and pinkos. And since they can buy all the weed they want now, they'll probably just stay home stoned on election day.

[onlyMark]

I am unsure if there ever has been a time in human history that the youth of their day have not said derogatory remarks about an older generation and thought they know more.
Probably ever since Jesus said, "Dad, I'm going to go and really talk to people, your way with all the voices in the head thing just isn't working. My way will get the message out better."

"No son, you'll be crucified out there."

"Yeah, whatever."

[kerouac2]

And it will probably never change. Older people always think they are much wiser than younger people. Strangely enough, the days when men always thought they knew more than women seem to be coming to an end in a lot of countries. Perhaps other walls will finally fall as well.

There is a traditional French expression about "truth comes out of the mouths of children" because they don't have the same filters as adults. The English language says "out of the mouths of babes." Does this imply that what they say a few years later is no longer valid because adults always know best?

[onlyMark]

Obviously adults don't always know best, but as a general rule........
When my kids came into teenagership and they knew better than me, or so they thought, it would often be that the only way they would learn would be to learn from their mistakes. No matter what I said, they still thought they were right until I said ok, try it your way and see what happens.
Anything from ignoring the instructions on a box of hair dye because they wanted a deeper colour when I told them not to, to lending money to someone expecting it to be paid back.
Funnily enough I think it is deemed to be a sign of advancement in young children when they start to lie and not always tell the truth.

[lagatta]

Trying to ignore or at least mentally delete kerouac's comments. Oh well, I've dealt with that stuff for decades; it won't kill me. There are real conflicts going on now; and no, they are not ONLY generational. I'm almost the same age as that filth Bolsonaro - so what?

[questa]

During my sons'teens we had very few dramas and my memory is of lots of laughter as we had same Milligan/Python sense of absurdity. I asked the boys in their mid twenties how they thought about their (fatherless)up-bringing. Seems I didn't give them enough to rebel against. Their attitudes to political questions, environment and music were like mine, may be I should have gone vegan to give room to argue.

[fumobici]

Nov 15, 2019 13:06:29 GMT kerouac2 said:

Considering all of the current youth uprisings around the world, it be time to start taking things like that a big more seriously. After all, the anti-Trump camp in the United States cannot win the next presidential election unless the millenials take things into their hands. Presenting boomer candidates only appeals to old hippies and pinkos. And since they can buy all the weed they want now, they'll probably just stay home stoned on election day.

And yet easily the leading Presidential candidate among young voters is seventy-something Bernie Sanders.  Young people are generally far smarter and more politically aware than we oldsters. As is usual, it's the ossified old folks like us holding back progress.

[kerouac2]

Ross Perot also received his greatest support from the youth vote.

[mickthecactus]

Indeed, my 20 year old grandson is a big Bernie Sanders fan.

[kerouac2]

The newspaper published a recap of the various generations for those of us no longer able to keep track.

Boomers: born between 1945 and 1965.
Generation X: born between 1965 and 1980.
Generation Y: born between 1980 and 1999. Also called Millennials because the oldest ones finished their education at the beginning of the 21st century.
Generation Z: born since the internet took over and have no memory of things like 9/11 or the fall of European communism.

One wonders what the next generation will be called. Gen X is already under attack for being totally obsolete by Y and Z of course.

[onlyMark]

They might start at the beginning of the alphabet again.

[kerouac2]

I think they'll use whatever G phone tech defines their period. 5G, 6G, 7G...

[questa]

The pre-1945 generation is called the Silent Generation in the US. Why is that? The same era was known in Australia as 'the Builders'. It was the mass migration of thousands of people from post-war Europe that supplied the workers building the great infrastructure projects. Many new and older Australians built their own homes and in another sense the community was built as well.

[questa]

That's very interesting, Huckle. It must have been like living in the era of the black-and-white sit-coms. Mother is a housewife and Father works in "the office" and the kids get into minor troubles which carry learning experience solutions. I guess the Bomb threat permeated the national psyche more than I realised.

I vaguely recall the McCarthy years and the menace of the Reds. I had a teacher when I was about 11 who tried to reassure us after some event,( maybe our Federal Parliament voting to allow the Communist Party the right to contest elections) She said that the Commies would never take over Australia or USA because we are too rich. The only places where they thrive is where there is poor education, health service and housing.

With the current political chaos, I wonder what the next gen. will be called...any suggestions?

[kerouac2]

Somebody on another website replied "Okay Boomer" to one of my posts. I have now joined the club!

[questa]

Webjet ADL-LON return

[lagatta]

www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2020/jan/18/ageism-climate-movement-generation-stereotypes Anne Karpf on the ageist stereotypes unfortunately found among some in the climate movement. Hell, I was at the first Earth Day in 1970! She is also a boomer, her mum survived the Nazi camps.

Dr Karpf has written extensively about ageing among many other topics.

[kerouac2]

I'm afraid that automatic invalidation of older people is practically obligatory even if a few can be found acceptable after further verification. Most of us have spouted far too much bullshit over the years, even if it was bullshit that was passed on to us by our elders, dating from a time when we were supposed to respect older people because they "knew better."

[bixaorellana]

Just let one of those miserable little perpetual-toddler solipsistic little shits say OK boomer to me. They'll be scrambling to get back into the womb, which is the only environment "safe" enough for the "mindful" little turds.

Did that sound ageist?

[lagatta]

Yes, actually. While I hate the ok boomer stuff, calling young people who are concerned about inequality "snowflakes" is equally jarring. Probably not enough listening in either case.

[questa]

I just call the males 'Sonny' and females 'Girlie" and talk like a daft old lady. They don't know if I am taking the mickey or for real.

[spaceneedle]

Meanwhile, the GenX'ers like me are off to the side, laughing ironically.

[bixaorellana]

LaGatta, of course earnest young people concerned about the environment, equality, etc. are to be respected. I was targeting the self-regarding little hipster twits who would dare to fling a glib, prejudiced slur at their elders and betters.

Ha, ha, Spaceneedle ~ I'll just bet y'all are!

[onlyMark]

In the summer I was showing one daughter how to do something.
She called me a boomer.
I stopped 'helping'.
An hour later she came back for more help.
I refused as clearly she knew better than me, I said.

[onlyMark]

Jan 20, 2020 23:09:40 GMT bixaorellana said:

solipsistic

Good word, now I looked it up.
I'll try and use it today somewhere.

[bixaorellana]

Does this mean I am a force for good?

[onlyMark]

Of course. How could you even think otherwise?

[whatagain]

About ageism.
A man of 76 - Belgian- was shot by police.
He was driving and didn't stop at a police control. He actually nearly overran a cop who jumped aside and fired.
The driver was shot in the leg.
He said he didn't see the controls the cops. Nothing.
My wife says she has more than a few such patients.
Sometimes we should pay attention to how our body works. And our brains 😏