This Boomer bad vs Boomer Good debate is stereotyping at its stupidest

[La Lioness Priyanka]

other stereotypes MAY have some value as the ingroup atleast sees itself as an ingroup. As part of the LGBT community, you can broadly predict some of my behaviors (more likely to be liberal and vote Dem, more likely to like lady gaga than metallica etc) however stereotyping a whole generation, just really seems the heights of silliness.

Our identification to our generation, is really not important to our general identity and therefore not very instrumental in shaping behavior or thoughts.

I am not a big fan of stereotyping people by any demographic but the generational stereotype seems the stupidest.

I honestly can't comprehend why we have these baby boomer threads.

[LiberalLoner]

1. Yup, I agree. I really have nothing in common with the boomers born in the

late 1940's, when I was born in 1961. "Baby boomers" covers a really broad range of ages.

And, of course, I have nothing in common with a lot of boomers who were also born in 1961 as I was.

To me putting us all in the same category feels very arbitrary.

[CBHagman]

4. "Nothing in common"?

Isn't that categorizing people too?

On edit: Seriously, the main thing is to be curious, to look at yourself and other people honestly, to be reasonably fair and reasonably open.

[LiberalLoner]

7. LOL, okay, "few things in common with many of them.." n/t

[The Backlash Cometh]

6. Completely agree.

[etherealtruth]

39. I was born in 1962

(some include this as the Boom generation and some end it in '61)

"Our" life experience is very, very different from those born in the '40s and the early to mid '50s.

"We" didn't go off to war, "our" parents were not veterans of WWII (or the Korean "war").

We were raised with color TV (likely multiple TVs), rock music, sex (talked about, the "pill" ....), AIDs came into play as we reached peaks in our sexuality, we don't remember when Kennedy was assassinated, we watched the moon landing in elementary school .... the culture changed as we reached the age of awareness.

While I might have a great deal in common with individuals from the early part of the baby boom ... as a generation I have little or nothing in common with them

[eowyn_of_rohan]

41. +1

The US census bureau definition of the post WW2 baby boom is between 1945 and 1964. The cultural baby boom really should be defined more narrowly --due to the reasons you mention. IMO it should be cut off after 1957 or so.

[ElboRuum]

42. It's because these generational identifiers...

...i.e. biological ones, are much less important in recent history than cultural identifiers.

So, while a biological identification of 20 year spans for generations may be biologically accurate, it isn't culturally accurate. For that, 10 year cultural generational identifiers are required in order to make any sense out of this generational warfare nonsense.

To whit:

1945-1954 - Baby Boomer
1955-1964 - Generation Jones
1965-1974 - Generation X
1975-1984 - Generation Y
1985-1994 - Millennials

The ones born toward the centers of these ranges are likely to strongly identify with a particular generation while those on the fringes of a range are likely to either non-identify with any particular generation or loosely identify with those of both which form the boundary of a range.

The whole point of this "information" is that generational warfare "chooses" sides based upon similar cultural experience and iconography during specific formative years, and exploits the human dynamic of cultural group identification in a very negative manner, that being that people outside the group do not share the same goals and desires of those outside, have little of the same cultural experiences, and are therefore worthy of mistrust. Because humans have a very strong sociological imperative to adhere to group dynamics and membership, they will naturally find comfort in their own groups, however, they don't necessarily achieve a natural animosity toward others, specifically when those other groups represent their parents and/or their children respectively. It is natural for a parent to want success for their children and for children to see that their parents are well cared for as they age.

To achieve this animosity that generational warfare represents requires external forces, such as the media, to reinforce the stereotypes and cast aspersions as required at the labels they've applied and reinforced. It also requires that this reinforcement be specifically applied to accentuate the prejudicial negatives assigned to each generation, ostensibly to be able to manipulate this animosity when policymaking requires it.

[etherealtruth]

44. What you said ;-)

Thank you for your very clear and concise post.

[WCGreen]

2. I think it is only human to try and find something or someone to blame

for our ills when in all actuality, it is usually chance, bad decisions made in haste and poor or misguided leadership. So many short term decisions erupt with long term consequences.

[xchrom]

3. Recommend

[phasma ex machina]

5. Mass media tyrants created both the generational stereotype and the red/blue state sterotype. nt

[Hannah Bell]

23. +100

[hlthe2b]

8. Yes...

seems to boil down to those who like and respect their parents and their friends and those who do not....To which, I say, grow up....:eyes:

In defense of GenXers and their younger generational colleagues, I felt the same way about my parents/grandparents' respective generations... But eventually, I broadened my horizons, read more history, met more people from any number of generational cohorts, and I realized the obvious.... generational stereotypes are neither useful, nor really accurate and certainly do nothing to solve current problems, nor prevent future ones.

[graywarrior]

9. Grrrrr

I get real resentful when the baby boomer shit starts to fly around here.

We BB'rs laid the groundwork for activism in this country. Instead of hiding behind a computer and bitching & moaning over how Obama is betraying his base, for instance, we were on the streets getting gassed and beaten over the heads with clubs, arrested, ridiculed, called commies, and risking our futures by burning draft cards and refusing to fight in an illegal war.


There is nothing like riding the subway in Boston while wearing a peace sign on your army jacket and getting hassled by "patriots" who want to kick the shit out of you, but you keep wearing that Jacket & sign every single day anyway because you didn't mind sticking your neck out for a cause.

[La Lioness Priyanka]

10. i disagree. i dont think baby boomers did or didnt do anything.

you are neither great, nor the reason the country is failing.

some of you were activists, some of you voted for nixon/reagan whomever else. some of you were civil rights champions, some of you wore white hoods.

there is no baby boomers did this and that, because you cant classify 4 decades of people who are diverse in race, gender, SEC, sexual orientation, political beliefs, religion and age.

[graywarrior]

14. I guess you had to be there

I don't know anyone my age who voted for Nixon. We hated him. Blame the newly emerging corporate media for getting Reagan elected. Who could have resisted a MOVIE star except for Minnesota and the people in my town in MA.

[La Lioness Priyanka]

15. but not all boomers are your age. nt

[graywarrior]

20. No, not all boomers are old as dirt

And not all of the current members of DU are whining, spoiled, lazy experts whom Obama is just itching to use as advisors.

[Gormy Cuss]

24. But the boomers came of age during a period of tremendous social change

and social upheaval whether they were active participants or just observers. When I look back now at how much changed in the 1960s and early 70s it boggles my mind. Every generation sees changes but the cluster of changes in that era was intense in terms of recognizing the need to respect differences. The Reagan era clampdown on social progress was immediate and shocking and I remember thinking it would go away with the 1980s. Wrong. Social change has moved at a glacial pace for decades. The recent movement towards marriage equality is like a breath of fresh air but it's against a backdrop of flagging support for social safety nets and a resurgence of blatant racism.

I don't know what four decades of people you're talking about though. Typo? The boomer generation was born between 1946-1964 by the most generous standards. That's two decades in years across three decades based on the third digit of the year.

[La Lioness Priyanka]

25. yeah the decade was a typo. though if you insist on awarding a generation

praise, as opposed to awarding individuals praise, you risk the backlash of criticism as well.

[Gormy Cuss]

31. I agree with you on that.

The generation label is only good as a frame of reference. We do, as a generational group, think differently from other generations principally from having so many common frames of reference. We don't however get to lay claim to the success nor accept blame for the failures of the movers and shakers.

[eowyn_of_rohan]

36. The boomer generation is in large part defined by its activism

Activism was the mentality of our era, and is engrained in the legions of us have who have carried it forward and will continue to. Those who have fallen off the wagon and no longer represent the ideals of our generation (if they ever did) do not represent our generation in my mind.

[eowyn_of_rohan]

37. The baby boomer era does not cover 4 decades - it covers 2.

That is a big difference... But IMO the boomers who remember and were shaped by Kennedy, the Space Race, folk music and the Beatles, the Civil Rights protests and riots, etc., form the core of the movement of our generation...That would be those born in the late 40's-50's.

BTW - I don't know anyone who voted for Nixon.

[txwhitedove]

11. Well, I think you're great and right! Good to see you here,

fellow Boomer.

[eowyn_of_rohan]

38. Agree!

:hippie: :fistbump:

[socialist_n_TN]

12. Agree. Generational stereotyping IS stupid.........

I'm a boomer and I never considered Xers slackers and I never considered the older than me generation stupid, even though most of them did fight tooth and nail in the 60s/70s against progress. I saw too many of them who did NOT fight against progress to paint with that broad of a brush.

My generation was not monolithic, but as a rule the social progress that has been made in areas of acceptance of LGBTs, race, religion, etc. has been made because of the acceptance of the boomers FOR these "alternative" ways of living. That doesn't mean we didn't make mistakes. The Yuppie phenomenom of the 80s was our greatest shame, IMO, but even that was only a PORTION of boomer attitudes and not even a majority portion.

Anytime you have these mass stereotyping talking points, you can BET that the capitalist/exploiting class is behind it. Dividing the working class/poor against each other been their MO for centuries and it's not going to stop until it stops working. Unfortunately for some, it still DOES work.

[Hannah Bell]

13. we have these threads because the ptb are interested in dividing people.

[Zorra]

16. Is it because the boomers sometimes get criticized on DU,

and then respond in defense? Consequently leading to more gen threads?

That's how it appears to me.

I agree with you, the whole thing is silly.

We Democrats/liberals need to work together, whether we are 5 yrs old or 105 yrs. old, to keep the fascists, the forces of darkness, from completely taking control.

[murielm99]

17. Divide and conquer.

Boomers are a huge demographic. Their pensions and insurance benefits are being threatened. Don't kid yourself - most boomers are not yet Medicare eligible, and some are under fifty-five.

TPTB don't want to get a demographic that big to vote against them. They think that boomers will be just like them and say, "I've got mine, screw the rest of you." Some might. Most don't want that to happen to their families.

[Forkboy]

18. "more likely to like lady gaga than metallica

Well shit, I had an extra ticket to see Pig Destroyer tonight and was hoping you'd go. :(

;) :hi:

[La Lioness Priyanka]

21. ...

:P

[ElboRuum]

19. Answer...

Generational warfare divides the population and induces mistrust of the "other side" in its combatants. Just another method for keeping the people from unifying their efforts against the will of the rich and the powerful. Because it is so successful, the media and other cultural outlets have encouraged it by labeling every generation, leveling charges at them, and watching the chaos that follows.

When you see that normally rational people can participate in, rationalize, and even honestly believe the fallacy of generational laurels and blame, you realize just how desperate we've all become to blame someone who ISN'T hiding behind their wealth for the shithole the world seems to have become.

[La Lioness Priyanka]

22. well said. nt

[Warren DeMontague]

26. If people will stop imagining that all Gen X'ers spent the 80s listening to hair metal

or that we're somehow responsible for a Reagan Presidency that most of us were too young to vote for, I will fully support leaving the boomers alone.

Hell, the Boomers gave us the Grateful Dead. That alone gets them some props.

[La Lioness Priyanka]

27. just because other people stereotype doesnt mean you should as well.

[Warren DeMontague]

29. And if I did, that statement might apply to me.

But I don't.

I wasn't being snarky- I *like* the Grateful Dead. I had over 100 shows under my belt, back in the day.

[ZombieHorde]

28. Recommended. nt

[Puregonzo1188]

30. You know has someone who really liked Metallica in Middle School and still doesn't like Lady GaGa

I question just how useful LGBT stereotypes are. They caused me a lot confusion for years.

[Name removed]

32. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[LaurenG]

34. hater?

yep. With heaps of stereotypical crap for good measure? Grow up.

[ElboRuum]

35. See, now here is the funny thing...

...it used to be the job of the person making an assertion to prove it. Now, it seems that one party makes the assertion and then others go on to prove it for them.

Very funny world we live in, indeed.

[etherealtruth]

40. Do you have any insight into how asinine your post is?

You do realize where you are posting, do you not? Your audience (and use of the collective you) is directed at folk for which everything you claim is the antithesis of who they are.

Exactly when do you assume those who fought for civil rights were born? When were those who fought for equal rights for women born? When was the environmental movement at its height?

The "boomer generation" is like all others .... they achieved good and bad ... nothing more/ nothing less.

There are intelligent critiques of the boomer's and then there is asinine drivel; I place your post in the latter.

[La Lioness Priyanka]

45. i see my post went totally over your head. nt

[franzia99]

33. It's wrong to stereotype people and there's nothing wrong with boomers. Young people just need to

work to make their voices heard on their issues to make sure we don't under invest in things like education, infrastructure, scientific research, etc.

[WolverineDG]

43. I'm supposedly a "boomer"

but I was too young to participate in all the "fun" associated with growing up in the 50s & 60s. Yet I still get blamed for everything that the Boomers did "wrong."

I do find it interesting, however, that my cousin & I who are the "tail-end Charlies" of my family's "Boomer" Generation are a boat-load more liberal than our siblings & cousins who were born in the late 40's-mid 50s. We've always lived in a post-Civil Rights, Space Age world.

dg