Re: Coupland, Linklater, et al being Gen X/Boomers, it's not about their age so much as the age of the people they were documenting and who saw themselves in the work. The punks were also boomers: Joe Strummer is born in 1952. John Lydon in 1956. Joey Ramone in 1951. But their music meant the most to a younger audience receiving it: Gen X (and I don't mean Billy Idol's band). The Beatles and Bob Dylan were all born during WWII but they are the archetypal Boomer acts. Likewise, some Gen Xers (Cobain, Tupac, Eminem) made music hugely important to Millenials who might have been 18 in 2000 (or 12 when Cobain died, or 16 when Tupac died).
Yah agree with this. I had a riff (that I deleted for length) about the difference between culture that shapes a generation through consumption, and culture that shapes a generation because they see themselves in it. Lots of GenXers were into early 80s hair metal, but Dee Snider (for example), born in '55, is a Boomer. As was EVH...
If this REALLY was a GenX newsletter, nobody would ever read it... (bada-BING!).
That out of the way, I am looking forward to what else you come up with. Oh, and if you ever find someone who made it all the way through "Infinite Jest" - I'd read that interview. For my money, "Consider the Lobster" was DFW's seminal work, anyway. Oh and Sloane is playing in Orillia on Nov. 16th before you go all-in on Seattle grunge.
Andrew, this is a very good point: “As the philosopher Auguste Comte argued, social change is driven by conflict between successive demographic waves.” If we think back, there definitely is a trend that points to this.
I am surprised and dismayed by your references only to America = (think of the role of Seattle in grunge, or Williamsburg in the hipster 2000s, or the meaning of Southern California to the 1980s).
The world and GENERATIONS are bigger than the USA limited land space. Other areas influenced the "Generations". 1940-45-Japan-???what generation?? 9/11 - what generation is Israelian
Don't worry -- there'll be PLENTY of non USA content. In fact, one of my ongoing claims will be that Canada more or less invented Generation X -- and not just because of Douglas Coupland.
Hi there -- thank you, and yes more or less. I've skimmed it and should probably read it in more depth. This post is sort of my take on the big question; I'm not THAT interested in the sociological question of generations -- I just wanna grind some axes. But I should pay more attention to the lit.
Re: Coupland, Linklater, et al being Gen X/Boomers, it's not about their age so much as the age of the people they were documenting and who saw themselves in the work. The punks were also boomers: Joe Strummer is born in 1952. John Lydon in 1956. Joey Ramone in 1951. But their music meant the most to a younger audience receiving it: Gen X (and I don't mean Billy Idol's band). The Beatles and Bob Dylan were all born during WWII but they are the archetypal Boomer acts. Likewise, some Gen Xers (Cobain, Tupac, Eminem) made music hugely important to Millenials who might have been 18 in 2000 (or 12 when Cobain died, or 16 when Tupac died).
Anyway. Glad you're here.
Yah agree with this. I had a riff (that I deleted for length) about the difference between culture that shapes a generation through consumption, and culture that shapes a generation because they see themselves in it. Lots of GenXers were into early 80s hair metal, but Dee Snider (for example), born in '55, is a Boomer. As was EVH...
If this REALLY was a GenX newsletter, nobody would ever read it... (bada-BING!).
That out of the way, I am looking forward to what else you come up with. Oh, and if you ever find someone who made it all the way through "Infinite Jest" - I'd read that interview. For my money, "Consider the Lobster" was DFW's seminal work, anyway. Oh and Sloane is playing in Orillia on Nov. 16th before you go all-in on Seattle grunge.
Andrew, this is a very good point: “As the philosopher Auguste Comte argued, social change is driven by conflict between successive demographic waves.” If we think back, there definitely is a trend that points to this.
I am surprised and dismayed by your references only to America = (think of the role of Seattle in grunge, or Williamsburg in the hipster 2000s, or the meaning of Southern California to the 1980s).
The world and GENERATIONS are bigger than the USA limited land space. Other areas influenced the "Generations". 1940-45-Japan-???what generation?? 9/11 - what generation is Israelian
Please expand your references
PMR at ve7pmr@gmail.com
Don't worry -- there'll be PLENTY of non USA content. In fact, one of my ongoing claims will be that Canada more or less invented Generation X -- and not just because of Douglas Coupland.
Hi there -- thank you, and yes more or less. I've skimmed it and should probably read it in more depth. This post is sort of my take on the big question; I'm not THAT interested in the sociological question of generations -- I just wanna grind some axes. But I should pay more attention to the lit.