John Hughes Tribute from the Oscars
Posted on March 8, 2010 | By Robert LaFrance | No Comments
The stars of such classic Generation X movies as Breakfast Club, Ferris Beuler’s Day Off, and Sixteen Candles were in full view last night at the Oscar Awards. They paid tribute to the late who wrote and directed the coming of age films that so impacted our generation. The actors may not have aged all that well but I certainly think the movies have stood the test of time. Or maybe I’m just biased.
Anyway, you can watch the tribute here:
MTV Pushing out ‘cynical’ Generation X
Posted on February 24, 2010 | By Christian | 3 Comments
Here's to you MTV!
Well, its official. MTV has announced their focus on Millennials, casting aside Generation X… the generation that made MTV. Sad news indeed. I’d like to give a big FU to MTV. Not just for this recent admission, but for the crap they have been broadcasting for the past 20 years. There was a time when MTV was about music television. It was certainly a revolutionary, but simple, concept that changed music forever. Play popular music but with supporting video. It changed everything. No longer were we sitting by the radio listening to music while doing something else. Now we were completely focused on the music as a total sensory experience. And when I say focused, I mean sitting like a zombie starring at the TV, one music video after another… completely enthralled. It was a perfect formula and our generation shaped it. Read more
Gen X Has Its First Midlife Crisis: Billy Corgan, Jessica Simpson, and You!
Posted on February 10, 2010 | By Robert LaFrance | 2 Comments
Prototypical Generation X'er, Billy Corgan of Smashing Pumpkin fame
At the risk of getting all gossipy here, blogger Lisa M posts this article about Billy Corgan and Jessica Simpson. An interesting read on its own but it also provokes some very grave thoughts.
Considering Corgan fronted one of Generation X’s seminal bands (and probably my all-time favorite), The Smashing Pumpkins, it’s with great amusement that we are now linking our icons with midlife crises. Are we really middle age already? Is that possible?
Let’s see… according to the all-knowing wikipedia, the average life expectancy in the US in 78.2 years. Uh oh. My quick, back-of-the-napkin math reveals that half of that figure is roughly 39. And I am 39 now. Suddenly, this has taken an ugly turn from amusement to bewilderment. I always thought the stereotypical ”mid-life” male was fat, balding, and incorrigibly boring. Wait, I think I match a couple of those descriptions (I’ll let you decide which ones).
So, while it’s possible that I may now qualify as middle-age, in typical Generation X fashion, I will rebel against any social norm! Which, in this case, means going to the gym, hairclub for men, then partying all night in NYC! Are you with me?
Gen X- Small But Mighty
Posted on January 5, 2010 | By Christian | 1 Comment
If you are like me, you don’t really feel the love at work. Treated as a commodity with the ever present threat of corporate layoffs which seem to hit people by lottery since the “dead wood” has already been culled through the previous 5 layoff rounds. It gets old. I would like to reassure you that there is hope! Many of us forget that a large part of today’s workforce are Baby Boomers, and guess what… they aren’t getting any younger. Take a minute to read this article from October by Kelly Sharp called Gen X- Small But Mighty which talks about the Baby Boomer workforce of today.
What I especially like is the point Kelly makes about the number of Baby Boomer employees in the workforce today who are planning on retiring in the next 10 years, but the number of Gen-X employee which will back-fill them is fewer than the number retiring. Now, this is no panacea but its at least a glimmer of hope. One point Kelly does miss is the fact that many Boomer employees are working further into their 60′s than their parents generation, which certainly doesn’t help the Gen-X workers waiting for promotions.
Well, I could stand a little more appreciation at work – even if it is only through attrition. ~cg
P.S. I just ran across this blog on Roberts Virtual Soap Box called Why we (non-boomers) hate our jobs. You should definitely check it out. And while you are there check out his list of people he would like to see die in 2010 in his Top 10 Wingnuts Whose Deaths I’d Celebrate, 2010 Edition. He has Glenn Beck as #1 and I couldn’t agree more!
The World Has Officially Ended…
Posted on January 1, 2010 | By Robert LaFrance | 2 Comments
Clear Channel, the radio conglomerate and sworn enemy of music lovers everywhere, announce new format entitled, “Generation X Radio.” God help us!
From the press release:
The station will feature music from the 80’s and 90’s and will cross musical genres by featuring Grunge, Hip Hop, Hair Bands, Boy Bands and others.
Proof of the aforementioned apocalypse:
#1: Clear Channel and Generation X are mentioned in the same sentence
#2: “We believe every song played on KTGX-FM will generate fans, not just listeners” Right, because a “rock block” featuring Poison, ‘N Sync, Wil Smith, and Nirvana’s “Rape Me” back to back is sure to “generate fans.”
I’m sure this will serve as fodder for a future rant so stay tuned to The Slacker Factor.
Read the official press release here.
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