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:

Brian Masterson?

Some think it’s all fun and games when traveling for business.  Movies are made about it (Up in the Air, Airplane, the list goes on), books are written about it, and hundreds of stories are told at businesses all over the world. Different cities, different countries, new faces, new adventures.  To be fair, I have traveled more than my share in my short time of business travel, and have visited hundreds of cities and towns around the world. I have visited friends halfway around the world, eaten interesting cuisine, seen some amazing things, and had my share of fun. Someday, I hope my children can experience the same things I have been able to experience.

There is another side of business travel that most either do not know about, or care to think about.  The DARK SIDE of business travel.  From sitting next to and meaninglessly chatting with the nameless (and sometimes smelly) faces on airplanes, to eating dinner on your own (again), getting lost because the GPS you rented is not working, driving through snow/ice, it’s not always glamorous as some folks think it is.  Think about it in these terms – for a normal week long business trip, it takes about 6-8 hrs of preparation –  setting up appointments, booking flights, finding hotels close to the meetings, booking car rentals, figuring out directions to each appointment.  The list goes on.  And this is PRIOR to you even leaving.

So the night before, you pack up, confirm your itinerary, send it to loved ones, recheck it, go to bed.  Next morning, you wake early and head off to the airport.  There of course, you encounter long lines, crying babies, tons of people that are not “frequent travelers” and confused on where they should be, go, do.  Wait in line for your ticket, wait in line to get through security, get patted down because you look like you might be bad news, wait in line to get some food for the plane (because we all know how good(not) and cheap (NOT) the food can be on planes).  Then of course, you get to wait in line to get onto the plane.  Just too much fun.

So you get there, rent your car, take your train, get picked up, whatever your means of transportation may be for this leg of the trip.  Head to the hotel, first meeting, and so on and so forth.  This of course assumes the airline has not lost your luggage. This goes on for days and in some cases a couple of weeks.  No sleep in the hotel, wake up early to construction; eat a crappy FREE meal at the hotel, and the days starts again.  Honestly, there have been trips where I literally forgot not only what room number I was in, but what HOTEL I was staying at.  At the end of the day you eat alone or sit at a bar and talk with some stranger that is in the same situation as you.  Small talk, blah blah blah.  Gets old, you know?

As I mentioned initially, frequent travelers may say they have their share of fun on the road.  However, each trip is not just a joy ride.  Live one day in another man’s shoes, they say, and you will truly have your eyes opened to a whole new world.

It’s what we do, and we love it.

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.

Then something along the way happened.  Something terrible.  MTV changed focus from what made them great, music television, to a soap opera channel.  I blame the Real World and it was all down hill from there, recently culminating with Jersey Shore.  While this metamorphosis was occurring, MTV did still try to retain the Generation X market via MTV2.  This worked for a while but ultimately failed.  I want my MTV!

As I mentioned, we shaped MTV, but in a way it shaped us as well.  It changed how we absorbed music and how we responded to it on a social level.  Do you remember going into school on Monday after seeing the latest and greatest new MTV Video over the weekend???  MTV Network President Van Toffler said “Millennials are really about authentic reality and family” and that MTV “played up the camaraderie and famliy elements on Jersey Shore to appeal to them”.  What???  Has he seen Jersey Shore???  If this is any reflection on what Millennials are about, or if they are at all being shaped by MTV’s content… God help us all.

Certainly on some level I can understand MTV now focusing on Millennials.   They spend the most time in front of the television and apparently care far less about music than our generation had.  I wonder though, would Gen-Xers spend some of our prime time viewing hours watching MTV if there were still something that appealed to us?  Its hard to say because, despite their recent admission, MTV cast us aside many years ago.  So, again MTV… FU.  How’s that for cynical?

~cg

The "Smells Like Teen Spirit" Single Artwork

Considering The Slacker Factor is a podcast and webspace targeted directly at Generation X, whose musical apex is squarely planted in early 90s grunge, what I’m about to say will no doubt offend some and may even be considered downright sacrilegious. So, let me just come right out and say it…

I never need to hear Nirvana’s “Smells Like Teen Spirit” again. That’s right, the GenX anthem that epitomizes all things slacker is not aging well in my eyes. In fact, the second I hear those opening power chords, I instinctually reach for the dial or digital preset button to find just about anything else (within reason, of course… I’m not about to choose any American Idol reject over the voice of our generation (I think, anyway).

It’s not really Kurt’s fault though. In 1991, when Nevermind was released unto the unsuspecting public, it was all I needed to puff out my chest and get all angsty. After all, this was the theme song to many a drunken slam dance, late night rally to plan our world domination, or solo introspective moment. But just three years later, after Kurt Cobain’s untimely death in 1994, the song sank into nostalgia. Hearing it then, we’d take a second to imagine what could of been, what still might be, and what contributions our generation was making (or not making) to the world. But now, it’s lost all that sense of nostalgia, emotional connection, and is just plain tired.

I blame radio. I’ve just heard it too many damn times. Back in the day when “alternative music” really started to affect the mainstream population, it felt like Generation X was poised to bring slacker culture to the whole world. You could tune into just about any radio station format – from “Modern Rock” to “Top 40″ and hear the evidence of how deep “Teen Spirit” had penetrated society. The video was aired every 10 minutes on MTV, which meant you couldn’t escape it no matter where you were. It was ubiquitous angst. But, there is a fixed limit on many times you can repeatedly feel those strong emotions when a song comes on. There are only so many times that that melody, those driving drums, that distorted guitar, and the gruff vocals can penetrate your heart.

Unfortunately, I think this fall from grace is inevitable. Just think of all that cutting edge rock and roll from the 60s and 70s – Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, Jimmy Hendrix, The Doors. They changed the face of music and lead a cultural revolution. But now, 40 years later, the whole genre is relegated to the dusty corners of the radio, ipods, and vinyl albums with not a record player in sight. And I’m sure that even our parents, who were there for the birth of “freedom rock”, aren’t going out and getting stoned, practicing free love and “imagining world peace”, when “Dazed and Confused” makes it’s 55 thousand, 227th appearance in their ears.

So, by no means am I debasing or marginalizing “Smells Like Teen Sprit.” I just don’t think there is any way to avoid this slide into staleness. Music should always evoke that same passion we all felt in 1991. And if the songs of our youth are no longer able to arouse those feelings, maybe we should move on and explore new music that sing about our current struggles like, I don’t know, the trappings of corporate America, the unending demands on our time from the kids and their all-encompassing social lives to the responsibilities of supporting household in a down economy, the unpaid bills and the fears of being trivialized as a generation. Actually that sounds like god-awful music. So barring that, maybe we can at least tap into some of Nirvana’s deeper album cuts or smaller hits yet still amazing songs like “All Apologies” or “Rape Me.” Or maybe I’ll just go listen to Pearl Jam instead – at least they’re still putting out new music.

- Robert LaFrance

The Slacker Factor Podcast, Episode 6:  Pondering Nirvana

Haunted by a love/hate relationship with the music of our past, Rob struggles in his quest not to achieve Nirvana. We are confused by guys/girls and the words around them in a discussion on gender speak. Finally, Chris attempts serenity with NPR’s top songs of the decade and breaks out cool/questionable jazz.

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Links:

Meandering Rant on the Lack of Teen Spirit by Rob

Book Report: Gender Speak

Music Segment: NPR’s 50 Most Important Recordings of the Decade

From our friend JenX67…

I found this fascinating quote today:

Back in December the Harvard Business Review had a podcast featuring Tammy Erickson who recently penned  What’s Next Gen X? In case you missed it, you may want to find 12 minutes to listed to this interview about how Gen X leads. Interestingly, Erickson sheds light on how rules-oriented Gen Xers are despite being rule-breakers in their personal lives.jenx67.com, jenX67 | are you there God? it’s me, generation x, Feb 2010

You should read the whole article.

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?

The Slacker Factor Podcast, Episode 5:  It’s the Little Things

The group ponders Pattys Small-Mac Attack and Christian rants about the
ever uplifting media coverage of celebrity death.  Rob discusses the
perils of sobriety.  And Patty brings the randomness and angst of the
plastic fantastic music genre that is Scene.

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Links:

Meandering Rant on the Death of Icons by Christian

Book Report: When Rock Stars Get Sober

Music Segment: Scene featuring Porcelain and the Tramps and Scary Kids Scaring Kids

Through history people have paid tribute to those who affected them most.  In the past it was high placed political powers such as monarchs or statesmen,  but since the advent of television this adoration has broadened to include celebrities.  The availability of electronic media provided a platform but tabloids and the internet brought it to extreme levels.

When Elvis died it was obviously a big story and deserved “news” coverage.  The same can be said for John Lennon, Michael Jackson, etc largely in part to their untimely deaths.  But where does the media draw the line as to what is worth “breaking news coverage”?  Are D list celebrities worthy of such coverage.  Do we need to know that a Reality TV contestant died?  Or a TV shill?  Where is the line drawn?  Do we need a cable station devoted to death much like the Weather Channel?

There is a morbid curiosity we all share whether we want to admit it or not.  We see it every day with the traffic jams caused by an accident.  So many people trying to get a glimpse of the victim.  Some of us from the corner of our eye and others shamelessly craning their necks.  Some read the obituaries to see who we may know who have died.  Others reading for the tragedy of someone taken too soon.  Is celebrity death that same morbid curiosity magnified?  Perhaps it’s because, while we somehow share celebrities and feel a strange attachment, though they really are detached.  We may feel some sense of loss, but certainly not as we would with a friend or family member.  Its different.  Its more akin to reading a book or watching a movie where the protagonist dies tragically at the end, or maybe goes out in flames while giving his middle finger to the establishment.  Or maybe its deeper than that and somehow through their loss we gain more appreciation of our lives?

Perhaps in death it’s that celebrities’ last bit of entertainment they are giving to the public.   Their last chance on the stage.  But even then, do we let them rest in peace?  With the family fights over recording or movie rights or new release of unseen footage.   The answer is sadly no.

The interest in celebrity death even goes so far as to have hoax’s emailed out with some elaborate story about how the celebrity died in some dramatic, often implausible, fashion.  How many celebrity (usually B list) death hoax’s went out around the same time as Michael Jacksons death was announced?  I guess we can thank the internet for that.  I don’t imagine that the same happened when Elvis died.  Although the closest thing at that time, the National Enquirer, did sell 8 million copies of an issue that featured a cover shot of Elvis Presley in a coffin.

There are a few times in your life when you suddenly feel “old”.

Finding your first grey hair is probably the first. It’s bad enough finding one on your head but when you find one “south of the border” it’s even more sobering. Followed, of course, by the first time you get pulled over and discover that when the police officer gets up to the car he is obviously younger than you are. And the aggravating thing is even though you’re older you call them “SIR”! Which is not as bad as saying ‘thank you’ for some reason when they hand you the ticket.

But for me the worst realization that I was suddenly “older” was when I realized I didn’t know what the hell was happening in music. At some point in the last few years, I had completely lost touch with what was considered “cool” and “happening” in the music business. And I was pretty upset.

I happened to speaking to someone younger than myself, who mentioned they were going to a concert that weekend. “Oh, who are you going to see?”, I asked. “The Passion Pit!”, he happily declared. The Passion Pit? Who the hell are The Passion Pit? Not only was I kind of upset that I didn’t recognize the name, but I totally felt out of touch when I discovered that they had sold out not one night in NYC that weekend but THREE nights! How could I have never heard of this group that was popular enough to sell out three nights in Manhattan plus have an album that was being raved about online and elsewhere?

Oh, that’s right. I got old.

So, last night as I watched the Grammy Awards sseing Lady GaGa parade about looking like something from a bad 1980’s video on acid and duetting with Elton John, I realized maybe it’s not just me. Back in the 70’s Elton was considered a freak by our parents. Each generation seems to feel the need to create someone or something to rattle the cages of the generations before them. To set them apart. To make them feel as if they are ahead of the curve and hipper than those who came before them.

Because I got a kick later that night on the Grammys seeing the legendary Leon Russell playing with country upstart and Best New Artist winner Zac Brown. I know that there wasn’t a single 20-something hipster doofus dancing down front who had a clue as to who that strange white haired guy playing piano was onstage. And I am sure a number of those same kids later watched Jeff Beck rip through an amazing tribute to the late great Les Paul and thought, “This guy is cool. I wonder if he is Beck’s father.”

Maybe it’s called “classic” rock because to us that’s what it is. Classic. Untouchable. Something from a golden age in our lives that keeps it as fresh and special to us today as it did the first time we heard it 30 years ago. Our music never sounds dated because we carry it with us in our heads and in our hearts all our lives. Which is why, I know deep inside that the first Boston album or even the first RUN-DMC record will make me feel at 90 the way it made me feel at 19.

Now whether or not Lady GaGa’s “Paparazzi” will stand the test of time like The Allman Brother’s “Whipping Post” is something we will have to wait and see. Though to be honest, I am having a hard time imagining GaGa in concert in 2050 , strutting around in her Hefty Bags From Space polyvinyl stage costume and thousands of fans holding up cigarette lighters screaming, “POKER FACE! POKER FACE!”.

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Do yourselves a favor ….

Add some funk and rhythm to your life and pick up anything you can find by Trombone Shorty, Big Sam’s Funky Nation or Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings.