Erin over at Existential Ergonomics wrote a great piece called “The Boomer Mentality,” in which she details the grasping, materialistic, selfish nature of the various Boomers she and her boyfriend encountered on a trip to Yellowstone National Park. It’s a post worth reading, and Erin handles the contentious subject matter deftly and with humor and grace. It is clear she does not hate Boomers, but she certainly recognizes their idiosyncrasies and hypocrisies for what they are.
I, too, do not hate Boomers. My parents and most of my aunts and uncles are Boomers. Many of my colleagues are Boomers. Boomers have been among the kindest, most supportive people I have ever known.
I also do not like intergenerational politics. They seem like another way to divide us and to pit us against once another. It also seems like a game that is targeted specifically towards Americans and other people in Western countries. You never hear about Vietnamese kids complaining about their Boomer parents, for example.
All of that said, the Boomer generation—those born between 1946-1964—are a difficult bunch. Both stingy and lavish, they horde housing, blow their wealth on frivolous luxuries, and seemingly refuse to help their struggling Millennial children, a generation (mine) that really got screwed economically. At the same time, the Boomers as a group refuse to acknowledge how easy they had it from an economic perspective, and are baffled that the rest of us can’t just make a fortune in sales overnight (or what have you).
Of course, it’s not their fault, exactly. They are the product of their parents’ choices, the so-called Greatest Generation. That generation faced a major world war and a devastating Great Depression before that, so they overcompensated and created one of the most spoiled generations in the history of the world. They also lavished this generation with high-paying jobs that required few skills, coupled with generous healthcare benefits and fat pensions.
So, in response to Erin’s very mild and humorous post, the Boomers came out of the woodwork. Boomers are either the heroes or the victims of their stories—they are never the villains. Remember, this generation grew up believing they were going to change the world (and, in many ways, they have) for the better, and that their self-indulgent lifestyles were some manner of high-minded idealism. We all know the aging hippie Boomer who refuses to believe that the 1960s are over.
One of the comments was from a woman who has this picture for her Gravatar:
Can’t you just feel the smug self-righteousness oozing from that tiny picture? It looks like she carries lemons around in her purse so she can maintain her pucker all day.
Her comment was no better, and written with the subtlety of a rant on Facebook:
This comment goes against the excellent advice that if you don’t have something good to say, don’t say anything. However, as one of the oldest Boomers living, I’m going to make an exception to that advice. Boomers are currently between 60-78 years of age. The reason so many are travelling is because at least in the 65-78 group many/most are retired and finally have the time to travel. Fortunately, everyone younger than 60 is pleasant, drives perfectly, and is committed to working well together. As soon as we Boomers have kicked the bucket the world will be a better place. Or … is the problem with having old people around that they’re old? As post-Boomers grow old, how much do you want to bet that they annoy young people just as much as (some) current old people annoy you?!
So, dear readers, I offered up my own scathing critique to this smug old lady:
The Portly Politico 