Ok, Boomer

[chomalungma]

I have had to repeatedly tell DS that I am not a boomer. His Grandad is though.

I am with him though. He went through a whole litany of the issues facing his generation and what the older generation have benefited from.

He seems to have got some of the memes from 'Insta'.

Anyone else got a child who uses this phrase?

It's the typical ageism of the young, happens in every generation (and in turn, every generation is dismissive of the problems facing the younger generation - generally speaking of course). It's rude and annoying and often ignorant but they'll grow out of it.

It's funny isn't it how people are so stirred up about this but the constant "lazy millenials" and "millenials are killing x industry" was absolutely fine.
Respect works both ways. Boomers are the people voting us out of the EU knowing they have had all the benefits of it and won't have to deal with the fallout.

Some of us criticise both though again I see far from vitriol from Millennials to Boomers than vice versa not that either is acceptable.

The Boomers I know voted remain but then I'm in Scotland in a very strongly pro remain area.

It's a silly generalisation, and often used against people who aren't even boomers. On the other hand, it's no worse than all the criticisms aimed at Gen Z by older people. It's not surprising they are retaliating really!

At least with OK Boomer, it can apply to anyone born 44 - 64, but I hate the new one that is aimed at Xers, we're now the Karen generation - racist, homophobic and most likely to ask to speak to the manager. So sexist.

we're now the Karen generation - racist, homophobic and most likely to ask to speak to the manager. So sexist.

I'm not familiar with this at all. I've seen a couple of 'speak to the manager' memes but didn't realise it had become synonymous with us Gen X ers.

It's rude and annoying and often ignorant but they'll grow out of it.

Yes, because they will themselves grow old eventually, it they're lucky.

It's a meme based on one specific anti vaxxing idiot called Karen that other people who don't understand are misinterpreting.

Yeh it is such laxy thinking. I was tired of the criticisms against millenials and i think 'snowflake' is just a way of silencing any complaint. So i feel i have the self awareness to observe the "karen" thing objectively. It is just so lazy. Im not called karen but this could be julie, claire, suzanne, jenny, louise. It is so sexist because "mark" and "steve" dont seem to be getting it in the neck.

@SpiderCharlotte, it's the current one. As the argument /memes were mostly between the Boomers and the Millennial, gen z have suddenly come for us. The wanting to speak to the manager is down to us being of that middle aged angry state (I'm guessing menopause). Delightful.

It's gets worse - we also hate all the gendery stuff. I need to step away from Buzzfeed .

God, what next I wonder?! @Doingtheboxerbeat 😉

I'm not entirely sure I like your tone, I want to speak to your manager please!!! The service here is totally unacceptable.

...we're now the Karen generation - racist, homophobic and most likely to ask to speak to the manager. So sexist.

But I think it's accurate and I am of this generation. I have clients, young and old. The younger clients are almost invariably lovely, whereas the Gen X'ers can be difficult and demanding. Like Karen.

OK Boomer has helped me finally understand why old men start wars.

Generation X is from Douglas Coupland's novel of the same name, published in 1991.

DD tries to trot this resentment line out to us, sometimes.

Nobody in real life says a thing to her about her generation, yet still she wants to join in the inter-gen bashing.

as far as I can tell, most of MN are snowflake 40 yr olds, tbh.

Really interesting points made on this thread by all generations - the politest intergenerational debate I've seen online!

Isn't the point of ok boomer that it is deliberately aimed people who are not in that demographic as a mildly provocative/antagonistic response to point out that whatever attitude they are expressing is reminiscent of the boomer stereotype? Kind of like "ok grandma" or "ok your majesty" - you wouldn't use either of these to your actual grandma or the queen but to make a dig to someone who is asking them to turn the music down or expecting to be waited on.

No doubt lots of people are using it incorrectly, are ageist/sexist or don't understand where the generational markers lie, but for the most part I think it's used in this way.

For reference I'm Gen X but identify as Xennial.

It started out as being retort to the stereotype that gen z / millennials can’t get a decent job or buy a house because they are lazy snowflake avocado eating smartphone users. Which was probably overdue in fairness! As usual though it has become overused and is now deliberately offensive and dismissive.

Chloe S, the MP who coined this term has taken a vast amount of crap from older MPs. She is smart as a whip and having her in parliament is a massive bonus.

But some opposition MPs refuse to engage with her. They claim this is because of her lack of a ministerial post but its clear they are ageist and probably just scared of how bloody smart she is.

She's made me think we should have some designated young MPs. (As NZ has proportional representation and a Maori role this would not be so hard to do.)

Ms Juniper, yes, so right.

OK boomer is often directed at Gen X-ers, who then get outraged at being called the generation of their parents , that is part of the joke

And it is a joke, some don't find it funny but if well timed/placed it is

No one has said it to me yet but I am ready to reply " back at you snowflake".

user6289264 your other half can scoff all he wants but he is what he is. The generational splits are what they are.

MsJuniper yeah that's true. And you're right, it is funny.

But, and this has just occurred to me ie is a bit of a change of heart because I was laughing along before, I do feel a bit wistful that the word boomer - the word coined to describe the children born into the hope and dynamism of a society shattered by war and determined to build a better future with the fresh young lives it named - is now a glib knowing insult.

... and that it's become so as the generation in question move towards their years of physical decline.

This OK Boomer is just an attempt to drive a wedge between the old(er) witg

the younger(er).

Only a fool would fall for it. If you think about it, the Boomers are the ones who may fair worse with a depleted NHS. Most Boomers have children or grandchildren who will be directly affected by global warming.

Ask yourself who benefits from splitting the old from the young? How does it benefit either group? It doesnt. It's not by splitting that we win its by being together.