Hi, all,
Below is a piece I was quoted in–I thought the writer made some interesting points. I remember watching the GenX movie Reality Bites back when it first came out. I was supposed to identify with Winona Ryder, who was appalled by, yet attracted to, Ethan Hawke’s slacker character. She of course winds up with him at the end, nasty nicotine-stained fingers, joblessness and all. I, too, thought he was hot, but couldn’t help thinking thinking how totally irritating it would be to actually be with him. From there I couldn’t relate to any of the characters, who were meant to be me and my friends. I didn’t think the movie depicted “us,” GenXers, accurately at all.
Anyhow, I’d love to hear your thoughts.
X at a Crossroads
No longer young, but far from old, Joanne Laucius explains where her generation is at and why it may yet change the world
Photograph by: Ottawa Citizen, Files
Come as you are, as you were, as I want you to be
— Nirvana (1991)
OTTAWA — In 1986, when I was in my third year of journalism school, we made a parody video of Tears Are Not Enough. We called it Careers There Aren’t Enough. I played Joni Mitchell.
Tears was one in a run of We Are The World-type songs recorded by “supergroups” for worthy causes. Today’s young people would probably invite Craig Kielburger to deliver an inspirational speech and then collect loonies. Back in 1986, our response was to skewer the earnest effort, which went on to raise $3.2 million for the hungry.
READ THE REST OF THE ARTICLE HERE
October 12, 2010 at 12:50 pm
Hope I’m not one of those 60-something Boomers who doesn’t have a sense of humor. I’m not, right? It’s someone else, right?
October 12, 2010 at 12:56 pm
Absolutely not. But I’m sure you’ve noticed the same phenom, no?
October 12, 2010 at 3:28 pm
Nice pickup, Stephanie!
His crass, uber-Yuppie ways aside, I remember identifying with the Ben Stiller character most of all in “Reality Bites” (though Janeane Garofalo was, as ever, my hero). At least he was trying do something creative in the world and impact the larger society, rather than sitting around all day smoking and whining about how his rich parents never loved him (or whatever Ethan Hawke’s problem was). Also, I remember being v. annoyed that the woman who wrote the script was younger than I. “I should have written this,” was my subtext, though I’d like to think I’d have done a better job.
October 12, 2010 at 6:51 pm
I never saw Reality Bites, but our generation – Gen X – and the relatively crap position it has in our social structure has always fascinated and repelled me.
I think the economic and social conditions of the time 1970s, post-Vietnam, etc – during our childhood – affected our long-term outlook on life. While we weren’t capable of consciously understanding what all those things meant at the time, I maintain that it had to leave an indelible impact on us. Contrast with the economic boom and optimism of the 90s-weaned Gen Y.
On the other hand, people who chronologically would be part of Gen X also created hip hop culture …
October 12, 2010 at 10:25 pm
Hmm… I definitely saw the movie Reality Bites but don’t remember a single thing about it.