Warning: Some posts on this platform may contain adult material intended for mature audiences only. Viewer discretion is advised. By clicking ‘Continue’, you confirm that you are 18 years or older and consent to viewing explicit content.
I feel like “Boomer” has lost all genuine meaning and really has just become “anyone over 40.” Pretty soon Gen X will be the new Boomers and Gen Z and Gen Alpha will pivot to blindly loathing them and blaming them for climate change and the myriad atrocities of capitalism.
I think it still has meaning. Just not the same meaning it had 10ish years ago. “Boomer” has transcended description of a particular generation and now refers to a general set of real or perceived attitudes and behaviors.
I know you’re attempting to explain the usage of the term, not defend it, but for those who are, I feel like that’s a slippery slope and that in other contexts reappropriating an otherwise neutral signifier into what is functionally a slur would immediately be identified as unethical. It’s like people using “gay” to mean “stupid” or “uncool.” And, for anyone outraged at the comparison, no, sexual orientation and a person’s age aren’t the same thing. But they’re both facets of people that are beyond their individual control and ageism is a genuine form of discrimination.
I feel like “Boomer” has lost all genuine meaning and really has just become “anyone over 40.” Pretty soon Gen X will be the new Boomers and Gen Z and Gen Alpha will pivot to blindly loathing them and blaming them for climate change and the myriad atrocities of capitalism.
I think it still has meaning. Just not the same meaning it had 10ish years ago. “Boomer” has transcended description of a particular generation and now refers to a general set of real or perceived attitudes and behaviors.
I know you’re attempting to explain the usage of the term, not defend it, but for those who are, I feel like that’s a slippery slope and that in other contexts reappropriating an otherwise neutral signifier into what is functionally a slur would immediately be identified as unethical. It’s like people using “gay” to mean “stupid” or “uncool.” And, for anyone outraged at the comparison, no, sexual orientation and a person’s age aren’t the same thing. But they’re both facets of people that are beyond their individual control and ageism is a genuine form of discrimination.