Posted on 04/21/2009 11:34:49 AM PDT by Linda is Watching
Susan Boyle, the Newest Voice of "Generation Jones"
by Alie James
I never cry, but I cry each time I watch Susan Boyle singing, "I've Dreamed a Dream". Recently discovered on Britain's Got Talent, she's an amazing celebrity find for Generation Jones. I'm sure many of you have already viewed her YouTube video, but if not I suggest you do. As for the expression, Generation Jones (GenJones for short), you may not know that this is a newly identified Generation, one which lies between the Baby Boomers and Generation X. Since I'd like to focus on Boyle in this article, I'll refer you to a recent USA Today article by Jonathan Pontell and a website for futher information about Generation Jones, since millions of you will realize you belong to the GenJonesers, rather than the Baby Boomers.
Susan Boyle is a reality show's dream. Her instant celebrity will put Britain's Got Talent and the "evil" Simon Cowell in history books. Even better than that, though, Susan Boyle will become someone we remember who reignited our belief in goodness and possibilities. She has come to us at exactly the right time, as many of us are trying to recover from the economic downturn of recent years, which has left so many of our dreams shattered.
Wouldn't you agree, we need a reason to dream again? So, let's just do it, if not for ourselves, then for Susan Boyle. She is a champion we can cheer on and believe in, someone we can rally around and be inspired by. Her story begins with Simon Cowell, who I'm quite familiar with since I regularly watch American Idol. He is so easily bored, doesn't smile often during a performance, and rarely gives a positive review. Actually, he's quite rude and demoralizing (but strangely enough, he's usually right on the mark.) To see Simon so delighted during her performance was thrilling. I watched as she penetrated his cold heart. Wow! I really mean, wow - no one gets to Simon like that. The impact she had on him tells me she instantly earned a place in history and in our hearts. Perhaps, (dare I say it) she might become the People's Princess in the way that Princess Diana did.
A recent article from a Scotland news site entitled, "Alastair Campbell has new spin on Susan Boyle phenomenon", discusses the topic of "authenticity". I have been writing about "authenticity" for quite some time, even as recently as my last BlogCritic's review. Authenticity is a trait the public is responding to, probably due to our fascination with reality shows. Being authentic is the way winner's win, beloved leader's lead, and great artists perform. In other words, it's the way ordinary people become legends. The public, if allowed to see the person for who they really are, will respond to them - this is reality.
Susan Boyle will inspire all of us, especially those of us who are GenJonesers and Baby Boomers. She'll remind us how to rise above the things that keep us from succeeding and how to keep our flame burning. Let's just remember her "starburst" when we begin to feel like "has beens", used up, and out of ideas. Let's listen to her sing, whenever we watch ourselves, day after day, being passed over in order for a member of the younger generation to get a chance to shine.
I really don't think life has to be static. Life can change at any time - in a flash, in a note, in a stroke. It's that quick! So, let's embrace her moment, our moment, and begin anew to dream a dream for all of us.
So now a "generation" is down to only 12 years???
My guess is this "Generation Jones" nonsense was invented by people born in the 1954-64 time frame who did not want to be identified with the rest of us caricaturized "Baby Boomers" (those born 1946-64). I am a fairly well-read person, and I had never even heard the term "Generation Jones" until coming across this article.
Now one common factor that those of us born 1944-53 had to face was the Vietnam draft. My birth year, 1953, was the last draft class. That would distinguish us from the mid-to-late Baby Boomers.
On the other hand, a factor that does bind all those born 1946-64 is that we all were conceived and born in an "era of good feelings" and optimism. America was on top of the world. This was the time between the end of WWII (1945) and Kennedy's assassination (end of 1963)/the real outbreak of the Vietnam War (1965).
I find the generalizations about these sociological "generations" to be vastly overblown.
BTW, the phrase "Heavens to Murgatroyd" dates back to the mid-1940s.
Yes, a consensus among generations experts has emerged that defines generations as roughly 12-15 years. One of the main reasons that experts typically don’t use the old 20 years definitions anymore is because the acceleration of culture has shortened generations considerably.
You’re right that the Vietnam War was a defining component and I would guess is one of the key reasons that 1954 is the first birth year for GenJones since that would be the first year of guys who didn’t go to combat in Vietnam.
But you’re certainly not right in concluding that those born in the mid-1940s-mid-1950s share with those born in the mid-1950s to mid-1960s a formative era of good feelings and optimism. The younger group was very influenced by the extreme cynicism and pessimism that marked their coming-of-age era—the 1970s. These eras were so different that numerous experts have pointed to this as the explanantion of why Boomers and Jonesers are the two opposite generations in the political electorate (Boomers are usually the most Dem-voting generation while Jonesers have typically been the most GOP-voting generation).
Boomers are defined by the Census Bureau and the United States government as those born between 1946 and 1964, making Susan a boomer.
You can find all kinds of definitions out there because every one has agendas, or studies or marketing breakdowns that are important to them, but when you read statistics from census figures or GAO reports about Social Security and so on, they all use the actual, official, definition of 1946 to 1964.
BS and more BS
Never heard of this label (or the funnier “GenJones”) but it has the feel of a sophomore prank. Seriously, are you sure someone isn’t playing a joke, pulling your leg even?
btw, the first line of the story at your link kinda lost my interest:
“President Obama carries the torch for the millions of Americans who aren’t really Boomers, but aren’t really Xers either. Meet the generation in which idealism trumps ideology, in which pragmatism is the guiding light.”
Yuck! Blech!, even
If there’s any interest in actual truth here:
The Census Bureau has absolutely nothing to do with defining cultural generations. Their 1946-1946 designation is 100% purely about demographics...they are simply noting the bubble on birth rate charts between ‘46-’64.. Cultural generations are determined by the subjective opinions of experts.
And the political polling data is unequivocal about the left-leaning Boomers vs. the right-leaning Jonesers. In fact, Mason-Dixon Polling did a much-discussed major post-election study after the 2004 election which concluded that not only were Jonesers the most GOP-voting generation, but that the level of support was so massive that when M-D removed Jonesers from the largest battleground States, every one would have gone to Bush were it not for GenJones.
“These eras were so different that numerous experts have pointed to this as the explanantion of why Boomers and Jonesers are the two opposite generations in the political electorate (Boomers are usually the most Dem-voting generation while Jonesers have typically been the most GOP-voting generation).”
That is total BS and something else is going on here as well. You signed up here at FR to promote this left wing idea of “Generation Jones”, I can’t help but wonder what your real name is.
Before today you only had two posts to your name since signing up in 2006 both of them promoting “generation jones”, almost immediately after posting your first thread here (which was also your very first post) in 2006 pushing “jones”, the thread was linked to in this article. You seem like a guy trying to spread your work, or whose work is to spread some information.
http://www.generationjones.com/2006midterms.html
As for this GenXer, Me and a Jones, we got a thing goin’ on.
“The Census Bureau has absolutely nothing to do with defining cultural generations. Their 1946-1946 designation is 100% purely about demographics...they are simply noting the bubble on birth rate charts between ‘46-’64.. Cultural generations are determined by the subjective opinions of experts.”
Exactly, any body and every body can make up “cultural” definitions and they do, industries do, marketers do, liberals that don’t want to place George W. Bush and Obama together into the boomers do, the left is doing it right now as they try to pluck out another sub group to manipulate in their coverage and identification, but you cannot redefine a generation, especially one that is already in their 50s.
It would be pretty hard to do reports like this.
“United States Government Accountability Office
GAO Report to Congressional Committees”
“Why GAO Did This Study
Highlights Accountability Integrity Reliability July 2006 BABY BOOM GENERATION Retirement of Baby Boomers Is Unlikely to Precipitate Dramatic Decline in Market Returns, but Broader Risks Threaten Retirement Security Highlights of GAO-06-718, a report to congressional committees The first wave of baby boomers(born between 1946 and 1964) will become eligible for Social Securityearly retirement benefits in 2008. Inaddition to concerns about how the boomers’ retirement will strain the nation’s retirement and healthsystems, concerns also have been raised about the possibility for boomers to sell off large amounts of financial assets in retirement, with relatively fewer younger U.S.workers available to purchase these assets. Some have suggested that such a sell-off could precipitate a market “meltdown,” a sharp and sudden decline in assetprices, or reduce long-term rates of return. In view of such concerns,”
I think that we can squeeze you in.
With all respect, you do seem rather confused, ansel12. Generation Jones is a “left wing idea”?! I can’t imagine offhand how your brain formulated such a bizarre concept, but it is ridiculously untrue.
Further, it apparently is difficult for you to imagine that there are many of us who are passionately interested in getting our long-lost generation’s voice finally factored into the national debate, but there are. Apparently, you think that any of who care about GenJones do it because it “spreads our work”?! Shocking as it must be for you to concieve, my work has nothing to do with Generation Jones, but I am a Joneser, am sick of being ludicrously lumped in all these years with the Boomers and then the Xers, and have beeen following closely, and with delight, the increasing popularity of GenJones. Oh...the few posts I’ve made on FR are about GenJones...well, that must mean I have some clandestine agenda?! Get your act together, ansel12, and come on back to earth.
Lastly, I realize that you obviously don’t want truth to get in the way of your repeatedly exclaiming that this all B.S., but have you considered actually seeing what the truth is? You could start by reading this article filled with data about GenJones voting patterns that I referenced (http://www.generationalinsights.com/pdf/Denver_Post.pdf), and then follow up by reading more of the tons of articles out there which provide overwhelming evidence supporting the truth of what I’ve written here. But I guess that wouldn’t be as fun for you as just repeating over and over “That is BS, BS and more BS, blah blah...”
Again, ansel12, the govt., including the census bureau, have nothing to do with defining generations. Is that excerpt from a GAO Report supposed to refute that? Is it that you are just mentally incapable of understanding the distinction between a demographic boom in births and a cultural generation? The issues that GAO report is discussing are certainly connected to population sizes, which is exactly the way the report is using the Boomer term: to describe the large numeber of people born between 1946-1964. Which, of course, has zero...as in not even the tiniest relationship... to cultural generations.
Why, thank you! I have my moments. Usually when I haven't slept and I'm a little punchy!
On target.
So Jones is the tail end of the Boomers, meaning they have learned from the mistakes of the older siblings? I’d consider that.
They have everything to do with it. It would be pretty hard to formulate data and disseminate information and for the nation to use these titles in conversation without a definition. There is no law against individuals making up their own definitions and many, many people do just that but it doesn't replace the basic facts, boomers are those born between 1946 and 1964 just as the silent generation is the one from 1925 to 1945, and the GI generation begore that, anyone spending time on the internet knows how many variations individuals and groups have made from those but the facts and the language remains. Discussing niches within whatever generation is your option but you cannot just choose to replace the language. You clearly have a very focused mission here at FR as anyone looking at your two and a half year posting history can see. It is only about this definition issue. I still find that the timing of link in that article to your first post here at FR interesting.
2 points:
1) You guys need to define your terms, or the discussion is senseless.
2) Born in DEC 1962, I am not a boomer. Regardless of what the Government may claim. The differences are astounding. For instance, my boomer parents went to school (University) for free. Then they made too much money, so I qualified for nothing, except VEAP - which the VA forgot to pay. So I paid my own way. And my wife’s.
Now we make so much money, we cannot even DEDUCT the tuition cost of our kid - and man, is this expensive. Come to think of it, he is in the hospital with appendicitus tonight, and we will not even be able to DEDUCT the cost of that.
After all, we are the evil rich. According to the boomers.
Most Freepers are Boomers. So your view of Boomers is grossly distorted.
As you wish.
(Did you read my post? My 20-YO kid is in the hospital, and the boomers have ensured that I cannot even deduct the cost of the medical expense? Hello?)
I read you post I was responding to. How did “Boomers” deny you this deduction? Was it some official Boomer organization?
I suspect not. I suspect you have a bias.
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