You're sort of making my point for me, as Meghan McCain wouldn't know a punk if Sid Vicious puked all over her Manolos.
And generally speaking, most people place Gen Xers as having been born between 1961-1981. The 13th generation to know the American flag. So both MTV, 2nd British Invasion, Grunge and Hip Hop are included. I guess you could include the Punk Invasion, but only lasted about a year and a half between 1977-79 and sort of overlaps the late Boomer generation and the early Xers.
“And generally speaking, most people place Gen Xers as having been born between 1961-1981.”
I was born in ‘82, right after your cut-off. But my parents were born in ‘47 and ‘51, respectively, so for no reason whatsoever I get lumped in with children of 70s and 80s, though my heyday was the 90s. That’s why I tire easily of naming generations. Probably more important than whether or not you were a Baby Boomer or a Gen-X-er is what was popular when you came of age.
Specifically, you’re largely stuck with whatever music, movies, food, and so forth, were hot when you were a kid. Because popular entertainment hits you on a primal level. Pop music is made for 13 year olds. That’s why only people in their late 30s and early 40s care about punk. It’s also why I still think of Michael Jackson as a big star.
On the other hand, when it comes to politics and world events, the period from 18-21, or so, determines, for your whole life, what you think is important. I was 19 when 9/11 happened, so that was a pretty big deal with me. Meanwhile, people of the same “generation” as me came of age in Reagan’s America and think of the Berlin Wall collapse as a big deal, and so forth.
Or maybe I’m just talking nonsense. It’s not as if people don’t change in reaction to new events in adulthood. it just seems to me that whatever is happening when your brain comes into its own sticks with you.