We’re Not Gen-X, We’re Gen-Reagan

6/7/04 | Cinnamon Girl

[holdmuhbeer]

There are exceptions, of course. Not all Gen-Xers are spoiled, whining brats.

And not all of the so called 'greatest generation' are all that great.

[holdmuhbeer]

We'd still have those cool Cold War movies, though-- The Package, FireFox, Spies Like Us, etc.

Don't forget Red Dawn.

[holdmuhbeer]

Was I the only white kid who loved watching "What's Happening"?

Nope, loved that show.

[newgeezer]

And not all of the so called 'greatest generation' are all that great.

Gosh, are you really sure about that?</sarcasm> ;O)

[Alkhin]

In my mind a generation comprises a 20 year period : a nice safe 'round' number and one that can encompass the growing experiences of a change in the surrounding culture. I cannot call myself a Boomer because my formative years were not based in the prosperity of the 40s and 50s. My childhood does not have memories of certain presidents or cultural, at least not until Gerald Ford became President. It wasnt until I was 7 or so that I started to become aware of an Outside World, and hitting my adolescent years, there were certain things I was interested in, but a political and cultural interest did not come to full bloom until I hit highschool and college...and so I include myself in the group of peers who were matriculating through the same process as I was at the time. This takes up a spanse of 20 years.

I am not a statistician, so I cannot fully appreciate the extent to which the demographic studies go, but I have never thought those particular polls/data to be representative of what I understood to be happening when I decided to take note of what was going on...and that wasn't really until I was aware that I was going to be a part of that society pretty soon...that usually takes up to about 20 years for a person.

I'd say the generational thing needs to take more into account than statistical data from national census.

[Alkhin]

CG - I understand that Rush Limbaugh had someone calling themselves a GenReaganite on today (Friday). I missed it because I think I was trying to explain what I meant by "Cold War" to my daughter during the show (she is ten years old).

If anyone heard the broadcast with this caller, I'd love to hear what was discussed (and if Rush had any particular reaction to the term GenReagan.)

[Cinnamon Girl]

I would love to hear that.

[Alkhin]

I would too, if that caller mentioned the name GenReagan. I just missed it completely though.

Oh, well, Ive missed a lot of stuff in my life...

[theophilusscribe]

Alex P. Keaton BUMP

[Cinnamon Girl]

Except remember that they had to bring home Alex's eccentricities by putting a poster of Nixon in his room.

[P.O.E.]

Defeated Communism
Revitalized the world economy
Reinvigorated a major party in the world's most powerful country.

And....

Created a cultural explosion - the whole yuppie thing. Hey, don't laugh. Name another fad where kids dressed neatly.

[StriperSniper]

Great essay!

[Maigrey]

I recall a line from a 1984 movie...

We're going to win this war, because we have the secret weapon: Ronny Ray-Gun

For me, he is the embodiment of a grandfather: strong when he needs to be, funny when you least expect it, and spoils you rotten with love and security.

Just call me a member of Generation Reagan.

[qam1]

I'd say the generational thing needs to take more into account than statistical data from national census.

I agree but there is really no way to really perfectly nail down a time period of a generation. Even using a 20 year standard isn't that accurate because you are talking about people born in say 1965 and 1985 being in the same generation, Which they are obviously very different.

I think the best way to define the years of a generation is by which previous generation was the majority of parents during those years.

For example,
When the WWII generation was the majority of parents their kids would be the Baby Boomers,
When the Silient generation was the majority of parents their kids would be Generation Jones (What we know today as the late disco era boomers)
When the baby boomers were the majority of parents the kids are Gen-X
When Generation Jones were the majority of parents the kids are Gen-Y

Since Gen-X is so small we could probably merge the Xs&Ys kids into Gen-Z

[GOP_1900AD]

Me too. I was born in '62, so by the "after '65" definition I am not strictly an X-er. However .... my folks were, although born in '35, drawn to the hippies and liked to hang out with people 5 to 10 years younger than them. I was a latch key kid from age 10 onward. I took longer than most to shed the Lefty baggage my folks tried to load me up with, but, thank God, I attended school at UCSB where I hung out with real Americans from places like Orange County and the rural Socal hinterlands. By the time I was a fully self sufficient adult I was substantially to the Right of my folks and was a member of the GOP.

[GOP_1900AD]

To be fair, the Greatest Generation were very naive in many ways. They had not grown up with TV and did not appreciate the impact it would have on their kids. Typically their first dealings with any sort of geopolitical thinking was fighting in WW2. They did not know what "recreational drugs" were and scratched their heads about the "youth rebellion." They simply did not have the life experience to deal with the "brave new world" of the 1960s. Their kids were effectively kidnapped by the liberal rats and the KGB.

[GOP_1900AD]

Although born in '62, while a late teen, I once wore a punk T-shirt I produced (e.g. an old torn up one, to which I added safty pins and spray painted "art") through a nearby shopping mall. One of the things spray painted on it was "Disco Sucks!" ;) LOL ...

[GOP_1900AD]

High School Class of '80 - my pop music > punk, wave, rap, metal, country ...... other music > Classical, classic jazz (not new age!), etc

[cupcakes]

Great point! There is a whole lot of truth in that! Thanks for taking the time to post it. I really had not considered how much things had changed and that generation not fully considering the impact of those things on their children.

[GottaLuvAkitas1]

OMG! Almost everything you posted sums up my childhood, teen years.
The Breakfast Club was/is the best! But more importantly, I will never forget how weird it felt after Reagan. His deeds left me with a whole new outlook on life; one I had little hope for.
I remember thinking "WOW I better get my butt in gear because it looks like I will grow-up after all".

I didn't care much about anything before Reagan because I thought why bother I'm going to die before I ever get a chance to start any kind of life responsabilities.
I found myself looking to Big Ron for comforting words any time things went wrong back then. I was a senior in High School when the shuttle went down. I cried all day, as did most of my class mates. I couldn't wait to get home to see him on TV because I knew he would make me feel better.

As it turns out he made the whole world better feel better that day, and he left us knowing there was a better tomorrow.

THANKS FOR POSTING THIS!