Buzz
Millennials and Baby Boomers often argue over which generation reigns supreme. One group can't put their phones down, while the other is still figuring out how to use them. Strangely, this generational clash overlooks a key middle player.
That key player is Generation X. Do you remember us? We were born roughly between 1964 and 1981, and we’re the ones in the middle lane: juggling young children and elderly parents, but not texting while driving.
10. We’re the Sandwich Generation
Gen Xers are often referred to as the 'sandwich generation.' Many of us are balancing the demands of raising young kids while caring for aging parents. While this responsibility isn't new, we’re one of the few generations to grow up during the birth and rapid spread of the Internet, a game-changing development.
Gen Xers grew up in an analog world and entered adulthood in a digital one. We aren’t confused by technology like many Baby Boomers, but we also don’t take it for granted the way Millennials and Gen Z do.
The experience of living through the transition from a pre-internet world to the digital age gives Gen Xers a unique perspective. We can relate to both older generations who grew up without the internet and younger generations who have always had it. The internet, arguably the most transformative invention in a century, became a part of our lives as we matured.
9. We Remember When Rock Music Actually Rocked
Back in the '90s—what now feels like the Stone Age—humans still wielded an ancient tool known as a guitar (pronounced 'gi-tahr'). This instrument helped create a genre of music we called, if I’m not mistaken, 'rock & roll.'
All jokes aside, what passes for rock music today is pure nonsense—just watered-down riffs and autotuned vocals. If you think the Jonas Brothers or Maroon 5 are talented, you’re doing it all wrong.
Back in high school, these bands ruled the Billboard charts: Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Soundgarden, Hole, and The Smashing Pumpkins. These are rock legends—bands that wrote their own songs, performed their own vocals, and rocked out with minimal electronic aid.
I’ve already named five '90s bands that are leagues better than any of today's rock acts. Here are five more: Rage Against the Machine, Garbage, Stone Temple Pilots, Marilyn Manson, and Weezer. The idea that rock was far superior during Gen X’s time is so self-evident, it’s no longer a matter of opinion, but fact.
8. We Witnessed the Free World Come Together as Young Adults
I graduated from college in 2001. That September, I was commuting from New Jersey to Midtown Manhattan. I was switching trains under the North Tower of the World Trade Center when five terrorists crashed a commercial jetliner into it.
I was among the first people to evacuate from the burning building. I walked north towards Midtown, and then I heard the loudest sound of my life—forever altering the course of history. A second plane had hit the second tower. It was 9:03 am on Tuesday, September 11, and America was under attack.
The aftermath of that tragic day revealed a unity the world hadn't witnessed in years. A president who had taken office just eight months prior, despite losing the popular vote, saw his approval ratings soar to an unprecedented 90%—the highest in polling history. For the first time, NATO’s mutual defense clause was activated, leading to the broadest military coalition since World War II, poised to retaliate against Osama bin Laden's al Qaeda network. For a brief moment, it was freedom vs. oppression, tolerance vs. intolerance, good vs. evil.
That unity didn’t last long. America invaded Iraq without cause, the financial crisis led to blame and division, and the country—once dubbed the 'indispensable nation'—is now governed by leaders who estrange democratic allies, reject science, and attack the free press. Gen X recalls a not-so-distant world that now feels like ancient history. It’s on us to guide humanity back to a future of freedom-loving nations collaborating together.
7. Our SNL Cast Was the Greatest
When Baby Boomers nostalgically reminisce about the 'good old days' of Saturday Night Live, they often refer to the mid-70s cast featuring comedic legends like Bill Murray, Chevy Chase, Gilda Radner, Eddie Murphy, and John Belushi. While that cast was undeniably talented, the true golden years of the show were in the early to mid-90s.
Let’s set the record straight: Gen Xers had the best SNL cast. Dana Carvey, Mike Myers, Adam Sandler, Chris Rock, and Chris Farley headlined a show that featured an incredible supporting cast, including Phil Hartman, David Spade, Kevin Nealon, Julia Sweeney, Dennis Miller, Victoria Jackson, and Ellen Cleghorne.
The range, creativity, and pure comedic brilliance of the recurring characters created by this cast are unmatched, not just in the 45-year history of the show, but in the entire history of television. Wayne & Garth, Matt Foley, Nat X, and Unfrozen Caveman Lawyer are just a glimpse of the many iconic characters from a cast that delivered the finest comedy week after week for nearly a decade.
Since that legendary cast disbanded, the number of breakout stars the show has produced in the last two decades can be counted on one hand, starting with Will Ferrell and culminating with the exceptionally talented Kate McKinnon from the current lineup. The ’90s cast was a Dream Team, one that may never be replicated.
6. We Remember When Facts Were… Actually Facts
Gen X is the youngest generation to remember a time when technology had not yet divided society into a maze of misinformation. If we can’t agree on facts, we can't agree on action—this issue lies at the heart of modern debates from Brexit and Trump to xenophobia and the rise of extreme political correctness.
Gen X remembers a world before the Internet fueled unlimited, unchecked opinions and spread countless lies and agenda-driven disinformation. We recall a time before cable networks like CNN and Fox News disguised political bias as objective journalism. Back then, news came primarily from mainstream newspapers, news magazines, and major TV and radio networks. While this lack of segmentation had its drawbacks, the big advantage was that we all largely agreed on what the facts were. Today’s biased journalism, tailored solely to confirmation bias, was simply not possible when media outlets served large, diverse audiences. The broad reach of these outlets ensured that a certain degree of objectivity was necessary to avoid alienating significant portions of their viewers.
It was in the media’s best interest to report in a direct and straightforward manner, which, while not flawless, was factual and widely accepted. As a result, the majority of the population relied on trustworthy sources for their news, and, in turn, they were far better informed than they are today.
Gen X remembers a time when facts were clear and accurate, which gave us a more reliable bullshit detector than the generations that followed—and will continue to have.
5. We Grew Up on Darth Vader, Not Darth Maul
No cultural comparison highlights Gen X's superiority like the original Star Wars trilogy compared to what the franchise became after 1999’s Episode I: The Phantom Menace, which is widely regarded as one of the most disappointing films in cinema history.
The difference in quality between the original trilogy and the two subsequent trilogies is as vast as a galaxy far, far away. The original films told a compelling story of good versus evil, filled with nuanced characters audiences cared about, and featured groundbreaking special effects for the late ’70s and early ’80s. The Millennium Falcon became the most iconic spacecraft in history, and Darth Vader the most notorious villain. As the saga concluded, peace was restored to the galaxy.
And then, it all fell apart. Unable to resist, George Lucas released three poorly crafted films with forgettable characters, most of which were shot almost entirely in CGI. Jar Jar Binks became one of the most despised characters in film history, and the series of films was so badly executed that it managed to make a half-hour-long lightsaber duel on a volcanic island feel completely devoid of tension or emotion.
And then, in 2015, Episode 7! The Force was reborn…
... but it awakened to apathy. To recycled plots and a lead character, who, to appease the politically correct crowd, was reimagined as a female protagonist devoid of any meaningful flaws, making her completely uninteresting. Congrats, Disney, the Force is now officially female… and unbelievably boring. The latest trilogy was a jumbled mess, driven more by diversity than a genuine desire to make great films. The trilogy’s concluding disaster, The Rise of Skywalker, was so poorly executed that conspiracy theories began circulating in its aftermath.
Gen X got the good Star Wars films. Let's hope Gen Z has seen the last of them.
4. We Fully Understand #OKBoomer
While it's typically Millennials and Gen Zers who use the term, Gen X has a keen understanding of the generational tension that has arisen between Baby Boomers and the younger generations. As the middle children of history, we have a clear vantage point from No Man's Land.
So, OK, Boomers, allow me to break something down for you: Millennials and Gen Z are pissed because they were promised that they would have at least as many opportunities as previous generations to live fulfilling lives, but that promise has proven to be total nonsense. Here’s a brief list of why.
For starters, the planet is warming, melting, and starting to fight back against decades of unchecked fossil fuel use that your generation could have reined in but didn’t. In case your SUV engines drowned out the news, let me kindly remind you—there is no Planet B.
Next up, real wages have flatlined, while everything else gets increasingly expensive. The cost of renting or buying a home has surged across the Western world and, for those of us in America or other places without free university, college costs have doubled in less than 20 years. This isn’t your typical inflation—it’s outrageous greed that’s eating away at the middle class in democracies across the globe. Simply put, your generation had it better than ours.
Third, young adults entering the workforce after the 2008 Financial Crisis were—and still are—at a distinct disadvantage. In an environment where employers hold all the cards, artificially low wages, sky-high housing costs, and, for Americans especially, student loan debt, have severely limited the choices for Millennials and Gen Z.
Did you honestly think they moved back home because they wanted to? #OKBoomer. Maybe if your generation hadn’t messed up the world, Gen X wouldn’t be the one stuck with the job of fixing it.
3. We’d Better Be the Best, or Else
As I write this, the global coronavirus pandemic is closing in on half a million cases. The death toll will be catastrophic and, with rising unemployment and plunging stock markets, the economic consequences of COVID-19 will likely exceed those of the Great Recession.
Even before that, the world was literally on fire. Australia, the Amazon, and California have been ravaged by wildfires of unprecedented scale, directly linked to the growing danger of climate change. Antarctica and Greenland are rapidly melting while we continue to burn fossil fuels at record rates.
In Europe, a surge of asylum seekers and the spread of online misinformation are deepening political divides. The United Kingdom has exited the European Union, and across the ocean, the United States has abandoned its position as the leader of the free world by tearing up important treaties and cozying up to autocratic leaders. And let’s not forget—it’s also $23 TRILLION in debt.
The world is falling apart, and its problems are an urgent emergency. For the sake of everyone, Generation X better prove to be Generation Best, or there may not be many more Generation Nexts.
2. We Respect (Some of) Our Elders
Gen Xers are the grandchildren of the Greatest Generation, the ones who fought and triumphed in the biggest and most significant conflict humanity has ever seen: World War II. This gives us a unique viewpoint on history and the potential role we may play in it.
Consider this: as a generation, we typically rebel against our immediate predecessors. The Baby Boomers distanced themselves from their Greatest Generation parents, and Gen X followed suit in distancing ourselves from the Boomers. While the Boomers were championing vital causes—the civil rights movement and women’s liberation, to name a couple—they were, understandably, so caught up in rejecting their parents that they didn’t fully grasp what their parents accomplished: saving the world from tyranny, Nazism, and genocide.
But not with our grandparents. In fact, Gen Xers were lucky enough to sit on our grandfathers’ laps as kids, hearing stories about battles in France, Germany, and the Pacific. On TV, we watched black-and-white footage of a war with clear moral boundaries; those 20-year-olds in foxholes were our grandfathers fighting for what was good against what was pure evil. There's a remarkable beauty to that generation, one that, we hope, has left enough of an impression on Gen X to fight the good fight when our time comes.
And that brings us to the final point on the list:
1. We Also See How Absurd Political Correctness Has Become
Do you remember the little boy in the story of The Emperor’s New Clothes? That’s us.
Just the other day, I told a colleague in her 40s that she, and I quote, 'looked nice today.' The reason behind this comment? She had a client meeting and, quite simply, she looked nice. And guess what? The world didn’t end, and I didn’t get caught in a #MeToo scandal.
But here’s the catch: I wouldn’t have said that to a 25-year-old. And therein lies the issue: the younger generations have become so caught up in political correctness that we can no longer exchange innocent compliments. Gen Xers can see this inflated fuss for what it really is: weakness disguised as strength.
Their purity tests have tainted our political landscape and generational relationships. They advocate for allowing men who transition into women to compete in women’s sports, despite the undeniable reality that men generally possess greater strength and speed than women. These individuals insist on being referred to as 'they' and 'them.' They place individualism above the collective good, refusing to compromise or engage in consensus-building. And they seem oblivious to the fact that the backlash against their inflexibility is a significant factor in the rise of populists like Donald Trump and Boris Johnson.
Warning, Gens Y & Z: Gen X is just as capable of punching down as it is of punching up.
