by_S.
      Livingstone
     
    
   
   
    
     
      will
      apologize
      now
      to
      any
      reader
      who
     
     
      finds
      this
      generational
      battle
      that
      is
     
     
      taking
      place
      in
      the
      minds
      of
      the
     
     
      fortysomethings
      to
      be
      a
      tad
      blase.
      We,
      the
     
     
      definitive
      twentysomethings,
      did
      not
      start
      this.
     
     
      campaign
      to
      create
      a
      generation
      gap,
      and
      we
      are
     
     
      not
      perpetuating
      themovementeither,
      but
      some-
     
     
      one
      must
      come
      to
      the
      defense
      ofa
      group
      consist-
     
     
      ently
      being
      harassed
      for
      not
      conforming
      to
      the
     
     
      labels
      that
      have
      been
      placed
      upon
      it.
      If
      we
      had
     
     
      started
      this
      battle
      it
      would
      not
      have
      gone
      too
      far.
     
     
      ‘‘They”’
      are
      running
      the
      magazines
      and
      televi-
     
     
      sion
      networks
      of
      this
      country,
      so
      they
      are
      the
     
     
      obvious
      group
      to
      blame.
     
    

    
     
      I
      was
      prompted
      to
      write
      on
      this
      subject
      once
     
     
      again
      upon
      reading
      January’s
      GQ
      magazine
      and
     
     
      anarticle
      in
      the
      Saturday,
      January
      9th
      edition
      of
     
     
      The
      Globe
      and
      Mail
      entitled
      ‘‘The
     
     
      Twentysomething
      Myth’’.
      In
      GQ
      there
      was
      an
     
     
      article
      concerning
      the
      nostalgia
      of
      the
      1990’s
     
     
      towards
      any
      time
      other
      than
      the
      present.
      The
     
     
      author
      also
      tied
      into
      this
      the
      fact
      that
      the
     
     
      twentysomethings
      don’t
      really
      have
      an
      era
      to
     
     
      call
      our
      own
      because
      the
      present
      is
      such
      a
      such
     
     
      an
      overwhelming
      mixture
      of
      past
      times.
      It
      goes
     
     
      on
      to
      picture
      young,
      tie-dye
      clad
      Americans
      at
     
     
      a
      Grateful
      Dead
      concert.
      Simply
      because
      the
     
     
      youth
      of
      today
      can
      appreciate
      music
      and
      art
     
     
      from
      the
      past
      does
      not
      necessarily
      translate
      into
     
     
      the
      idea
      that
      we
      would
      all
      sell
      our
      souls
      to
      be
      a
     
     
      hippy
      in
      1968.
      The
      article
      then
      moved
      onto
     
     
      talking
      about
      the
      resurgence
      of
      unnatural
      fibres
     
     
      (what?)
      in
      clothing
      and
      Ann
      Margaret
      (who?)
     
     
      being
      back
      on
      whatever
      scene
      she
      is
      known
      for
     
     
      once
      being
      on.
      These
      items
      are
      of
      little
      impor-
     
     
      tance
      toa
      collection
      of
      shallow
      X-ers
      though,
      so
     
     
      I
      will
      continue
      on
      talking
      about
      us.
     
    

    
     
      It
      was
      the
      article
      in
      the
      Globe
      that
      really
     
     
      brought
      to
      my
      attention
      the
      lack
      of
      understand-
     
     
      ing
      afforded
      to
      our
      generation
      by
      those
      a
      couple
     
     
      of
      decades
      older.
      At
      least
      I
      am
      assuming
      the
     
     
      author
      of
      this
      article
      was
      older,
      for
      if
      he
      is
      less
     
     
      than
      thirty
      he
      really
      should
      get
      in
      touch
      with
     
     
      reality
      and
      his
      generation.
      The
      article,
      written
     
     
      bya
      journalist
      from
      The
      New
      Republic,
      focused
     
     
      primarily
      on
      which
      label
      our
      generation
      is
      de-
     
     
      serving
      of.
      The
      author,
      a
      representative
      of
      all
     
     
      facets
      of
      social
      illiteracy,
      discusses
      whether
      we
     
     
      fit
      the
      description
      of
      being
      called
      the
      “‘MTV
     
     
      generation’’,
      “‘the
      generation
      X”’
      as
      coined
      by
     
     
      Douglas
      Copeland,
      oras
      “‘slackers’’
      introduced
     
     
      by
      screenwriter
      Richard
      Linklater.
     
    

    
     
      It
      is
      not
      this
      discussion
      in
      its
      primary
     
     
      sense
      that
      makes
      me
      angry,
      it
      is
      what
      is
      said
     
     
      after
      the
      most
      suitable
      label
      has
      been
      talked
     
     
      about.
      What
      causes
      certain
      concern
      with
      me
      -
     
    
   
   
    
     
      8
     
    
   
   
    
     
      and
      it
      should
      with
      you
      -
      is
      the
      ensuing
      discus-
     
     
      sion.
      After
      providing
      the
      reader
      with
      these
     
     
      labels
      and
      with
      reasons
      forcing
      one
      to
      believe
     
     
      that
      they
      are
      correct,
      if
      not
      necessary,
      in
      defin-
     
     
      ing
      the
      twentyomething
      generation,
      the
      author,
     
     
      Alexander
      Star,
      goes
      on
      to
      say
      that
      we
      actually
     
     
      lack
      a
      genuine
      existence
      and
      cannot
      do
      anything
     
     
      collective
      in
      order
      to
      make
      a
      change.
      This
      is
     
     
      where
      he
      loses
      all
      journalistic
      credibility
      in
      this
     
     
      slacker’s
      opinion.
     
     
      How
      can
      we
      be
      expected
      to
      conform
      to
     
     
      certain
      labels
      such
      as
      the
      ‘‘MTV
      generation’’
     
     
      when
      people
      such
      as
      this
      are
      telling
      us
      we
      do
      not
     
     
      know
      who
      we
      are
      and
      do
      not
      stand
      collectively
     
     
      for
      anything?
      Maybe
      we
      don’t
      know
      who
      we
     
     
      are,
      and
      maybe
      we
      don’t
      really
      care.
      We
      are
     
     
      twenty...
      years
      old
      and
      it
      is
      somewhat
      difficult
     
     
      to
      forma
      generational
      niche
      ina
      society
      that
      has
     
     
      already
      toldus
      how
      to
      behave,
      how
      to
      think,
      and
     
     
      how
      to
      vote.
      Those
      in
      the
      midst
      of
      their
      forties
     
     
      should
      not
      attempt
      to
      define
      us
      and
      then
      tell
      us
     
     
      we
      are
      not
      who
      and
      what
      we
      believe.
      Those
      in
     
     
      their
      forties
      should
      also
      remember
      that
      very
     
     
      soon
      we
      will
      have
      control
      over
      the
      mass
      media
     
     
      and
      pop
      culture
      industry
      and
      then
      we
      will
      tell
     
     
      them
      just
      who
      we
      are.
      Television
      network
     
     
      execs
      question
      why
      generationally
      conscious
     
     
      programmes
      such
      as
      Melrose
      Place
      are
      failing
     
     
      and
      the
      answer
      is
      the
      fact
      that
      the
      characters
      in
     
     
      these
      shows
      are
      not
      worthy
      or
      realistic
      repre-
     
    
   
   
    
     
      "
      fortysomethings
      raised
      the
      twentysomethings
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Trials
      and
      Tribulations
      of
      a
     
     
      twentysomething
     
    
   
   
    
     
      sentatives
      of
      our
      generation.
     
     
      Iam
      not
      going
      to
      profess
      to
      having
      some
     
     
      sort
      of
      aversion
      to
      these
      generational
      labels,
     
     
      they
      are
      unavoidable,
      and
      those
      mentioned
      pre-
     
     
      viously
      don’t
      seem
      so
      constraining.
      It
      is
      dis-
     
     
      couraging,
      though,
      having
      those
      beyond
      the
     
     
      realm
      of
      our
      generation
      saying
      that
      because
      we
     
     
      hold
      an
      appreciation
      for
      the
      movements
      of
      the
     
     
      1960’s
      and
      for
      the
      music
      and
      styles
      of
      that
      era
     
     
      that
      we
      would
      like
      nothing
      more
      than
      to
      be
     
     
      there.
      Sorry,
      they
      are
      wrong.
      By
      living
      in
      the
     
     
      nineties
      we
      are
      given
      the
      best
      of
      everything.
      It
     
     
      is
      bizarre
      that
      the
      fortysomethings
      are
      forcing
      a
     
     
      gap
      between
      themselves
      and
      the
      generation
      that
     
     
      has
      cometo
      appreciate,
      but
      not
      emulate,
      its
      past
     
     
      actions
      and
      contributions
      to
      society.
      :
     
     
      It
      is
      perhaps
      due
      to
      the
      fact
      that
      the
      two
     
     
      generations
      in
      question
      are
      simply
      too
      much
     
     
      alike.
      After
      all,
      should
      it
      not
      be
      expected?
      The
     
    
   
   
    
     
        
     
     
       
     
     
       
     
     
       
     
     
       
     
     
       
     
     
       
     
     
       
     
     
       
     
     
       
     
     
         
     
    
   
   
    
     
      into
      younger
      versions
      of
      themselves.
      It’s
      called
     
     
      parenting.
      I
      am
      also
      sure
      that
      there
      is
      jealousy
     
     
      involved
      in
      this
      conflict
      that
      stayed
      in
      the
      close!
     
     
      until
      1990
      when
      Time
      coined
      us
      the
     
     
      twentysomethings
      and
      the
      battle
      began.
      The
     
     
      fortysomethings
      have
      had
      their
      day
      and
      as
      they
     
     
      see
      us
      suddenly
      becoming
      a
      very
      powerfil
     
     
      social
      class
      they
      become
      nostalgic
      for
      the
      days
     
     
      in
      which
      everyone
      answered
      to
      them.
      Woodstock
     
     
      was
      twenty
      four
      years
      ago.
      Get
      over
      it.®
     
    
   
   
    
     
      tyes
      see’,
     
    
   
   
    
     
      mF
      ji
      asnn
     
    
   
   
    
     
      wenn
      waist
      k
     
     
      Of
      MEO
      on
     
     
      o
      7k
      ?