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Two Gen Zers told me 'Heathers' was inappropriate for teens. Here was my Xennial response.

I was so confused when they said no high school should be putting on the musical.

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I was shocked when two Gen Zers said 'Heathers' is inappropriate for teens

It's true, not every Gen X movie is suitable for teenagers. But does that really ring true for movies that were quite literally made for teens? According to two Gen Zers, yes. Their argument over the musical, Heathers, being performed by high school students perplexed me because I watched the movie when I was around the age of eight or nine.

Now, it has been years since I've seen the movie, so I figured that I must be misremembering it. But I also know that I once considered it tame enough for my own child to watch it in middle school—eighth grade to be exact. It's still one of her favorite movies at the age of 25, and the only reason I was aware there was a musical based on the 1988 cult classic.

Heathers musical, musical, heathers, film, teens The Heathers the Musical poster. Joel Kramer/Flickr

Very rarely am I around young adults or older teens (who are not my own children or their friends), where topics like these might come up. But currently, I'm in the production of a community play where people of all ages are cast, so I've gotten to know quite a few younger and older people. Two girls, 17 and 20, were chatting with me about different subjects when the topic of favorite Broadway shows came up. Heathers was at the top of the list for the younger one, but she expressed her dismay when she revealed that one of her friends performed in the show at her high school.

This raised my curiosity. I had never seen the musical, so I decided to inquire about the reaction both girls had to a high school performing a musical about high school girls. Immediately, they deemed high schoolers putting on a production of Heathers to be inappropriate. That made me even more curious, so I asked about their thoughts on the movie and informed them that I watched it as an elementary-aged child. The Gen Zers explained that neither the movie nor the musical is appropriate due to the themes of drug use, promiscuity, and suicide.

Heathers musical, musical, heathers, film, teens Three of the Heathers from Heathers the MusicalUark Theater/Flickr

Curiouser and curiouser, I thought, because sex, drugs, and suicide were all things that high schoolers have been dealing with for decades. It hardly seems inappropriate for teenagers to view a movie or musical with teens experiencing those themes, but according to the girls, "It was a different time" when I grew up. Indeed, it was a different time, and I was a cusper, which put me on the edge of two generations within my own household and society. The only reason I was watching Heathers at such a young age is that I had a Gen X brother in the house with parents still adjusting their parenting style in accordance with the changing times.

But when I asked my own daughter about the appropriateness of the movie and musical for teenagers, her answer shocked me as well. She explained to me via text that she, too, didn't think high schoolers should be performing the play, saying, "The movie is fine the play is not. There's a full sex scene with a song." But that was where her agreement ended.

Heathers musical, musical, heathers, film, teens Heathers the MusicalUark Theater/Flickr

In all fairness to high school drama teachers everywhere, the sex scene is likely cut for the high school version. Still, the initial concern makes me wonder if we were desensitized to themes that should've been treated more seriously, or if we've possibly been too overzealous in protecting our Gen Z children from themes in life they'd inevitably have to navigate?

Teenagers have essentially been the same since the first human infant made it to adolescence. Sure, technology, slang, and other things have changed, but child brain development is consistent. Teens are going to push boundaries. They're going to experiment with things they've been told to avoid. Teenagers are going to lack impulse control and participate in risk-taking behaviors, whether it's 2078 or 1802; it's part of normal human brain development.

Heathers movie, musical, heathers, film, teens 1989 Heathers movieRotten Tomatoes Classic Trailers/YouTube

So, it's surprising that these Gen Z kids feel like themes that occur in real-life high schools across the country are inappropriate for real-life teenagers to watch in a movie. This may be specific to these two young girls, but it does seem that Gen Z in general has a much different reaction to '80s teen angst movies than older generations. Maybe it's due to having more understanding of how toxic certain behaviors were that were once normalized, or something more inherent to this generation. Either way, getting to know how the younger generations interpret things can be quite fascinating, and I always feel privileged when their thoughts are shared with me.

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In just 9 seconds, Amy Poehler perfectly describes why each generation sees money differently

These four generations' experiences gave them a totally different perspective. But who's right?

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An older man enjoys a fancy cigar. A younger man smokes a cigarette.

Comedian and writer Amy Poehler is the gift that keeps on giving. On her popular podcast Good Hang with Amy Poehler, she welcomes guests and has brilliantly funny and often insightful conversations. (Don't sleep on the episode when she had her dear friend Paul Rudd on. It's magical.)

On a recent show with Parks and Recreation creator Mike Schur, there's a clip of her breaking down how each generation relates to money. Straight to the point, she says, "The Boomers are all about money. Gen X is like IS it all about money? Millennials are like where IS the money? And Gen-Z is like what is money?" (She adds, "That's my bad stand-up about it.")

This is Impact YouTube page, Amy Poehler www.youtube.com

Hacky comedy or not, she's not wrong. Just under this short YouTube clip, there are over 3,000 comments, mostly from people who back up the claim. One notes, "Gen Z is paying more money for a car now than Boomers paid for their home."

One commenter jokingly (but also maybe accurately) adds, "Gen Alpha: WHY is money?"

On his TikTok page, Freddie Smith (@fmsmith319) references the clip and after acknowledging that Amy "totally nails it," he breaks it down even further in terms of how each generation's economy helped shape them. He states, "This is a true representation about how money has been declining over the past 40 or 50 years. The Boomers had such a big economic boom, so it was easier for them to accumulate money. 80 trillion dollars, the Boomer generation has–so of course, it's all about the money."

@fmsmith319

Boomers, Millennials and Gen Z take on money | @Good Hang with Amy Poehler


He moves on to the millennials. When you think about them, he says, "Of course, where is the money? It's because we were handed a road map at like 13 years old of exactly the steps we needed to take and someone pointed and said 'see that treasure chest? It's gonna be full of gold! Just follow the plan.' Well we followed the plan and here we are twenty years later. We open up the treasure chest and there's two f-ing coins in it."

"And then Gen Z-ers? What is money? They're going to work and they're getting paid direct deposit on Fridays and as soon as that money hits the account, it just goes automatically to their bills. They don't actually 'touch' money." He goes on to explain it would be no different for an employer to just pay in housing and/or food, because they don't actually see the money. "This is such a true representation of what we're all screaming about right now. What is going ON?"

(I'd just like to point out, as a Gen X-er, that he totally skipped over us—but we're used to it.)

Tom Cruise, Jerry Maguire, money, movies, gif Tom Cruise asks that you show him the money. Giphy Show Me the Money GIF

The comments here intensely agree. One notes, ""I mean millennials also lived in the world of UNPAID internships!! Boomers made us work for free… and we paid colleges for this experience."

Over on Reddit, many people joined up to discuss this take, with which nearly all agree. Though, again, we get a Gen Alpha joke, much needed in lightening the mood, "Gen Alpha is like 'Rawarr! Me no read! Must smash'."

Someone also ingeniously links to an old SNL sketch with, you guessed it, Amy Poehler, alongside Steve Martin and Chris Parnell. The gist of it? DON'T BUY STUFF.

Amy Poehler, Steve Martin, Chris Parnell www.youtube.com, NBC Universal

A commenter here writes, "I show this in my financial literacy 30 class every semester when I introduce credit. It's such a simple concept, yet so hard for many to grasp. Teach them young and hopefully they'll make great financial choices when credit becomes available to them."

Another points out, "It's sad how many people need to hear this."

To be fair, it would seem some generations don't even have the option to buy or not to buy because all their money goes to rent.



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Gen Z and Millennials have revealing chat about how differently they've experienced the 2000s

"Millennials had dial up internet. And a life before that internet was created."

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Gen Z discusses the biggest cultural differences between them and Millennials.

Gen Z (those born between 1997 and 2012) and Millennials (those born between 1981 and 1996) only have a handful of years between them. But if you ask them, they were raised worlds apart.

In an online forum discussing generational differences, a member named @No_Title_615 posed the question: "Why are Gen Z so much different to Millennials?" They went on to share, "So I grew up during the 2000’s and 2010’s and as a society I felt like we were honestly in a really good place culturally. However as we entered the 2020’s I felt a big shift in society."

The shift? A noticed change in overall optimism to pessimism. "Suddenly there was so much more doomerism. The optimism of the 2010’s pretty much went away," they wrote.

The post prompted many Gen Zers and Millennials to add their thoughts and opinions about their differences growing up--and they did not hold back. From societal norms to technology and more, here are the most interesting responses from Gen Z and Millennials.

"Millennials grew up and learned the internet and technology as it was happening whereas GenZ will utter phrases like “wtf do you mean, no internet?” at some point in their lives." —@Quiet-Donut2192

"I feel like the optimism of the 2010s was more an Obama 2nd term thing than an all of the 2010s thing." —@Someperson727

"Millennials had dial up internet. And a life before that internet was created." —@grom513

dial up, dial up internet, internet, aol, internet memeDial Up The Struggle GIFGiphy

"The way that I see it, is that the 2010’s were right after the housing crash, and ppl became more optimistic, going to clubs more and such. However, post-COVID, I feel after that crisis, music I particular seems to be getting better. After a social crisis, the music seems to reflect the feelings that everyone is feeling. Then afterwards, a couple of years or so, the music becomes more uplifting and even reflective. This is the period that we’re in, imo. Hope this makes sense." —@Maxi-Lux

"9/11 and COVID were large reasons that separate Gen Z and Millennials. Millennials had an understanding of what life was like before 9/11, not Gen Z. Millennials had a taste of the workforce before COVID, not Gen Z. Gen Z grew up and faced adulthood in the midst of crisises, Millennials had the taste of the normal life before it got taken away." —@XConejoMaloX

scrolling, smart phone, iphone, scrolling mindlessly, scrolling gifAdd Hasan Minhaj GIF by MOODMANGiphy

"Smartphones changed everything. My upbringing was largely the same as millenials, but when smartphones started getting popular, everyone I knew got busy, cold, and distant. I'd try having conversations with people and they'd just stare at their phones the whole time. I think constant internet access has left people fragmented, with our heads in the clouds. You could live right next to each other but have nothing in common, because everything is online now." —@OnTheRadio3

"I say this all the time and frequently get a lot of flack for it but the doomerism is a byproduct of inexperience. People who spend most of their time online or in videogames or otherwise rotting away alone at home aren’t gaining much in the way of life experience but they don’t want to come off to others (or themselves) as naive, sheltered, etc. so they adopt this kind of idiotic cynicism to stand in for the wisdom of experience. Others see this and basically copy it because if you don’t know better then it sounds very worldly and jaded. Gen Z exhibits this due to the isolation and terminally online nature of their upbringing." —@Woodit

party rock, millennials, party rock dance, dancing, shufflingdance party everyday im shufflin GIFGiphy

"Gen Z refused to Party Rock." —@One_Huckleberry_

"Millennials had access to the world’s information without it being algorithmically weaponized against them during their formative years." —@Messiah_Thomas

"We know what it’s like to not have the internet or phones on us 24/7. Also we know what it’s like to play outside and be bored to our core." —User Unknown

play outside, outside, outdoors, playing, boredPlay Go GIFGiphy

"I mean bruh, 2020 literally started off with a pandemic, it’s not the best reference point to go off of plus we are only halfway through our current decade. I think nostalgia for happier/youthful times is playing a part in warping your perspective. There’s a lot of factors though, Gen Z as a whole has been disenfranchised by a feeling of lack of purpose and bad financial prospects. It’s not something I’d arbitrarily chalk down to our generation as a whole, but rather the material conditions of our modern day environment and things happening beyond our control. For most of us, we were hit by the Covid lockdowns right after or during high school so key years of our youth got utterly fucked and what came after was bitter sweet. Things got a hell of a lot more expensive in the last few years and wages aren’t sufficiently rising to keep up with inflation. so that plays a huge part. More youth are realizing the contradictions and flaws within our economic system and yearn for change. Tough times can create a lot of animosity and frustration in people." —@Triscuitsandbiscuits

"I wonder if the fact that there was a global pandemic had anything to do with decreasing levels of optimism." —@AdMurky3039

tiktok, tiktok dance, tik tok choreo, tiktok dancing, dance tiktokJimmy Fallon Dancing GIF by The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy FallonGiphy

"Internet, YouTube, Tik Tok. Constantly exposed to what we would have considered bad influences before." —@Electrical-Lead-3792

"We had an incredible upbringing. Music was great, the state of the world was great (besides 9/11). Pop culture was great. Everything was just getting better and better. Movies, games, phones, internet, cars getting cooler and cooler, buildings getting cooler and cooler. People getting cooler. And we learned almost everything through experiences, socializing, mentorships, taking advice, listening to our elders, asking questions, experimenting, arguing, challenging ourselves, breaking ourselves down, lifting ourselves up, and figuring what this world means to us. While the new generation, the minute they’re unsure about something they run to ChatGPT. They don’t take risks. They don’t argue anything, the right opinion is the most popular or upvoted. They’re not insightful. They don’t value perspective. And everything is as good as it gets for them. Different times. We were like the roaring twenties before 1929 happened." —@SasukesFriend321


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Influencer admits to not being ‘naturally pretty,’ people are demanding more do the same

“We need more influencers like you!”

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Influencer admits she's not 'naturally pretty' breaking down changes

Influencer is a word that has seeped into the lexicon all over the world. It's now considered a legitimate career option that Millennials and Gen Zers have fully taken advantage of, as it can be lucrative. But just like magazines, everything you see on social media isn't real. Influencers highly curate their content, even the ones that have "messy" homes. It's curated mess much of the time.

The other area that is highly curated is the image viewers see of the person making the content. Oftentimes they look incredibly put together causing people to believe their "no makeup" makeup is the way they naturally look. An influencer named Mila has decided to set the record straight after consistently receiving comments saying that she's naturally pretty. Mila adamantly contends that she is in fact not naturally pretty and doesn't want people to think that she is.

influencers; social media; social media mental health; mental health; plastic surgery; social media filters woman leaning on wall Photo by Wesley Tingey on Unsplash

Social media has been linked to low self-esteem in both young teenage girls and boys causing other mental health issues such as body dysmorphia, eating disorders, depression and anxiety. Some cite the heavily edited and curated photos of influencers and celebrities on the platforms as contributing factors. Given this information, it seems more influencers are ripping the filter off to show that they don't even look who they portray once the filters fall.

Mila shares her reason for people not to fall for her being a naturally pretty person in a now viral video shared across multiple social media platforms. The seemingly makeup free beautiful blond says, "I don't want anyone to ever think that I'm like naturally pretty or I naturally look like this. My hair is bleached. Eyebrows are dyed and groomed. Eyelashes, eyelash serum. If I don't have an eyelash serum on I don't have eyelashes."

influencers; social media; social media mental health; mental health; plastic surgery; social media filters woman in black off-shoulder shirt sitting on brown wooden stairs Photo by Jon Ly on Unsplash

The woman then starts pointing out sections on her face where she receives botox before adding, "I've had multiple lip flips in my life. Nails are busted but they are in fact fake. Tan is fake. Teeth are not fake but they were thousands of dollars and five years worth of braces and dental work and then on top of that, whitening the f**k out of my teeth every single week so they look like this. None of this is natural. I don't want any young girl following me to think that this is a natural beauty standard."

While Mila admits that there may be some people out there that just naturally wake up looking like that, she does not. She explains that she's spent a lot of money to look the way she does so she can feel her best. It seems that she's hoping her honest video reaches teenagers who are falling into the trap of believing that people on the internet are naturally beautiful without trying. People in the comments were thrilled with the influencers honesty with some wanting others to do the same.

"WE NEED MORE INFLUENCERS LIKE YOU!!!!!" one person exclaims.

"THANK YOU! I would have needed this content when I was a kid," someone else says.

"Thank you. Sometimes I forget that people (can) get things done and I just assume everyone is as pretty as they come while scrolling," another writes.

influencers; social media; social media mental health; mental health; plastic surgery; social media filters woman getting cosmetic injectionsPhoto credit: Canva

"Thank you. Sometimes I forget that people (can) get things done and I just assume everyone is as pretty as they come while scrolling," someone shares.

Another commenter shares that she hopes things will go further, "This is definitely a huge step in the right direction. Maybe one day we can prove to little girls that it doesn’t take so much work to feel our best. Maybe we don’t feel the need to spend sooooo much time effort and hard earned money to finally feel content in our skin. Cause if it requires all of that maybe it’s not really contentment. Nothing against OP just bringing up a thought I had when I saw it."

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