+
“A balm for the soul”
  review on Goodreads
GOOD PEOPLE Book
upworthy

pop culture

Joy

17 Gen X memes for the generation caught in the middle

Gen X is so forgotten that it's become something of a meme. Here are 17 memes that will resonate with just about anyone born between 1965 and 1980.

SOURCE: TWITTER

"Generation X" got its name in the early '90s from an article turned book by Canadian writer Douglas Coupland. And ever since, they've been fighting or embracing labels like "slacker" and "cynic." That is, until Millennials came of age and all that "you kids today" energy from older generations started to get heaped on them. Slowly, Gen X found they were no longer being called slackers... they weren't even being mentioned at all. And that suits them just fine.

Here are 17 memes that will resonate with just about anyone born between 1965 and 1980.

Gen X basically invented "Whatever."

gen x memesSOURCE: TWITTER


Until recently, Generation X has been sitting back and watching as Millennials and Boomers eat each other with an amused, non-confrontational attitude. But recently, Millennials and Gen Z became aware of their presence, and dubbed them "The Karen generation."

They seem to be embracing the Karen thing.

SOURCE: TWITTER

While I"m pretty sure the "Karen" thing is not complimentary — as BuzzFeed puts it, it's meant to communicate someone who is "the middle-aged white mom who is always asking for the manager and wondering why kids are so obsessed with their identities," lots of people landed on a different Karen to represent the generation: the martini-guzzling, wise-cracking Karen Walker.

Get it right!

SOURCE: TWITTER

Well [expletive] me gently with a chainsaw, she's right. The 1980s cult classic starring Winona Ryder and Shannen Doherty really is the Mean Girls of the '80s and a much better term than Karen

The disdain is mutual...

SOURCE: TWITTER

Most of my Gen X friends have Gen Z kids and they are intergenerationally very chill with each other. However, Gen X is the generation most likely to have Boomer parents and younger millennial kids, and this meme seems to be resonating a bunch with Xers of a certain age.

A lot of Xers are enjoying the "OK boomer" squabble.

SOURCE: TWITTER

The media tends to ignore Generation X as a whole — as a few tweets coming up demonstrate — and this pleases Gen X just fine. After all, they're used to it. They were latchkey kids whose parents both worked long hours, so they're used to being somewhat neglected.

A whole mood.

SOURCE: TWITTER

Gen X: "Look, don't pull us into this. You'll make me spill my beer."

Gen X: Get used to it.

SOURCE: TWITTER

Perhaps Gen X's blasé attitude to the generation wars has something to do with being called "Slackers" for a full decade.

Pass the popcorn.

SOURCE: TWITTER

Aside from this whole "Karen generation" blip, Gen X continues to be largely overlooked, and that fact — as well as their silent delight in it — is possibly one of the most Generation X things to happen to the class of 1965 to 1980.

Pay no attention to the man behind the venetian blinds.

SOURCE: TWITTER

Back in the '90s, Gen X bore the same kind of criticism Boomers tend to heap on Millennials and Gen Z now. It's not necessarily that they want to watch a cage match. It's just they're so relieved it's someone else being called slackers and downers for a change.

See?

SOURCE: TWITTER

Although this chart doesn't list the generation names, the approximate age ranges are all there... except for a big gap between the ages of 34 and 54 where apparently no humans were born? Poor Gen X (and some elder Millennials) apparently don't have political beliefs worth examining.

Don't you forget about me...

SOURCE: TWITTER

If Millennials are the "burnout generation," I guess Gen X is truly the invisible generation. I'm starting to feel inspired to write a science fiction novel where everyone born from 1966 to 1980 inhabits a totally different dimension.

There are perks to being invisible...

SOURCE: TWITTER

Being overlooked can be an advantage when you just want to sit in the corner and be immature. Gen X spent all of the 90s being told they were immature slackers, and in their 40s, a lot of them are really leaning into that description, because what does it matter?

"No one cares what we think anyway..."

via GIPHY

This GIF of Janeane Garofolo mocking her classmates at the high school reunion is basically a whole Gen X mood and definitely captures how a lot of this generation caught in the middle feels about the "OK boomer" wars.

Party on.

SOURCE: TWITTER

Before Brené Brown was telling us all how to dare greatly, Gen X got their inspirational advice from a different kind of TED and his pal Bill, who taught us all how important it is to learn from history and be excellent to each other.

Too late and yet too early.

SOURCE: TWITTER

Romance — or getting lucky — was never easy for Generation X. They were the generation most impacted by the AIDS epidemic when it comes to anxiety about casual sex. Whereas Boomers had the free love of the late '60s, Gen X was about safe sex, which usually meant less sex. And even when having safe casual sex, singles in the '90s had to meet people the old-fashioned way or, if they did meet online, they felt shame over it. Now online dating is the norm.

When Gen X replaces the Boomers.

SOURCE: TWITTER

This is probably an optimistic view — because the truth is there are "Boomers" in every generation, and many of them tend to find their way into powerful positions. Let's call this a best case scenario, though.

The Nihilism Generation

SOURCE: TWITTER

There is no generation more over it than Gen X. They are ready for the apocalypse, but don't expect them to, like, help or anything!


This article originally appeared on 3.18.20

From Your Site Articles
gen x
Pop Culture

Man's epic rant about streaming services is so relatable people are applauding

"Everything was faster and easier and worked better 20 years ago and we ruined it. We were all scammed."

Representative Photo credit: Canva

Man's epic rant about streaming platforms has people applauding.

Something happened nearly two decades ago. There was a shift where video rental stores were shutting down because Netflix (who used to deliver literal DVDs) and Redbox were causing a significant decline in customers. Then Netflix became a streaming service, making it even easier for you to get access to the movies you would normally rent for a flat fee and reducing the stress of losing or damaging a DVD.

This jump into streaming created the demand for more streaming services at a time when cable rates were skyrocketing. It made practical financial sense to move over to a couple of streaming services and let go of cable. That is until the streaming services became obnoxiously plentiful.

Anthony Robustiano recently went on an epic rant about his frustration with streaming services after he tried to find a movie to watch. He explains that in order to even know which streaming platform to watch the movie on he first had to Google the movie. That's when the rant turns up a notch.

"To then finally finding the movie on a streaming service that you own and you get excited and you go to the movie and then Prime Video is like, 'well we're going to need an additional $3.99 from you.' Why? I'm already paying you a monthly fee what are you talking about? And they're like 'well you can rent it or buy it for seven grand.'"

You know someone's a peak frustration when they're making up ridiculous numbers to express how expensive something is. But Rubstiano wasn't alone in his irritation with the high price of multiple streaming platforms. Commenters joined in and agreed that maybe cable was actually superior to streaming services after all.



"Also? The entire appeal of Netflix was ‘no ads.’ As a single person I relented and subscribed to Netflix sometime after COVID screwed the world, when tired of having to put up with ads while watching ‘free’ movies on cable or YouTube or a few other free show sources online. Now, they want me to choose between paying a lot more, which I cannot do, or…. Putting up with ADS. Good-bye, Netflix," one person writes.

"THIS!!!! It’s awful. There’s nothing to watch. Mostly because I can’t find it and get overwhelmed," another says.

"Everything was faster and easier and worked better 20 years ago and we ruined it. We were all scammed," someone complains.

"ALL WE EVER WANTED WAS CAFETERIA STYLE CABLE. Let us pick what we're paying $70/mo for. GOSH," another person shouts.

The consensus seems to be that since the streaming services now all come with ads and additional fees, bringing back Blockbuster or cable would be preferable. Although some people shared that they kept their old DVD/Blu Ray players so they could physically own a copy of what they purchased, pointing out that when a streaming platform loses rights to a movie or show, you no longer have access even though you may have purchased it.

In a perfect world, a cable company could strike a deal with the streaming services giving you access to all of the platforms for one price along with basic cable. Until then, stores still sell DVD players.

From Your Site Articles
pop culture
Pop Culture

People are swooning over Martin Short and Selena Gomez's sweet 'Jimmy Kimmel' interview

"This friendship of theirs is profound and adorable."

Jimmy Kimmel Live!/Youtube

They're our favorite famous friend duo.

Selena Gomez appeared on “Jimmy Kimmel Live!”last night—not to chat with Kimmel himself, who was off, but her “Only Murders in the Building” co-star Martin Short filling in as guest host. And the interview was a 13 minute glimpse into quite the endearing cross-generational friendship…complete with an adorable mini makeover.

Discussion topics were abound—everything from the “Wizards of Waverly Place” reboot to Molly Shannon farting in Meryl Streep’s face while filming “Only Murders” season four. Yes, really.

But one of the many highlights of the segment was when Short reflected on their very first meeting, which happened to be their first day working together.

Short recalled being worried that Gomez, with her early fame and millions of followers, might be a “nightmare” on set, but was “already in love” with her from their first hello, and called her “the biggest pro” he had ever worked with.

In turn, Gomez shared how nervous she was to be working with “two icons” (Martin Short and Steven Martin, that is), and one day mustered up the courage to ask if she could sit next to them during a break to feel less “lonely.”

“Ever since then, my chair has always been in the middle of theirs,” Gomez said.

This moment happens around the 2:20 mark. Check it out below.

Then Gomez gives Short some contouring with her makeup line, Rare Beauty. Gomez giggling while instructing Short to give a “kissy face” is everything.

Honestly the whole thing is just filled with so much mutual adoration, that fans couldn’t help but gush.

“This was unbelievably sweet.”

“One of the best things about this show is that Selena’s involvement has introduced so many young people to the genius of Steve Martin and Marty Short and given them this huge late-career revival.”

“Idk what it is, but this interview was just so…pleasant. Like it was thoroughly enjoyable and it went by so quickly.”

“The bond between her and Steve/Martin is real.”

“Martin making her laugh constantly makes me happy. Everybody deserves a good laugh .”

OMG, this has got to be one of the most heartwarming interactions between host and guest I have ever seen on a talk show.

And perhaps this was the best comment of all:

“This friendship of theirs is profound and adorable, and proof that it doesn't matter what our differences are, we can all be better to each other, and for each other. Age is just a number, and it shouldn't be a cause for societal separation. People like to call this strange crew weird, and it's great for jokes, but there's nothing weird about mutual admiration, love, and respect. We would all be much better off with more of those things in our lives.”

From Your Site Articles
television
Family

Kobe and Emma rise, Karen and Elon fall: How pop culture has influenced baby name trends

The past 20 years have seen certain names come and go based on movies, sports and even social media memes.

Photo by saiid bel on Unsplash

Baby naming trends are influenced by many things, including popular entertainment.

What's in a name? In the modern day, it could be a favorite movie character, a beloved sports star or even a reality show participant. Pop culture has long influenced baby name trends, but the digital age and the proliferation of news and entertainment sources seems to have amplified the phenomenon.

BabyCenter has been reporting on baby name trends for girls and boys for the past 20 years, and for 2024 the company put together a report analyzing 20 moments over the past two decades that helped define those trends.

It all began with Emma in 2002, thanks to Ross and Rachel giving their baby girl the name on the show "Friends." It skyrocketed in popularity almost immediately, held the No. 1 spot in the rankings from 2004 to 2006, topped the list again in 2008, and hasn't fallen below No. 4 since.

Then came the epic undoing of Karen.

Most Americans grew up with women named Karen in our social circles, as the name peaked in popularity in the 50s and 60s. By the 2000s, it was well on its way down the list, but after comedian Dane Cook's joke about the friend everyone has that nobody likes named Karen in 2006—and then the subsequent years of memes calling anyone who wants to speak to the manager "a Karen"—the name went into a freefall, from #164 in 2005 to #2,125 in 2024.

Politics has played a role in naming trends, with the Obama girls giving Malia and Sasha a shove up in the ranks since Obama's presidency. Sarah Palin's kids' names also piqued people's interest after she lost as John McCain's vice presidential candidate. Bristol, Piper and Willow all rose in the years following the 2008 election, and Willow is still in the top 100. Since 2016, Hillary, Donald, Elizabeth, Ivanka and Nancy have all risen as well.

closeup of sleeping newborn baby

Many factors go into what people decide to name a baby.

Photo by Hu Chen on Unsplash

On the technology front, the names Apple, Mac and Siri have all risen in popularity, though the rise has been modest compared to others in the report. And Elon, after Elon Musk purchased Twitter, dropped more than 450 spots, becoming one of the top falling names of 2022.

Books-to-movie franchises, of course, have given rise to many a name, such as "Twilight" series solidified the popularity of Isabella and her nickname, Bella, and the "50 Shades" series pushed Grey and Anastasia up in the ranks.

Some famous names have triggered a grouping of similar names.For instance,Jaden got a push in the early 2000s thanks to Will Smith's son in "The Pursuit of Happyness" along with a host of other –aden names like Aiden,Caden and Brayden. The birth of Beyoncé and Jay Z's daughter, Blue Ivy Carter, inspired not just more Blues, but other color-based names as well—Lavender,Scarlett, Hazel, Ivory and Violet all spiked in the year after her birth.

Sports have had their influence in the past two decades as well, particularly the basketball. NBA favorites such as Lebron James and Kyrie Irving have made their mark on the rankings, and the tragic death of Kobe Bryant and his daughter Gianna resulted in Kobe, Gianna and Bryant all becoming more popular as well.

Television juggernaut Shonda Rhimes has had an influence with her popular TV shows on ABC, "Grey's Anatomy," "Scandal," and "How to Get Away with Murder." Her shows have pushed names like Arizona (up 35%) Callie (up 30%), Fitzgerald (up 56%) and Huck (up 44%) up the charts.

And then there are the megahit movie influences. The Disney sensation "Frozen" brought about a wave of popularity for the names Elsa, Anna, Kristoff, and Hans in 2013. The Marvel Cinematic Universe has seen an influx of names like Logan, Wanda, Agatha, Darcy and even Vision. The name Chadwick also gained popularity after "Black Panther" actor Chadwick Boseman's death in 2020. And the 2023 success of "Barbie" has pushed some old-fashioned names up in the list, including Barbara, Greta and Margot, reflecting the film's main character, director and acting lead. (Barbara was the biggest rising star among the three, going up a whopping 994 spots in the rankings.)

Surely, pop culture will continue to influence how people name their babies for years to come and no doubt it will be every bit as unpredictable as the name Barbara making a comeback.

To see how popular a name currently is and how it's trended over time, visit BabyCenter's baby name database here.

From Your Site Articles
baby names
Trending Stories