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Nate Bargatze explains what Xennials are and why they feel caught between generations

Like Generation Jones, Xillennials have their own unique set of traits that sets them apart from other age groups.

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Nate Bargatze performing stand-up.

Never heard of Xennials before? You're not alone! It just so happens, the term Xennial first appeared in an article for GOOD Magazine by writers Sarah Stankorb (who coined the term) and Jed Oelbaum. It was described as "a micro-generation that serves as a bridge between the disaffection of Gen X and the blithe optimism of Millennials." Other unique terms have come to describe this group (roughly figured to have been born between 1977-1983.)

These include The Star Wars Generation, The Oregon Trail Generation, and Generation Catalano, (the latter suggested by Slate writer Doree Shafrir in reference to Jordan Catalano on the hit 90s TV show My So-Called Life.). During his Netflix is a Joke segment, Nate gave us the reasons Xennials are truly awesome. Here are a few hilarious takeaways from Nate's bit on the topic:

Growing up as a young kid felt safe.

 nate bargatze, nate bargatze special, millennial , xillennials, best comedian, millennial humor Kids playing outside, nary a care in the world. Photo credit: Canva

"When I was a kid, it felt like the 50s. You'd go outside and your parents just didn't know where you were. We went to school to school and played Oregon Trail on a computer at school! No one had a computer at home - it's like what are you a Zillionaire?"

They still had privacy.

While Nate confirmed he got AOL, a home computer, a beeper and a cell phone in high school, he didn't have social media until he was 26 with Myspace.

 nate bargatze, nate bargatze special, millennial , xillennials, best comedian, millennial humor Be honest, how cringey was your AOL screen name?  media4.giphy.com  

"Whatever I did in high school is a rumor. It can't ruin my life!"

You are equally impressed and disappointed by other generations.

On a hotel stay, the Chromecast on his TV stopped working so he called the front desk. "The oldest voice I ever heard answers the phone. This guy was a Civil War survivor. I mean, he was the age where you just go 'Thank you for your service.' So I tell him my Chromecast is not working and I could have just made up a word. I mean, he's never heard of that. I could have said 'My beep bop broke.' He goes, 'Look, I don't know what this is. But there's a younger guy, I'm gonna send him up, he'll be able to help you."

A guy shows up, Nate mused, and he's "his dad's age." Nate immediately determined that if he can't fix it, this guy can't either. "But he's the generation that still wants to give it a try. So he comes into my room, sits on my bed, just a little too far back, I thought."

He then said the guy grabbed the remote and just started pressing everything. Nate suggested, "I'm gonna turn the shower on, open a window, let's try everything!"

The "pressing all the buttons" tactic shockingly doesn't work. Nate shared that the guy finally says, "Alright, there's a younger guy. He's about to come to work. And at this point, I'm like 'I'm the younger guy, man. It's alright dude, I don't need it.' And he goes, 'No, no, no, it's a Millennial." And I was like 'Alright, now we're getting somewhere. This is what the Millennial does. He was born with technology, he's gonna know how to fix this!"

So the guy said the Millennial will arrive to work in an hour. And Nate quipped, "Let me tell you. You know how quick that Millennial fixed it? Well, I'll never know because he just didn't come to work that night."

And guess who relayed this message. "I found out because the old guy called me. He was supposed to fill in for him. He was furious, dude. He hates that Millennial. He goes 'He never comes to work. He doesn't take it serious. He's got a peanut allergy.'"

In the end, it took a Xennial to figure it out. "I ended up fixing it myself, because it was just unplugged. So that's yeah…that's my fault."

Watch the full bit below:

  - YouTube  www.youtube.com  

Just like Generation Jones, Xillennials have unique qualities that don't necessarily fall in to either surrounding age group. If you tend to not really relate to your prescribed generation, it might be worth seeing if you relate more to those lesser known age groups in between.

This article originally appeared in February

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Humor

Sexist heckler gets humiliated in front of his own daughters

This didn’t end well for the wannabe heckler.

Image from YouTube video.

How to become the butt of a joke.


In case you were wondering, don't mess with comedian Steve Hofstetter.

The stand-up comic posted a video of himself recently shutting down a heckler who didn't like Hofstetter taking a break from his routine to praise Jessica Mendoza, a two-time Olympic gold medalist and Stanford graduate, who last year became the first female to call a professional baseball game.

"Next!" the heckler shouts. At first, Hofstetter is caught off guard but then he tries to give the guy a chance to explain what he found "offensive" about celebrating this historic moment in sports. "You and I can talk later," the anonymous guy says, directly challenging an earlier warning from Hofstetter to not approach comedians after shows.

Once the guy refuses to explain why he's offended, Hofstetter asks him to leave, saying not only is he being a jerk but he's not at least willing to stand up for his own beliefs. Then things get weird. It turns out the heckler is at the show with his family, including his daughters. "You have daughters and I was standing up for women's rights and you were offended by that," Hofstetter says. "I hope the rest of you are going to be okay later."


Unlike some heckler videos that drag on and on, this one is maybe most amazing in the way he gets shut down before he can even really get started.

The whole video is funny, inspiring and just a classic example of a comedian taking down a heckler. Like near the end, when Hofstetter addresses a common trope of someone questioning why a male comedian needs to stand up for women's equality.

"As it turns out, I actually have a genetic history of women in my family," he says. "If you want to be a real man then respect the women in your life."


This article originally appeared on 04.26.19

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Pop Culture

1980s cultural icon Michael Winslow made an emotional comeback on 'America's Got Talent'

He walked away at the height of his fame to raise his children after his wife's sudden death.

via The Nerd Patrol / Flickr

Actor, comedian, and self-proclaimed "voicetramentalist," Michael Winslow was just about everywhere in the '80s. His incredible ability to make sound effects with his voice and uncanny beatboxing skills landed him the role of officer Larvell Jones in all seven "Police Academy" movies.

He also did voiceover work in "Gremlins" and appeared in Mel Brooks' "Spaceballs."

But Winslow was forced to scale back his career in 1993 after the death of his first wife Belinda Church. As a single father, he had to stop appearing in films so he could spend more time with his children.

He continued to star in the occasional commercial, perform stand-up comedy, and make guest appearances, but he didn't have the profile he once had.

Back in July of 2021, Winslow stepped back in the spotlight with a performance on "America's Got Talent." After some prodding from his son, he decided it would be the perfect venue to relaunch his career on television.

In the '80s, he was known as "The Man of 10,000 Sound Effects," but things have changed since then, he now claims to have "hundreds of thousands."

"Now, after raising my two kids, I'm in a different phase. I think this is my time," Winslow, 62, said on the episode. "And America's Got Talent is the place for me to show the world I still have something to offer, I still have some sounds to make. There's still room for a little more."

Judge Simon Cowell was excited to see Winslow when he took the stage. "We know you!" Cowell exclaimed. "I cannot tell you how thrilled I am that you are here!"

Winslow then gave a stunning performance where he impersonated the chimes on an airplane, beatboxed to Queen's "Another One Bites the Dust," and performed Jimi Hendrix's version of "The Star Spangled Banner." His performance was proof that after five decades in show business Winslow hasn't lost a step and, in fact, he may be at his peak.

After his performance, Winslow won a standing ovation from the audience and four "gigantic yeses" from the panel.

"My life has changed again for the better, and I've gotten another blessing," Winslow told Terry Crews after leaving the stage. America's Got Talent is the place for me to show I still have something to offer. I've still got some sounds to make, and there's still room for a little more."

Winslow is a great reminder that sometimes when celebrities seem to fade away, it isn't necessarily because they're washed up or past their prime. They are humans with real challenges just like the rest of us and real-world events can affect their career trajectories. It's great to see such a wonderful performer get another shot at the big time.

This article originally appeared on 07.14.21

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Joy

Comedian's masterful 'corporate accent' is so on-point that people call it triggering

We've all worked with 'Corporate Erin.'

via LisaBeEvolving/TikTok

Lisa Beasley as Corporate Erin

Comedian Lisa Beasley is making people squirm on TikTok with her character, Corporate Erin. Erin is a parody of the typical corporate employee in America, complete with her corporate accent, corporate gulp and mastery of corporate jargon.

She even has the perfect corporate job title: The manager for the managerial logistics of management at McManagement.

In her videos, Erin talks at you in your “one-on-one” meeting while clutching her coffee cup for dear life, uncomfortably gyrating in her chair and adjusting her glasses. Erin has the unique ability to talk at length using corporate word salad while saying absolutely nothing. But she definitely wants to circle back with you to be sure you have the deliverables for the rollout. Okayyyyyy?

In this video with over 9 million views, Erin explains how she has taken over her creator’s feed because she doesn’t have the “bandwidth.”

@lisabevolving

Hi, #CorporateErin here taking over social media for Lis. If you have any questions regarding my new position, please follow up with me in the comments. Im only here to do whats best for the business.

Beasley described the thrust of the Erin character to the Huffington Post. “There’s also just kind of a layer of passive aggressiveness as well, and defensiveness and just kind of always making sure that I’m drilling home my points or my objectives,” Beasley said.

The videos are all too real for many people who follow Beasley on TikTok.

“This is SPOT ON. The corporate accent, the nonsense, the talking for 30 min and saying nothing,” one commenter said. “You encounter a version of me in every workplace,” Beasley, as the Erin character, told 13 News.

It looks like we’ve finished this a bit early, so we’ll give you your minute back.

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