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Millenials Get Their Feelings Hurt
The Biscuits baseball team, the Tampa Bay Rays’ Double-A affiliate, sponsored a clever satire of millennials last week. The team offered a Millennials Night with avocado burgers, napping and selfie stations, and participation ribbons for everyone who came. Naturally, the agenda caused a backlash, with coverage on Twitter and several news outlets.
Mind you, most of the team is manned with millenials, and they thought the theme was funny. The reaction by millennials in the area was mixed, to say the least, which only demonstrates the perception that they have no sense of humor. Melissa Warnke, vice president of the Public Relations Council of Alabama had this to say:
From a PR professional’s perspective, they’re kind of accomplishing what all of us want to accomplish, and that is people talking about your organization, not only here locally, but it’s got a lot of reach outside of our own community, outside of our state as well.
The millennials who reacted defensively are probably the same ones who don’t see the opportunities that the world offers to them and instead see themselves as victims. Even America’s favorite pastime doesn’t offer a safe space. In fact, it’s possible that the satire hit too close to home.
So I’m curious: if you’re a millennial, are you offended? If you’re not a millennial, what is your reaction? Maybe, just maybe, a few millennials will realize there is some truth to the stereotype presented. Then again, maybe not.
Published in Culture
You mean people born in the same decade don’t all think, talk, and act alike?
Next you’ll tell me horoscopes are bunk…
That video is priceless. Take a few minutes to watch it if you haven’t seen it!!
Funny video! The girl is an awfully good comic actress.
Wait to see her portraying a non-millennial before making that conclusion.
I’m offended that participation ribbons were only given to people who participated. That discriminates against people who are too lazy to get off the couch and go to the ball park, and damages their self-esteem.
I am an older millennial. I think the team’s gags sound funny. I am comfortable in my own skin. I also think I don’t fit some of the millennial stereotypes, and I like to make fun of my younger brothers when they do. My youngest brother recently got one of those asymmetrical haircuts.
I also think many older people, on this site and elsewhere, are really cruel to millennials for things that millennials learned from the environment that was inflicted upon us growing up that we had no control over, like participation trophies. A recent example is how people reacted to Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. People not only criticized her for being an uninformed left-wing socialist, but reasoned that she must be that way because she’s a millennial. That really gets really old. As if there were no uninformed left-wing socialists who came from, and were repeatedly elected by, previous generations.
Make that Boomers, etc., who graduated from high school after 1976…Before that, far more of the teachers would’ve had military service under their belts – or family members who did – and reinforced personal responsibility, delayed gratification, and a moral compass that didn’t focus on equivalence. Two-job households and latch-key kids may’ve fueled the rise of Boomer-become-Yuppie-become-helicopter/lawnmower-parents, as well.
You bring up excellent points, @markwilson. I agree that many of the difficulties come out of the earlier generations. At some point, as @catorand and @henryracette point out, millennials may wise up and realize how to work and play in the real world. By that time, at least for some of them, they will have graduated from the millennial group. It’s complex, especially since we have real people having these life experiences, parents and children. Thanks.
My three daughters are millennials, and they have no idea they’ve been lumped into a group stereotype. That’s because they believe they are individuals . . .
Good for you, @stad, and good for them. You taught ’em right!
They’ve been lumped into a group stereotype because old people are grumpy and mean!
Boooo! ;-)
What of it?!
Old people engage in unfair group stereotyping!
Susan, the simple happy face at the end of your first sentence makes you sound conciliatory. The interbang at the end of your second sentence makes you sound like you’re ready to rumble.
So which is it? Are you a puff pastry or are you a jawbreaker? Stop sitting on the fence. ( )
You just had to slip in ( ) to tick me off, didn’t you?! I guess I can be a puff pastry or a jawbreaker. Depends on the situation. I’m an old broad, 5’2″ and blond, too. What can I say?
I resemble that remark . . .
Yeah. It’s gotta hurt . . .
So there I am twiddling my thumbs in my low-rent downtown LA office, sneaking occasional peeks at my toothsome secretary, when in walks this old blond broad. Since I hadn’t had a case in over a week, she looked like money to me.
You’ve been listening to too much NPR–Guy Noir, Private Eye
Heh… even falling out of the strict stereotype (’83 makes me among the oldest), I will say I’ve fallen to this attitude – just not with the requisite gall or foolishness to act on it.
We had a boss who was borderline abusive of his team. He eventually lost his job under an ethics clause after being caught soliciting young girls for sex.
When I was a kid Gen X was up to those born in 1989. When did the push it back a decade?
When my kids were born Gen X went to 1989. My middle son (1986) fits Gen X. My youngest (1990) is really a millenial.
Huh… really? In 1999, 83 was considered GenY… which didn’t get its moniker of “Millenial” until after Y2K.
The baby boom was a numbers thing. By implication, Gen X was a numbers thing. The distinction was pretty clear by 1967, even though we dis not know what the ultimate differences would be.
Subsequent generations are less defined by numbers and tend to be classified only after they exhibit defining characteristics to separate them from the prior generation. That may take until they are teens or later. if a new generation was started around 2010 births, we will not identify, name, and characterize it until the 2020s or 2030s.
As I was getting out of the workforce, I heard a lot about the new-hires. I would guess most were in the group called millennials. All age groups have their quirks, but the social media fixation with the new-hires was over the line. My favourite example was the young woman who, like her peers, was a social media junkie. You’d think that’s her concern, but she couldn’t seem to understand the concept of “proprietary data”. Those in her age group frequently put descriptions of their work on websites and asked for input on solutions to current assignments. This sort of thing is not to be shared anywhere without approved “Non-disclosure Agreements” signed. When she was counselled on this action, she said she wasn’t sure she could work in “such a restrictive environment”. She evidently thought the company was an extension of the college campus. What a fool! She was working for an aerospace/defense firm and would be expected to eventually get a security clearance. I hope she either resigned or was fired.
I’m not sure what my designation is, other than I’m old and mean (@markwilson comment above).
BTW, I have a tee shirt that says “Gen Rx” . . .
Baby Boomer.
Yeah, I got “reminded” here at home . . .
The social media and always-on communication access is why I think “Millennials” should really be divided into two groups. The younger Millennials (I’d say born roughly 1990 or later) have grown up with always-on communication and persistent social media. The older ones have had it available, but it didn’t become always-on and persistent until they were in late high school or older. I see as a result that older Millennials tend to view and use social media and other communication tools significantly differently from the younger ones, which I think leads to other behavioral differences.
You are probably correct, but for the example I mentioned, it doesn’t matter. Millennial or Boomer, you follow the company rules or work elsewhere. The most disturbing story was from a “Senior Fellow” who said that she had been able to piece together a classified program description by follow social media posts of the type I previously mentioned. Do enough of that – and it doesn’t take a lot – and you should see the inside of a Federal grey-bar hotel for a few years.