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What Doth He Sayeth?
The millennial is back! (Collective ugh!) But allow me to reassure you that I’m into the whole brevity thing.
Last week, I wrote a post declaring it playtime for conservatives. Though we are all familiar with the adage “you can’t have your cake and eat it too,” it’s always struck me as a no-brainer; the cake will go bad if we let it sit out too long, and at least you can have it in your tummy for a little while after eating.
Let’s cut the cake, Ricochet.
I quoted G.K. Chesterton in my most recent QOTD post, wherein he expressed the laziness of big words. He believed small words to be the especially challenging ones – they are the words that require precision. (Think about the word “science” if you need an example of one that lost it)
So in the Sunday spirit, I thought I’d say a few words on that four-letter wonder: play!
For starters, I could say that if the weather is as beautiful in your town today, as it is in mine, and you’re indoors getting your political fix, you’re probably doing it wrong. If you’ve ever listened to Andrew Klavan (a man who is nothing if not a player) you’ve probably heard him bemoan the fact that conservatives abandoned the culture. But why did they do that?
I suspect that they came to the conclusion that they had better things to do. Unfortunately, they were wrong. Entertainment is what moves us, it’s the reason healthy people get out of bed to go to work: so they can support a life. And “life” is the time we spend with our friends and family, with the things we love. Play is not something we do because it is great for our work, but it just so happens that it is good for our work.
If you were to try to sell a kid of my generation on capitalism, don’t talk about air conditioning or sewage. Talk about movies, talk about the Beatles, talk about video games, about craft beer, or good vegan recipes. But for now, don’t worry about selling a kid on capitalism. For now, find out what interests them, and what concerns them. If they bring up climate change, press the skip button. But if they bring up girls, let them know that if they’re willing to take on the responsibilities of being a man, then the privileges will come.
I’ll say it again, we’ve got one hell of an opportunity. We’re in a good position to turn the culture our way. Nobody likes a bossy playmate, and the opposition has chosen the likes of Lena Dunham, Alyssa Milano, and Greta Thunberg to reach out to America’s youth.
So get outside and play!
Shout out to @garymcvey for teaching me how to hyperlink. Thanks, G.
Published in Culture
Nuthin’ wrong, per se, in being a Millennial. I’m a Boomer, and I didn’t riot, flee to Canada, wear tie-dyed clothing or have a poster of Che Guevara. Whatever age you are, Samuel, it’s always the right time to come to Ricochet!
If you like the idea of constructive cultural change, you should look up @titustechera. His Main Feed posts about movies and TV might be right up your alley.
I rarely miss Titus. That guy is brilliant!
I’m not actually embarrassed to be part of my generation – more annoyed I’m gonna be stuck with them for my life – which is why I’m hoping the Right can get a little better at outreach, so these kids can finally grow up a little.
I can’t eat cake. I can eat cheese, though.
Beautiful.
Shall I pass the Limburger?
Pass it that way.
Are you insisting on cutting the cheese?
;)
He absolutely is. :(
Keto?
Celiac.
My sympathies.
So not “his millenialness,” or “the millenialarino” then?
“That kid who keeps coming back” will do.
Thank you! I was wondering if anyone caught that reference.
Yours? Or Old Dan’s?
Technically both…. “into the whole brevity thing” was a steal on my part.
Heard a millennial speaker recently discussing how the millennial generation has split into two groups: one on an upward path toward excellence, the other fully embracing all the negative stereotypes we have of them.
That’s true. There are a lot of wonderful kids today. I’d say there’s also a middle group who are just apathetic, depressed, and struggling. I was actually one of those for years after breaking with the Progressive faith. These are kids we can make inroads with – they are embarrassed to be associated with the Social Justice crowd.
I’ve been known to embrace negative stereotypes, but mostly either ironically or unintentionally.
Are you a fellow youngster, @mattbalzer?
We’ve got some ‘splainin’ ta do…