This morning there was a segment on The Today Show called, "60 is the New 40." I’ve noticed that Baby Boomers will do just about anything to be labeled as "getting older." In their eyes, they are always going to be 18-21. Honestly, it’s just laughable. They can talk about sex after 60 and 60 year old models until the cows come home. But the generation that "didn’t trust anyone over 30" needs to look at their driver’s licenses! They are over 30, 40, and 50… and the younger people are wondering if they should bother trusting them.
You hear slogans like "you’re only as old as you feel" and things like that. I think the reality is that generationally, the baby boomers are the perpetual drama queens. Instead of allowing any other generation to have their due spotlight… maybe gracefully stepping to the side to allow others to emerge. Like any "drama queen" there is no such thing as grace. As a group, they’ll never step aside. In 10 years, Raquel Welch will be talking about how great it is to be 77.
What I see is a group of people in complete denial. 60 year olds getting plastic surgery to "feel 30." People in their 50s trying to dress like Julia Roberts in Pretty Woman. (Um, no one wants to see a 50 something year old woman in knee high boots and a micro-mini skirt. 60 year olds on TV talking about sex toys and modeling when 5 year olds are watching is absolutely ridiculous.)
On the other hand. I should shut up and say nothing about this phenomenon. After all, the only way to truly silence a drama queen is just to ignore them.
The contrast between "marketing" to Baby Boomers and today’s 20-30 somethings is night and day. Boomers only want to be convinced that everything they do is "the best" and "forever young." Any product that tells older people that they can feel young will sell like hotcakes. Even old folks homes are being set up to convince old people that they are really young. After all… you might be aging chronologically but you aren’t getting older. Um, denial?
By contrast, younger people are finding significance in acting responsibly and thinking about what’s best for others. If the Builders are known as "the greatest generation" as coined by Tom Brokaw, Baby Boomers will likely be known as "the most selfish generation." During their "reign" over American culture, American culture has tanked! It’ll take another "greatest generation" to repair the damage.
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