Webjunk, by Seth

October 24th, 2011 at 4:30PM

In Generation X, one of the protagonists, Andy, reflects that “we live small lives on the periphery; we are marginalized and there’s a great deal in which we choose not to participate.” It’s no coincidence that Gen X’s greatest artistic legacy is probably grunge, which is all about glorifying marginalization and alienation. Millennials, though, have been forced to live lives on the periphery, when they had always expected that they would be at the center. As Malone points out, the Fleet Foxes, led by 25-year-old Robin Pecknold, sing about thinking that they were “special snowflakes” but finding that they are in fact “cogs in some great machinery.” In contrast, the most famous musician from Generation Catalano is probably 34-year-old Kanye West, who actually is something of a special snowflake—and at the same time that he has released some of the best music of the last few years (and gotten very rich off of it), he’s also been engaged a very public battle with himself. Like West, Generation Catalano is never fully comfortable with its place in the world; we wander away from the periphery and back again. —

Generation Catalano: The generation stuck between Gen X and the Millennials.

Doree wrote a great piece for Slate about this weird generational no man’s land. It’s nice to read this, cos I totally identify with this angst! I think I mostly prefer Millennials, but if I’m in a bad mood, it’s Gen X all the way.

Just want to note that this piece was great, and that the “Freaks and Geeks”/”Heathers” —> “The O.C.”/”Dawson’s Creek” —> “iCarly”/”Hannah Montana” continuum is legitimately one of the most interesting trends in generational pop culture theory I’ve read in a long time.

(via perpetua)