When the Baby Boomer Generation was “Cool” or “Gucci” in Millennial Speak
The Baby Boom Generation (born1946–1964), was the coolest, hippest, most modern generation ever, or “Gucci” in Millennial Speak. Trust me — I looked it up. Google says that “Gucci” is the Millennial slang for “cool”, “good”, or “fine”.
We came of age during the sexual and feminist revolutions, the fight for civil rights, voting rights, and the anti-war movement. We marched and advocated so not only we, but every generation after us could benefit from our actions.
We threw off the shackles of the staid, prim 1950’s women’s fashion and wore mini-skirts, go-go boots, bell-bottoms, and long, straight hair.
“Make love, not war”, was a slogan we took seriously. Thanks to the development of the birth control pill, women had control over their sex lives for the first time in history. We were given the freedom to have sex with whomever we wanted whenever we wanted without worrying about pregnancy or a marriage certificate.
And our MUSIC was the BEST. Woodstock. Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Bob Dylan, Elvis, The Beatles, The Grateful Dead. We were COOL.
Now we’re……………………..OLD.
It’s not easy being a Baby Boomer in the 21st century. So let’s have a look at the “Then” and “Now” of the Baby Boomer Generation:
Then — The style of the day was Bell Bottom jeans. They were considered the top of the line in Boomer style.
Now — If we were to wear them now, we’d have to turn them upside down for the flared bottoms to cover our burgeoning hips.
Then — Mini skirts were in. The shorter the better. As long as they covered our undies, they were acceptable. (Acceptable to us, not our parents)
Now — Don’t even think about it. No 65+-year-old looks good in a mini skirt (Christie Brinkley doesn’t count). Buy one for your granddaughter and take note of her disbelieving facial expression when you tell her you used to wear them.
Then — Sex -We had lots of it. And enjoyed it.
Now — Where do I start? No one told us that our lady parts wouldn’t work at 50+ the way they did at 20 and 30. Then there’s the availability issue. With so many of us widowed and divorced, the partner applicant pool is very shallow. Not to mention, “Do you need a blue pill?” isn’t the most welcome conversation starter.
Then — We burned our bras — to express freedom from centuries-old social norms of how women should dress.
Now — I’m sure as Hell not going to burn the only article of clothing in my closet that keeps my nipples from being squeezed by my belt.
Then — Drugs — Those of you who have gotten to know me through my writing know that I am honest to a fault. I tell it like it is. So difficult as it may be to believe, the truth is that I never touched a drug, not even marijuana, until I was 70, and the doctor recommended cannabis (the scientific name for “weed”) for my chronic back pain. It proved to be useless. I threw it out.
There was nothing good about the Drug Scene of the 60’s. “Tripping”, and “Dropping Acid”, aka LSD, caused suffering and death. Some of you who experimented with it may disagree with me. That’s your prerogative.
Now- Boomers fall into two categories — those who did anything and everything possible to keep their kids away from all drugs, and those who felt that weed was harmless and a better indulgence than alcohol. No judgment calls here, but I do know that the weed of the 1960’s was not even close to the potency of the weed of today. If you are interested in delving further into comparing the potency issue between generations, click these links:
Myth or Fact — Marijuana is stronger these days
Then –It was a struggle, but eventually, our opinions counted — We started the anti-war movement that finally led to the end of the Vietnam War. Our marching for the civil rights movement and workplace equality helped pass The Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibited discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, or national origin. It forbade discrimination in hiring, promoting, and firing in the workplace. Our marching helped pass The Voting Rights Act of 1965, which outlawed the discriminatory voting practices adopted in many southern states after the Civil War.
Now -We are defined by the derogatory and insulting phrase, “Yeah, Boomer”, meaning that our opinions are out of date, insignificant, and unwanted.
Then — Our saying was “Never trust anyone over 30.”
Now — If they’re over 30, they’re our children. If they’re up to 30, they could be our grandchildren. We have to trust them to tell us what’s “cool” in 2022.
WATCH OUT MILLENNIALS — OLD AGE IS COMING FOR YOU ……..GENERATION Z IS NIPPING AT YOUR HEELS READY TO LABEL YOU OLD AND INSIGNIFICANT, TOO.
For more information on the Baby Boom Generation, Click here.
© Copyright 2022 Joan Gershman
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