Pleated Jeans
The war between boomers and millennials rages on, stoked to a burning blaze after the “Ok Boomer” article by Taylor Lorenz hit the pages of The New York Times. That’s the paper boomers feed off of, and they were pretty upset to find they were being mocked as the most narcissistic, clueless, and selfish generation.
So upset, in fact, that some of them compared the derogative boomer label to the n-word. You can imagine how seriously people took that. But now that the secret is out, everyone is airing all of their feelings about boomers that they’ve had to swallow all these years. Boomers are our parents, our aunts, and uncles, our bosses.
They’ve been in a position to give advice for so long, and so much of it is so damn bad. Twitter user and writer @Freeyourmindkid asked their followers for examples of the worst of the worst Boomer advice they ever got. Sadly, much of it will probably sound familiar.
What’s the most out of touch advice that a Boomer has ever given you? Use the hashtag #BoomerAdvice when you answer.
— 🇯🇲Black🇭🇹Aziz🇳🇬aNANsi🇹🇹 (@Freeyourmindkid) November 9, 2019
The most common piece of terrible wisdom is that people should go into businesses directly to get a job, instead of applying online as the company asks. Maybe this worked when everyone was trying to work in an ice cream shop, but it hasn’t been that way for a long time. Do NOT go in to talk to the managers in real life, they will remember you as a PROBLEM.
There’s more boomer advice where that came from. Reading this list might be too familiar or it might be revelatory—you may not know that the advice your boomer folks gave you is terrible until someone else with more sense tweets it.
1. Understanding rent in 2019
YUP. They never believed me about rent either.
Also…
Me: I have no food in my fridge.
Boomer Dad: I don’t want to hear that.Few days later
Me: I haven’t eaten in 3 days.
BM: Why didn’t you tell me you didn’t have food?
Me: I told you 3 days ago.
BM: I thought you were joking.— jam, bub! (@jam_bub) November 9, 2019
2. What kind of money folks have for retirement
My very well meaning dad (although this was many years ago): “Your monthly rent should never be more than a week’s paycheck.” #BoomerAdvice
TBH, though, as Gen-X I feel strongly compelled to stay out of this.
— Michelle E. Reed (@Michelle_E_Reed) November 9, 2019
3. Arrive early, stay late…for no reason
it was the saddest/weirdest game of chicken I’ve ever seen—a room of 50 ppl competing to see who would flinch first & leave …hanging out being paid nothing, doing nothing while waiting for him to leave the office
— Jeannie Crowley (@jeannieccrowley) November 9, 2019
4. Youth as a reason to not understand politics
I get that constantly. I’m 25, I own my own house and pay my bills and mortgage on time and take care of my older Mother…
— Rachel Tyler Paul (@RachelRox86) November 9, 2019
5. Embrace sexism!
Always have a men as references on your CV. Always. #BoomerAdvice https://t.co/WjK8yBXjao
— Shireen Ahmed (@_shireenahmed_) November 9, 2019
6. Embrace abuse!
“If a boy is mean to you, that means he likes you”
No
It means he’s an asshole https://t.co/eLkzC6YcHB
— 💫💫Sydney💫💫 (@SydTheGhostGirl) November 10, 2019
7. A degree guarantees a job
“Once you get your degree, you’ll be set for life!”
Fuck off.#BoomerAdvice https://t.co/J4dyl61MbJ
— Rose Thorn (@Rebecca_Rose87) November 9, 2019
8. Aging leads to conservatism
I’m significantly *more* radical in large part *because* of my kid. Our kids deserve the better world that we were promised and that we promised them, but that requires that *we* work to make that happen.
— Eterlin Blue (@BlueEterlin) November 9, 2019
9. The dreaded job hunt Boomer advice…
As a store manager I deal with this daily. I’ll smile and chat and tell they need to apply online because I CAN’T hire until they do.
— Mary (@Iyrytish) November 9, 2019
10. Threaten to take your employer’s job??
I did that exact thing. The dean was apparently not impressed. I didn’t get the job
— Philippe Duhart (@PhilippeDuhart) November 9, 2019