This is what it means be Gen-X

Gen-Xers don't like to be categorized

So already, the very title of this blog post disqualifies me for speaking for all of us.  After all, no single person can define a generation of individuals!  Which brings me to...

We're Individual

We resist being categorized unless the category highlights our individuality.  We want to stand out for what makes us unique.  We like the label "non-conformists", so as long as you are categorizing us an being resistant to categorization, we'll give you a pass.

Things we said: "If you call yourself punk rock, you're not punk rock."

We don't trust Wealth

This is our idea of a bad guy.  A pretentious, jerk-wad who comes from money.

But then we do trust Wealth

This poster was also popular with our generation.  You see, some of us were pretentious jerk-wads, or wanted to grow up to be one.

We look up to Rebels

Our heroes came in many forms, but they all had this in common: they weren't afraid to speak up, defy authority, or otherwise just give a middle finger.

We respect the nerds 

From DEVO, to the cast of Revenge of The Nerds, to Weird Science, we embraced the smart kids who were a little bit different.

We objectify women

I wanted the title to read "objectified" rather than "objectify" to suggest we've grown up and changed our attitudes.  But I think most male Xers would say, "So I like sexy women?  What of it?"

I mean, come on, these stills are from the same videos and movies above.  It was a bit built into our culture that women were supposed to be fit, sexy and, if possible, naked.  I think a lot of us are still grappling with our own expectations of women, and the tension that exists between our cultural upbringing and our relationship with women in the modern day.  It's complicated.

Well this light-hearted blog post is getting kind of deep, so maybe I'm going to just leave it there.