Thursday, November 7, 2019

More for Boomers -- OK Boomer

An interesting story I read this week compared the generation label "boomer" to the "N" word. 

According to news reports, Rochester, N.Y., radio host Bob Lonsberry tweeted that boomer was the "... n-word for ageism." Lonsberry is 60.

USA Today reported the phrase "'OK, boomer,' has been used on the video-sharing app TikTok by Generation Z and millennials (also known as Generation Y) to show their resentment toward baby boomers."

The Independent's story  noted that Lonsberry criticized the phrase because it was "typically used to jab older folks for espousing seemingly outdated views."


I've heard boomer all my life and never considered it a derogatory term. I'm a boomer and proud to wear the badge. I've seen and experienced a lot of things in my boomer life. And perhaps I'm too old to care. That's another thing that comes with growing older.


Lonsberry, who has since deleted the tweet, apparently faced an avalanche of criticism for making the word comparison, according to the USA Today story. 

From the "The Mo'Kelly Show" host: "Just because something is insulting, it doesn't make the N-word sporto. Nobody died connected with it. Nobody was enslaved or segregated in conjunction with it. Just stop."

Actor John Mulaney, quoted by a Twitter user, said, "If you're comparing the badness of two words and you won't even say one of them, that's the worse word."

I'm not going to castigate Mr. Lonsberry. Maybe he was feeling down since reaching the big six-oh. Since he deleted the tweet, my guess is that he probably wishes he had used a different word, such as old, elderly, or senior. And there are plenty of other words that have been used to describe my generation.

Yep, words do matter, so choose wisely. 

Your thoughts?


~*~

If you're looking for information on the Internet about boomers, check out the "Top 100 Baby Boomer Blogs & Websites to Follow in 2019."

The blogs and websites cover a wide array of topics such as health, finances, careers, relationships, travel, grandparenting, and more. You can also subscribe to those that pique your interest. 

Until the next time . . .




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