Okay, boomer

So cheugy

Sep 8, 2021

I’m fascinated by how the last few years has seen generations pitted against each other, and how friendly banter has oftentimes crossed a line into downright animosity between the factions.

From boomers claiming millennials can’t afford housing because of their avocado toast habit to gen z bringing back the god-awful low-rise jeans, not a day goes by without another news article about how things just ain’t like they used to be.

There’s always been banter between generations, but I feel like only now has the media got behind it, perpetuating a weird conflict where we all sit in our generational tribes and throw insults at each other.

I’m not above this, either. I regularly call out the Mother-in-Law for her boomer behaviour, which includes, but is not limited to, activities such as:

Living life through Facebook
Flappy bejewelled phone cases
Sharing a pair of reading glasses with her spouse so it takes them ages to order in a restaurant
Ironing absolutely everything

While these are all tongue-in-cheek, there are many other characteristics of the boomer generation that are not always true. Often thought of as less tolerant than their successors, I do think that boomers are too often tarred with the same brush. These guys worked (and many still do) hard for their families and didn’t always have the same opportunities that we do now. And to that, I raise the boomers a glass of Baby Cham and a custard cream.

I’m least familiar with Gen X, so let me know some common truths and misconceptions about the latchkey kids on Twitter as I'd like to know.

When it comes to being a millennial, there’s a lot to be proud of, and even more to be ashamed of. Honestly, we’re a weird bunch. Growing up with the internet in its earliest form meant that we are no strangers to oversharing. We’re nostalgic about things that we shouldn’t be, like MSN Messenger and MySpace. We took a digital camera on a night out and uploaded all the photos to Facebook the next day in a hungover state. Thank Zuckerberg for approved photo tagging.

We live for:

Spongebob memes
High-waisted jeans and side partings
Self-deprecating humour
Astrology
Letting phone calls go to voicemail
and other such cheugy nonsense.

So, let’s talk about cheugy. A word coined by Gen Z to explain things that are inherently millennial. If you watched this season of Love Island, then you’ll know what it means to “get the ick.” While typically used by a person to refer to another person’s behaviour that makes them inexplicably uncomfortable, you could certainly argue that millennials give Gen Z the ick, and that’s where cheugy comes in.

This isn’t the first time a generation has coined a word to poke fun at another, but it's the first time that we've been the butt of the joke we didn't crack. Millennials love to take the piss out of ourselves, but we're not a fan of others doing it.

I think the key thing to remember in all of this is that trends are cyclical, and us millennials are seeing that happen for the first time as butterfly clips and baggy jeans come back to haunt us.

I'm curious to hear what generation you are and what you think of the ones that come before - is it all just banter or is there a little animosity in there, too? Find me on Twitter or reply to this for a chat.

📚 Elantris by Brandon Sanderson

📚 How to Kill Your Family by Bella Mackie

📺 Taboo (BBC iPlayer)

👰 Did I mention we got married last week? It was the most amazing day to tie the knot in our favourite city in the world, followed by a vegan curry buffet at a local brewery. We couldn’t have asked for a better day, so thanks to everyone who came and/or wished us well on Twitter. Love you all.