Generation X-Wing And The Millennial Falcon

Generally, I’ve been sympathetic to millennials, arguing that generations have far more in common than different. However, some in my generation have enthusiastically jumped on the millennial-bashing bandwagon. One example was a meme I saw that tried to symbolize our generations by our Star Wars villains. Supposedly, Kylo Ren is a typical millennial, while Darth Vader is emblematic of Generation X.

Of course, it’s just listing positive and negative aspects of each character, arbitrarily assigning them to each generation as convenient, while overlooking the whole genocide thing. And misspelling “Millennial” was a bonus.

I don’t buy the idea that our Star Wars antagonists symbolize us.. For one thing, the ages don’t really line up: the original trilogy were made as the last few Gen-Xers were being born, and staring mostly Baby Boomers, while the new trilogy is mostly staring millennials, while that generation are in their twenties and thirties and a lot of the viewers are the next generation. Really, the Millennials would have been personified by Count Dooku in the prequels.

And wouldn’t Darth Vader act and talk differently if he were the personification of Generation X?

• “I find your lack of irony disturbing.”
• “The Force is totally awesome with this one.”
• “Yeah, I killed your father...not!”
• “You’re, like, underestimating the power of the Dark Side.”
• “Just for once, let me see you with my old-school eyes instead of this bogus mask. You were right about me, Luke. My bad.”

And of course, if he were really a Gen-Xer, his name would be Darth Vedder. Hahahahaha I'm so hilarious.

But more to the point, try to imagine the Gen-X Sith. I mean for those of us who lived through the worst of Generation X stereotypes, it’s pretty comical to imagine: Darth X’er, in his flannel robes, lazing on the couch in his parents’ house, using the force to grab pizza from across the room because he can’t be bothered to get up, listening to the Chemical Brothers’ remix of the Imperial March.

And that’s the biggest surprise to me about Millennial bashers from Gen-X: we lived through the vicious stereotypes of us — often the same ones now aimed at Millennials, often from the same Baby Boomers that are supplying most of the millennial-hate — all to blame us for problems that were really a product of our circumstances. That’s why I’ve been sympathetic to the Millennials, and willing to listen to them when they complain about their problems.

But some people prefer to take the anger once directed at themselves, and then push it back out at others. The problem is, that makes you no better than those who attacked you; you’re just continuing that same evil. If only someone had made a bunch of movies built around that same point.