Gen Z Has Given Us New Fighting Words: Ok Boomer

Boomers love to cry and then pretend like they’re not crying and blame other generations (of “snowflakes”) for their tears. Tis the way of the generation after World War II. They think they’ve had it tough and so they throw their lack of student loan debt in our face and mock our 80-hour work weeks by saying that, in their day, the television sets were in black and white.

The problem with the modern era is that the Baby Boomer generation, and just anyone who is older or nearing retirement, loves to call anyone younger than them a millennial, which isn’t the case. We have distinct generational divides, always have. The problem now is that by generalizing generations, you’re insulting everyone all at once and forcing a wave of unnecessary anger between them. So how is Gen Z combating that? By saying “Ok boomer” as a generalization for anyone older who is criticizing the youths.

Talking to NBC News, Sam Harman, a 17-year-old who took part in an iconic “Ok boomer” picture, discussed why the phrase has become so prominent:

I think a big part of why it has caught on is just, like, baby boomers and older people in general love to complain about younger people on the whole. They’ll call anyone younger than them ‘millennials,’ and doing the same thing to older people by calling them ‘boomers’ is kind of a push back to that.

With sweatshirts for sale (I already bought one) and a Twitter campaign that is spreading at a rapid pace, we’re all learning of the power that Gen Z has. The Ok Boomer trend started when one group of kids realized that their favorite sentiment to say to one another was “Ok Boomer” and has now grown into songs, tweet threads, and sweatshirt sales, so we have to give it up to Gen Z.

There’s a level of dedication to this trend that I truly appreciate. Basically anyone over the age of 39 likes to just throw everyone younger than them into the same generational label. The labels mean nothing except when someone wants to blame them for something. “Millennials” are lazy, “Gen Z” is entitled, and both of us are fed up. It was just Gen Z who found a way to make it a movement online, and we, as millennials, must support. (Hence my purchasing of a sweatshirt I most definitely do not need but definitely want.)

So now, we get to explore the songs and tweets of the youths and thrive in their comedic wit. Here, please listen to this song titled “ok, boomer” while we look at some of the best tweets about this movement.

The children really are our future and I can’t wait to be cozy in my “Ok boomer” sweatshirt all winter long.

(via NBC News, image: Fox)

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Rachel Leishman

Assistant Editor

Rachel Leishman (She/Her) is an Assistant Editor at the Mary Sue. She's been a writer professionally since 2016 but was always obsessed with movies and television and writing about them growing up. A lover of Spider-Man and Wanda Maximoff's biggest defender, she has interests in all things nerdy and a cat named Benjamin Wyatt the cat. If you want to talk classic rock music or all things Harrison Ford, she's your girl but her interests span far and wide. Yes, she knows she looks like Florence Pugh. She has multiple podcasts, normally has opinions on any bit of pop culture, and can tell you can actors entire filmography off the top of her head. Her current obsession is Glen Powell's dog, Brisket. Her work at the Mary Sue often includes Star Wars, Marvel, DC, movie reviews, and interviews.

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