So this was going to be an extremely rant-y post about how grossly inaccurate the popular sweeping negative generalizations about Americans born between 1980 and 2000 are – a HUGE span of years, by the way – but then I stumbled across this political cartoonist’s take on it all and it’s pretty fantastic.
Instead, I’m going to continue the rant discussion in regards to film and television, as that is my area of work (and hopefully someday, expertise). The other day I came across this article on Indiewire.com, a trade online publication for independent films, about the SXSW grand jury prize-winning film, Fort Tilden. Read here. Full disclosure: I haven’t seen this film yet, but reading this review brought up feelings of frustration in regards to my fellow “millennial” filmmakers.
Okay, so here goes:
Dear fellow filmmakers and TV producers,
Please stop making us all look bad. I know that your goal is probably to be bitingly accurate, but I, for one, am really getting sick of watching whining, spoiled, self-involved, vapid white 20-somethings (specifically girls) who live in Brooklyn and have their daddies pay for everything. We get it. Women like that exist. They may even represent the ugliness inside all of us or something metaphorical like that. They have sex with emotionally unavailable, spoiled, self-involved, vapid, vain white 20-something men and wonder why they’re unhappy. They make mistakes, they take drugs, they have no direction. The problem is, that is only one small, very specific, and exclusive section of the so-called “millennial generation.” And Lena Dunham already did it, and she’s doing it well. So please, show me something new.
In every generation, the old folks like to berate us young folks. The future of America is doomed, we’re all lazy, in their day they worked really hard, etc. I understand that and in 20 years, I’ll probably say the same about the next generation. (I actually already worry about 12-18 year olds.) I may have been born in 1987, but the world of Fort Tilden, Girls, and Tiny Furniture is not my world. In fact, much like anytime I visit Williamsburg, I usually feel very purposefully left out. (I still really like beards though)
Let me give you a bit of background on myself and my friends. Yes, the majority of us graduated from NYU Tisch, SVA, or another similar NYC arts school. The majority of us are struggling artists or work in the entertainment industry. All of us continually contemplate (usually over watered-down well drinks in a dive bar) our purpose, our life choices, and our chosen career paths or lack thereof. But all of us work really, really, really hard at what we do. Some may still get financial assistance from their parents, but only out of necessity. We all temp or waitress or bartend or sit at a desk assisting a demanding boss/network/production company for hours and hours and hours every day. We understand the sacrifices we have to make to do what we love, and we’re constantly trying to find the best compromise that lets us eat while still keeping our souls alive. We’re trying to get in touch with our own sense of spirituality and the universe, we’re making amends and healing our childhood traumas, and we’re trying to eat better, live cleaner, and be responsible. We are on Facebook and Twitter and Instagram and Tumblr (don’t lie, you are too!), but most of the time, it’s to promote our own passion projects that we’re self-funding through Kickstarter or Indie Go-Go. We go see each other in the theatre and attend our own film screenings. We may go out and drink and dance and maybe even do drugs, but we’re always keeping our eyes and ears and minds and hearts open to new experiences, new people, new ideas, new cultures.
Best of all? We’re every single color, race, and creed. We’re straight and gay and lesbian and bi and queer. We’re not walking stereotypes, we’re complex human beings. We’re supportive of human and animal rights. We keep up on the news on a global scale, whether it’s through CNN or Facebook. We march in the Gay Pride parade and sign protests against companies that publicly declare against our rights. Conservatives and Republicans may call us liberal and foolish, but we are members of disenfranchised groups. We experience oppression, discrimination, and the glass ceiling every day. And we dream of a world where it does get better. We understand that we don’t understand the gray area. We want to find love and success and happiness and sometimes it’s really hard not knowing where or when or even if we’ll ever find that.
So have faith in us. We’re young, but don’t hold that against us. Not all millennials are self-centered, socially-inept whipper snappers. Some of us are just trying to get through our 20s alive. My friends and I are magnificent people. We have a lot to learn. And I can’t wait to see what we come up with.
k.mo. productions 