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Host Garrison Keillor answers your questions about life, love, writing, authors, and of course, A Prairie Home Companion.
Talkin' 'Bout My Generation
July 8, 2008 | 7 Comments
Post to the Host:
as a member of your generation i was deeply insulted and hurt by comments at the top of your July 5th show in which you apologized for our generation revolting and getting things 'wrong'.
oh yeah?
members of our generation helped create Earth Day, the environmental movement and the "green movement" back in the late 60s and early 70s. many of us said back then that alternative energy was the way to go and pollution was killing the planet.
members of our generation protested the war, which was senseless and pointless and hurt a lot of innocent young men and others. and here we are again in a war and today's generation can't be bothered to demonstrate. oh, that's right —we had the draft to worry about didn't we? compulsory service, guys like me graduating with a draft card at age 18, futures interrurpted members of our generation must have been pretty cool and pretty sharp because today's rock music and fashion is STILL stealing/borrowing from what we did back then.
our generation helped introduce something akin to rational tolerance and equality into america—no small feat. maybe you weren't getting chased by the cops gary, but many of us were.
you think our generation ruined the '68 democratic convention? interrupting the convention of a party that escalated vietnam and overreacted by cracking kids' heads?
you're embarrassed by your generation because a few lunkheads took too much dope and made some arrogant political statements? ok, so what, every generation has some of these.
if you feel bad for what happened in the 60s, fine. but do me a favor and don't apologize for ME, thank you very much. i'm not embarrassed by it at all. i no longer look cool and groovy in a pony tail, i never did wear bell bottoms or tie dye, but the 60s gave me hope i never lost, unlike the cynicism of other generations.
sorry you had such a bad time
A listener
The giveaway was the line about our mothers telling us we couldn't swim for an hour after eating or we'd get cramps and drown and our discovering that they were wrong and that turning us against authority: that was your cue that this was a joke. Sorry you missed it.
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Complete Post to the Host Archive
Diane | July 8, 2008 4:40 PM
Mr. Keillor, I was at Ravinia (one of the elite on the lawn), and I must tell you that not only did I get the joke, but I took it from the hearty guffaws around me that pretty much everyone did. One of your best Ravinia shows ever.
Here come da judge.
Chitown Pride | July 9, 2008 3:13 AM
It seems to me, a member of generation XY2K, or something of the like, that Baby-boomers had it easy! I know that sounds self aggrandizing, and maybe I'm just taken aback at how A Listener in disagreeing with GK felt the need to attack my generation, but seriously?! We don't have the resources to protest illegal wars and useless policies because our mothers and fathers and their mothers and fathers decided a long time ago that credit was the way of the future. You may think this is a leap of logic, but if I could work a part time job and go to school full time to pursue that well framed piece of paper I might have time left over to go out and protest... But as it is, I have to take out loans, and apply for credit cards, and make sure I've the money each month to pay the bills for the stuff I was told I'd want to have! The cost of school and books for me this year topped $21,000, a decent salary in some parts of this country, and if those students in 1968 in Chicago had to worry about coming up with that much money maybe they would have chosen to work that summer too!
And even though we here in Chicago haven't hosted a nominating convention in 40 years we have hosted more than any other single site by far. And it seems we did something right this time around, a proud adopted son of Chicago is gonna get Denver's nomination.
Sandy Gilman | July 9, 2008 1:24 PM
I would only ask one question --
Which generation does our current
White House occupant belong to?
There you have it...
(oops, one more question -- which
generation does many, many of those
who got our country into the trouble
it is in belong to?).
No it isn't a joke, but we sure
should be apologizing to those
young people who aren't protesting.
And, do you really believe, without
the draft, there would have been
such interest in protesting
the war in the 60's? I don't.
'nuf said...
Sandy
San Clemente
Mr. Shannon MacGregor | July 9, 2008 7:00 PM
Garrison,
If the whole thing was a joke, why did you make the wildly inaccurate and extremely hurtful statement about the Democratic National Convention in Chicago in 1968? There was nothing funny about that. The only people who did anything wrong at the demonstration outside of the convention were the Chicago mayor and police.
Shannon
Michelle Martin | July 10, 2008 6:57 AM
You were too subtle. Maybe you you should have preceded the joke with one of those disclaimers "the following monologue is humorous...". Oh and by the way, a word to a listener, who do you think raised this generation?
Bob B. | July 10, 2008 7:26 AM
Dear "listener": I would expect a member of your generation to be deeply insulted and hurt by anything that doesn't extol the virtues and utter superiority of your generation. You run true to form. You can just wonder 'til the cows come home whether I'm a member of a previous or a subsequent generation. If you care. Which you don't.
Tony DiMattia | July 10, 2008 1:53 PM
Garison...I am a baby boomer and was at the show thanks to my childrens generousity and respect for my sense of humor and your show.
Unfortunately this looks more like a political blog...some folks take life too seriously and my only recommendation is...lighten up...get a sense of humor...laugh at yourself once in awhile and remember no one of gets out alive...keep it in perspective and get the joke...
If you can't then just tune into all the serious dialogue on NPR and leave PHC alone...
...thanks for a great time July 5th!
v/r
AMD