WINTER OF DISCONTENT

“Alright fine you wanna be in a band fine. Go ahead. Play every night. Play three times a night! Don't just dick around the same coffee house for five years. Don't dick around with her; or with me. I mean try at something for once in your life, do something about it. But you know what? You better do it now and you better do it fast because the world doesn't owe you any favors”.
Leilanie Pierce – Reality Bites




My friend Joanna and her boyfriend Rob brought some popcorn last night to my request. I was craving for some caramel popcorn and since she was about to pass by to borrow some dvd’s I asked her if that can be the trade off. Was supposed to finish an edit but we ended up watching Reality Bites when she said that they can spare some movie watching time with me. I haven’t really seen REALITY BITES in ages... and it was like going back to memory lane for me when we were watching. The movie was really good because it was able to truly depict the era that has just passed. It’s almost like opening a time capsule and examining how we lived in that point of time.

It’s just so refreshing to see how we lived and looked, what we believed in those days… REALITY BITES was the seminal film of GENERATION X during the ninety’s. As far as I can remember there’s no other movie that can come close by the gravity it depicted our generation. There was this interesting article in DETAILS saying that our era has just passed – GEN X has reached it’s peak and in this point in time, there is no turning back… we have lived our youth, we had our fun and we should already be living our dreams right now. It’s scary to even think about it really…

The Babyboomers, the generation before us, are now the ones who are in command… and the Millenial’s, the generation after us is now the center of attention by the powerful world of consumerism. That leaves us in the very awkward age of being in the middle – the lost generation. Did we really loose our edge already?

To quote the article: “The BABY BOOMERS are having sex, staying young. Retiring in high style… gearing up for their second act. The aggressive Millennial’s speak with none of the doubt and skepticism that have marked and hampered GEN X. They love stuff. They love technology. They love name brands. Their happy to do with what advertising wants them to do… and by being so, they also command power. We, on the other hand are the generation that’s defined more than the lasts than firsts. Last to produce and hold albums in vynil, last to type in a typewriter, last generation to read newspapers, last generation to express resistance to corporate servitude, last generation to care in a way about the “culture” part in the phrase pop culture.”

So where did this lead us… we the all-knowing? We were the ones who didn’t want to be put inside the box. We didn’t want to be just a part of the status quo… we were all about individuality that in the end we ended up exactly what we wanted to be - a generation scattered. A generation forever hesitating before making the leap. Literacy leads to self-reflection and critical thinking - and self reflection and critical thinking open the door to both doubt and skepticism… and we really don’t need this when we want to get ahead.

Or then again, maybe we didn't really care much about getting ahead. That's what defined our generation. We seem to revel in the perversely liberating thrill of being marginalized. We just want to do things on our own. We dine success differently.

Our we obsolete then… I sure hope not. Personally I still have lots to offer this world. But I will still not lower my standards, will still not put my self in a box and will still fight for my individuality… and if I fail in doing so… at least I gave up a good fight in the end…

FAVE REALITY BITES QUOTES:

Lelaina Pierce: I'm not going to work at The Gap for chrissake!

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Troy Dyer: The only thing you have to be by the age of 23 is yourself.
Lelaina: Yeah, well, I'm not sure who that is anymore.

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Lelaina Pierce: I'd like to somehow make a difference in peoples' lives.
Troy Dyer: And I... I would like to buy them all a Coke.
Lelaina Pierce: And you wonder why we never got involved?

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Troy Dyer: And I know that scare the living shit outta you 'cause you know I'm the only real thing you got.
Lelaina: Yeah well that ain't real much.

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Troy Dryer: I'm gonna get a job... I'll soon get my own place to live in.
Lelaina: Sure... that's the American dream of the 90's.

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Troy Dyer: I'm bursting with fruit flavor.

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Lelaina Pierce: Hey Sammy, what's your goal?
Sammy: My goal is... I'd like a career or something.

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Troy Dyer: I am not under any orders to make the world a better place.

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Troy Dyer: There's no point to any of this. It's all just a... a random lottery of meaningless tragedy and a series of near escapes. So I take pleasure in the details. You know... a quarter-pounder with cheese, those are good, the sky about ten minutes before it starts to rain, the moment where your laughter become a cackle... and I, I sit back and I smoke my Camel Straights and I ride my own melt.