Ka BOOMERS! The generation that exploded!

Since my last blog I've had the pleasure of presenting generational information to the Public Relations Society of America's Gulfcoast Chapter. Other than that, I've been flat out too busy to update this blog. Sorry. I'll try to do better.

This blog is dedicated to the Baby Boomers. Wow! What a group! They are huge! (Notice the line of exclamation points. They deserve all three of them.) Baby Boomers were born between 1946 and 1964. Their formative years were in the 50s, 60s and 70s. There is a very wide range among those decades and lots of 50s baby boomers don't really think that they identify very much with the 70s ones, but they are all connected. There are two very distinct waves though that are recognized.

Common factors:
All boomers grew up when there were still only three television stations that the whole family watched together. They all enjoyed rock and roll music - even though the definition of that genre changed a bit over time. They felt pretty secure in their families and lives. One of the biggest bonds the entire boomer clan share though is credited to Dr. Benjamin Spock. Dr. Spock came out with a statement never before considered. He said, "Children should be raised to be idealistic." Huh??

Silent mothers had no idea what this meant. They were raised to do as they were told, be seen and not heard, work hard and follow the rules. Now, here comes along this doctor who must be really smart because, well, he's a doctor and shakes EVERYTHING up. The boomers were the first group of kids who believed they could accomplish ANYTHING - regardless of race or gender. That's when things started to get a little sticky. Boomers had what they needed and then some. They also were idealistic in believing that everybody should be in the same boat. Therefore, women and blacks should have an equal place at the table. Those ideas changed the world.

Look back first.
Keep in mind that the generation before - the Silents - were always aware of where they stood. Women at home taking care of kids. Men at work. If they worked hard, did what they were told and remained loyal to the company, they would get rewarded. One thing these white males didn't have was competition. Until...

The 80 hour work week begins
For the first time, rewards were no longer guaranteed for hard work. First wave boomers started to see their fathers losing their jobs or promotions to women and blacks who were just beginning to enter the work place. This had a profound effect on young boomers. While they believed in equality, many were still somewhat racist and felt that this intrusion into their lives was a matter of disrespect. Second wave boomers saw it as a catalyst to keep the momentum going. As famous Silents like Gloria Steinem and Martin Luther King whipped second wave boomers into a frenzy, first wave boomers who were just entering the workplace found that hard work may not be enough. This conflicted with the idealism engendered in this group. They knew they could do it - they would just have to do it differently than their fathers did.

So let's look at this generation: White males had to work harder to compete with blacks and women in the workplace. Blacks and women had to work harder because they had to prove themselves to be better than the white males.This started the era of the 80 hour work week. Workaholics became the eventual Yuppies. Individual ideas and innovation became the standards by which workers were judged. Standing out was how you were noticed. There were some amazing innovations that emerged from this and some devastating results on family life. This was also the time when African Americans first made their way into the vernacular. Boomers who may have resented the competition did not ever want to look like they were racist, so they made it politically incorrect to call blacks black. The dawn of African Americans took shape. For any person of color who reads this blog, please don't ever be offended by my use of the word black to describe someone of African decent. I'm a Gen Xr and will explain it at a different time. Suffice it to say that none of my black friends are offended by being called black, so I am ok with it too. That's how Gen Xrs are, but more on that later.

The other really big thing
Ironically, some generational experts say that a really tiny thing was really the other big thing that formed the baby boomer generation. The birth control pill. When the pill became commonly used, it opened the door for some major changes. Women no longer had to worry about getting pregnant if they had sex outside of marriage. This started the sexual revolution. Add to it the drug culture that became prevalent and you can begin to understand the ramifications. One of the other "silent" side effects of the pill was the increase of extramarital affairs with young boomer women and older silent men. These infidelities led to an increase in the divorce rate, which threw many silent women into the work place who never wanted to be there in the first place.

Boomers by any other name are...the Peter Pan Generation.
I don't think we will ever see an old baby boomer. That's because they absolutely refuse to grow up. They are forever young and truly believe that they will remain that way. The forever young attitude will keep plastic surgeons, health food stores, fitness clubs and fashion designers fat and happy for a long time. Roger Daltry (a silent, by the way - but on the cusp) stated it very clearly - "I hope I die before I get old" Those words are the anthem for boomers. Notice, it doesn't say, I want to die young. It says, I want to die before I become like one of them. Boomers will stay active as long as humanly possible. Communicators would be wise to avoid any mention of aging - no matter how nicely you put it. Golden years, mature, senior, elder, aging, are all words that mean death to a brand if marketing to boomers. The proof is in Cadillac's commercials. They tried showing boomers that they had arrived. They created commercials showing the Country Club and the Trophy Wife. Sales tanked. They changed their concept and showed a really cool Caddy zipping through the smoke with the Led Zeppelin song "Break on through" telling the whole story. Now that's what I'm talkin' about! Any car is cool with Led Zepp endorsing it. Ironically, PT Cruisers were also extremely popular among boomers. They reminded them of the old "woodies" they grew up with - but Cruisers had more style.

There is a lot to say about boomers. To wrap it up nicely, they are very intelligent, idealistic, hard working, dedicated to excellence, demanding, rebellious, go-getters, workaholics, open minded, socially conscious and I hate to say it, but they're starting to get _ L D _ R. Sorry, I can't commit the political suicide it would be to say they are getting older out loud. But that's a fact. One other little thing to think about...

It's still about the sex.
Did you know that boomers and some silents represent the fastest growing group of people newly diagnosed (or not yet diagnosed) with sexually transmitted diseases and infections? Why? There are lots of reasons. Such as:
1) When they were first experimenting with lots of sex, there were only two STDs. Now, there are a bunch more.
2) Back then, sex education was non-existent, therefore safe sex meant you were on the pill.
3) Erectile dysfunction medication makes it easier for formerly impotent men to continue with an active sex life.
4) Mid-life divorces are leading many to try online dating sites which often lead to one-night or even several nights with someone they don't really know.
5) Since many have already gone through menopause, they don't need to use condoms, because they can't get pregnant anymore.

Time for the shameless but very real client plug. Baby boomers (and even a few silents!) need to get tested for STDs and STIs if they are not in a long-term monogomous relationship and have had sex with anyone else. Luckily, they can do it discreety and confidentially at www.personalabs.com or justgettested.com.

Education is first.
Action is second. (Get tested)
Medication is third.

Next blog will be about my favorite generation - Generation X. Why? Because I am one. BUT I too am just about on the cusp so I really do understand much of what baby boomers go through and I can totally understand that even though I'm on the cusp, I'm a full-blooded Gen Xr. You'll just have to wait till next time to find out what all that means.