sifting
Twelve years ago today Kurt Cobain killed himself, and a segment of Generation X lost the potent voice from a reluctant leader. We did not look to politicans or too many authority figures for a degree of guidance or inspiration. 
Perhaps some members of the next generation, those behind us, feel likewise, but it is now a vastly different social and cultural landscape, not only in the United States, but across the globe.
Gen X (once known as "baby busters") came of age in a time before the Internet, cell phones, iPods, and DVD. Information came from the television or newspapers, generally. We listened to records and cassettes for part of our lives, and used turntables and tape Walkmans. Movies were rented on VHS, but we remember Beta. Cable television was actually still inventive. Going to the movies was still a relatively inexpensive, enjoyable (and commercial free) experience. And radio was still relevant.
With the influx of MP3 players (particularly the iPod), satellite radio, digital cable music channels, and cable TV music video channels (excluding the drivel on the original MTV and the pointless VH1), AM/FM radio is becoming obsolete. In a way, it's a sad occurrence, because for decades radio was a fertile ground for music both new and old. But the manifestation of corporate monopolies and the homologous programming of mainstream radio (as well as the debilitated state of popular music) has led "terrestrial radio" to a crossroads that leads to its marginalization and insignificance. It does not exactly cause me to brim with joy to write this, as I worked for several years in radio, both college and commercial, and I enjoyed it.
College radio is still home to "avant-garde" ideas and music, but it, too, has lost much of its edge and audience. The glory has faded. When the "alternative" rose in the charts and topped national playlists in the early '90s, those weird college radio stations and quirky DJs at the lower end of the FM dial suddenly became elements of the mainstream, whether they liked it or not.
It was largely through college radio, as well as the Sunday night MTV video showcase "120 Minutes," that Kurt Cobain and Nirvana became a massive part of the pop culture mainstream. And when they burst out onto worldwide scene, they brought this new generation of "slackers" (ho-hum, what frivolous nomenclature) to the forefront of international consciousness. Gen X'ers were in college, or just out (by its narrowest definition, anyone born between 1965 and 1975 is an X'er). We were trying to get a foothold on our future. This latest generational entry in a constantly shifting culture, coupled with Douglas Coupland's milestone novel "Generation X," gave this segment of society an identity. Whether we agreed with it or not, well, we'd often shrug it off with sarcasm and a smirk. That's Gen X for you - frequently aloof, seditious, and disaffected.
Times change. The paradigm is altered, generations grow up, and even "sell out" (just look at the Boomers and the hippies). But we always maintain a distinct cultural stamp, and are remembered for certain sweeping ideologies. Much of what Gen X is and was perceived to be is on display in films like "Reality Bites," "Singles," "Clerks," "Before Sunrise," and (the appropriatley titled) "Slacker." It was reflected in our music, from lesser knowns like Dinosaur Jr., Bad Religion, and Ministry to phenomenons like Pearl Jam, Nine Inch Nails, and, of course, Nirvana.
And on the morning of April 8, 1994, the news came in from Seattle that Kurt's body had been found, shotgun at his side. I was living in Buffalo at the time, just a few weeks from my move to San Francisco. I turned on the television, and the spectacle was splashed across every network. I watched with a heavy heart, but I wasn't surprised. Kurt had been a troubled man with a host of physical (and mental) ailments, and he decided to put it to an end. Some might claim that he "took the easy way out" or "did not appreciate what he'd earned," but that is immaterial. Kurt was dead, and with his demise, a huge segment of Generation X lost a timorous voice.
It is specified on the home page of this blog that "Generation X survived." Of course we did, despite Douglas Coupland's declaration otherwise in the New York Times Magazine that "Generation X is dead" (I believe that he was simply tired of the hoopla surrounding the title of his extraordinary book). We moved on in our lives. In our pop culture, bands split up, other musicians died (Layne Staley of Alice in Chains, Dwayne Goettel of Skinny Puppy, Tupac, Shannon Hoon of Blind Melon, Eazy-E), movies seemed to get worse, DVD and MP3 became the standard, the Internet exploded. Gen X navigated these changes like anyone else, we adapted and assimilated. Hell, boatloads of X'ers probably own iPods and use cable modems and have extensive DVD libraries (it can't just be me).
Yes, Generation X survived. We matured into adulthood, and we are still a force to be reckoned with, no matter what the naysayers or contrarians might claim.
Twelve years gone, blown away down the dusty trails of time. But we're still here, Kurt. And your music still serves us well.
Perhaps some members of the next generation, those behind us, feel likewise, but it is now a vastly different social and cultural landscape, not only in the United States, but across the globe.Gen X (once known as "baby busters") came of age in a time before the Internet, cell phones, iPods, and DVD. Information came from the television or newspapers, generally. We listened to records and cassettes for part of our lives, and used turntables and tape Walkmans. Movies were rented on VHS, but we remember Beta. Cable television was actually still inventive. Going to the movies was still a relatively inexpensive, enjoyable (and commercial free) experience. And radio was still relevant.
With the influx of MP3 players (particularly the iPod), satellite radio, digital cable music channels, and cable TV music video channels (excluding the drivel on the original MTV and the pointless VH1), AM/FM radio is becoming obsolete. In a way, it's a sad occurrence, because for decades radio was a fertile ground for music both new and old. But the manifestation of corporate monopolies and the homologous programming of mainstream radio (as well as the debilitated state of popular music) has led "terrestrial radio" to a crossroads that leads to its marginalization and insignificance. It does not exactly cause me to brim with joy to write this, as I worked for several years in radio, both college and commercial, and I enjoyed it.
College radio is still home to "avant-garde" ideas and music, but it, too, has lost much of its edge and audience. The glory has faded. When the "alternative" rose in the charts and topped national playlists in the early '90s, those weird college radio stations and quirky DJs at the lower end of the FM dial suddenly became elements of the mainstream, whether they liked it or not.
It was largely through college radio, as well as the Sunday night MTV video showcase "120 Minutes," that Kurt Cobain and Nirvana became a massive part of the pop culture mainstream. And when they burst out onto worldwide scene, they brought this new generation of "slackers" (ho-hum, what frivolous nomenclature) to the forefront of international consciousness. Gen X'ers were in college, or just out (by its narrowest definition, anyone born between 1965 and 1975 is an X'er). We were trying to get a foothold on our future. This latest generational entry in a constantly shifting culture, coupled with Douglas Coupland's milestone novel "Generation X," gave this segment of society an identity. Whether we agreed with it or not, well, we'd often shrug it off with sarcasm and a smirk. That's Gen X for you - frequently aloof, seditious, and disaffected.
Times change. The paradigm is altered, generations grow up, and even "sell out" (just look at the Boomers and the hippies). But we always maintain a distinct cultural stamp, and are remembered for certain sweeping ideologies. Much of what Gen X is and was perceived to be is on display in films like "Reality Bites," "Singles," "Clerks," "Before Sunrise," and (the appropriatley titled) "Slacker." It was reflected in our music, from lesser knowns like Dinosaur Jr., Bad Religion, and Ministry to phenomenons like Pearl Jam, Nine Inch Nails, and, of course, Nirvana.
And on the morning of April 8, 1994, the news came in from Seattle that Kurt's body had been found, shotgun at his side. I was living in Buffalo at the time, just a few weeks from my move to San Francisco. I turned on the television, and the spectacle was splashed across every network. I watched with a heavy heart, but I wasn't surprised. Kurt had been a troubled man with a host of physical (and mental) ailments, and he decided to put it to an end. Some might claim that he "took the easy way out" or "did not appreciate what he'd earned," but that is immaterial. Kurt was dead, and with his demise, a huge segment of Generation X lost a timorous voice.
It is specified on the home page of this blog that "Generation X survived." Of course we did, despite Douglas Coupland's declaration otherwise in the New York Times Magazine that "Generation X is dead" (I believe that he was simply tired of the hoopla surrounding the title of his extraordinary book). We moved on in our lives. In our pop culture, bands split up, other musicians died (Layne Staley of Alice in Chains, Dwayne Goettel of Skinny Puppy, Tupac, Shannon Hoon of Blind Melon, Eazy-E), movies seemed to get worse, DVD and MP3 became the standard, the Internet exploded. Gen X navigated these changes like anyone else, we adapted and assimilated. Hell, boatloads of X'ers probably own iPods and use cable modems and have extensive DVD libraries (it can't just be me).
Yes, Generation X survived. We matured into adulthood, and we are still a force to be reckoned with, no matter what the naysayers or contrarians might claim.
Twelve years gone, blown away down the dusty trails of time. But we're still here, Kurt. And your music still serves us well.
posted by Walls Falling at 2:40 PM
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