Generation X Discussion (Born 1965–1979) - We actually played with toys!

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DarkJediKnight

Member
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Generation X, or Gen X, is the demographic cohort following the baby boomers and preceding the Millennials. There are no precise dates for when Generation X starts or ends; demographers and researchers typically use starting birth years ranging from the early-to-mid 1960s and ending birth years ranging from the late 1970s to early 1980s.

Members of Generation X were children during a time of shifting societal values and as children were sometimes called the "latchkey generation", due to reduced adult supervision compared to previous generations, a result of increasing divorce rates and increased maternal participation in the workforce, prior to widespread availability of childcare options outside the home. As adolescents and young adults, they were dubbed the "MTV Generation" (a reference to the music video channel of the same name) and characterized as slackers and as cynical and disaffected. Some of the cultural influences on Gen X youth were the musical genres of grunge and hip hop music, and indie films. In midlife, research describes Gen X adults as active, happy, and as achieving a work–life balance. The cohort has been credited with entrepreneurial tendencies.
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Douglas Coupland coined the term Generation X, and he saw the rise of "McJobs" - jobs which saw little to no growth potential to sufficiently increase wealth. Despite the bleak outlook he presented at times, there was some awesome things Generation X got to experience: the rise of the internet, videogames, arcades, martial arts movies, etc...

I'm a late Gen Xer, and a child of the 80s and I can say I lived in a time before consumerism really took over: when pizzas actually had cheese, when cartoons didn't get dumbed down, when McDonalds fries actually tasted good because it used saturated fat oils. lol

What's your story, memories of being part of Generation X?
 
So "late 70s to early 80s"? Then what the fuck am I (born 1980), cause I've been called a Millennial too. I grew up with a lot of that shit, was raised on early MTV (back when music videos were EVERYTHING).
 
Wait... I can be GenX?
The internet told me being born in 1981 meant I was a dirty Millennial...

I'm so ready to be out of the avacado toast eating crowd it's not even funny...

Let's talk Dallas, President Regan, and Transformers! You know, the awesome, non-Michael Bay kind...
 
MagnaderAlpha said:
So "late 70s to early 80s"? Then what the fuck am I (born 1980), cause I've been called a Millennial too. I grew up with a lot of that shit, was raised on early MTV (back when music videos were EVERYTHING).
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My wife is an '80 as well, she thinks she's a millennial, I disagree.

I think it should be judged like this: did you watch the Challenger disaster in school? Anyone too young is millennial.
 
I somewhat question the past tense use of the word play.

Nephtes said:
Wait... I can be GenX?
The internet told me being born in 1981 meant I was a dirty Millennial...

I'm so ready to be out of the avacado toast eating crowd it's not even funny...

Let's talk Dallas, President Regan, and Transformers! You know, the awesome, non-Michael Bay kind...
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If you were out of High School before the start of the new Millennium, you can probably get a pass into the Gen X club.
 
Born in 82. I definitely relate more with Gen-X than Millennial (especially the parenting part- I was definitely a latchkey kid). I'll never understand why early 80's = millennial.
 
Were u afraid of Total Nuclear War?
Do u remember the fall of the wall?
Then u are this new thing called Xennials (aka Cold Y aka Oregon trail generation)
 
I was born in '78, but I find myself somewhere between Gen-X and the Millennials. I can relate to and have traits of both. I guess I'm what they call the X-ennial.

Gully State said:
Born in 82. I definitely relate more with Gen-X than Millennial (especially the parenting part- I was definitely a latchkey kid). I'll never understand why early 80's = millennial.
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The idea of the name is that they come of age around the millennium.
 
None of this stuff ever has a clear dividing line, and the fuzzy lines often move. In the 90s I was considered borderline Gen X and I was born in 76, but now no one even questions if that is Gen X or not.

And ultimately it doesn't really matter.
 
Born in '81 and identify more with millennials in terms of employment opportunities and economic values, but otherwise I don't identify with either. Growing up, Generation-X felt like it ended with people 5 years older than me.
 
1985, played outside, played with toys, had a rotary phone, remember getting the Internet for the first time, etc...

Also don't make much money, will never own a house, massive student debt etc...

I hate this dividing line shit. Let's get together to hate on the real villains, the Boomers, and the upcoming villains, Gen-Z or whatever the fuck the fidget-spinner generation is called.
 
CrudeDiatribe said:
Born in '81 and identify more with millennials in terms of employment opportunities and economic values, but otherwise I don't identify with either. Growing up, Generation-X felt like it ended with people 5 years older than me.
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I am 81 and I don't relate with millennials at all.
 
MagnaderAlpha said:
So "late 70s to early 80s"? Then what the fuck am I (born 1980), cause I've been called a Millennial too. I grew up with a lot of that shit, was raised on early MTV (back when music videos were EVERYTHING).
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I've heard the cutoff is 1965 - 1982, basically, can't be under 18 when Jan 1 2000 hit.
 
lyrick said:
If you were out of High School before the start of the new Millennium, you can probably get a pass into the Gen X club.
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Class of 99.
Graduated High School the same day Episode I came out.
My graduation party was a midnight showing of Episode I.

In retrospect... I probably should have gone with a more traditional party.
At least then I might have gotten some cake...
 
I think about 76-84 is kind of a different group than the traditional GenX OR Millenials, in a lot of ways.

I definitely remember having the "latchkey freedom", but I also remember playing Pokemon (even though I was working at FunCoLand as a teenager by then). The Neverending Story meant a lot to me, but so did The Lion King (although I think my friends and I smoked pot before we watched it). I remember when the internet was brand new, but I was still young enough (pre-teen/young teenager) to feel like I grew up with it. I remember the pog craze very well, but I was the referee at the "tournament" at the local comic shop (I also worked there), and was about five years older than all the contestants.

I was a bit too young to really have been into/understand Star Wars as a little kid (although my folks took me to see them as a toddler), but when I was a teenager and there was zero Star Wars merchandise or anything, I got into it because it was such a kitchy, retro thing that felt cool and gave me vague nostalgia.

Basically, my teen years were the 90's, but it was Kurt Cobain 90's, not Blink 182 90's.

But I guess it doesn't matter. I'd say I'm claiming Gen X... it makes a bit more sense than Millennial for me, I guess.
 
Gen X here. 1980.

And yeah it was awesome. I remember riding my bike EVERYWHERE. Going to the woods and coming back home by the streetlights. As a kid you grew up witb Saturday morning cartoons then went outside to play till dinner.

And if you were lucky got a hot babysitter as your parents went out that night.
 
GI Joe wasn't the holy grail of toys for me, it was the Millennial Falcon

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Course my family was way too poor to ever get one but my best friend got one and man we played with that thing every day, carting it with us everywhere around in the woods and around town setting up new planets for Han and Chewie and Luke and R2 to visit.

The other huge difference I'd say is how much we were unsupervised and outside, like 80% of my free time was with friends outside and unstructured. I noticed that changed a lot with my kids and my grandkids now basically are never left alone :(

and yeah saturday morning cartoons were the fucking shit, I was always a Bugs and funny cartoons kinda guy over GI Joe and stuff. I don't understand how most of us didn't end up with diabetes with how much sugary cereal we ate.
 
The A-Team, G.I. Joe, Knight Rider, Cheers, Airwolf, Miami Vice, Ghostbusters, Goonies, Back to the Future, Gremlins, E.T., The Breakfast Club, Wrestling (y'know before people knew it was just "Entertainment"), Robin Leech, Life before commonplace internet and definitely slow as hell dial up for those that had it, Rock n Roll..etc. etc. etc.

Those were the days.
 
Most 80 story I can tell, is remembering the night when I kicked the rail at the roller skating rink and all the friendship pins on my lace broke and the whole night was ruined for everyone because the beads went fricken everywhere.

I got my first kiss in the pole position sit down machine there.... it was a bitch to hit the gas pedal with skates on.

tearsintherain said:
GI Joe wasn't the holy grail of toys for me, it was the Millennial Falcon

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I have this now... but I bought it about 4 years ago. My family was dirt poor back then also.


Krakatoa said:
I played with this AT-AT for years.
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My wife bought me this new in the box for my last birthday.... It is on top my portable collection case now.
 
THIS was my best thing as a kid!

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Actually, I had the Renegade one, too.

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I kinda bet on the wrong horse: Go-Bots over Transformers, but after Transformers took over, I mixed them together just fine.

The guy who eventually killed them all off was this guy, though:

Link-Dangerous-to-Go-Alone.jpg
 
Heck I even got to go outside, go into town on my own, climb trees and stay out after dark.

But I loved my AT-AT too.
 
My family was poor, so I never really got any of the cool playsets, except one. The He Man Fright Zone. Had this awesome snake puppet that you could make eat the action figures. Shit was awesome.
 
My favorites were the Robotech toys:

Code: 
[IMG]http://toyworth.com/browse/Veritech/Fighter/action/figure//1985//Robotech/Accessories/36/lrg-packaged-back.jpg[/IMG]

This thing, and others, gave me hours of joy.
 
Kimawolf said:
Gen X here. 1980.

And yeah it was awesome. I remember riding my bike EVERYWHERE. Going to the woods and coming back home by the streetlights. As a kid you grew up witb Saturday morning cartoons then went outside to play till dinner.
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^this

I can't imagine letting 9-10 year olds run around free reign, out of view of the house, riding bikes all over the place, till dark without supervision these days...

Or getting dropped off at an arcade, unsupervised, for hours at a time with only $2 in quarters... And having that last all day because you were just that good at Street Fighter II...

End of an era.
 
Both the GI Joe Aircraft Carrier and the Millenium Fakcon were top tier toys. I asked for them every year I think, and never got them at all.
 
Gully State said:
Born in 82. I definitely relate more with Gen-X than Millennial (especially the parenting part- I was definitely a latchkey kid). I'll never understand why early 80's = millennial.
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Depends who you ask. Some people claim it starts in the late 70's, other's early-mid 80's.

I was 81, and totally am Gen X, and really it's what I was called my entire life till recently millennial became the hot trendy thing to bitch about.
 
TheCochese said:
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If you're on the later end of Gen X, you know this was the holy grail of toys.
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Walked into the living room Christmas day, 1986, to see that monster already assembled. My dad had stayed up all night to put it together for me. To this day, it's the best gift I've ever received.

And it was only $109.99 when it launched.
 
Fuckin' TIGER FORCE. I missed out on the first Duke release, so when Tiger Force Duke hit I was all about that shit.

I'm still on the hunt for a C.O.P.S. Bulletproof figure.

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