Generation X

St. James Encyclopedia of Pop Culture, Jan 29, 2002 by Judy L. Isaksen

The musical interests of Xers are as diverse as the members themselves. In the early 1990s, many members of Generation X revered grunge rock groups like Nirvana with their furious, angst-ridden lyrics and wailing guitar licks. Nirvana railed against the establishment and a decaying society--issues with which Xers could readily identify. Kurt Cobain was their poet, but his suicide in April, 1994 brought his anguished alienation to a crashing halt. The bullet that ended Cobain's life created a collective heartache for many members of Generation X. While Cobain screamed in despair, rappers continue to provide their version of the nightly news concerning the happenings on America's urban streets. Hip-hop and rap music appeal to members of Generation X across all race and ethnic lines, for like Cobain, rappers speak of the issues of the day while simultaneously affirming black identity. Howe and Strauss describe inner-city Xers as "unmarried teen moms and unconcerned teen fathers; lethal gangsters ...and innocent hiphoppers who have no illusions about why older white guys cross the streets to avoid them." Rappers like Tupac Shakur, Queen Latifah, Snoop Doggy Dogg, Master P, Puff Daddy, and Dr. Dre are significant voices for many members of Generation X. The success of Black Entertainment Television (BET), a music network which focuses on urban contemporary sounds, attests to the far-reaching appeal of black music among Generation X. In addition to alternative rock and rap, other genres of GenX music include ska, techno, industrial, country, reggae, and goth.

Though many Xers have a deep connection to music, they are not merely tuning in to the various music networks and dancing at all-night raves. Some have a strong entrepreneurial spirit that belies their media reputation for laziness and lack of focus. For example, Jerry Yang and David Filo, both graduate students at Stanford, cofounded Yahoo!, the first online navigational guide to the Web. Xer Adam Werbach is the youngest president of the Sierra Club, the largest grass-roots environmental organization. Xer Eric Liu edited a collection of essays about Generation X called Next and is a foreign-policy speech writer for Bill Clinton. At age 25, Steve Frank became a journalist for the Wall Street Journal. Jonathan Karl was hired as a reporter for CNN to represent his generation. Xer David Mays is the founder and editor-in-chief of The Source, the immensely popular magazine of hip-hop music, culture, and politics. Twentysomething Kevin Smith financed his first movie, Clerks, on his credit card and then went on to make Chasing Amy, which earned him the respect of mainstream moviemakers. Beth Kobliner, writer for Money magazine, also wrote the bestseller on personal finance for Generation X, Get a Financial Life! At only 26, Jeff Shesol is considered an acclaimed historian for his book Mutual Contempt about Robert Kennedy and Lyndon Johnson; Shesol also serves as a presidential speech writer for Bill Clinton. Although the title of the 1991 movie, Slackers, has been used to label members of Generation X, the above accomplishments clearly negate such a reputation.