Jewish World Review May 22, 2002 / 11 Sivan, 5762

Ian Shoales

Ian Shoales
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We baby boomers used to rule the roost


http://www.NewsAndOpinion.com | Let's see. We had a "Carol Burnett Show" reunion in April. Even though it was mostly blooper clips, it was nice to see the gang together again-- especially Tim Conway, one of the unsung comic geniuses of our time.

We also had a "Honeymooners" special, a "Cosby Show" reunion, A "Mary Tyler Moore"reunion, and an "LA Law" get-together, not to mention Angela Lansbury's guest appearance on "Touched By an Angel."

I know, I know. Ratings grabbers. Network anniversaries. But still, why this sudden hug by the networks of the, shall we say, older demographic? After all, when MURDER SHE WROTE was yanked off the air, it still commanded high ratings. The trouble was, those high ratings were with this disdained older demographic, who, I gather, just don't buy the weight loss products, power sodas, and fluff building shampoos that keep the global economy perky and network programs on the air.

So why now?

Well, maybe it's because of Ozzy Osbourne. The former Avatar of Evil has now become America's favorite befuddled Dad. He was even invited to Washington, D.C., where he was fawned over by the media so much, that Lynne Cheney bestirred herself to frown upon it. I believe that means you've arrived.

So, in my opinion, we now have an interface between the old folks who like nothing better than to iron and put food by while watching reruns of geriatric mysteries and black and white sitcoms during the day time-- and their grandchildren, who like nothing better than-- well, I don't know what they like, aside from Buffy, Blink 182, and MTV.

So what about MY generation? Man, we baby boomers used to rule the roost. But did anybody ask me about Ozzy? Does anybody care if I watch MTV or not? The bloom has come off the boomer rose.



JWR contributor Ian Shoales is the author of, among others, Not Wet Yet: An Anthology of Commentary. Comment by clicking here.

Up

05/20/02: The Files now Ex
05/14/02: Entangled in Spider-Man's web!?
05/02/02: April Showers May Come Our Yadda Yadda
04/24/02: From child murderer to milk hawker
04/10/02: New realities
03/21/02: You did it your way? I have to kill you now!
03/14/02: IN THIS CORNER … SUSAN LUCCI AND STEPHANIE ZYMALIST!
03/12/02: Life in the warehouse
01/28/02: Shoes and food
01/24/02: Suspension of disbelief has nothing to do with whether we accept something as real or not
01/22/02: Save the Grand Ole Opry?
12/15/01: If you truly want to appeal to the lowest common denominator …
12/11/01: KNITTING!
12/07/01: Conspiracy by the 'fat suit' lobby?
12/04/01: The future of comic books
11/15/01: Literary tips in a jar
11/12/01: The ectoplasm of a ghost economy
11/05/01: Sumner Redstone's passions
10/31/01: My irony
10/29/01: Even in wartime, America can still bring it home
10/25/01: Ad memories
10/17/01: Pathetic me
10/08/01: War time lite
10/01/01: Confessions of a sarcastic scribe
09/11/01: The end of Mom
09/07/01: Boy Loses Girl, Boy Bites Girl, Boy Gets Girl
09/05/01: Virtual elegance?
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08/28/01: Buzz!
08/23/01: Radio workout
08/20/01: I robot, you Jane
08/15/01: A wild and crazy world!
08/10/01: When the future was "as real as a dime"
08/08/01: Garage Dearth!
08/06/01: That Big Clock
08/02/01: Stop the pop!
07/31/01: Catchphrase history of the world
07/26/01: The Bride of Science
07/23/01: That java jive
07/17/01: Homogenized hegemony
07/13/01: Applying Newton's First Law of Physics to textbooks
07/10/01: The dumb and the dead

© 2001, Ian Shoales