Bitch Popaganda: Our Humps Edition

I found y'all not too long ago, and have been catching up. I love it!

I agree with y'all that Erica Jong's article was myopic. In my Video Game Development class there was a section concerning generation demographics. The author wrote that during Generation X the birthrate was at an all-time low and it was common for families to be divorced (a shocking concept at the time) and for there to be mixed families. Generation X kids were "latchkey" and independent, working at after-school jobs.

I wonder if that at all ties in -- for those who relate -- with the current trend of women demanding more control in motherhood. To me it seems like a natural progression, every oppressed group's demands and interests change as society does, and as their wins and losses are evaluated. I was listening to NPR's pop culture happy hour podcast and one of the hosts mentioned second wave's feminism was mostly concerned with claiming the masculine and being seen as just like men in regards to ambition and guile and cut-throat businesses -- think Glen Close in the show Damages, lots of power suits -- now I think the focus is shifting to embracing characteristics that are often attributed to "the woman" like home, hearth, family. It's about tearing down gender roles and respecting everyone's identity.

So I think the Generation X kids, with their own collective experiences and connections, are mostly super into parenting and discovering the right method for raising a better tomorrow you know, since theirs were so shitty. So those kids, now the Millennial Generation (also the book's term) -- born 1982-2002 -- are bridging social justice and generational concerns since the Baby Boomers fucked us all up. There is a quote from the textbook by Kay Hymowitz  from "It's Morning After in America" that says:

During the last 10 years, most of the miserable trends in crime, divorce, illegitmacy, drug use, and the like that we saw in the decardes after 1965 either turned around or stalled. Today Americans are consciously, deliverately embracing ideas about sex, marriage, children, and the American dream that are coalescing into a viable...normality. What is emerging is a vital, optimistic, feamily-centered,...and yes, morally thoughtful citizenry,...[M]arketers who plumb people's attidues to predict the trends are noticing something interesting about "Millennials," ... they're looking more like Jimmy Stewart than James Dream. They adore their parents, they want to succeed, they're optimistic, trusting, cooperative, dutiful, and civic-minded. "They're going to rebel' by being, not worse, but better."

Mothers demanding acceptance of breastfeeding in public, reverting back to anti-capitalist parenting techniques, finding mates which will assist with parenting without the need of cookies and, yes, wearing man-repelling slings -- because fuck the kyriarchy -- makes complete sense to me. I don't know though, my view is limited and privileged at best, so I'm likely not seeing the full picture.

Sorry for the long comment first out! I get pensive this time of night. I look forward to the podcasts, and I've gotten 2 subscritions so thanks so much for all the great material!