Andrew Norton points to a newly-released book by one Ryan Heath (aged 25), entitled Please Just F* Off: It’s Our Turn Now. This perfectly sums up the entire genre, and I’m pretty confident we can read Ryan’s entire life history in the title.
At age 8 at recess time, he would have been making this forceful request to his schoolmates at the swings in the playground. As the end of recess approached he would have been still on the swings, smugly ignoring others who had waited their turn more politely. Now, he’s trying to claim the spots occupied by Boomers in the media and elsewhere, ignoring (as Paul Watson notes in comments) the long queue of X-ers waiting for their turn. In 2030, if his ploy has succeeded, he’ll be denouncing slackers, dole bludgers or whatever catchphrase is currently being applied to degenerate youth and opining that ‘the younger generation wants it all handed to them on a plate’.
John Quiggin 
*Ouch*
The bile, it burns, it burns….
Should I hang my head in shame for being in the same age-group as this guy?
Time for a soothing herring. Take a chill pill JQ.
I think Andrew Norton was referring to James McConville as age 25 years. Ryan must be a bit older than that by now…
I think he might be one of the expats that holds some bitterness toward Australia for his perceived predictament. Like a lot of other people, he may fail to realize that people in his own age group are just as corrupt. Given that he probably gets better pay and conditions overseas, its more than likely he will accumlate a fair bit of cash, moving him into a social group that is not on the losing end of government policy.
Young Ryan went in search of his brain and couldn’t find it anywhere.
“Superannuated boomers” should start worrying about persons of Ryan Heath’s ilk when they stop whinging and start organising.
Ryan sould take a look. Boomers did what they did by reinventing themselves first and then reinventing society in their image. The results, though incomplete and partial, were impressive. Impressive enough to annoy the hell out of envious upstarts such as young Ryan.
And in the end, that’s what makes the whole game so enjoyable.
To paraphrase Oscar Wilde, “The only thing worse than people talking about you is when people don’t talk about you.”
Eventually, far into the future, the boomers will fade away. When they do they may be hated. But they won’t be forgotten.
?? F* off, son – try to be original. R.H. , January 2026 ??
“I think Andrew Norton was referring to James McConville [sic] as age 25 years. Ryan must be a bit older than that by now”.
Ryan Heath is definitely 25; James McConvill is 27 (or 28).
He’s gen y eh? Not gen x. X having been taught not to be arrogant, to wait their turns. Y now being the indulged, highly impatient ones – I read in a recent survey they actually believe they will all become rich entrepreneurs or rockstars or supermodels or actors like the famous peeps in the media who seem within reach, so they’re willing to take huge risks at a young age. There may be an entire generation in the future with a majority of utterly depressed, narcissistic, resentful middle-aged adults.
What’s incredible about this overly confident, impatient generation is that they’re copying and mashing up fashion and music that was in vogue less than 20 years ago. Bands from the 80’s can’t die, they just get worshipped by an extra generation! There is little that’s innovative, mostly just a mashup plus addiction to communication technologies (shortens attention span). Unfortunate victims of the consumption mentality. Fashion in the 80’s was cheap: simple patterns that could be sew easily, slashed, dyed, adorned yourself. That was fun. Now they pay phenomenal money for clothes that look like the dog ate them. I feel a bit sad for them, where’s the creativity? Gen Y identity is a more wired copycat of Gen X.
Waratah,
Gee, I remember my grandfather (may he rest in peace) saying that about my generation, about 30 years ago. Plus ca change…
yeah yeah I know, but this time it’s really true!!
Yeah, it’s a bit cheeky of people to bag “baby boomers” when they endlessly pirate, cover, and recycle the music of that era.
I owe John an apology – I slagged him off in a late night (one too many wines) rant on Andrew Norton’s blog a couple of days back. He was unfairly judgemental of me, but he’s definitely not lazy….
In quick response to the other 10 comments here:
1. I actually have taken two pay cuts in moving to London and then swapping jobs again since I got here. It’s not the money that made me move and its not the $400 a week rent for my bedroom.
2. To the person who thinks I need to stop whinging and start organising – A quick google search will show you why my friends actually sat me down three years ago and told me to stop organising or I’d kill myself and lose them as friends.
3. to Ernestine : who thinks my title is really unoriginal: do you realise I didn’t make it up? it comes from a 30 year old interview subject and its a real person with real frustrations – it wouldn’t really hurt to listen to them would it?
(and don’t call me ‘son’ please – I didn’t call you Grandpa)
4. Waratah’s are the most interesting of the posts, but I would counter-claim that ‘mash-ups’ are innovative. They’re efficient uses of popular culture btu seen through different eyes. Like a hyper-cover to use a music analogy.
5. Helen – you’ll love my Chapter One on why Paul McCartney should be burnt at a cultural stake!
Best,
Ryan
“2. To the person who thinks I need to stop whinging and start organising – A quick google search will show you why my friends actually sat me down three years ago and told me to stop organising or I’d kill myself and lose them as friends.”
So it is true that you’ve stopped organising.
I guess boomers everywhere can heave a huge sigh of relief and return to plotting the conspiracy against Gen Y.
No, Ryan, I wasn’t thinking at all what you thought I did think. I merely suggested a possible title for a sequel to your book and a possible publication date, 20 years from now.
Ryan, unless a miracle happens or I were to agree to an operation of a particular kind, I can’t see me ever becoming a grandpa even if I were to live to a 100 years.
Best of luck
Ernestine
I think that what sits so uncomfortably about the prose of Ryan’s book are two things. Firstly, I think the ‘boomers’ (as he calls them) are a bit miffed that a young person was able to scribe such a biting polemic of the political malaise in Australia, generally, and the suppression of new ideas, policies and institutions, specifically.
Secondly, I think the people of Ryan’s demographic will be somewhat startled by his argument. I think that it isn’t only the ‘boomers’ lack of imagination in ideas and public policy that has lead to the inequalities, chronic unemployment and lacklustre politics that Australia can now be characterised for – it is a passivity that can be seen amongst the Gen Y’s. If you look at any survey conducted regarding attitudes towards politics or political participation in the Anglo-American nations (How Australia Compares is a shining example here), there is a malaise amongst the majority of the young regarding political participation and attitudes towards politics in general. I think Ryan’s book is a good departure point towards a case for ‘new political institutions’, but it remains an incomplete project yet to be realised.