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No Defense for the Swine



Rich:

>As if TIME's opinion was worth the paper on which it was printed?

As if ANY magazine's opinion is worth that.  Nope, I don't just buy what I
read because like some people, "it must be true, I read it in a magazine".
I just happen to agree with Time on that opinion.  I don't know where the
youngsters in your part of the world fester, but my experience in the USA -
coast to coast, is echoed by Time.

>The current round of teenagers has always been pegged as the worst

>batch of pubescent scum that has ever plagued the planet. Where do

>you think the term "generation gap" came from?

Nope again Rich.  I'm well aware of the generation gap, and I also am well
aware that it existed long before I reached adulthood or was even born for
that matter.  And for this adult, it's quite scary to hear yourself bad
mouth teenagers like your parents did; it's obviously a sign of getting
older and who wants to do that?  However, since I'm aware of this
generational gap that simply grows as you grow older, I think I'm
maintaining a certain level of objectivity.  It is MY experience (and many,
many more people my age AND even younger people I've talked to) that TODAY'S
teenagers are far different than any precluding them.  They are the most
unique band of teenagers ever.  Today's kids have more at their fingertips
than any generation before them.  They are an entirely new breed - the
Technology Generation if you will.  They are more sheltered by parents that
don't want them to "have the disadvantages I did" and they have no
accountability for their actions as a result.  Talk to a few teachers (and
those teachers on this list who may claim they've never experienced the
following are either not listening or dead).  I know up to ten teachers;
high school, grade school, and one college professor, and each one has
complained that parents haven't a clue.  They want discipline, but not for
their kid.  They want other kids to pay for their indescretions, but not
their kid.  The kids have no responsibility and don't want it.  They have no
respect for traditions, other people, laws, etc...  (Yes, don't think every
adult generation hasn't used that phrase - "kids today don't respect
anything".)  But today's kids take it to a level higher.  Kids today have
more money than any generation before them, and they have the most powerful
marketing demographic in commerce today.  Kids today have built-in excuses
ranging from learning disabilities (a few years ago, EVERYONE didn't have
ADD or some other type of excuse) to their parents bailing them out of every
mistake they ever made.  They don't learn from their screw ups like we did
(mostly) and hard work in life is discouraged.  Kids today look for the
easiest, least responsible way on most everything.  Hey, my generation tried
to get out of work too, but at least then when you went for fast food where
most teenagers work, you got your food fast.  Today, bring a book and make
sure you check for spit in your burger.

Of course, there are expections to the rule, as in any such generalization,
but for the most part - in mine and others I've discussed it with's
opinions, these kids are in a class by themselves.  Every generation of
teenagers were bastards and they always will be.  I was, you were; we all
were.  Today's teenagers have perfected the art of apathy, irresponsibility,
hedonism, and ignorance like no other generation before and raised the bar.
And really, I never heard of teenagers shooting up a high school until this
generation came along.  Thanks Marilyn Manson, useless parents, and crazed
liberalism that fights to keep kids from facing consequences of their
actions.

>When I think of the scum out there in the world, its not limited to

>teenagers. I meet plenty of 30-something fuckups all the time.

Scum in general excluding.  You need to get around more; I know some 40, 50
and even 60ish fuck ups out there.  However, I wasn't referring to the
Hitlers and Kathy Lees of the world, unless they happen to still be in high
school.  And besides, I betcha Charles Manson would probably buy a new Who
record before teenagers would.  And I have more respect for Charlie than
most teenagers I meet.

GenWalk:

>i mean the who never even had a no. 1 SINGLE EVER! 

Correct!  That didn't stop them from being the Greatest Rock and Roll Band
in the World either.  Sales, schmales...

Jon:

>> a 17 year old kid

>> who plays it (Live at leeds) for his buddies will get tormented for
playing 

>> it. 

>Wrong. Dead wrong. Not this album. Not this band. There is no "hard" music 

>today that can beat Leeds. Nothing is cooler than being *flattened* by Pete


>and Keith. 

Now, now.  I certainly hope you don't think I was critical of LAL - I may be
an idiot, but I'm no fool.  Just because I know it's brilliant, and YOU know
it's brilliant, and WE know it's brilliant doesn't mean that there aren't
more atheists out there than you give credit for.

>I don't know of any kids (and I have 6 of them from 10 to 17 years w/ 

>friends) that consider The Who uncool. They all love The Who because they 

>have heard The Who. 

>Jon in MI.

Jon, have you ever heard of Eddie Haskell?  Sure Mr. Cleaver I looooooove
The Who.  All of my friends love The Who.  Everyone loves The Who.  Nice to
see you again Mr. Cleaver...  Okay Wally, shut this old fart bullshit 60s
music off and crank Third Eye Blind!  Get real dude.

I went back to college at an older age and partied quite a bit with younger
kids.  I was a radio DJ in Chicago for two years.  I've worked in places
with college/high school aged interns.  In each circumstance, I've tried to
convert the non-believers and - NOT force feed, but encourage some musical
open mindedness among them.  I've YET to make a Who-convert under the age of
25.  Just hasn't happened.  And I had a forum to do it on my radio show.  I
had total carte blanche on that show and I would play at least ONE Who song
per show.  Everything else was contemporary.  My listeners were in the
teen/20s age group and I'll give you one guess which artist the callers used
to rag on the most...  "No more of that oldies shit..." was the most
requested song on our phone lines.  And I tried to bowl the listeners over
with more powerful and obscure Who stuff; "Naked Eye" from IOW, "Young Man
Blues" from LAL, "Dreaming from the Waist" from 30yrs Max R&B, etc...  My
show was the number one on the station, and I could get those little fuckers
out in the street to do my bidding whenever I called for it.  But no matter
what, they just didn't get The Who - and they didn't want to.  Maybe I'm
biased, but I still hate those fuckers...  As I've said before, they're
doomed.

Jim in Colo Springs

"When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro."  Raoul Duke