My friend Chad wrote a post about generational culture in hopes to pick a film for every generation. As we texted back and forth with our friend Doug, we realized that a single film might not define a generation so much as a bank of films or even a bank of cultural touchstones. So after we haggled over the drama, comedy, and documentary for every generation, I decided to go full bore and add other categories.
Assuming we’re picking artifacts for generational culture that represent each generation’s zeitgeist, here’s what I picked (with major help with the films and books from Doug and Chad):
Greatest Gen’s generational culture
- Drama: Casablanca (1942)
- Comedy: The Philadelpia Story (1948)
- Doc: Memphis Belle (1944)
- Fantasy: It’s a Wonderful Life (1942)
- Action: Fort Apache (1948)
- Novel: 1984 by George Orwell
- Nonfic: Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank
- Poem: The Conscientious Objector by Karl Shapiro
- Play: Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller
- Architecture: Glass House by Phillip Johnson
- Sculpture: Kinetic Construction by Naum Gabo
- Tech innovation: Microwave
- Scientific breakthrough: A-bomb
- Legal decision: Edwards v. California
- Food: Chiffon Cake + Tang
- Fashion: bikini
Silent Gen’s generational culture
- Drama: Rear Window (1957)
- Comedy: Music Man (1962)
- Doc: Mondo Cane (1962)
- Fantasy: Mary Poppins (1964)
- Action: Ben Hur (1959)
- Novel: To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
- Nonfic: Why We Can’t Wait by Martin Luther King
- Poem: The Country Town in Early Summer Morning by Wendell Berry
- Play: The Surprise by Chesterton
- Architecture: Unisphere — World’s Fair
- Sculpture: Chicago Picasso
- Tech innovation: Cassette Tapes
- Scientific breakthrough: LASER
- Legal decision: Gideon v. Wainwright / Escobedo v. Illinois
- Food: Fondue + Swedish Meatballs
- Fashion: “new look” + miniskirt
Boomer Gen’s generational culture
- Drama: Godfather (1972)
- Comedy: Young Frankenstein (1978)
- Doc: Harlan County, U.S.A (1976)
- Fantasy: Empire Strikes Back (1980)
- Action: Apocalypse Now (1979)
- Novel: The Stand by Stephen King
- Nonfic: Gödel, Escher, Bach by Douglas Hofstadter
- Poem: Brother to Dragons by Robert Penn Warren
- Play: Equus by Peter Shaffer
- Architecture: World Trade Center
- Sculpture: Mermaid by Roy Lichtenstein
- Tech innovation: Atari
- Scientific breakthrough: Voyager
- Legal decision: Row v. Wade
- Food: enchiladas + Slim Fast
- Fashion: platform heels
Gen X’s generational culture
- Drama: Schindler’s List (1993)
- Comedy: Hook (1991)
- Doc: The Thin Blue Line (1998)
- Fantasy: The Princess Bride: (1987)
- Action: Léon the Professional (1994)
- Novel: All the Pretty Horses by Cormac McCarthy
- Nonfic: Centesimus Annus by Pope John Paul II
- Poem: And the Stars were Shining by John Ashbery
- Play: Agnes of God by John Pielmeier
- Architecture: Frederich Weisman Museum of Art by Frank Gehry
- Sculpture: The Spirit by The Amranys
- Tech innovation: HTTP
- Scientific breakthrough: In vitro fertilization + Hubble
- Legal decision: Hustler Magazine v. Falwell
- Food: sashimi tacos + lunchables
- Fashion: leggings
Millenneals’ generational culture
- Drama: No Country for Old Men (2006)
- Comedy: Love Actually (2009)
- Doc: Sicko (2002)
- Fantasy: Iron Man (2008)
- Action: The Dark Knight (2008)
- Novel: Gilead by Robinson
- Nonfic: Zeitoun by Dave Eggars
- Poem: Heart Poem by Mary Oliver
- Play: Shadowlands by William Nicholson
- Architecture: Freedom Tower + monuments
- Sculpture: Lift Off by David Black
- Tech innovation: 7¢ per GB storage (iPhone)
- Scientific breakthrough: dark energy, dark matter, etc.
- Legal decision: Kennedy v. Louisiana
- Food: smoothies + ahi tuna (or bacon)
- Fashion: minimalism
Homeland generational culture
- Drama: Us (2018)
- Comedy: Shazam! (2019)
- Doc: Leaving Neverland (2019)
- Fantasy: Avengers: Infinity War (2018)
- Action: Avengers: Endgame (2019)
- Novel: The Hate U Give
- Nonfic: The Future is History: How Totalitarianism Reclaimed Russia by Masha Green
- Poem: Has Been Tilling, Hoping by Jason Reynolds
- Play: Harry Potter and the Cursed Child
- Architecture: 1 Infinite Loop, Apple
- Sculpture: Orbital Reflector by Trevor Paglen
- Tech innovation: Reusable rockets
- Scientific breakthrough: Black hole visualized
- Legal decision: Obergefell v. Hodges
- Food: lobster rolls + pumpkin spice
- Fashion: athleisure
What do you think? How would you change the different categories or the generational preferences for each?
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