The GenX Reader

by Douglas Rushkoff

Cursed by older generations, Generations X means a lot of things to a lot of people. They are a culture, a demographic, an outlook, a style, an economy, a scene, a literature, a political ideology, an aesthetic, an age, a decade, and a way of life.
Here is a collage of the most revered voices of Generation X, demonstrating that while twentysomethings may, indeed, have dropped out of American culture (as it is traditionally defined), they also stand as a testament to American ingenuity, optimism, instinct, and intelligence.

Genres: Nonfiction, Essays, Anthologies

Unknown Binding

First published April 26, 1994

About the author

Douglas Rushkoff is a New York-based writer, columnist and lecturer on technology, media and popular culture.

Reviews

[Seamus Thompson]

Published in 1994 this anthology of GenX related essays, journalism, stories, cartoons, rants, reports etc mostly contains material originally published between 1990-1993 but also has pieces written as early as 1986. One of the articles, a ranty editorial from Newsweek that dismisses GenX as a bunch of whiney whiners and "pusillanimous purveyors of pseudo-angst," is written by a 43-year-old baby boomer and makes many arguments about GenX that will sound all too familiar to the millennials and Gen Z folks of today.

All in all, an interesting time capsule of what the twenty-something generation at the time had to say for itself -- as well as a few samples of what was being said about it. There are some big names represented here (Matt Groening (not a Gen Xer), Richard Linklater, Douglas Coupland, Ice Cube, an "interview: with Beavis & Butthead, and Dan Clowes) but there are also plenty of folks who were more of the moment. There is an analysis of Ren & Stimpy, a sample of issue of a newsletter devoted to hating Shannen Doherty's character on Beverly Hills 90210, a bit of gonzo journalism where some poor bastard watches MTV for seven straight days, articles about raves and ambient music, and plenty of discussion of advertising and marketing.

I had intended to read this a little bit at a time over the next few weeks but quickly realized that I would be better served by mainlining it in a day or so. As a result I read some articles more closely than others. Mostly I was looking for a vibe and I certainly found it.

[Barbara · Rating 4 out of 5]

And yeah this is one of those I would put in a solid four. As usual with these types of collected essay/fiction books, I gravitate towards half of them. Some are really well done, and some are less so. The intro essays are particularly good. They hit all the ones I would include, Coupland, Linklater, Groening and others. About in the fiction stuff is where they lose me. I would include different ones, like Rob Sheffield, though he does essays, Nick Hornby and others. The one where the guy is watching MTV was good. I liked the newsletter about hating Brenda, from 90210, the concept anyway. I wonder how this would change now, like how are the Gen-xers felt about now?? How do we feel about us? How do they feel about us? Etc. Good overview of the issues at the time, but some were dated. And the font for one of them is small. (Okay, I'm aging)

[Rhea W · Rating 3 out of 5]

As a GenXer, I enjoyed this collection of nostalgia; good, bad and ugly. The good: Raves, metamedia, search for meaning, Ren and Stimpy, Dan Clowes and questioning the American Way. Since the boomers persisted in dominating the political and cultural landscapes, in a manner similar to a Kudzu plant or an Asian Long Horned Beetle, many GenX ideals developed fully. I do think the GenX Reader articulates the experience of being the first downwardly mobile generation. There is much focus put on challenging the norms which have brought us to this current (2022) hyper- capitalist moment. Questioning consumption, the collusion of the media and the politicians and corporations, questioning the repressive "let's not talk about it, there's nothing wrong here" ethos. The bad and ugly: Awareness about the value of respectful inclusion certainly has shaped the landscape in the decades since publication. The book is an unselfconscious display of the typical GenX- normed racist and sexist ideas, white male privilege. If you need a refresher on what all the fuss is about...you can read it for yourself. I wonder how this book will read another 20 years down the road.

[Stephen · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was hard to connect with the selections. I didn't read all of them. Nothing here that was useful to me.