OK boomer

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

OK Boomer is a phrase that turned into an internet meme over the course of 2019 . It is used to reject and poke fun at stereotypical views of the baby boomer generation. The meme emerged as a reaction to recurring generalized and derogatory criticism of younger generations and - intentionally - avoids a substantive argument. It represents a generation conflict , the content of which is based on blanket statements. The term was chosen as one of the three Swiss-German words of the year in 2019 .

use

The phrase “OK Boomer” is used as a response to opinions of older people, mostly from the Baby Boomer generation, who are perceived as narrow-minded, outdated, negatively derogatory or condescending. Often these are statements that relate to technical progress , global warming , the definition of minorities or to general attitudes and values ​​of the younger generation. Critics regard the phrase as a murderous argument .

origin

Although the meme only went viral worldwide in October 2019 , there had been isolated postings on 4chan , Twitter and Reddit in previous years in which the phrase was used. It had its origins on the TikTok platform , when users commented on the post of a man who accused young people of having Peter Pan Syndrome and infantility . The catchphrase also spread that same year through a doge meme that contained the words "OK Boomer" and was used on some social media in response to blanket phrases.

"OK Boomer" received special attention on October 29, 2019 through an article in the New York Times in which the author wrote that the saying marked the "end of friendly relations between the generations". Shortly thereafter, a video became known in which New Zealand MP Chlöe Swarbrick used the phrase in her speech on climate change in Parliament in response to the interruption by an elderly MP. She later stated that the phrase expressed "collective frustration".

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Lilian Fiala: Comment: The excitement about “#okboomer” must be the beginning of a real dialogue. In: handelsblatt.com. November 13, 2019, accessed November 13, 2019 .
  2. ↑ "Climate Youth" is the German Swiss word of the year 2019. In: nzz.ch . December 3, 2019, accessed December 5, 2019 .
  3. ↑ Ok Boomer: Explanation, Meaning and Definition. In: Studihub.de. November 12, 2019, accessed November 20, 2019 .
  4. ↑ "OK, Boomer": Millennials give parents the cold shoulder. In: derStandard.at . November 13, 2019, accessed November 13, 2019 .
  5. ↑ Smol Nozomi: OK Boomer. In: knowyourmeme.com. October 30, 2019, accessed November 13, 2019 .
  6. ↑ Joshua Bote: Why are Gen Z and millennials calling out boomers on TikTok? 'OK, boomer,' explained. In: USA Today . November 4, 2019, accessed November 13, 2019 .
  7. ^ Taylor Lorenz: 'OK Boomer' Marks the End of Friendly Generational Relations. In: NYTimes.com . November 20, 2019, accessed November 13, 2019 .
  8. ↑ 'OK boomer': millennial MP responds to heckler in New Zealand parliament. (Video, 57 seconds) In: Guardian News . November 5, 2019, accessed on November 13, 2019 (English, video on YouTube ). 'OK boomer': 25-year-old New Zealand MP uses viral term in parliament. In: BBC.com. November 7, 2019, accessed November 13, 2019 .
  9. ↑ Kathrin Klette: “Okay, Boomer” - what the latest meme on the Internet is all about. In: NZZ.ch. November 11, 2019, accessed November 13, 2019 .