January 5, 2012 | In: Blog
Generation X: The Revolution will Be Tasty
I spend most of my days at work thinking and talking about either Millenials (1981ish-2000ish)or Boomers (1946-1963ish). It’s not really surprising that my own generation — Generation X (1964ish-1980ish) is mostly forgotten by marketers and a lot of other people. What’s funny, is that part of the reason we’re forgotten is that no one wants to admit their getting older, so the fact that the 40-somethings are no longer Boomers is hard for a HUGE segment of the American public. Beyond that and the obvious issue that both the Boomers and Millenials dwarf us in size, the reality is that our many accomplishments as a generation are also easy to over look for Boomers and Millenials whose ways of changing the world are really different from ours.
Generation X, according to generational theorists Strauss and Howe, is a “nomad” generation. That means our legacy to the world will be liberty, survival, and humor. Let’s compare that to the Boomers, who are a “prophet” generation. According to Strauss & Howe their legacy will be vision, values and religion. Well — those seem like much more obvious things. Yes, you can thank Generation X for Tina Fey and we totally claim Jon Stewart, even if he’s on the cusp of being a Boomer.
But there’s a real change that Generation X is bringing to the world, and it’s really changing the face of America. I look around me and see some of the greatest minds of my generation focusing on the food we eat. I do live in Washington, DC — so it’s a bit of a bubble — but I see Gen-Xers launching farm-to-table initiatives, becoming the next generation of great chefs and focusing on artisan produced foods, brewers, bakers, and probably candlestick makers!
You may thing that this focus on the food we eat is yet another sign of the “slacker” mentality we were branded with before we turned 20, but it’s not. It’s a practical focus on ways to improved the world we live in. Gen-X isn’t so much about, collectively, about marching and shouting. We tend to be, as Strauss & Howe point out, a more Han Solo like group. She may not be pretty — but the Millennium Falcon is the fastest ship in the quadrant!
Think about it for a second. Right now Gen-X is the prime of our income earning power, since we’re in our late 30s to late 40s. If we are prioritizing the food we eat, and choosing food that is artisan, sustainable and/or local – it changes shopping patterns for more than just us. I’m not saying that the Millennials aren’t with us on this, and many Boomers. But we’re doing more than just buying this stuff — we’re making it. We’re creating new industries and subcultures around this.
We’re taking our skills and ambitions and changing the face of how America eats. How we eat, in so many ways, defines our cultural values. If Generation X has anything to say about it, the future will be bright, healthy, and really, really delicious.
This year, I don’t want to come to SXSW and ask questions. I want to come with answers. To do that I’ve roped my amazing colleague Brent Canfield into this with me. Brent is probably one the most brilliant (and slightly crazy) people I’ve had the pleasure of working with. He’s an amazing 
