Millennials: we’re an informed bunch.
We know what to say when a boomer slaps us with that one-liner: “you won’t ever own a house and it’s all your fault.” Pulling up older generations on their often misinformed opinions is a common game Millennials play. However – and it pains me to admit – Gen Z are clapping back at boomers with a level of finesse and sass us millennials have never executed before.
Gen Z have developed the catchphrase “OK Boomer” and it’s become a viral clap-back for all condescending and ill-informed boomers. Boomers who have odd opinions about things like Greta Thunberg, climate change and economics.
No one really knows where “OK Boomer” originated from, but it’s most actively used on teen-saturated app TikTok, where its hashtag has been viewed around 18 million times. The phrase has become so big in recent months, businesses are capitalising on its popularity by creating merch donning the phrase.
Social media users employ the phrase as a humorous sort of dig, while others are emphasising it’s political undertone.
But if there’s one thing about this new trend we absolutely can not get behind, it’s the “OK Boomer” anthem. Unlike the blessing that was Fat Boy Slim’s remix of ‘Right Here, Right Now’ with Greta Thunberg’s climate summit speech, the “OK Boomer” track is… indescribable, and not in a good way.
The song’s lyrics include: “It’s funny you think I respect your opinion, when your hairline looks that disrespectful,” combined with a few random “yeehaws.” What really lets it down are the lyrics which kick-off the song: “old ladies suck.”
We just can’t stan a generalised comment throwing shade at all the grandmas out there.
The track was originally written by 20-year-old student Jonathan Williams and was remixed by 19-year-old Peter Kuli. It has since reached almost 30,000 plays on Soundcloud and has been made into roughly 4,000 TikToks.
There are two realisations to come out of the “OK Boomer” trend: Gen Z are a politically engaged bunch. Their music taste, however… quite alarming.