Mister Jones and...Us?

Jennifer, writing at JenX 67, notes a generational cohort that spans the border between the Baby Boomers following World War II and the Generation X crew made famous in the 1990s. The name: Generation Jones.

I'm on board with identifying this subset -- as a member, I can say that I didn't feel culturally much at home with Boomers or Xers. I lacked many of the cultural touchstones that helped define them and the ones I did have didn't seem to strike the mainstream of either group. Jennifer says that the name draws on the idea of "keeping up with the Joneses," and desiring a better quality of life like that of our predecessors, which I'm not so sure about. Not long after The Big Chill came out and helped some serious 60s nostalgia take over movies, TV and radio, I found myself quite sick of it. Yes, unemployment was more of a problem during our entry into the workforce, but after peaking in 1981 it started a nearly 10-year decline.

Jen notes a book written about the group by Jonathon Pontell called Generation Jones which she is on the lookout for. If you track down a copy, drop her a line at her blog.