Talking 'bout Your Generation wrote:
What made the baby boomers decide to give participation trophies to everyone? This also carried over to the road racing where boomers thought it was a good decision to give out finisher medals to people who finish a 5K. Some won't even consider doing a marathon or a half unless the race gives out finisher medals.
What happened along the way to cause this line of thinking?
What makes you think you know sh*t from Shinola?
I thought the did that so the millenials wouldn't have their self-esteem damaged.
Ask for a frappe then wrote:
Cahier Au Cinema wrote:I don't believe it was the Boomers. It was Gen X.
^ This.
Incorrect. The timing doesn't line up. Boomers (aka the entitlement generation, aka those responsible for the downfall of 'Merica) were at the helm when this ridiculous trend started. But as another poster stated, don't expect them to take responsibility for this or anything else (...unless it's something they actually weren't responsible for like the civil rights movement--the leaders of which were actually all part of he greatest generation). Boomers are truly a pathetic lot.
The Boomers decided one day while they were dropping with Aldous Huxley
Talking 'bout Your Generation wrote:
What made the baby boomers decide to give participation trophies to everyone? This also carried over to the road racing where boomers thought it was a good decision to give out finisher medals to people who finish a 5K. Some won't even consider doing a marathon or a half unless the race gives out finisher medals.
What happened along the way to cause this line of thinking?
Liberals started this. They don't want anyone feeling to get hurt when they lose. They want us to all be equally miserable.
I taught High School AP English in an upper middle class high school in the Mid-west for 31 years. This all started in the late 1980s when the universities and child psychologists began to preach that the educational institutions were stifling children's creativity and self- esteem by using authority. As an English teacher, I was no longer allowed to use red pen to mark papers and for every negative comment I made, I had to make at least one positive one (which was often difficult) When I developed the Advanced Placement class, I was told there could not be any requirements for admission as that would make students feel badly about themselves if they didn't get in. We were to avoid calling on students who didn't have their hands up as to not embarrass them. Students believed that teachers shouldn't grade their opinions even though they were poorly expressed and had no support just because they were "their opinions" and everyone was equal. Praise for initiative, ability and intellect were discouraged. Parents started to assume their students should receive all A's for just showing up and coaches were under pressure not to cut kids from sports as it would damage their self esteem. Most HS teachers were opposed to all this as our job was to prepare kids for college and the real world and telling everyone they were wonderful for nothing certainly didn't help. What we created was generations of people who do not understand why they did not get into a top college or get a great job, who don't know why they don't get promoted and change jobs frequently as they are not appreciated or understood. This whole thing has filtered down to praising mediocrity at all levels and thus the everyone gets a trophy. Look at road races today. Most of the runners have no idea nor do they care who wins the race or what time the winner runs. All they care about is praising themselves for finishing the race. Race Directors want more participants thus more money so finisher medals get more and more elaborate and races need more gimmicks.
This happened on Reagan's watch.
I'm not even sure Boomers should be getting the rap for any of this. The youngest boomers are now 50. You think they're making all these decisions and running everything?
Besides, how many people decided to do this? I mean, nobody asked ME if I wanted to do this. What about your Boomer uncle? Did anyone ask him?
Thanks Barry wrote:
Incorrect. The timing doesn't line up. Boomers (aka the entitlement generation, aka those responsible for the downfall of 'Merica) were at the helm when this ridiculous trend started. But as another poster stated, don't expect them to take responsibility for this or anything else (...unless it's something they actually weren't responsible for like the civil rights movement--the leaders of which were actually all part of he greatest generation). Boomers are truly a pathetic lot.
waaaaah, waaaaah, I want my country back!!!
Waaah, waaaaaah wussification of america!!!
waaah, waaaaah, entitlement generation!!!!
waaaah, waaaaah, those uppity blacks!!!!
waaaah, waaaaaah, liberal media conspiracy!!!!!
waaaah, waaaaaah, I am obsessed with "baby boomers" for some bizarre reason!!!!!!!
waaaaah, waaaaaah, down with foodstamps, I want people starving in the streets, it's not fair!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
waaah, waaaah, I am a victim of ALL these forces and thigns!!! WAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!
In spite of growing evidence pointing to a Generation XXL and perhaps a Generation RX, when it comes to a large population, there's no such thing as a generation or a generational gap. One generation runs into the next. People are born everyday; people die everyday. One birth does not signify the beginning of an entire population's generation; one death does not denote its end. The phrase 'generation gap' implies that people are inherently different from previous or future populations, and it provides people an opportunity to ceremoniously and erroneously differentiate themselves.
Jesse Bell gave every woman in his early 1970s Bonne Bell Mini-marathon series a 'goodie bag' with a L'eggs Egg and assorted make-ups... and away we went.
Anything that makes them feel good about themselves.
It doesn't matter. The Big War is just around the corner, which will reset everything.
Minister of Truth wrote:
Anything that makes them feel good about themselves.
It doesn't matter. The Big War is just around the corner, which will reset everything.
What's the Big War?
The boomer's parents were tough WWII era folks. The boomers were raised by tough parents.
But the Vietnam war changed a whole era of teenagers. They were drafted to die in a war they didn't believe in and they rebelled against authority. Everything they did was to scream against authority including music, dress, hair and behavior.
As adults they didn't want to be like their parents, they didn't embrace the authority role and they started the process of spoiling their kids. Those were the first entitlement generation and it got even worse with their kids.
So the OP is right, the boomers did weaken and spoil their kids and grandkids. (I know that wasn't the OP's intended point but I couldn't resist)
Randy Redneck wrote:
Thanks Barry wrote:Incorrect. The timing doesn't line up. Boomers (aka the entitlement generation, aka those responsible for the downfall of 'Merica) were at the helm when this ridiculous trend started. But as another poster stated, don't expect them to take responsibility for this or anything else (...unless it's something they actually weren't responsible for like the civil rights movement--the leaders of which were actually all part of he greatest generation). Boomers are truly a pathetic lot.
waaaaah, waaaaah, I want my country back!!!
Waaah, waaaaaah wussification of america!!!
waaah, waaaaah, entitlement generation!!!!
waaaah, waaaaah, those uppity blacks!!!!
waaaah, waaaaaah, liberal media conspiracy!!!!!
waaaah, waaaaaah, I am obsessed with "baby boomers" for some bizarre reason!!!!!!!
waaaaah, waaaaaah, down with foodstamps, I want people starving in the streets, it's not fair!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
waaah, waaaah, I am a victim of ALL these forces and thigns!!! WAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!
DAMN YOU OBAMA!!!
Post of the day.
Post of the day.
Brenda Hawley wrote:
I taught High School AP English in an upper middle class high school in the Mid-west for 31 years. This all started in the late 1980s when the universities and child psychologists began to preach that the educational institutions were stifling children's creativity and self- esteem by using authority. As an English teacher, I was no longer allowed to use red pen to mark papers and for every negative comment I made, I had to make at least one positive one (which was often difficult) When I developed the Advanced Placement class, I was told there could not be any requirements for admission as that would make students feel badly about themselves if they didn't get in. We were to avoid calling on students who didn't have their hands up as to not embarrass them. Students believed that teachers shouldn't grade their opinions even though they were poorly expressed and had no support just because they were "their opinions" and everyone was equal. Praise for initiative, ability and intellect were discouraged. Parents started to assume their students should receive all A's for just showing up and coaches were under pressure not to cut kids from sports as it would damage their self esteem. Most HS teachers were opposed to all this as our job was to prepare kids for college and the real world and telling everyone they were wonderful for nothing certainly didn't help. What we created was generations of people who do not understand why they did not get into a top college or get a great job, who don't know why they don't get promoted and change jobs frequently as they are not appreciated or understood. This whole thing has filtered down to praising mediocrity at all levels and thus the everyone gets a trophy. Look at road races today. Most of the runners have no idea nor do they care who wins the race or what time the winner runs. All they care about is praising themselves for finishing the race. Race Directors want more participants thus more money so finisher medals get more and more elaborate and races need more gimmicks.
Boomers didn't start that, millenials did.
Agree, that was very well written, as one would expect from an AP English teacher.
To be honest though, I have a quibble with the substance, in that I am not convinced that the same people that run races solely for participation medals are not hard-working and productive members of society. Pretty much any social event I go to, I overhear people discussing how, e.g., they've done a 5k and a 10k, and are now considering trying the half. Presumably, these people are not running for time. For them, finishing the race is an achievement. And there is no reason it shouldn't be: they're too busy with other responsibilities and priorities to make covering the distance itself trivial.
Point being, contrary to Brenda's implication, there is nothing fundamentally wrong with a society that gives out finisher medals.
aerobic outhouse wrote:
Agree, that was very well written, as one would expect from an AP English teacher.
To be honest though, I have a quibble with the substance, in that I am not convinced that the same people that run races solely for participation medals are not hard-working and productive members of society. Pretty much any social event I go to, I overhear people discussing how, e.g., they've done a 5k and a 10k, and are now considering trying the half. Presumably, these people are not running for time. For them, finishing the race is an achievement. And there is no reason it shouldn't be: they're too busy with other responsibilities and priorities to make covering the distance itself trivial.
Point being, contrary to Brenda's implication, there is nothing fundamentally wrong with a society that gives out finisher medals.
Personally, I'm a little bit worried by the fact that an English teacher apparently can't use paragraphs.