7-24-2022 11:12pm

Wiser Guy: Generation Gap

Beth Callahan Editor

Springboro's Guy Pasvogel, published author, shares his thoughts

SPRINGBORO, OH -- Last night, the television network channel ABC debuted a new game show on Primetime titled Generation Gap. The new show will match families' skills by asking the younger generation a question that should be common knowledge to the older generation and vice versa.

An example that was given was to ask an 8-year-old to complete the phrase, “Go ahead, make my (fill in the blank).”

Hosted by Kelly Ripa and co-produced by Jimmy Kimmel and Mark Burnett, the show is counting on cheap laughs coming from the answers of senior citizens and “cutesy” kids. To me, it sounds like a combination of Art Linkletter’s Kids Say the Darndest Things and my new game show idea Seniors Could Care Less.

I read a review of the first show online today and found that even though the questions asked were softball in nature and most were answered incorrectly. Kelly Ripa asked a question about the name of a Transformer that’s a Beetle.

The senior who tried to answer it said, “Paul McCartney.”

Being a senior citizen myself, I find great satisfaction in holding onto my older generation's culture, fads and beliefs. I do not begrudge the younger generation carving their own way with different attitudes, beliefs and styles.

They can have their tattoo billboards all over their bodies, ear and nose piercing, jeans with more holes than denim and rainbow colored hair. I could care less.

My attitude would be the same as “Beetle Transformer Paul McCartney…'Let It Be'” (but not for me).

In the '60s and '70s my generation had bell-bottomed jeans, flowered disco shirts, and long hair that drove our parents nuts. Our music transformed from the easy listening doo-wop of the late '50s to rock and roll in the '60s and '70s.

Our parents, who grew up listening to the likes of Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Perry Como and Doris Day, thought we were hippies and delinquent.

Today’s pop music is more rap and less harmonious. I would more aptly describe it as poetry with a head banging beat in the background…..and a few cuss words as well.

If Beethoven came back to 2022 for a day and listened to Jay Z or Lil Wayne, he probably would have drunk a fifth before he wrote it. I doubt if they are piping in rap music at Sunny Acres Retirement Home. Just saying….

Different generations also have slang connotations that identify with their age group.

In my teens, being “cool” meant that you were “really jiving” and were “the cat’s meow.” Then, in the late '90s Paris Hilton came onto the scene and popularized the saying, "That’s hot."

Somehow the saying “luke-warm” never made it into the Slang Hall of Fame. You know…. somewhere between cool and hot.

Today, our youth have their own slang.

I looked up the top ten slang words of 2022 and came up with a few zingers. Here is the Top Ten list: