110 Millennial Things That Are Seriously "Outdated," According To Gen Z
17 Millennial Trends That Are Seriously "Outdated," According To Gen Z
How do you feel about skinny jeans and statement necklaces? Please share. Take the quiz here.
Here Are 29 Things Almost Every Single Millennial Had In Their Parents' House Growing Up In The '90s, But I Am Curious If You Had Them Too
I just want to know if you also pretended you were in a movie every time you used the corded phone as a kid. Take the quiz here.
People On Twitter Are Roasting Millennials For Saying These 34 Things, So Let's Decide If We Should Actually Stop Saying Them Or Not
Every term in this quiz is perfectly acceptable, except for adulting. We can probably drop that one. Take the quiz here.
If You've Used 10/20 Of These Slang Words, You Are 100,000% Guilty Of Millennial Cringe (Even If You Said Them Ironically)
Surely nobody says on fleek anymore? Take the quiz here.
Gen Z Has Apparently "Canceled" These 10 Emojis, So I'm Curious To Know If You Think They're OK To Use
The thumbs up emoji is FINE TO USE. This is not up for debate. Take the quiz here.
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Forbes
2 hours ago
- Forbes
The Big Lesson From The Sydney Sweeney American Eagle Backlash
The fact that a denim ad is the most controversial moment of the week speaks volumes about the current tensions in society. Unless you've been hiding under a rock, you'll have seen the Sydney Sweeney and American Eagle's 'great jeans' campaign and subsequent backlash. How could a jeans advert warrant such criticism? And what is the bigger lesson brands and agencies can learn from the controversy? The campaign has been dominating headlines, but it's important to understand the wider business context. American Eagle has faced a challenging Q1 with weakening business performance due to tariffs, product misses and steep discounting. The brand has withdrawn its guidance for 2025, citing an adjusted operating loss of $68 million. In recent years, American Eagle has collaborated with the likes of Addison Rae, Coco Gauff and Yara Shahidi to win over Gen-Z and unlock new growth. The Sydney Sweeney was an attempt to further boost cultural relevance with Gen-Z. In an interview with WWD, Chief Marketing Officer Craig Brommers said, 'I think this is potentially one of the biggest gets in American Eagle history'. The campaign with Sydney Sweeney is reportedly the company's most expensive campaign to date. It was a big bet from the brand. However, the 'great jeans' advert has received some serious backlash online. Firstly, for promoting sexual imagery while attempting to raise awareness for a domestic violence charity. Commentators were quick to criticize the campaign for appealing to the male gaze. One comment on Instagram reads: 'If your goal was to sell women's jeans to men, great job'. But the main controversy is related to the campaign messaging. On the surface, the adverts seem innocuous. The campaign tagline uses a double entendre, a form of wordplay that combines "jeans" and "genes." You can imagine the idea being blurted out during a meeting or workshop. But the campaign has been accused and criticized for promoting white supremacy and phrases coded in the language of eugenics. The video features Sweeney saying, 'Genes are passed down from parents to offspring, often determining traits like hair color, personality, and even eye color. My genes are blue.' Concluding with the slogan: 'Sydney Sweeney has great jeans'. One TikTok commentator wrote: 'It's giving 1930s Germany.' The main critique centres on the meaning of having 'great genes'. Does it suggest the existence of less good or inferior genes? Context is important here. Sydney Sweeney is a white woman with blonde hair and blue eyes. Critics have argued that the campaign reinforces and normalizes the notion that certain genetic attributes are more desirable than others. Eugenics was a central pillar of ideology and policy in Nazi Germany. Separately from this campaign, for the first time in decades, we're witnessing eugenicist thinking from fringe to mainstream headlines. Serving as the backdrop to the American Eagle campaign. Some view the campaign as symbolic of a cultural and ideological shift back towards commentators have suggested that the backlash might have been prevented if more diverse voices were included in the creative process. The problem is that diverse voices don't always translate to an equal share of influence. Challenging the consensus requires building a culture that welcomes dissent. Besides, a number of TikTok creators have pointed out that the American Eagle Executive team are all white when almost 40% of the U.S. population identifies as people of color. There also appears to be no representation of Millennials or Gen-Z on the leadership team. The very demographics the brand is hoping to connect with. Others are celebrating the campaign for being 'anti-woke'. A return to normality, where brands and celebrities don't have to be apologetic for existing or being white. Many marketers have argued that people are reading too much into a simple brand advertisement featuring a trending celebrity to sell jeans. The internet and social media have democratized the share of voice. However, more voices create greater levels of scrutiny, resulting in countless critiques and campaign teardowns, oftentimes distant from the original creator's intentions and ambitions. It feels like marketers and brands are stuck in a lose-lose situation. Brands are bound to be criticized by one group or the other. Where such an argument falls short is in the real world. Brands are not just logos; they are vehicles for communicating implicit and explicit meaning. Unlike broadcast media and one-way communication models, it's the audience, not the CMO, who decides how a message is received, remixed and interpreted. Advertising doesn't exist in a vacuum. Campaigns are created, transmitted and translated within the context of culture. Power has shifted from boardrooms to creators. Under such conditions, it's mission-critical to understand the cultural backdrop in which your brand is operating. Marketers need both perspective and foresight on how messages will be received in the context of the wider cultural conversation, rather than as a standalone communication. Advertising is subliminal. Brands appeal to our subconscious emotions, intuitions and sometimes insecurities. The traditional advertising playbook rejects us as we are but embraces us if we buy the brand. Denim brands, like fragrance and luxury care brands, have historically used sexual appeal and aspiration to sell products. However, societal expectations, norms and aspirations have changed since the 20th century. A change yet to be reflected in the marketing and advertising industry. The American Eagle and Sydney Sweeney controversy will eventually blow over, but only to give way to the next consumer backlash. There is a bigger lesson to be learned from the controversy: marketers no longer control the narrative. A brand is no longer what brands tell people, but what people tell brands.
New York Post
2 hours ago
- New York Post
GEN X vs. GEN Z SLANG WAR! Who Flops and Who Slays?
Can Gen X decode Gen Z's chaotic lingo? Or will Zoomers be left scratching their heads over what it means to be 'bogarting' a cig? In this laugh-out-loud generational clash, reporter Andrew Court hits Times Square to test the street smarts (and slang skills) of both camps. From 'tubular' to 'delulu,' the results are equal parts grody and glorious.
New York Post
3 hours ago
- New York Post
Gen Z, Gen X square off in slang showdown: Do you know what 'slay,' 'tubular,' 'Bogart' and more mean?
These generations are lost in translation. Gen X isn't exactly 'slaying' when it comes to understanding their zoomer children's slang — but Gen Z is similarly stumped by the popular words and phrases their parents said way back in the day. The Post took to Times Square to host the ultimate fun showdown — Gen X vs. Gen Z in a battle of the slang — and the results were mixed. Advertisement 9 James Curran, 49, and his daughter Katie, 17, battled it out in our Gen X vs. Gen Z slang quiz. Olga Ginzburg for N.Y. Post 9 Isabella Moss, 18, and her mom, Allison, 53, visiting from Austin, Texas, took part in our quiz. Olga Ginzburg for N.Y. Post We asked Gen Xers the meaning of five slang words currently used by Zoomers, including 'serve,' 'stan' and 'rizz.' Advertisement To test whether their kids could speak fluent throwback, we subsequently quizzed Gen Z teens on five slang words popular among Gen X back in the 1980s and 1990s, including pop culture-inspired 'gnarly,' 'grody' and 'tubular.' If you fancy yourself a superior slang decoder, take our test below and find out whether you fared better than those we stopped on the street. GEN X SLANG Gnarly 9 Mya Lenahan, 16, tries to guess Gen X slang in our Post pop quiz. The Gen Z teen was left stumped by some of the words used by older generations. Olga Ginzburg for N.Y. Post According to Surfer Today, gnarly 'originated from the word 'gnarled,' meaning 'knobbly, rough, and twisted, especially with age.'' Advertisement It first came into usage way back in the mid-18th century and kept its literal meaning for more than 200 years before it was appropriated by California surfers in the 1970s to describe something completely different. The slang word subsequently became a Gen X staple after it was used by Sean Penn's surfer stoner character Jeff Spicoli in the 1982 teen smash 'Fast Times at Ridgemont High.' But do you know what it means? Answer: 'gnarly' can mean either difficult and challenging or excellent and cool Bogart Advertisement 9 Brooklyn teen Azeeah Philips, 15, was stunned to learn the meanings of some Gen X slang words. Olga Ginzburg for N.Y. Post This popular Gen X slang word baffled the Gen Z participants who took part in our quiz, with several theorizing it was related to the 'Harry Potter' universe, in which a 'boggart' is a shape-shifting creature that takes the form of its observer's fear. However, the word is actually inspired by Hollywood icon Humphrey Bogart, who often kept a cigarette in his mouth without smoking it in scenes from his famed black-and-white movies. Thus, to 'Bogart' something means to hog or monopolize on something without sharing. Tubular Another slang word that originated in California's surfing culture, 'tubular' was initially used to describe a hollow, curling wave. By the late 1980s, it had entered Gen X lexicon with a different meaning and reached peak usage after 'Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure' in 1989. Zoomers quizzed by The Post were mystified by the term, which fell out of fashion long before they were born. Advertisement It was widely used by Gen X to describe something cool, awesome or — imagine Keanu Reeves saying it — most excellent. Bodacious 9 Mom and daughter Angelique, 52, and Michelle, 18, stopped in Times Square to test their knowledge. Olga Ginzburg for N.Y. Post This Gen X slang word stayed popular even as they aged out of their teens and into parenthood. 'Bodacious' was subsequently picked up by millennials — but only a few zoomers we tested were able to guess its meaning. Advertisement It's used to describe someone impressive or remarkable. Additionally, it's used as an adjective for someone who is sexually attractive. Grody 'Grody' is an American variation of 'grotty' — a British slang word first made famous by The Beatles in the 1964 film 'A Hard Day's Night.' In California, 'grody' gained traction in the surfing community in the early 1980s, and several Zoomers we quizzed correctly guessed its meaning. However, they all insisted it's no longer a part of everyday conversation. Advertisement A shortening of the word 'grotesque,' it's slang for gross, disgusting or unpleasant. GEN Z SLANG Stan 9 New Jersey dad James Curran, 49, correctly guessed the meaning of the Gen Z slang word 'stan.' Impressively, he was even able to explain its origin. Olga Ginzburg for N.Y. Post The origin of this popular Gen Z slang word dates back to the year 2000 — long before Zoomers held cultural sway. Inspired by Eminem's song 'Stan,' released in that year, it's a term used to describe a devoted — and possibly deranged — fan. Advertisement Conveniently, it's also a portmanteau of the words 'stalker' and 'fan.' One hip Gen X dad, James Curran, 47, from New Jersey, correctly guessed the meaning of the slang word and was even able to explain that it originated from the Eminem track. Slay 9 Zoomer Hadi Baydoun, 25, is seen taking part in our Post pop quiz. Olga Ginzburg for N.Y. Post 'Slay' is derived from the LGBTQ+ ballroom scene but has become a key part of Zoomer vernacular in recent years. Several Gen X parents were able to guess the meaning of this word correctly, possibly thanks to Beyoncé's iconic hit 'Formation,' in which she sings: 'I slay all day.' It's commonly used to describe someone's appearance or accomplishment, e.g., 'You're slaying in that outfit.' Serve Despite being a popular variation of 'slay,' most Gen X'ers weren't able to guess the meaning of this word correctly. It's used to describe someone or something that looks good or amazing. For instance: 'You're serving in those shoes.' Rizz 9 Laney Schmidt, 15, and her mom, Sara, 47, took our test in Times Square. The tourists were in town from Omaha, Nebraska. Olga Ginzburg for N.Y. Post First used by Twitch streamer Kai Cenat, this word is now a Gen Z slang staple. It stumped many Gen X'ers who participated in our Post pop quiz, despite the fact that it's an abbreviation of an actual word. 'Rizz' refers to charisma and is often used to describe an unconventionally attractive male who has an indescribable allure over gorgeous women. Delulu 9 'I know Labubu, but not 'delulu,'' confessed mom Angelique, 52, standing next to her daughter, Michelle, 18. Olga Ginzburg for N.Y. Post While most Gen Xers we quizzed were able to identify the meaning of this colloquialism, one mom was left baffled. 'I know Labubu, but not 'delulu,'' Gen X mom Angelique, 52, told The Post as her daughter, Michelle, 18, stood laughing alongside her. Labubus are, of course, the viral collectible dolls from China that are currently the hottest toys on the global market. 'Delulu,' on the other hand, is a colloquialism for 'delusional' and is often used in a romantic context when the person reads into the actions of their crush a little too much. The results Gen X came out on top, with an overall score of 48%. However, that means that most participants didn't guess a majority of the five words correctly. But zoomers fared even worse, with a score of 41%, failing to understand the meanings behind their parents' generation's popular slang.
