Another One Bites the Dust

JANE magazine will close after its August issue, according to an announcement made last week. I have mixed feelings about this event, as I was not a regular reader of the magazine, but I did really like it the few times I picked up a copy. The content mocked women’s magazines, but also understood that women are inherently drawn to them. JANE wasn’t afraid to be a little dry and sarcastic, yet without alienating their readers. In a way, JANE is the women’s magazine that I would have wanted to create if I had the choice. It did have a respectable entertainment section that gave smart reviews. I can’t exactly describe what I found appealing about Jane, but I would narrow it down to the fun smart tone of the magazine.

The truly scary thing about JANE closing is that the readership is not all the young. When I was interning at Teen People and it shut down, the close made sense since younger readers look for free information on the web. Magazines simply do not have a place in a younger generation's lifestyle. JANE, however, catered towards the college and post-college woman, who should be reading. JANE's closing does not bode well.

Despite my appreciation and respect for JANE, I could probably count on one hand how many times I actually read an issue. For all its wit and humor, I could not be motivated to subscribe or buy it when in the airport. (The one time I actually choose a few magazines from the rack with every intention of reading them cover-to-cover.) So is it really worth it for a magazine to be of intelligent and comic caliber? Perhaps it is safer to fall back on the universal tone found in Cosmo, Glamour, Self, and Allure in order to sell magazines. If the tone doesn’t contribute to the bottom line, there’s no way advertisers will stick around simply for the sake of cleverness.

Reality Bites?

Having made the point that there are few examples of 20 something pop culture, I immediately was told of two examples from the 90s, including Reality Bites. I was ashamed to admit that I had never seen this cult classic, hence the reason I did not mention it in my previous post. I hoped it would live up to expectations. It did to a certain extent.

The most disappointing part of the movie was seeing Winona Ryder in her prime, knowing that sometime after this movie she ruined it all by shoplifting. Also, Ethan Hawke’s teeth were distractingly crooked. Call me shallow, but these little things can chip away at the integrity of a film. I began to wonder if that’s why Troy was so angsty—his over-bite caused him all sorts of inner mouth pain and thus psychological turmoil.

On a more serious note, I do feel that the cast worked well together. Janeane Garofalo showed that sarcasm is not simply a humor tactic, but a fine art if executed correctly. Steve Zahn also was a pleasant surprise, though I much prefer him in Saving Silverman. (That might be just me.) Ben Stiller might be the best part of the movie, toning down his usual comedic flare and stepping in with some of the scripts more solid lines—“what’s your glitch?!?!”

Production notes aside, the ultimate message of the movie does ring true to 20 somethings, particularly those fresh out of college. My heart soared a bit when Lelaina (Winona Ryder)confesses to Troy (Ethan Hawke), “I was really going to be somebody by the time I was 23.” To which he replies, “Honey, all you have to be by the time you’re 23, is yourself.” I realized as I sat watching, that I am about to turn 23. If I remain in my limbo status, I might just fall back on this line when my parents ask me what the hell I’m doing: “Relax, Mom and Dad. I’m just being myself.”

The main flaw with this movie is that for all the angst the characters pretend to entertain, they’re really just softies. Lelaina still is tempted by the corporate sell out (even she is prone to his unique albeit odd Ben-Stillerish charm). Troy still falls back on cheap middle school flirting tactics: “You look like a doily.” For all of Lelaina’s struggling artist façade, she pulls out Daddy’s gas card at the drop of a hat and gladly drives his hand-me-down BMW. Though Lelaina wants us to believe that using the gas card is her way of saying "fuck you" to her dad, it still gives her that financial advantage that most 20 somethings don't have.

If anything, the movie reminds the audience that no matter how hard we emphasize and build up an outer shell of angst and intellect, we’re all naïve, innocent and not as smart was we think we are—this fact also counts for valedictorians, as Lelaina shows us. Ultimately, this message is far from unique in the movie world. You can almost group it with any old high school movie.

On top of this fact, Realy Bites, like many other films, gives us the false impression that despite any character shortcomings, you can still crack the mob rocker’s crusty shell and ultimately move in with him to share an answering machine with a oh-so-witty “at the beep” message. So the title should really be finished with a question mark, as the "bite" has long since worn off by the time the credits roll.

I will hand it to Reality Bites for coming close enough to stand as a significant cultural text for 20-somethings. Perhaps it works because it once again reaffirms that life in your 20s will be a crapshoot no matter what happens. The most comforting notion it pushes is that answering questions with “I don’t know” is okay; it might even get you a round of applause.

What about the 20 Somethings?

“Congratulations,” is a word I hear frequently these days. It is the choice word for college graduates, and it is immediately followed by the same questions: where are you living? What are you doing? I only know where I’m living. I’ve found myself slipping into a state of degeneration in the last few weeks, brought on by lack of structure and too many opportunities to do nothing. I have no regrets though. As these same noisy questioners point out, I have the rest of my life to work. Why not fuck around for a few more weeks?

Of course, this will all change as my usual supporting cast of late have been employed. I’m hoping that I can at least meet these employed friends for lunch and they can pick up the tab for this struggling non-artist.
In any event, I find myself looking for a point of reference in this ambiguous time; something to reassure me that people have done absolutely nothing, just as I am doing now, and made it out with a job and their dignity. I know my brother did this a few years ago, but that doesn’t mean that I can’t be a little unsettled by my unemployed status.

So of course, I look to popular culture for some sort of guideline. A movie or song that will offer me a chorus I can sing during low moments or an uplifting feeling as the credits role. Having left behind the plentiful cultural references and wisdom for college and high school students, I find that there is an overwhelming lack of cultural support for 20 somethings. After the frat movies, there is a bit of generation gap. 30 somethings have plenty of movies to turn to, as it is the decade in which people ponder the great plunge of marriage, children, and job promotions.

Upon further analysis, however, why does the world turn their focus away from life between being a teenager and being 30 something? Making that first step into the real world, getting your first house, your first job, your first serious relationship outside of a college campus, these are the moments that will truly define you. Out from under your parents, and away from your friends, how is it that musicians and moviemakers overlook this crucial period?

There are a few superficial answers one could use. First, 20 somethings have no money; they won’t pay to go to a movie about their generation, or purchase a CD or concert ticket even if it includes their generation’s anthem. Entry level in life means entry-level pay. 20 somethings will wait until the movie is on TV or illegally download an anthem before they blow potential rent or beer money on pop culture. The other answer is, maybe people don’t really want to remember their 20 somethings, so they don’t create a cultural text around this period of life. I worry that this is the answer. People will always glorify their naïve teenage youth or embrace the permanent decisions they make in their 30s before they pay homage to the aimless wandering of being 20 something.

There are movies that seem to want to speak to 20 somethings, but the characters and scripts never openly embrace their age by revealing it. For example, is Office Space meant to show 20 somethings hating their entry-level office jobs? It's hard to say. Jon Livingston could be 25. He could also be 31. In other words, these ambiguous movies cannot truly speak for us 20-somethings because they do not embrace our generation.

So should we have held onto 16 as long as we could have, as John Cougar Mellencamp urged? This cultural gap kind of makes me want to rush to my 30s in order to truly understand the advice of Wedding Crashers and Four Weddings and a Funeral. I suppose Knocked Up could stand in for 20-somethings, but then again watching Katherine Heigl in the “crowning” scene makes the fundamental message—keep the baby—something I refuse to buy into.

Perhaps the popular culture does not guide us 20 somethings because ultimately, this is the decade in which we should flounder on our own. It is the last time in life to be spontaneous and selfish without suffering great consequences. So as we head out into our entry level jobs and tiny apartments, we have the reassurance that we can look back to the glory days of college and high school and know that at some point we’ll make it out to the other side, as a 30 something, having survived the great limbo of being 20 something.