by Andy Lee
Remember when our generational identity centered on bucking mainstream norms? That fierce “question everything” irreverence now feels like it got subdued into a commercialized novelty act.
Our vital “us vs the machine” counterculture fire extinguished, that burning disdain for conformity flattened into branded pop culture artifacts. Frays against corrupt societal dogma repackaged as $50 t-shirts celebrating ironic consumerism.
We were punk rock David’s fearlessly sticking it to Goliath’s toxic assimilation. Until gradually our own resistance morphed into generational equivalents of the establishment we rebelled against.
Angst-fueled anthems of youthful defiance lost urgency, just echoes for nostalgic kitsch rather than primal activist screams. Our totems commercialized as brand extensions displaying ironic disillusionment, not disruption.
Vestiges persist in fringe subcultures. But that torch of unapologetic IDGAF attitude feels neutered into sentimentality. The original ferocity is declawed into vague “stick it to the man” cliches monetized for merchandise.
Domestic responsibilities facilitated cooling that revolutionary fire too. Hard prioritizing anti-capitalist stances amid mortgages and families. Yet the vibrant ethos challenging systemic BS still got decentralized into detached statements gutted of defiant communal urgency.
So maybe honoring our counterculture heroics now means resisting complacency itself. Upholding skepticism toward institutionalized lies masquerading as truth. Channeling that vital disruptor energy through perpetually seeking deeper meaning beyond dogma.
Stay radically awake, keep questioning norms! 🙋⁉️
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