Bust of the Boom

The Boomer Century program was a bit disappointing -- part TV GED course (mediocre social history), part tour through the self-help and New Age book shelves at Barnes and Noble, part infomercial (or at least it felt like one when the host got into financial advisory mode); in short, it was a missed opportunity to get beyond the superficiality of stereotypes and media hyped "megatrends" that have characterized the baby boom image. Its history was textbook, and its focus on the common cultural images we grew up with was just not satisfying. Which makes me wonder if there is actually nothing much to the baby boom beyond that superficiality -- so thin, in fact, that the most insightful part part of the two hours was the rant by Lewis Black highlighting just how superficial the baby boom generation has been. It is too bad the producers did not take the effort to the next level -- perhaps by holding one of those boring (yet insightful) post-show roundtables with real people who might exchange opinions and views about the images and ideas expressed in the show. Then again, I did note previously that I came to the show expecting to satisfy my itch for the nostalgic -- and I certainly got my fill of that.... Tags: Boomer Century, baby boom, PBS, Lewis Black, Mel Dubnick, accountabilitybloke