40 Things All Baby Boomers Think Are Cool
Dear Baby Boomers of America, brace yourselves. We're about to serve a piping hot cup of reality. Some things you held dear and thought were the epitome of cool, well, they were never really that cool. It's time to swallow that bitter pill, accept these choices as blunders, and move forward with a renewed sense of decision-making.
We understand this might come as a shock. You may want to clutch your pearls, wave your walking cane at us in disbelief, or even write a strongly worded letter to the editor (yes, we know how much you love those). And that's perfectly fine. Feel free to disagree, even if you are wrong about it!
Today, we're going to sidestep the big, contentious issues (we'll save that for another fun-filled day) and instead shine a spotlight on the more mundane missteps. The kind of everyday errors that have been handed down like a dubious family heirloom to every generation after the baby boomers.
So, buckle up, children of the boom. It's time for a trip down memory lane to scrutinize exactly where your generation zigged when it should've zagged and why those choices don't quite hold up in today's world.
Let's get started!
Diamonds
Did you know...
- After her role as First Lady came to an end, Jackie Kennedy went into the publishing business. She became an associate editor at Doubleday and worked mostly on autobiographies. In fact, she was one of two original editors for Michael Jackson's 2009 autobiography Moonwalk, a #1 New York Times bestseller.
- While attending the Grammys in February 2000, Jennifer Lopez stepped out in a green Versace dress that instantly became a phenomenon. The barely-there ensemble had a dramatically low cut that came below JLo’s belly button. It became such a talking point that it was Google’s most popular search query up to that point, and it spurred the company to include images into search results. It became the motivation for Google Images.
- Paris Hilton not only lives in a mansion, she also built a doghouse mansion for her Chihuahua. It's 300 square feet and includes air conditioning and heating. It comes decked out with designer furniture, a chandelier, a pink paint job, second-floor balcony, and enclosed "yard." It's not enough for you to live in luxury. Your dog must, as well.
- In February 2020, Jeff Bezos bought the most expensive property in California: a $165 million mansion. It was designed for Jack Warner (the former president of Warner Bros. entertainment company). It took a decade to construct (spanning the 1930s and 40s). It comes complete with 9 acres of Beverly Hills land, a main house, a guest house, a tennis court, a golf course, and terraces.
- When Rihanna debuted her famous red locks in 2010 (around the same time she was featured on Eminem's "Love the Way You Lie"), she started a red-hair trend. Over the next twelve months, she changed her hairstyle 13 times—more than once a month! But that came at a pricey cost. Sources say the annual price tag came out to $1,168,000 on just her hair.