The Mindset List
18 May 2005
Are you feeling old and outdated? Well, prepare yourself for the worst.
Each fall, Beloit College distributes the Beloit College Mindset List, which identifies some facts of life that distinguish this year’s freshman class from the generations that preceded it.
Here are some selections from various Mindset Lists from 2002 through 2008. (The 2009 list will hopefully be released in late August.) I really suggest you go check these lists out yourselves. I had picked a lot of lines from these, but did my best to narrow it down to eight for each year (except for 2002, which is just so good, I doubled that). There are so many more good ones! Also, many of these years come with some sort of bonus list.
Class of 2002:
- They were 11 when the Soviet Union broke apart, and do not remember the Cold War.
- They have never feared a nuclear war. “The Day After” is a pill to them—not a movie.
- They are too young to remember the Space Shuttle Challenger blowing up.
- Their lifetime has always included AIDS.
- They have no idea what a pull top can looks like.
- Atari pre-dates them, as do vinyl albums.
- Star Wars looks very fake to them, and the special effects are pathetic.
- There have always been red M&M’s, and blue ones are not new. What do you mean there used to be beige ones?
- There have always been VCR’s, but they have no idea what Beta is.
- “The Tonight Show” has always been with Jay Leno.
- Popcorn has always been cooked in the microwave.
- They don’t know who Mork was, or where he was from.
- They never heard the terms “Where’s the Beef?”, “I’d walk a mile for a Camel” or “De plane, de plane!”
- They do not care who shot J.R. and have no idea who J.R. is.
- There has always been MTV, and it has always included non-musical shows.
- Michael Jackson has always been white.
Class of 2003:
- While they all know her children, they have no idea who “Ma Bell” was.
- They never heard anyone say, “Book ‘em, Dano,” “Good night, John-boy,” or “Kiss my grits,” in prime time.
- They never knew Madonna when she was like a virgin.
- They don’t think there is anything terribly futuristic about 2001, and were never concerned about the year 1984.
- President Kennedy’s assassination is as significant to them as that of Lincoln or Garfield.
- They cannot identify the last United States President to throw-up on a Japanese prime minister.
- They cannot imagine waiting a generation to get the dirt on the U.S. President.
- They felt pretty special when their elementary school had top-of-the-line Commodore 64s.
Class of 2004:
- Kurt Cobain’s death was the “day the music died.”
- Somebody named George Bush has been on every national ticket, except one, since they were born.
- A “45” is a gun, not a record with a large hole in the center.
- They have never referred to Russia and China as “the Reds.”
- There has always been a national holiday honoring Martin Luther King, Jr.
- They never dressed up for a plane flight.
- Lawn darts have always been illegal.
- “Spam” and “cookies” are not necessarily foods.
Class of 2005:
- The New Kids on the Block are over the hill.
- Hard copy has nothing to do with a TV show; a browser is not someone relaxing in a bookstore; a virus does not make humans sick; and a mouse is not a rodent (and there is no proper plural for it).
- One earring on a man indicates that he is probably pretty conservative.
- Jimmy Hoffa has always been officially dead.
- Ron Howard and Rob Reiner have always been balding older film directors.
- Beta is a preview version of software, not a VCR format.
- They have never known exactly what to call the rock star formerly and presently known as Prince.
- Survivor is a TV show not a rock group.
Class of 2006:
- Cars have always had eye-level rear stop lights, CD players, and air bags.
- We have always been able to choose our long distance carriers.
- Big Brother is merely a television show.
- A “Hair Band” is some sort of fashion accessory.
- The U.S. and the Soviets have always been partners in space.
- Fox has always been a television network choice.
- This generation has never wanted to “be a Pepper too.”
- The drinking age has always been 21 throughout the country.
Class of 2007:
- “Ctrl + Alt + Del” is as basic as “ABC.”
- Paul Newman has always made salad dressing.
- Pete Rose has always been a gambler.
- Gas has always been unleaded.
- There has always been some association between fried eggs and your brain.
- They have never been able to find the “return” key.
- Three-point shots from “downtown” have always been a part of basketball.
- Stores have always had scanners at the checkout.
Class of 2008:
- “Heeeere’s Johnny!” is a scary greeting from Jack Nicholson, not a warm welcome from Ed McMahon.
- Large fine-print ads for prescription drugs have always appeared in magazines.
- Baby Jessica could be a classmate.
- Harry has always known Sally.
- Robert Downey, Jr. has always been in trouble.
- They have done most of their search for the right college online.
- Aspirin has always been used to reduce the risk of a heart attack.
- They were spared the TV ads for Zamfir and his panpipes.
So, there you have it. Now, if you didn’t feel old before, I apologize. But still, time keeps on ticking away . . . tick, tick, ticking away. Time keeps on slipping into the future. Now, enough with the lyrics!
Comment
Numa Numa Dance
Burt = Celebrity
The only episodes of American Idol that I watch (or half-watch, to be accurate) are the audition episodes. Psychodiva Mary Roche (aka Mary Guilbeaux and sometimes written "Mary Roche") was the final contestant shown on last night's show. Basically she acted a little strange (a bit Canadian, if you ask me) and did some standard awful singing, self-described as "pop rock meets broadway meets jazz and R&B". The judges then hand it over to Simon to explain to her that she is one of the worst they have ever heard. This prompted Mary to later say "The fact that they said that . . . that doesn't make me want to pursue any kind of singing career." I really don't think she understands that this really was their goal.