# Spoiled millenial profiled in New York Times **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [July 8, 2010, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spoiled-millenial-profiled-in-new-york-times/545979 "2010-07-08T17:10:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2010, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spoiled-millenial-profiled-in-new-york-times/545979/61 "2010-07-09T17:10:35Z")
> [@Phatlewt](#): > > I love these threads where you crotchety old folks get angry that standards of living for college educated Americans has gone up. How unfair for you! I’m not entirely sure about that; I’ve been payin’ the bills for 25 years now, and I don’t think my dollar’s going farther now than it was 25 years ago. Maybe we’re talking about two different things - cost of living versus standard of living. I am, however, entirely sure that I’m crochety. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Brandus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/898d66/32.png) [@Brandus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Brandus)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2010, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spoiled-millenial-profiled-in-new-york-times/545979/62 "2010-07-09T17:35:08Z")
As a 27 year old, I’m totally unsympathetic to this young man’s troubles. There are millions of people, middle aged, with children, sole breadwinners, that have to work much worse jobs like Asst Manager at a Burger King or Janitor with no Benefits. Who does he think he is with a Political Science degree from a no-name university? It’s totally arrogant to think he’s “better” than that. He might as well take the 40k a year job and continue job searching for your dream job (not gonna happen) while at least having an income and filling in a blank spot on your resume. ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2010, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spoiled-millenial-profiled-in-new-york-times/545979/63 "2010-07-09T17:36:27Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > There’s a [Crest University in London](http://jobs.workpermit.com/employee/vacancy.php?jobs_vid=925), but google seems to indicate it’s a scam of some type. > > There’s a _Cedar_ Crest College in Pennsylvania. But who wants cedar-flavoured toothpaste? ---
**Author:** ![Rumor\_Watkins](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/d9b06d/32.png) [@Rumor\_Watkins](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rumor_Watkins)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2010, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spoiled-millenial-profiled-in-new-york-times/545979/64 "2010-07-09T17:40:07Z")
> [@Brandus](#): > > As a 27 year old, I’m totally unsympathetic to this young man’s troubles. There are millions of people, middle aged, with children, sole breadwinners, that have to work much worse jobs like Asst Manager at a Burger King or Janitor with no Benefits. > > Who does he think he is with a Political Science degree from a no-name university? It’s totally arrogant to think he’s “better” than that. > > He might as well take the 40k a year job and continue job searching for your dream job (not gonna happen) while at least having an income and filling in a blank spot on your resume. Colgate, while imminently open to mockery based on its name, is hardly a no-name university. It’s ranked right next to the Naval Academy in US News. Unless it’s all no-name unless it’s Harvard, Yale, or Princeton? Where, pray tell, did you graduate from that is so noteworthy? ---
**Author:** ![Bosstone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/22d042/32.png) [@Bosstone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosstone)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2010, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spoiled-millenial-profiled-in-new-york-times/545979/65 "2010-07-09T17:42:02Z")
> [@Brandus](#): > > As a 27 year old, I’m totally unsympathetic to this young man’s troubles. There are millions of people, middle aged, with children, sole breadwinners, that have to work much worse jobs like Asst Manager at a Burger King or Janitor with no Benefits. I stopped at a diner for dinner last night. When I was talking to the bartender, I mentioned I was half dead because I pulled an 11 hour shift at my white collar desk job. He sympathized by saying he had to work three jobs, so he knew what it was like. That shut me up right quick. People who can, and have to, work three shit jobs and still have the energy to smile and chat have my respect. ---
**Author:** ![Beware\_of\_Doug](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/278dde/32.png) [@Beware\_of\_Doug](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beware_of_Doug)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2010, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spoiled-millenial-profiled-in-new-york-times/545979/66 "2010-07-09T17:44:34Z")
> [@Bosstone](#): > > People who can, and have to, work three shit jobs and still have the energy to smile and chat have my respect. That’s the key to life, really: to be fully and actively part of an inhuman world and still manage to stay human. ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2010, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spoiled-millenial-profiled-in-new-york-times/545979/67 "2010-07-09T17:47:26Z")
> [@RTFirefly](#): > > Nah, the New York Times couldn’t have done that. Their coverage of the current economic troubles has been consistently about the hardships of the wealthy and near-wealthy. AFATC, they’re the only people that matter. As much as I love the Times, this is on the mark. However, during good times their coverage was only of the wealthy and near-wealthy (and those in the arts.) That is the Times’ shtick. I don’t their reporters’ rolodexes take anyone not making $100K. They actually get dinged for this reasonably often in the Letters column. ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2010, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spoiled-millenial-profiled-in-new-york-times/545979/68 "2010-07-09T17:48:32Z")
> [@Sunspace](#): > > But who wants cedar-flavoured toothpaste? A beaver. ---
**Author:** ![Lobohan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobohan/32/79_2.png) [@Lobohan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobohan)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2010, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spoiled-millenial-profiled-in-new-york-times/545979/69 "2010-07-09T17:50:12Z")
> [@Sunspace](#): > > But who wants cedar-flavoured toothpaste? Termites? ETA: Yarrr! ---
**Author:** ![Beware\_of\_Doug](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/278dde/32.png) [@Beware\_of\_Doug](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beware_of_Doug)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2010, 5:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spoiled-millenial-profiled-in-new-york-times/545979/70 "2010-07-09T17:51:09Z")
> [@Voyager](#): > > As much as I love the Times, this is on the mark. However, during good times their coverage was only of the wealthy and near-wealthy (and those in the arts.) And only those of _high profile_ in the arts. Keep in kind that The Times does not try to speak for _all_ of New York. It’s the voice of those who at least _believe_ in status and the most widely respected fields of achievement. ---
**Author:** ![Rumor\_Watkins](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/d9b06d/32.png) [@Rumor\_Watkins](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rumor_Watkins)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2010, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spoiled-millenial-profiled-in-new-york-times/545979/71 "2010-07-09T17:52:01Z")
> [@Voyager](#): > > As much as I love the Times, this is on the mark. However, during good times their coverage was only of the wealthy and near-wealthy (and those in the arts.) That is the Times’ shtick. I don’t their reporters’ rolodexes take anyone not making $100K. > > They actually get dinged for this reasonably often in the Letters column. I’m not excusing them for this since they strive to be the national paper of record, but seeing as the newspaper is ostensibly a newspaper for New York, they could very well be hitting median, newspaper-reading families in Manhattan that, comparatively, are top 10%ers everywhere else. ---
**Author:** ![descamisado](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e480ec/32.png) [@descamisado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/descamisado)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2010, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spoiled-millenial-profiled-in-new-york-times/545979/72 "2010-07-09T17:53:08Z")
> [@Voyager](#): > > As much as I love the Times, this is on the mark. However, during good times their coverage was only of the wealthy and near-wealthy (and those in the arts.) That is the Times’ shtick. I don’t their reporters’ rolodexes take anyone not making $100K. > > They actually get dinged for this reasonably often in the Letters column. So not true. If there’s a story to be run on someone who’s stuck in poverty, not being educated, a habitual criminal or, jackpot, all three, the NYT can find the poor minority every time. ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Scud](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f08c70/32.png) [@Tom\_Scud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Scud)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2010, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spoiled-millenial-profiled-in-new-york-times/545979/73 "2010-07-09T17:55:06Z")
> [@buttonjockey308](#): > > The last 30 years are chock full of big success stories that came from people making their own way (see Microsoft…). Bad example. Gates leveraged the hell out of the breaks he had, but it sure didn’t hurt him that he went to an exclusive prep school where he got to play with mainframe computers in the late 60s and that his mom served on the same board of directors as the CEO of IBM. ---
**Author:** ![NinjaChick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/71c47a/32.png) [@NinjaChick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NinjaChick)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2010, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spoiled-millenial-profiled-in-new-york-times/545979/74 "2010-07-09T18:03:36Z")
I’m 23, graduated a year ago with a liberal arts degree, and have _zero_ sympathy for him. One: the article gives the impression that he’s pretty much taken care of for however long he needs, and even if not, it states explicitly that he has no student loans to repay, which is a hell of a step up from where a lot of us are. Two: sending out four or five resumes a week is not an intensive job search, and if you turn down a job offer, you really don’t get to complain about…not having a job. Because you could have a job! But you said you didn’t want it, therefore, you’re unemployed _by choice_. It would be one thing if it was a single parent who couldn’t take a job that required odd hours or something, but if you’re single and living off your parents and have no dependents, and turn down a job because you don’t like it - well, fine. Shut the fuck up about being unemployed. He reminds me of a guy I went to school with. Very similar circumstances - parents paid college, he didn’t work during school, just graduated. And he’s really upset because his father (a fairly prominent lawyer) hasn’t found him a job yet. The only resumes he’s sent out have been to people his father talks to first about maybe hiring him. He said he’s applied to about twenty places since May, and he’s really pissed _at his dad_ because nothing’s worked out yet. :rolleyes: It’s not a generational thing - some people are just stupid and spoiled. ---
**Author:** ![phouka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c5a1d2/32.png) [@phouka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/phouka)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2010, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spoiled-millenial-profiled-in-new-york-times/545979/75 "2010-07-09T19:03:30Z")
The more I think about this, the less sympathy I have for him. Clearly this guy has never really been in a tough spot. He probably hasn’t even seen a tough spot while flying at 30,000 feet. He got his bachelor’s degree free and clear, no student loans. He didn’t have to work while he attended school. His parents are paying his share of the rent in a $2000 apartment (I don’t know about you, but even in SoCal, a $2K/month apartment is pretty damn sweet). He has enough resources he can turn down a legal, morally acceptable job worth $40K/year. But what really got me was his explanation for not appealing the medical refusal for signing up with the Marines. You see, once they turned him down, “the shine was off”. Sunshine, it’s the United States Marine Corps, one of the most highly regarded military organizations in the world. And because you would have had to fill out _maybe_ an hour’s worth of paperwork, because they didn’t jump up and down clapping their hands with glee that you had favored them, suddenly it’s not worth it? I want the ability to instantaneously transport individuals to Outer Mongolia, Papua New Guinea, and the Yukon, so they can find out what their options really include. ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2010, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spoiled-millenial-profiled-in-new-york-times/545979/76 "2010-07-09T19:23:52Z")
> [@Voyager](#): > > As much as I love the Times, this is on the mark. However, during good times their coverage was only of the wealthy and near-wealthy (and those in the arts.) That is the Times’ shtick. True. It isn’t so important in the good times, though, and doesn’t look half as stupid as looking at the recession in terms of people having to cut their nanny back to part time. > [@](#): > > They actually get dinged for this reasonably often in the Letters column. Glad to hear that. Because they sure deserve it. ---
**Author:** ![Rumor\_Watkins](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/d9b06d/32.png) [@Rumor\_Watkins](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rumor_Watkins)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2010, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spoiled-millenial-profiled-in-new-york-times/545979/77 "2010-07-09T19:24:42Z")
> [@phouka](#): > > But what really got me was his explanation for not appealing the medical refusal for signing up with the Marines. You see, once they turned him down, “the shine was off”. > > Sunshine, it’s the United States Marine Corps, one of the most highly regarded military organizations in the world. And because you would have had to fill out _maybe_ an hour’s worth of paperwork, because they didn’t jump up and down clapping their hands with glee that you had favored them, suddenly it’s not worth it? > > I want the ability to instantaneously transport individuals to Outer Mongolia, Papua New Guinea, and the Yukon, so they can find out what their options really include. So basically you have no sympathy for him because he doesn’t share in your genuflecting reverence for jarheads? When people get told that they’re not good enough for something based on a medical condition, it’s kind of hurtful. That’s what the entire ADA is about, y’know. ---
**Author:** ![Malthus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/85f322/32.png) [@Malthus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malthus)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2010, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spoiled-millenial-profiled-in-new-york-times/545979/78 "2010-07-09T19:30:25Z")
Heh, the impression I got from the article was that even a kid with a lot of advantages (supportive and comparatively well-off family willing to support him after uni, no debts, good education) can’t easily find a “career track” job. You don’t have to have any sympathy for him; why not reserve it for all those without his advantages? If _he_ is having trouble, _they_ are no doubt having even worse trouble. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2010, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spoiled-millenial-profiled-in-new-york-times/545979/79 "2010-07-09T20:05:16Z")
> [@Voyager](#): > > As much as I love the Times, this is on the mark. However, during good times their coverage was only of the wealthy and near-wealthy (and those in the arts.) That is the Times’ shtick. I love their frequent pieces about the hardships of life for those with vacation homes in the Hamptons. An overabundance of common folk barging in and creating long lines and traffic delays! Having to attend all those charity balls! O, the humanity!! ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2010, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spoiled-millenial-profiled-in-new-york-times/545979/80 "2010-07-09T20:25:15Z")
> [@descamisado](#): > > So not true. If there’s a story to be run on someone who’s stuck in poverty, not being educated, a habitual criminal or, jackpot, all three, the NYT can find the poor minority every time. In exposes, sure. But in this kind of lifestyle thing, it is the well to do all the way. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spoiled-millenial-profiled-in-new-york-times/545979.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spoiled-millenial-profiled-in-new-york-times/545979.md?page=5)