# Tom Brokaw, I am so tired of your Greatest Generation shtik **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [September 7, 2012, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tom-brokaw-i-am-so-tired-of-your-greatest-generation-shtik/634027 "2012-09-07T19:11:14Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2012, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tom-brokaw-i-am-so-tired-of-your-greatest-generation-shtik/634027/1 "2012-09-07T19:11:14Z")
Okay, so this is several weeks overdue, but I’m just getting around to it. For years now, mush-mouthed Tom Brokaw, the NBC Nightly News anchor emeritus, has turned his career to extolling the virtues of the Greatest Generation. That is, the generation that suffered through the Great Depression and the Second World War. Books, documentaries, speeches, interviews, and on and on and on and on … I reached my limit with NBC’s coverage of the London Olympics, when broadcasts of events was suspended for an hour or two for a Tom Brokaw documentary about … WINSTON FUCKING CHURCHILL! What the fucking fuck? What did Churchill have to do with the fucking Olympics? Plus, Churchill was a racist wanker. So fuck him. ---
**Author:** ![suranyi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e36b37/32.png) [@suranyi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/suranyi)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2012, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tom-brokaw-i-am-so-tired-of-your-greatest-generation-shtik/634027/2 "2012-09-07T19:36:00Z")
I agree with you, but why post this now? That bit during the Olympics was like four weeks ago. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2012, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tom-brokaw-i-am-so-tired-of-your-greatest-generation-shtik/634027/3 "2012-09-07T19:41:15Z")
I already disclaimed the timing. ---
**Author:** ![otternell](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ecc23a/32.png) [@otternell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/otternell)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2012, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tom-brokaw-i-am-so-tired-of-your-greatest-generation-shtik/634027/4 "2012-09-07T19:46:07Z")
I used to really like Brokaw. Last night, I caught a brief glimpse of the DNC and he mumbled some comment that I didn’t even understand. Alright, guy, for real, your job is communications, when you can no longer speak clearly, it might be time to step away from the mic. You can still write “insightful cutting edge” glurg, but please quit mumbling through the TV, its just depressing. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2012, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tom-brokaw-i-am-so-tired-of-your-greatest-generation-shtik/634027/5 "2012-09-07T19:52:52Z")
I’ve been tired of the greatest generation thing too. Yeah, winning the Big One was great. Then they fucked up everything that followed. ---
**Author:** ![Sateryn76](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e4f/32.png) [@Sateryn76](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sateryn76)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2012, 5:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tom-brokaw-i-am-so-tired-of-your-greatest-generation-shtik/634027/6 "2012-09-08T05:24:30Z")
Hell, this is way out of date. Most people in my generation are just waiting for the Boomers to die off. Now THERE’S a generation that completely full of shit. At least the Greatest Generation actually accomplished things… ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2012, 5:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tom-brokaw-i-am-so-tired-of-your-greatest-generation-shtik/634027/7 "2012-09-08T05:27:42Z")
Well, we got high. ---
**Author:** ![Sateryn76](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e4f/32.png) [@Sateryn76](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sateryn76)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2012, 5:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tom-brokaw-i-am-so-tired-of-your-greatest-generation-shtik/634027/8 "2012-09-08T05:29:08Z")
> [@dropzone](#): > > Well, we got high. We did too - we just didn’t think we were changing the world at the time. We just partied. 🆒 ---
**Author:** ![drewtwo99](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d07c76/32.png) [@drewtwo99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drewtwo99)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2012, 6:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tom-brokaw-i-am-so-tired-of-your-greatest-generation-shtik/634027/9 "2012-09-08T06:01:50Z")
I’m also mad about an episode of Pawn Stars I saw about 12 weeks ago. They obviously staged some thing with Chumlee breaking some box. It was so fake it hurt. THE OUTRAGE! ---
**Author:** ![pseudotriton\_ruber\_ruber](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a9a28c/32.png) [@pseudotriton\_ruber\_ruber](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pseudotriton_ruber_ruber)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2012, 10:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tom-brokaw-i-am-so-tired-of-your-greatest-generation-shtik/634027/10 "2012-09-08T10:00:25Z")
You sure you’re not watching Dana Carvey DOING Tom Brokaw? ---
**Author:** ![asterion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/4da419/32.png) [@asterion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asterion)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2012, 10:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tom-brokaw-i-am-so-tired-of-your-greatest-generation-shtik/634027/11 "2012-09-08T10:19:12Z")
> [@dropzone](#): > > Well, we got high. “We thought we were going to change the world, but we got high.” ---
**Author:** ![pseudotriton\_ruber\_ruber](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a9a28c/32.png) [@pseudotriton\_ruber\_ruber](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pseudotriton_ruber_ruber)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2012, 10:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tom-brokaw-i-am-so-tired-of-your-greatest-generation-shtik/634027/12 "2012-09-08T10:50:39Z")
Here’s a link to some of my favorite Carvey-Brokaw: [Link to “pre-recorded ‘Death of Gerald Ford’”](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SkhwiuRbOEE) ---
**Author:** ![JackieLikesVariety](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackielikesvariety/32/296_2.png) [@JackieLikesVariety](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JackieLikesVariety)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2012, 11:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tom-brokaw-i-am-so-tired-of-your-greatest-generation-shtik/634027/13 "2012-09-08T11:17:24Z")
> [@pseudotriton\_ruber\_ruber](#): > > Here’s a link to some of my favorite Carvey-Brokaw: [Link to “pre-recorded ‘Death of Gerald Ford’”](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SkhwiuRbOEE) sweet mother of god, I am in tears! ---
**Author:** ![Becky2844](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/91b2a8/32.png) [@Becky2844](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Becky2844)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2012, 11:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tom-brokaw-i-am-so-tired-of-your-greatest-generation-shtik/634027/14 "2012-09-08T11:31:51Z")
Guess what…we Baby Boomers _did_ change American politics. Black children went to white schools (that actually had books!) Women’s salaries rose to (gasp) 50 cents on the dollar that men made. (Still only $0.75. We have a way to go.) Gays were, at least, validated as human beings. (Waaaay long way to go.) We protested the Vietnam war and Tricky Dick resigned. We started Earth Day. Zero Population Growth. Reproductive rights. And we stood on the shoulders of our fathers to do it; the people who fought the Great Depression and a War, who dug in and tunnelled a way out. We were able to protest and bring about change because of what those people won for us: a right to want more. Without all of US people, where would you be now? You can’t understand Tom Brokaw’s mumblings? Then read the book. And BTW, what have YOU done lately? ---
**Author:** ![PunditLisa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/4af34b/32.png) [@PunditLisa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PunditLisa)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2012, 11:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tom-brokaw-i-am-so-tired-of-your-greatest-generation-shtik/634027/15 "2012-09-08T11:35:31Z")
My generation outlasted stirrup pants and really awful music videos. ---
**Author:** ![pseudotriton\_ruber\_ruber](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a9a28c/32.png) [@pseudotriton\_ruber\_ruber](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pseudotriton_ruber_ruber)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2012, 11:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tom-brokaw-i-am-so-tired-of-your-greatest-generation-shtik/634027/16 "2012-09-08T11:54:11Z")
> [@JackieLikesVariety](#): > > sweet mother of god, I am in tears! You can just call me **prr**. Glad to put some tears on your cheek 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2012, 12:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tom-brokaw-i-am-so-tired-of-your-greatest-generation-shtik/634027/17 "2012-09-08T12:36:34Z")
> [@Becky2844](#): > > Guess what…we Baby Boomers _did_ change American politics. Black children went to white schools (that actually had books!) This happened when Baby Boomers were, at best, teenagers. The people who actually made these things happen were born before the Second World War. Martin Luther King was not a Boomer. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2012, 12:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tom-brokaw-i-am-so-tired-of-your-greatest-generation-shtik/634027/18 "2012-09-08T12:46:22Z")
> [@RickJay](#): > > This happened when Baby Boomers were, at best, teenagers. The people who actually made these things happen were born before the Second World War. Martin Luther King was not a Boomer. Yeah, boomer are full of themselves. They should just get the hell off the lawns of the greatest generation! ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2012, 2:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tom-brokaw-i-am-so-tired-of-your-greatest-generation-shtik/634027/19 "2012-09-08T14:15:20Z")
I have nothing against Boomers or Greatest Generationers. I just want Brokaw to stop playing his shtik where it doesn’t belong — like during Olympics coverage. ---
**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:** [September 8, 2012, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tom-brokaw-i-am-so-tired-of-your-greatest-generation-shtik/634027/20 "2012-09-08T14:25:49Z")
The whole concept of “generations”, especially the part where one is better than another, is full of shit. Text _that_, you little nimrods. 🆒 [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tom-brokaw-i-am-so-tired-of-your-greatest-generation-shtik/634027.md?page=2)