Generation Jones

Thanks to Y94, Syracuse PD Kathy Rowe (http://www.y94fm.com/morningshow.html) for this link that's a great resource for any personality targeting 36 to 47 year olds, born between 1954 and 1965: http://generationjones.com/

A few highlights from the site:

* Boomers are mostly the offspring of The World War II Generation, Jonesers are mostly the offspring of The Silent Generation, and Xers are mostly the offspring of the Boomers.

* Not only have we been anonymous, but we are also the largest generation in American history. Our 53 million members constitute more than 1out of 4 adults in the U.S. today.

* Between the personality extremes of the Boomers' idealism and the Xers' cynicism lies our more balanced mainstream "Jones" character.

* To "get it", you need a postmodern sensibility: that swirl of irony, deconstruction and pastiche that our generation's coming of age in the 70s fueled from the margins to the malls.

* "Jonesin'" is a hip, passionate slang word that means a strong craving for something or someone.

* Our generation's popular culture since the 70s has been filled with this theme of craving, unrequited love, and perseverance. Here's just a few examples:

Songs
Born to Run (Bruce Springsteen, '75)
Dream On (Aerosmith, '76)
Dream Weaver (Gary Wright, '76)
Stayin' Alive (Bee Gees, '78)
I Will Survive (Gloria Gaynor, '79)
Fame (Irene Cara, '80)
Hungry Heart (Bruce Springsteen, '80)
Hungry Like the Wolf (Duran Duran, '83)
Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For (U2, '87)

Movies
Bless the Beasts and Children ('72)
Breaking Away ('79)
Fame ('80)
Personal Best ('82)
Perfect ('85)
Top Gun ('86)
Wall Street ('87)
Working Girl ('88)
Sleepless in Seatle ('93)
Jerry Maguire ('95)

Our generation has the jones. As children in the 60s, at the absolute height of America's post-World War II affluence and confidence, Jonesers were promised the moon. Then, in the 70s, as the nation's mood turned from hope to fear, we were abandoned. While Boomers began with big expectations that were often realized, and Xers were never given much of anything to expect, it was our generation that was filled with the highest hopes and then confronted with the most dramatically different reality.

Huge expectations left unfulfilled have deeply entrenched a jonesin' in us. This jonesin' has made us strikingly driven and persevering, and has given our generation a certain non-comittal, pending flavor as we've continued to hold out for our original dreams.

Author of the definitive book about Gen Jones is Jonathan Pontell. To book him contact Jim Casey at 310 854-2000.