March 28, 2007
Accelerated Generation Gaps
Last night I saw the low budget monster movie from Korea, The Host (92% Fresh!), with one of my girlfriends. It was in Chinese so I probably only caught 80% of the dialogue, but I still found it very funny.
J. Hoberman’s review
Stephen Hunter’s review
Afterwards at dinner my companion made a very interesting observation (not related to the movie). She said that because change has been so rapid in China these last 25 years, the generation gaps appear in about half the normal time, which she figured to be about 15 years. So young people in China who are a mere seven or so years apart can’t relate at all to one another. Darned interesting, I thought. I value brains over beauty, but like all my girfriends, she has both.
Cat: | Time: 5:31 pm (utc+8)
March 28th, 2007 at 10:37 pm
I still don’t understand how you reconcile your 12 girlfriends with The One Who Must Be Obeyed. Share your secret, my One would not put up with that.
March 29th, 2007 at 1:59 am
He calls them his “girlfriends” but they mostly likely call him the brother they never had! :) That’s why She Who Must Be Obeyed isn’t worried. :)
March 29th, 2007 at 5:06 am
Isn’t a generation generally believed to be a 20 year period? How do you come up with 15? Are 15 year olds giving birth common in China?
A reference in Wiki says 22 years in a generation.
March 29th, 2007 at 8:21 am
Cristobal: They’re just close friends who happen to be attractive women in their early 20s, and Tom is right, I’m something of a rich uncle figure.
abu: It’s a somewhat arbitrary figure, but 20 years seems too long to me. I like the idea that Gen-X is 1960-1975 and the Baby Boomers are 1945-1960 … there’s always a little overlap, but 15 years feels about right to me.