Four panels. Five text boxes. Two characters. And a timeless message.
I’m not sure if Bill Watterson was going for anything more than a quick laugh while creating this Calvin and Hobbes comic strip. There is nothing too complex about the comedic angle Watterson is going for: A little kid being fascinated by the truths of the world that we find to be more mundane, as represented by the dad’s nonchalant reaction. I saw the humor in the comic strip when I read through it, but it made me think more about the possible messages being portrayed. So I’m about to do the worst thing you could ever do to a funny joke. I’m going to analyze it.
What immediately jumped out to me when I read this comic strip was the stark contrast between the bewildered Calvin and his attentive, yet undisturbed father. For Calvin this is a eureka moment, but he is unknowingly following the same pattern as every generation that has come before him, including his dad’s.
Every generation reaches a point where they seek to diverge from the ways of their parents. The clothes, hair, and general tastes of the previous generation fall by the wayside as the new generation creates its own trends. Included in this shift is a change in language. We all use or know words or phrases that would leave our parents scratching their heads. While you might be thinking this is proof of how lame your parents are, the fact is they were in your shoes once too.
As time goes on, language evolves, and we adopt new words into our vernacular. Sometimes these words catch fire, transcending generations, instantly adopted by everyone. However, more often than not, new words are adopted first by younger folks, the people who haven’t already gone through 40 years of life without hearing this new word once. These new words are novel and exotic. Most importantly, they are not understood by previous generations, creating a sphere of exclusivity. Us youngsters get to be in on the joke, poking fun at the old people as we circulate this newfound treasure amongst ourselves, as giddy as Calvin. Stuck in our world, what we don’t realize is that other generations are reacting just like Calvin’s dad. We may think of ourselves as being in on the joke, but really we’re the lab rats in the maze, amusing the older generations who watch as we retrace the same paths they once did.
They may seem impossibly out of touch as they peer down at our phones, asking “Who is this? Do I know this person?” when we’re trying to show them a funny meme, but the truth is they were once as in tune with the trends as we were. For every reference or word that might confuse a 60 year old in 2021, there was a “marvy” or “fab” that confused their parents. Try saying marvy or fab nowadays and you might get some confused looks, at best, and laughed out of the room at worst.
But it was cool to say at one point in time, and it’s important to understand that. Perhaps one day when you accidentally let out a “lit” or “no cap” at the dinner table with your kids, they’ll shoot you an odd look, wondering why you were asking them to take their hats off.
As hard as it may be to hear, the cyclical nature of time is impossible to avoid. If you watch TV you may be familiar with the Progressive commercial about trying not to become your parents.
If you don’t watch TV, don’t worry, I just summarized the whole ad in my last sentence so you’re all caught up.
At any rate, what makes that commercial a memorable one is the common human experience it pokes fun at. We all want to avoid becoming our parents at all costs, yet by actively forming our own culture and slang, we are falling right in line with the paths they took at our age. Sometimes we try so hard to be new that we mirror the old, bringing “retro” fashion back into style and claiming it as our own.
It’s natural and healthy for every generation to create its own trends, but we can also use this universal experience to bring us closer to different generations. We’ve all been Calvin at one point, and one day we will all be like Calvin’s dad. Despite the higher level of thinking Calvin, along with the younger generation, thinks he might have achieved, he and his dad aren’t so different in the end, brought together by the shared human experience of youth.
I suppose the point I’m trying to make is: Don’t be so hard on your parents, because they were like you once and one day you will be like them. The barriers we form between generations are largely artificial, due to a lack of willingness from both sides to relate to the other’s experiences. If we acknowledge the life experience older generations have, and if they acknowledge that they were once just like us, perhaps both sides could start seeing more eye to eye.
Wow, Adi you really opened my eyes up in the most exciting way and I am not mad about that in any way. Honestly, I am no different than the average teen who can easily poke fun at my parents for not understanding some of my humor, technology, or same social cues. In my mind, I must have justified that their time was such a long time ago that it was just a whole different universe, but you’re right. We really are no different except for the time we grow up in. It definitely doesn’t help as well that I feel our generation especially has become quicker to judge and less capable of understanding others. This then greatly exasperated our lack of appreciation for our parents, which it demonstrates in the ways you mentioned as well. I mean, how many of us have thought about us saying “lit” at a dinner 20-30 years down the road? We’ve never been presented with the harsh reality that really our parents were once like us and we will become them so our shame in their lack of understanding is especially shone in a negative light. For me, this really has brought an understanding to my parents I did not have before and I’ll be sure to remember your words and not saying “bet” or something like that at my dinner table in future years.
ADI! I love this post. That commercial cracks me up every time I see it.
As I get older I need to remind myself to be more patient with my parents!
Hello, Adi! Although I would not have predicted this to be the subject of your blog this week, I enjoyed reading it very much. You brought up many thought-provoking points about language, specifically on even how slang changes from generation to generation, the ways in which we interact and react to this slang is somewhat predictable.
Your humor is also much appreciated — I laughed at “so I’m about to do the worst thing you could ever do to a funny joke. I’m going to analyze it.” By maintaining that lighthearted, ‘not taking yourself too seriously’ air throughout this blog, I found it that much more fun to read while also taking in the message of the piece more naturally.
I haven’t given much thought before to how as new slang becomes more widely used, it can not only serve as a way to connect and establish your identity as a new generation but also as a means to exclude the previous generation. Like the boy in the comic states, it’s amazing how words have no inherent significance on their own — only after we assign them meaning do they have a purpose. I liked how your take on this comic was that we should be more understanding of our parents and their parents before that, respecting that each generation has undergone the same process, but I also have a different point of view to pose: as much as the act of creating new slang is a means of defining ourselves, I think the slang itself is important for differentiating ourselves between others, and not just in a superficial way. After all, words are what we use to communicate abstract ideas with each other, and as we develop new slang, we are also placing new priority on new abstract ideas.
Hello, Adi. I am quite fascinated with your take on information. I really like how you took something as simple as a comic and spun it into a message that focuses on one everlasting trend in society: with every new generation, the new generation splinters from the culture of the old generation and creates its own culcure. Personally, the age gap, and the differing cultures that it represents, has often been an annoyance to me as well. I often hear my mom arguing with my grandmother, for instance, about how she didn’t understand the modern world, a fitting sense of irony considering how my mom has yet to master her own smartphone. I agree with your message about how we should respect the culture gap, and we should respect the cultures of our predecessors. However, I believe that respect is a two-way street. I believe that our predecessors should respect their successor’s culture as well, instead of calling millenials a bunch of “crazy kids” and “balderdash.” We should attempt to marry respect between 2 cultures, rather than fight over the highlighted differences.
Otherall, I was impressed by your writing style, especially your various references and examples. They really allowed myself to follow along with your point, and helped me visualize your message. Keep up the good work!
Adi, this is hilarious. My parents also pull random words out of nowhere that make me laugh. My dad is even now in a phase where he uses our “generational slang” like “facts” and “that’s cap”. You’re right though, eventually we too will be in that same situation probably thinking about the day when we once were with the trend. I think it’s cool how you jumped from comic strips, to tv shows, to commercials. I read your previous piece and I think you are a very skilled writer. You have a very sophisticated writer’s voice and I enjoyed reading your work. Great Job!