"Successful" Millennials

Just posted over on Tumblr about yet another article about a Millennial "making it on their own" when Mummy and Daddy are quite obviously propping them up.  It's ridiculously easy to demolish these propaganda puff pieces, and it's exasperating that no one bothers.

Today’s Episode of…

…Sorry Millennials, But There Are a Butt-Ton of us Boomers Who Know EXACTLY What You’re up Against.  I receive newsletters from a website called “Bon Appetit”.  It’s pretty chi-chi, but it has some fun recipes, and it’s free, so there it is.  “Bon Appetit” has a series called “The Receipt”, articles about what subscribers eat and how much it costs.  Today the newsletter contained an article titled “How a 24-year-old Waitress Eats on $18K/Yr”.  I thought, “Oh, this is going to be good.”  And by “good” I meant “ungood”.  It did not disappoint. Or it completely disappointed, depending on POV.  I’m not providing a link because: 1) the person who wrote this did so anonymously, so screw them; and 2) drivel like this does not deserve more of a platform than it already has.

The lady in question lives in Durham, North Carolina, and just received her masters in linguistics (Although she says she’s still working on her thesis.  There was a time when getting a masters before even finishing your thesis, let alone defending it, was a laughable proposition.  Further evidence of the crapification of US education, even at a place like Duke.). She is looking for a job in her field, and is supporting herself by waitressing and teaching pottery.

Then she lists her expenses, and the red flags become unmissable.  Her rent is $800.  In a college town.  How many people live in that apartment with her?  Or does she live with her parents, and this is the token rent they charge?  $76 for car insurance.  Which means she doesn’t have collision insurance, which means she doesn’t have a lender’s lien on her title, which means she paid cash for the car.  Or somebody did.  Or she’s just driving one of her parents’ cars, and she’s paying Daddy a little toward insurance.  I’m inclined toward this last option because her budget includes neither maintenance nor fuel.

Speaking of items omitted from her expenses, no health care.  No health insurance.  She’s 24 and just graduated.  Bets she’s still on Mummy and Daddy’s plan?  No student loan payments either, not even a projection for them when they kick in in a couple of months.  But she tips her hand here, admitting she has $15,000 in savings, the bulk of it being what’s left over from what her parents gave her for school.  JFC.  And let’s not forget her pottery teaching.  No expenses listed for that.  Not studio rental.  Not equipment and supplies.  Nothing.  Which in all probability means Mummy has a pottery hobby, and daughter is free-riding on it.

Which means she isn’t living on $18K.  She’s living on Mummy and Daddy, just like every other “successful” Millennial not engaged in overt criminal activity.

And now a message for my age cohort.  Just shut your pie holes with the “Well if she can make it, other Millennials should too” stuff.  Seriously, just STFU.  If you can’t see the parade of bullshit flags flying over articles like this, you don’t get to have an opinion.  You have no excuse.  You’re not as senile as the folks or as callow as the kids.  You should be seeing this propaganda for what it is.  Up your game.