10 Years After High School Are Millennials Finally Ready to Cash Their Reality Check?
“Be Prepared To Spend a Few Years Working Boring Jobs You Think You’re Overqualified For That You Hate So You Can Pay The Bills. Just Take Whatever You Can Get So You Can Survive and Not Live in Mom and Dad’s Basement. Do Not Expect Your ‘Dream Job’ To Be Waiting for You When You Graduate. It Can (And Really It Should) Take Years Before You Break Into Your Field And Shift From Working Jobs to Living Your Career.”
Over the past few years, this has generally been the time when the younger, college-age writers finish up their BA or Master’s, prepare to venture off into the “real world,” and ask if I have any suggestions for them. (I was in their shoes six years ago.) The advice above summarizing my own post-college misadventures usually isn’t met with much enthusiasm.
And since 2008′s economic downturn, this injunction to “Just Take Whatever You Can Get” fell on deaf ears when passed on to some of my job-hunting friends. As long as they had an unemployment check flowing in or free rent from Mom and Dad, then what’s the rush to take a job that’s beneath you? Shouldn’t they hold out for something great? “I’ve got a college degree. Why should I work a job that I could’ve gotten just out of high school? I deserve better! I’ve worked for it!” But eventually the unemployment checks would run out.
Then it was time to cash the Reality Check, to go down to the temp office and take whatever job they’ll give you.
That’s the setting for the first act of Reality Check, a new musical comedy from father-and-son writing team David and Ben Shapiro that debuted with two performances last week in Los Angeles.
Reality Check takes the common young adult archetypes of The Breakfast Club and Friends and reinvents them for 2012. Five friends from high school rediscover each other at the temp office and find that after 10 years they’re still all clinging to the immature identities they embraced as teenagers:
- Sarah Brandon plays Lindsay, the workaholic overachiever who’s never able to focus her energy into real success and happiness. (Courtney Cox on Friends)
- Justin Buller plays Edward, the sex-obsessed jock, ladies man, and tough guy. (Matt LeBlanc in Friends and a blend of Emilio Estevez and Judd Nelson in The Breakfast Club.)
- Samantha Rose Cardenas plays Brittany, the cheerleader and princess (Jennifer Aniston in Friends and Molly Ringwald in The Breakfast Club.)
- Alex Robert Holes plays Alex, the “sensitive,” high-minded writer-artist eager to write the Great American Novel, always scribbling down notes (David Schwimmer in Friends meets Anthony Michael Hall in The Breakfast Club with sprinkles of Lisa Kudrow’s Phoebe Buffay and Ally Sheedy-style “ooh! look at me!” pseudo-creative weirdness.)
- Haqumai Waring Sharpe plays Jimmy, the class clown joking through life. (Matthew Perry on Friends.)
The whole cast shines, with each performer embodying the high school stereotypes we know so well. The personalities are so universal that every audience member should see himself in at least one of the characters on the screen. I sympathized with the pretentious writer Alex who was dressed in the standard tortured artist uniform — all black, always carrying around a book, and facial hair that just doesn’t work. That was me senior year of high school. Even down to playing the Schwimmer role chasing Princesses who in turn pursue misogynistic men and then come running back to us for emotional support only to play with our hearts, never committing to a relationship. Reality Check hits this universal dynamic in the love triangle between Alex, Brittany, and Edward — a story told many times in real life and fiction and well done here.
But stealing every scene he’s in is Peter Pergelides as “The Man,” who runs the temp office and implores the adult-children to grow up with a song that’s still stuck in my head: “Let Go The Banana.” Here are some of the lyrics which set the tone of the whole production — fun, upbeat, clever, but still sincere:
In the jungles of Africa / This is how they catch a monkey
It’s a method that they’ve used for years / And it’s now become a habit
Take a jar with an opening / Slightly larger than a monkey’s hand
Put a banana inside the jar / And the monkey will soon grab it
He can’t see the reason / He can’t take his fist out
Now the hunters grab him / All because the monkey won’t
Let Go the Banana
He won’t let go the banana / You’ve got to know
For you to grow / You let go the banana
What are the bananas Reality Check targets? Several that should resonate not just with we Millennials now creeping up on 30, but also those in older generations, some of whom still struggle with letting go of the illusions trapping them in repeating cycles of self-destruction. The challenge of growing up and maturing into happy, responsible adults is a process that’s as necessary and ongoing at 53 and 76 as it is at 28.
In a strange serendipity, just a few days after the performances of the Reality Check, Prager University released its newest course, an equation to lead a happy life:
What makes us unhappy? Comparing the reality of our lives with the image of who we thought we should be or who we want to be. Failing to check the image we’re worshipping with a reality that’s actually much better than we realize.
We are unable to appreciate the happiness we already have. And if you have the luxury to take time out of your day to read the words written on whatever screen you’re reading this post on — you have tremendous blessings compared to the vast majority of human history. Ben Shapiro and I are among the first wave of Generation Y or the Millennials — those born from 1982 through 1995 or so. (I propose the cutoff should be if you were old enough for 9/11 to make a meaningful impression on you. Just as the Boomer cutoff that makes sense is the JFK assassination.)
We are the most spoiled American generation in history. And that’s because we were raised by (and spoiled and loved by) the Baby Boom generation, which too held the distinction at the time of being the most spoiled.
Reality Check explores these themes with the method of the last decade’s best comedies. The reason why the Judd Apatow-brand of Forgetting Sarah Marshall-style films succeeds is because they combine traditional values with likable characters in universal scenarios then glue them together with raunchy jokes. The Shapiros know their pop culture well; this Boomer-Millennial writing team’s reinvention of the formula combined with a collection of memorable songs and an energetic cast make for something special.
When upcoming performances of Reality Check are announced, you’ll hear about them here at PJ Lifestyle.
You can start with a brand-new slate / Fresh and clean without the baggage
Make your life’s adventures start today / Looking forward to the morning
You can see the reason /You should take your fist out
You are not a monkey / You are smarter cause you can
Let go the banana / You can let go the banana
You’ve got to know /For you to grow
You let go the banana
If a plane is late leaving the gate I’m not going to congratulate myself I’m not on a sailing ship. I don’t put my happiness in the context of history, or what it’s practical to do or impractical to do.
“What makes us unhappy? Comparing the reality of our lives with the image of who we thought we should be or who we want to be. Failing to check the image we’re worshiping with a reality that’s actually much better than we realize.”
That doesn’t make me unhappy, but shows me what I need to work on. Having the honesty and tools for self-criticism is happiness, because it shows that dreaming has some work associated with it.
If I’d believed all the things people told me I couldn’t do I’d have had a lot less fun in life. But sure, if you’re unwilling to walk it like you talk it, then by all means turn the arrogance or unreal view of oneself down a notch.
Generally speaking, Americans have egos as big as Napoleon, but with no conquests to show. The way they usually deal with their boring lives is to suggest a Fox and the Grapes scenario where they could do any of the fantastic things others do, but just don’t want to. In that way, they co-opt the accomplishments of others or disrespect them. In the end, I don’t think people rise in the world as some kind of constant keeping up with their own Joneses, a competition with their own ego, but just do things they like to do and, during the boring times, have great memories that see them through and are close to the surface of their minds at all time – memories no one can ever take away. This is why I hate Bucket Lists. Do a thing out of pure enjoyment, and when it matters, not as some goal and done when you’re too old and gray to savor the visceral pride of being young and alive and on top of the world.
Just out of interest, you have enough experience of the entire country to make blanket statements about “Americans”? Or is this based on some osrt of statistic?
Thanks for the heads-up on this show, Mr. Swindle. But what I REALLY want to be notified of is not more performances on the West Coast, but when they’re going to be holding auditions for the New York-area production! I know some talented kids who’d fit right into those roles…
“We are the most spoiled American generation in history. And that’s because we were raised by (and spoiled and loved by) the Baby Boom generation, which too held the distinction at the time of being the most spoiled.”
You got that right. I find it a bit humorous seeing all the graduates today stunned that they can’t find a job or break into their chosen field. They feel that life is so unfair and that they have been singled out for poor treatment by society in general. Well, boo hoo.
I remember when I got out of college back in the early 1980s. Reagan had just become president and the economy was still in terrible shape because of the Carter administration. There were few jobs to be had anywhere and the Reagan boom years had not begun, yet. I was all happy that I had my college degree and thought the world would be my oyster. Then when I went on job interviews I was shocked to find out that the only thing employers really cared about at that time was whether or not I could type. They could have cared less about my college degree. All they wanted was somebody that could type, answer the phone, and do some clerical work. I thought at that time, “Wow, I’m glad to see that I’m putting that expensive college degree to work!”
It took years before the Reagan boom took off and I finally found a decent job in the field I wanted. It was a tough road and a lot of backbreaking work, but at least things started turning around for me. These are the life lessons that are not taught in colleges around the country. They tell you (wrongly) that the mere fact that you have a college degree will guarantee you success in life. That just isn’t so, and they know it. I know A LOT of successful plumbers and electricians out there who never went to college. All of it depends on the individual, their toughness, their perseverance, their ambition, and their ability to maintain a certain resiliance when faced with setbacks in their career. This is what should be taught in schools, NOT that we’re all “special” and that just because you’re a college graduate the world will fall down on its knees and beg you to work for them.
If you go to college with the idea that you’re doing so because it will be the last time in your life that you’ll be exposed to subjects you’ll never have a chance to study again, then you will be fine. But if you treat college like a trade school and think you’ll automatically get a job just because you went to college, then you will be sadly disappointed. Count on it.
I’ve got to be honest…I’ve learned FAR MORE about European history and politics – by simply doing online research on my own – than I ever learned or cared to learn in my own University setting. I estimate that I garnered something like $200,000 worth of knowledge – as the Ivy Leagues would price it – by surfing the internet than I would have gotten by paying socialists to pretend to teach it to me. The key to success is a combination of curiosity and access. If you possess the former, and the latter is available, then the sky is the limit. Caelum est Terminus.
AZTICAL
The comments have more content than the essay.
“Be Prepared To Spend a Few Years Working Boring Jobs You Think You’re Overqualified For That You Hate So You Can Pay The Bills. Just Take Whatever You Can Get So You Can Survive and Not Live in Mom and Dad’s Basement. Do Not Expect Your ‘Dream Job’ To Be Waiting for You When You Graduate. It Can (And Really It Should) Take Years Before You Break Into Your Field And Shift From Working Jobs to Living Your Career.”
THIS IS NOT NEW, KIDDIES. I had that experience after graduating college…in 1984.
On the other hand, US salaries tend to be based on your last job. So if you are honest (and do not want to lie about your last salary), and you do have some experience, it can pay to hold out a while during unemployment. I recall the rules were that you were expected to settle as time went on, but waiting a bit at first (and living off unemployment / voluntary(!) parental loans) can pay off. Of course, when you get that job, make sure to set up a recurring payment to pay your folks back.
Just speaking from my own experience; I graduated about the same time.
In my own case, I started full-time college late. I was 25, a matriculating junior ( I had done the previous two years doing night-school) and for me, getting a job at the video store was insulting. But not for the reasons you might think.
The abuse from customers, the abuse from the owner, and the accompanying rudeness and contempt from the owner’s son was more than I could tolerate.
I have never considered a job “beneath” me. Work needs to be done, I’m capable of doing it, ‘nuf said but where it becomes cumbersome is with the rest of the environment.
My point being that 1) there is still a strong contingent out there that ASSUMES that the college student thinks of “regular people” with some degree of cynicism. That sets up an offensive posture on their part, even though I don’t perpetuate that myth. However, I eventually end up holding them in contempt for their setups and ridicule. Their inability to distinguish ignorance from stupidity is appalling. For example, my not knowing their method of organizing their videos was reason for great laughter on their part and then, my response, “Well, they don’t teach ‘cataloging VHS tapes’ in my curriculum, but I’ll mention it to the the directors next time I see them.” And that, of course made my point but also made them angry. It’s a one-way street.
The person who has found themselves owning/operating a video rental store who holds a college type in contempt is NOT going to allow the college type any ground. His son, a spoiled arrogant twit is just nothing more than an idiot with a comfy lifestyle. He works there because he has to and knows that if he were to strike out on his own, he might find himself the victim of the same treatment he’s giving me.
Thus, I ended up quitting there after I let the owner and his a**hole son get an earful. I needed a job to help pay my bills but I found one elsewhere in a much more comfortable atmosphere.
Over the years, in-between jobs I ran into a lot of employers when I got temporary jobs here and there who had some serious problems about power, authority, control, and basic human knowledge. To say that most of them were incompetent is an understatement. Often, I found the “boss” had that job for reasons other than ability. There were more than just a few who had the “son-in-law” job. That whole paradigm comes with so much baggage, I can’t put it all in this post.
So for me, a person of modest intelligence and who can learn fairly quickly, found myself in the “average America” where I learned that many of my fellow citizens are ignorant, not wise, selfish, rude, petty, childish, arrogant, extremely prejudiced, insecure and trifling.
I made some friends as well, of course. Managers, I have found, can do everything else but. Manager to me has come to mean “person we don’t know what to do with but we can’t fire them”.
Now, I’m not trying to say I’m superior and I DO follow orders and as closely to the letter as possible. But when one has managers who change the rules, change their minds, change their approach, etc etc. I have nothing but contempt and have also learned that leadership is a rare and precious quality in a human-being. Few have it. Even fewer can do it.
So the moral of this is, I guess, I have to be tolerant of human frailty and flawed society but I have suffered greatly for my strengths when they outweigh those of the person I work below.
It’s not automatic for a college student to assume they will be given an executive vice-presidency upon hiring, but they shouldn’t expect to be the janitor either unless that’s what they interviewed for.
What a wonderful comment. Appreciate the reflections.
Before 18:
“Don’t settle! Follow where your dreams lead you!”
“Get a diploma! You don’t want to end up flipping burgers, do you!”
“Get as many government grants and loans as you can– you can pay for it later!”
After 18:
“It’s time to be realistic, take whatever you can get!”
“What? You think that 4 years of training and education ENTITLES you? Here’s your spatula, kid.”
“You dumb kid! Didn’t you know you’d have to pay for this later?”
….Guess we’re all just spoiled entitled brats.
Revelation 20:4
And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ…
…a thousand years.