FREE ESSAY ON MORALS

MORALS

That's Extreme Dude!
If a person that never lived in the twentieth century visited 1997 for just one day, he
or she would probably think that we are all trying to kill ourselves. Everything from
sports, to music, to advertisements is extreme these days. People are doing things in
sports that have never been attempted and are seemingly crazy. In advertising, people of
this decade are portrayed as risk-takers, and dare-devils. There seems to be little
regard for safety and a lot of regard for fun. I think that advertisers have grasped what
this decade is all about, and I am proud to be a member of Generation X.
Not everyone in this world is a risk-taker. I would say that most people try to live
their lives peacefully and without very much drama. But, it is impossible to ignore the
people who live their lives on the edge with No Fear. A clothing company called No Fear
has had much success in selling shirts to the worlds youth. They have been so successful
because that is the exact attitude of Generation X. Don't worry, be Happy, and Live life
to its fullest are all catch phrases of this generation. People just want to have fun,
and they find new and exciting ways to do it.
Sports are a great example. The cable network ESPN hosts an event every year called the
Extreme Games. It is a festival that lasts one week which involves sports that most sane
people would never try at home. These sports include, skateboarding, in-line skating,
sky-surfing, and street luge. Most of these sports are new to the 90's. While these games
are being held, other advertisers have a field day. The soft drink company Mountain Dew
ran commercials that said, Nothing is more intense than slamming a Dew. It also had many
female actors in its advertisements in which they wore grungy clothes, nose piercings,
and heavy make-up. This showed that women can be extreme too, and should not be counted
out in Generation X. Pepsi has also gotten into the mix by its Generation neXt ads. They
portray people doing wild and fun things with alternative music in the background. They
Pepsi ads are very similar to the Mountain Dew ads. 
A good example that shows how big of an effect Generation X is having on the world is the
Olympic games. Traditional sports that once got most of the attention during the games
are losing ground to new venues which are being added all of the time. Olympians can now
medal in sports like snowboarding, and mountain biking. Adding these sports to the
Olympics meant a lot. It said to the world that these new extreme sports are real, and
are here to stay. Just like the people of Generation X. 
In addition to sports, the music industry has changed by leaps and bounds. There is a
radio station in Las Vegas called, X-treme Radio. The music played on that station is
much more vibrant and exciting. It may not have to be appealing, but it is fast and
intense. Many people such as Marilyn Manson have risen to the top by selling their music
which involves violence and other things never mentioned in musical lyrics before. This
is typical of Generation X, because we are a generation of people who are not afraid to
speak our minds. This can be good and bad. It is good because, I believe that having the
freedom of speech is what it truly means to be free. It is bad because these bad things
being said are often about killing, stealing, drinking, and doing drugs, and young people
hear it all.
Another industry catching on to this extreme attitude is the automobile manufacturers.
Cars are getting faster, and their designs are looking more and more aggressive. Most car
advertisements feature young people having fun, while taking their trucks to the
mountains to do extreme sports. The car manufacturer Saab has had the slogan, find your
own road. This slogan is appealing to people of Generation X because that is what we are
all about; finding ourselves, and doing things that have never been done before. 
The world is exciting and full of energy, and I just love it like this. But, to many
older people, we are all a bunch of self-centered, non-educated, dangerous kids that run
around causing trouble. That is just a big misunderstanding. There will always be
extremes of everything. Yes, some people in my generation have ruined our reputation by
doing stupid things. And just because they dressed like me, or listened to the same music
as me, that does not mean that we share the same morals. That is what people must
realize; that we are all different, and we all have different opinions. That is what
makes us great. And as for the guy that says we are all uneducated, well all I have to do
is show him around my university that is full of 20,000 Generation Xers and laugh in his
face.