Born in 1977, I barely make the cut to qualify as a member of Generation X (most set Xer’s dates somewhere 
between 1963 and 1977), but after reading Jeff Gordinier’s X Saves the World, I stand-by Douglas Coupland’s statement that X is more of a sensibility than a generation, anyway. Although I wore my share of flannel shirts in the early ‘90s, it was Gordinier’s articulation of Xer’s distain for the mainstream that most resonated. I am still thrown off by people’s carefree admittance to liking American Idol and the latest teen pop star. It’s horrifying to me that Paris Hilton has a sincere fan base; I could get behind an ironic mocking, but not a genuine celebration of someone who so obviously doesn’t get it (getting it was very important once, whatever it was). I keep waiting for someone to be embarrassed about carrying a pink phone with rhinestones and knowing the intimate details of every celebrity rehab visit. It always felt so good to be superior to all of that, and I’ve had a hard time adjusting to the “everything is great” mentality of the Millennial generation, even if they are only a year or two behind me.
Here’s a clip of Details magazine editor at large Jeff Gordinier reading a passage from How Generation X Got the Shaft but Can Still Keep Everything from Sucking: X Saves the World about the first time he saw Nirvana’s Smells Like Teen Spirit music video.
– Cristy Meiners
I tend to think of the term Generation X as referring, mainly, to the demographic group based on birth-date ranges. While just plain Xer refers those that possess that ethos that Douglas Coupland is talking about. Thus one need not be born between 63-77, or whatever range you care to accept, to be an Xer. And just because you are born within said age range does not necessarily make you an Xer. But if you are an Xer and a member of Generation X, I think the appropriate term is GenXer. Similarly, one could be a MillennialXer or I suppose even a BoomerXer, although the sound of the latter really grates on my raw, GenXer nerves. Ultimately I agree that "opting out of the mainstream" is a strong defining characteristic of being an Xer.