The other day, I stumbled across a video of a portion of an episode of "The Ellen DeGeneres Show." In the episode, Ellen DeGeneres aired a new segment called "Mileyennials." While introducing the segment, DeGeneres explained that when someone does not understand something fully, it is easy to begin to hate or resent that which is misunderstood — a valid point in this instance. DeGeneres explained, "One thing people my age don't understand are millennials, and I don't like ignorance, so I want us all to be open and try to understand one another." Sounds good so far, right?
Her choice of co-host for this segment was one of the most famous millennials, Miley Cyrus. Throughout the segment, several topics that are considered "typical millennial behavior" were discussed: Instagram, music festivals, dance moves, there was even a short period where Cyrus and DeGeneres sat on their phones in silence.
What is a millennial?
As a member of the youngest named generation, I am often referred to as a millennial. A millennial is defined as any person born between the early 1980s and late 1990s.
It has become evident to me through multiple encounters over the past couple of years that millennials are not entirely favorable to members of older generations. Oftentimes, members of those generations turn their noses up at the generalizations and stereotypes made in reference to our young generation. The term itself has become almost derogatory. I have heard members of the generations before — generations known as "Baby Boomers" and "Generation X" — say the term "millennial" with the same enthusiasm used to describe the bottom of the trash bin.
Why is this?
At first, DeGeneres' description of the segment was a serious call to members of her generation to remain open-minded and accepting of the thoughts and values of this younger group. However, it becomes clear very quickly that the interview is (quite frankly) a long list of stereotypes badgering the millennial generation's top trends and fads. Even worse, Cyrus does little to defend her own generation from ridicule. When asked why millennials at music festivals watch through their phones, she responds with, "We're not. We're not watching the concert. We are taking selfies." This just further promotes the stereotype that millennials are so consumed by their self-image and social media that they are incapable of being present at a given time.
The way our nation, specifically people of older generations, perceives millennial behavior relies heavily on the way they are perceived in the media. Segments such as these only work to categorize millennial behavior as juvenile and unnecessary. An argument that this segment was recorded and aired in jest is a possibility, but if it were intended to be taken as a joke, DeGeneres should have promoted it as one from the beginning as opposed to begging people to be accepting of behavior that they do not understand.
Plus, who chose Miley Cyrus to be the face of the modern millennial?
