As the Los Angeles Rams went head to head with the Cincinnati Bengals at the Super Bowl LVI, the Gen Xers and Millennials went into battle online over which generation claimed the Halftime show.
On Sunday, the Rams defeated the Bengals 23-20–thanks to players Cooper Kupp and Aaron Donald–and the LA team subsequently won their first title in 22 years with their victorious comeback.
But things got heated between the two generations about this year's Halftime performance when NBC News tweeted about the event that featured iconic performances from Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Kendrick Lamar, Mary J. Blige, Eminem and 50 Cent.
The network tweeted:
“Super Bowl Halftime Show taps into millennial nostalgia.”
The halftime show is for Millennials. And after everything we\u2019ve endured in this nation, we deserve this.— Anthony Michael Kreis (@Anthony Michael Kreis) 1644801609
Millennials–the members of Americans commonly known as Generation Y or Gen Z, who were born between 1981 and 1996–couldn't agree more about owning this year's Halftime spectacle.
However, the Gen Xers–who were born between 1965 and 1980–found NBC's declaration highly debatable and claimed the 2022 Halftime show represented them the best.
Both generations had a valid argument.
With the exception of Lamar, all of the key performers were Gen Xers, while it was the Millennials who grew up with the songs that were performed in the show.
The gloves were off in a spirited, intergenerational debate on Twitter–with many Gen Xers putting Millennials back in the sandbox.
Ya'll really keep forgetting that we exist. It's Gen X.https://twitter.com/NBCNews/status/1493042017257066498\u00a0\u2026— Shay Stewart Bouley (@Shay Stewart Bouley) 1644811604
Dude we\u2019re 40. These were the songs of Millennials high school & college years.— Keno \ud83c\udff3\ufe0f\u200d\ud83c\udf08 (@Keno \ud83c\udff3\ufe0f\u200d\ud83c\udf08) 1644804748
Dr Dre 56\nMary J Blige 51\nSnoop 50\nEminem 49\n50 cent - 46\n\nKendrick Lamar - 34\n\nGen X - 1965 - 1979/80— THEE-E\ud83d\udc9b\ud83d\udc1d\u2696 (@THEE-E\ud83d\udc9b\ud83d\udc1d\u2696) 1644810417
Get it together @NBCNews - it\u2019s GenXpic.twitter.com/aWUlzGnP9p— \u2652\ufe0f\ud835\udd42\ud835\udd52\ud835\udd63\ud835\udd5d\ud835\udd52\u2652\ufe0f (@\u2652\ufe0f\ud835\udd42\ud835\udd52\ud835\udd63\ud835\udd5d\ud835\udd52\u2652\ufe0f) 1644805417
congratulation, you haven't understood the headline of the article, this is about the people who were young when these artists were big, back in the mid 2000's, so millennials,— James Darby (@James Darby) 1644815082
Gen X and maybe older millennials like me, but definitely Gen X.https://twitter.com/nbcnews/status/1493042017257066498\u00a0\u2026— Ilhan Omar (@Ilhan Omar) 1644814085
Dr Dre - 56\nMary J Blige - 51\nSnoop Dogg - 50\nEminem - 49 \n50 cent - 46\nKendrick Lamar - 34\n\nThat\u2019s a GenX halftime show. Sorry boomers and millennials, you aren\u2019t taking this from us too all right— Seton O'Connor (@Seton O'Connor) 1644803383
WE EXIST. THIS ENTIRE GENERATION Y'ALL KEEP TRYING TO IGNORE.\n\nForever free range latchkey kids, forever invisible.— THEE Cheeky Ginger (@THEE Cheeky Ginger) 1644810180
Millennial nostalgia??? This is all Gen-X'er nostalgia.— DrngoRonK (@DrngoRonK) 1644804013
Gen X likes being mad for no reason. Like, a lot of people remember these songs, damn— RENT/MORTGAGE FORGIVENESS NOW! (@RENT/MORTGAGE FORGIVENESS NOW!) 1644829867
Boomers taking all the money. Millennials taking all the credit. #GenXLife— Seton O'Connor (@Seton O'Connor) 1644804478
This halftime show was made in a lab for elder millennials and I love it— Ashley Gold (@Ashley Gold) 1644801653
Milennials were catching the school bus when these songs were new this show was for GenX it is Gin and Juice NOT Gin and Juicebox— Robyn Bruns (@Robyn Bruns) 1644813083
We're okay with being forgotten...pic.twitter.com/68mrD13eKj— Dianne8675309 \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf2 (@Dianne8675309 \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf2) 1644809077
#HalfTimeShow \nDre, 56\nMary, 51\nSnoop, 50\nEminem, 49\n\nMillennial nostalgia?pic.twitter.com/ukUkVtQu7h— It's Cold & Masks Are Warmer Than Scarves (@It's Cold & Masks Are Warmer Than Scarves) 1644805027
Oh FFS.pic.twitter.com/8UfDR5F5Wo— _jbabb_ (@_jbabb_) 1644806551
If you knew all the words to that halftime show performance, it\u2019s probably time to start getting ready for bed.— Garrett Haake (@Garrett Haake) 1644802699
PSA: if you recognized everyone in the Superbowl halftime show, it's time to schedule your first colonoscopy.— Ned Staebler (@Ned Staebler) 1644802015
That halftime show was made for those who recognize these items.pic.twitter.com/iTDN2Yqp8Z— Matt Viser (@Matt Viser) 1644802897
This year's Halftime show was the third collaboration between the NFL and Roc Nation–the entertainment agency founded by rapper and record executive JAY-Z in 2008.
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