"OK boomer" or "okay boomer" is a catchphrase and internet meme that has been used by Generation X, Millennials and Generation Z to dismiss or mock attitudes typically associated with baby boomers – people born in the two decades following World War II, but is also used other times by Millenials and Generation Z against Generation X. The phrase first drew widespread attention due to a November 2019 TikTok video in response to an older man and its bigoted use, though the phrase had been coined years before that. The phrase has developed into a retort for resistance to technological change, climate change denial, marginalization of members of minority groups, or opposition to younger generations' values.
The phrase has also been used commercially to sell merchandise and has been the subject of multiple trademark applications.
Origin
The first recorded instance of "OK boomer" is in a Reddit comment on 29 September 2009, and it appeared from 2015 on 4chan, usually in reference to conservatives who were pro-Israel in their politics. "OK boomer" reached mass popularity in late 2019 as a reaction to an unidentified older man's rant on TikTok condemning "infantile" younger generations "hobbled" by social media and participation trophies. He said, "millennials and Generation Z have the Peter Pan syndrome [...] they don't ever want to grow up [and] they think that the utopian ideals that they have in their youth are somehow going to translate into adulthood". Thousands of viewers responded with "OK boomer" as "a sophisticated, mass retaliation" against the impact of past generations.
Usage
The phrase has been used as a retort for perceived resistance to technological change, climate change denial, or opposition to younger generations' opinions. Various media publications have noted the meme's usage on social media platforms beyond TikTok, and The New York Times wrote that "teenagers use it to reply to cringey YouTube videos, Donald Trump tweets, and basically any person over 30 who says something condescending about young peopleand the issues that matter to them." , videos tagged with #OkBoomer on TikTok had been viewed about 4 billion times.
In early November 2019, while giving a speech supporting a climate change bill, New Zealand MP Chlöe Swarbrick claimed that the average age of parliamentarians was 49 years old, and Generation X MP Todd Muller interrupted her, to which she responded "OK boomer". She wrote in an article in The Guardian that her comment "symbolised exhaustion of multiple generations." Swarbrick received widespread support on social media, as well as criticism for allegedly promoting ageism, including by the MP Christopher Bishop.
A July 2019 song titled "OK boomer" fuelled the meme like an anthem, with cutting lyrics. During halftime of the Harvard-Yale football game on 23 November 2019, climate change protesters interrupted the game by rushing the field and remained even after they were asked to leave, instead chanting "OK boomer."
On 9 January 2020, during the Jeopardy! The Greatest of All Time tournament, "OK boomer" was the answer to a 400-point question in the "OK" category: "A 2019 New York Times article says this 2-word phrase 'marks the end of friendly generational relations'." Ken Jennings elicited laughter from the audience with the response, "I get to say it to Alex! What is 'OK, boomer'?" The phrase was used by US Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts on 15 January 2020, as part of questioning for the Babb v. Wilkie age discrimination case.
On 2 March 2020, streamer Neekolul posted a video of lip-syncing and dancing to the song "Oki Doki Boomer" by YouTube content creator Senzawa while wearing a Bernie 2020 shirt. With more than 6 million views in four days and more than 30 million that month, the video has been described by viewers as both cute and cringey.
Commercialization
A hoodie bearing the phrase "OK boomer have a terrible day", designed by U.S. art student Shannon O’Connor, generated more than in sales by November 1, 2019. Multiple trademark applications were filed for "OK boomer", including one from Fox Media in 2019 with the intent to launch "an ongoing television series featuring reality competition, comedy, and game shows".