Survivor maligns millennials

CBS’ Survivor offers an irresistible gimmick this season with two teams that battle against each other for the last person standing to win $1 million: Millennials vs. Gen Xers.

Basically, the narrative throughout the 90-minute premiere was that millennials are spontaneous and creative, but wildly irresponsible. And Gen Xers are very thoughtful and careful, but maybe too slow.

“This division goes a lot deeper than just old versus young,” host Jeff Probst cautioned. “[These are] two very different philosophical approaches to life.”

The premiere seemed quite anti-millennial, using a series of tropes regularly used to bash the generation, from entitlement to laziness. One scene showed that even though there was a storm brewing, the millennials preferred to goof off in the ocean than build shelter. As a result, they spent a freezing night in the rain. Later, though, they beat the Gen Xers to win the immunity challenge.

Here are some of the most cliche millennial tropes used throughout the premiere: (Survivor is defining Gen Xers as born between 1963 and 1982 and millennials as being born from 1984 to 1997. Sorry, people born in 1983, you’re nothing.)

Millennials are too restless and immature to stay in one job.

“My generation, it’s all about doing what you want to do, and I’ve done a lot,” boasted 24-year-old Taylor, ticking off his jobs: Beekeeper, beer brewer, snowboard instructor. “I’m definitely a Peter Pan type. I’ll never grow up.”

Millennials do not have real jobs. “I play video games online for a living. And as an adult, you’re constantly told: ‘Grow up. Stop playing. It’s not a game,” said Mari, a 31-year-old from Los Angeles. “But I want to make my entire life about playing.”

Millennials live with their parents forever and let them pay for everything. “I’m surprised at the 25-yearold kids that live at home and play video games all day,” said Sunday, a 45-year-old youth pastor with four children.

Millennials are coddled. “We didn’t always get a trophy to win. Only the winners got a trophy,” said Paul, the oldest contestant at 52.

Millennials are lazy. “They don’t work for anything. Everything is handed to them,” CeCe, 39, said, while the millennial team looked very offended.

Survivor airs Wednesdays at 7 p.m. on CBS.