Stuff my generation ruined: Comic books. They used to be in every convenience store and cheap enough for a kid to buy 4 or 5 at a time. When I was a kid, I was mostly a DC guy with heavy supplements of Spiderman and The Hulk. About the time I was growing out of them, they started becoming "collector's items." Now, they're all artsy and only come in special editions with premium ink and bindings or they only come in book length versions that cost a ridiculous amount for the reading time. Same with baseball/football cards. When I was a kid, you could buy a Topps pack for pennies and get good bubble gum. Sure, there was a market for old cards, but all you heard about were the Babe Ruth cards and nobody really cared. Now it's all fancy packaging, intentional rarities, and very little gum for an exorbitant price. It's become an adult's hobby akin to coin collecting instead of a kid's fun time killer. Mexican beer. Corona and Sol used to be the cheap beer of choice after Lone Star Longnecks. Now, it's all yuppiefied. Makes me sick.
along with the comics I think Collectible cards. Sports Cards used to be worth tons then They flooded he market because we couldn't go without them.
the introduction of jersey/floor/ball/bat pieces into sports cards. While its pretty nice it jacked up the prices big time on cards. I dont mind the serial # rookies or the autographs but thats pretty much all it is now. A rare/insert card from the mid 90s was worth like 50 bucks back then it probably not even worth 5 now. all the cards i had saved up hopign they would be worth something someday are really not worth anything now. probably spend a few hundred if not more as a kid in them.
My generation didn't "ruin" comics. It was the one that has come after. Why anyone would pay what's asked for a current comic book today is beyond me.
This was the first thing I thought of. I don't think this is true everywhere, but in Texas, my generation (really those just older than me) has ruined deer hunting. When I was a teenager, it was normal to go to a rancher and ask for permission to go hunt his land. Usually, he'd let you if he weren't a hunter himself. Now the same guys can charge $1500/year for the same privilege, so hunting either costs a lot, or is done on overhunted public land where the odds are really slim. Add antler restrictions, and it ends up being almost too much for the casual hunter.
There are still some good "comics" that come out now. They're more like graphis novels and aren't very serial but still worth buying. I'm still not used to looking at comics or books on a computer (ipad) screen. on the Beer note. Guinness. I used to be the only one who used to drink it and it was cheap at the Kroger by my house. Now everyone thinks they can drink it.
Pro sports. Amateur sports. Among many other things. The pussifactaion of America is upon us and has been for some time.
If you're born in the 50s or 60s, I'd say Social Security. Or maybe the politicians that came the gen after it.
we used to trade, and play with sports cards. Flipped them against the wall. Nobody cataloged them, put them in plastic sleeves and tracked their blue book values. Your 'best' card, was sometimes all dog eared from use -- but it was a good flyer! (and worthless in the money era that followed!).
We ruined MTV. We used to turn it to channel 30 (in Houston) and rock out with our c0cks out. But now a days its a bunch of greased up monkeys trying to stick their ding dongs in disease infested tramps. Thanks reality TV.
AAU When I played YMCA basketball there were no talent scouts. Just kids trying to have a good time and beat the team with black jerseys/shirts cause they had all the bigger kids(I kid you not, my Y-leagues were right out of a disney movie). Still had logical teams as in better players played more minutes but everyone tried to do their best and have a good time. AAU is why my kids didn't get into the little league stuff. Too much politics.
To take off of this, I'd say that Gen X/Y really ruined MANLINESS. From hair bands in the 80's > on, makeup, hair products and glamor muscles became way too prevalent.
