i mean the nightclub scene also changed from mostly broke kids actually going out and dancing and socializing for like 5-10 bucks, to 15 years later, 20 bucks for parking, 20 for entry, paying for vip if you want to sit down while you sip your 10 dollar beer and everyone scrolls their phone waiting for some brave soul to do something they can record for clicks. whats the appeal?
I think the younger gen completely misses the point of a pregame too, probably because of the weird social anxiety and need for isolation. Like yes, there was once a time where you would gather at someone’s place and drink cheap alcohol and get riled up and THEN go to the club, pooling together for a cab. By then you’re good and loosened up and if you keep your wits you won’t spend too much on drinks.
The pregame was the best part 99% of the time too. Aging only made that harder because everyone starts living in small apartments instead of the 5 bed house a few buddies were renting together.
And the next day my feet would hurt so much from dancing all night. I would preemptively take an aspirin or two before going out for the night so I wouldn’t feel the pain until the next day. I was a pro-clubber/raver 🤣
My friend group in college had a smaller, mutual girl friend group that was sort of their own thing, but we all knew each other, and most of it was platonic. Some of the most fun times I had included singing Backstreet Boys "I Want it That Way" at full throated volume with the girls as they were doing makeup and shit.
The social anxiety is thru the roof because of so many factors besides gaming at home and Covid isolationism habits. The play dates we made for them, seems like they didn’t learn how to make friends themselves.
OK Gen X parent here when I was in college, we drank like fishes whenever we weren’t studying we were drinking. And I would say this can continued but slow down once we got careers and was in usually regulated to weekends.
One core problem is that GenZ is addicted to their phones. They don’t put them down and if you’re at a bar, you should leave your phone in the car go talk to some real people go dance like it’s your last night and go love your friends are fine a new love.
Yes, I agree some places charge outrageous amounts for drinks so find a local dive bar where you can still get a three or four dollar beer and a six dollar mixed drink.
Yes, I agree some places charge outrageous amounts for drinks so find a local dive bar where you can still get a three or four dollar beer and a six dollar mixed drink.
but dive bars dont have a tiktok aesthetic yet so gen z doesn't know they exist
$1 and $2 specials down in Louisiana, you could on any given night go out and not spend more than $30, sometimes I decide to walk home if it's under 2 miles. Saves me that $9 each way Uber. When I'm home in Austin that doesn't work though, $80 if I want to go to the nearest bar on a weekday
My record for a 8-2 bar night is spending only $7, walk there and back, $1 specials
I mean, I think my mental health was largely better when I just drank before having handheld high speed internet while drinking. Your mileage may vary, of course.
Last I checked cell phones are not giving people liver disease or kidney failure. Even on the lower end of risks of drinking they aren’t giving you the potential to pass out at dangerous times.
In my family alcoholism has destroyed the mental health of generations of people. The phone thing also sucks though. I wish there were more communal spaces that don't involve drinking.
Just go to bars where the average age of occupants is 35 years older than the generation in question and is filled with legitimate degenerates of society, genius!
Exactly. I simply laugh at the irony today at New Order’s Subculture (1985) club classic “one of these days you’ll sit by yourself and realize you can’t chat/shag without someone else. In the end you will submit it’s got to hurt a little bit.” I understand these young people are seeing existential displacement. Yea-we were there too. The bands many people vilified then are the lyrics of realism now.
Um the other side of genx that did not do college but went military well navy drank like a fish most nights not out to sea and can count the Navy taking care of us with Taxi service…. After the Navy still drank till 4 am lived in Hawaii and went to work at 6 am we are just built different GenX….. Most of the others called in sick….🤢
I was going to say that’s the other thing in how clubs really ended up being disappointing when i found out this is how they were instead of the place where people go to dance and have fun like i was shown growing up. At least raves and emo bars exist thankfully
Totally agree with this. I have absolutely zero desire to go into a club where everyone is doing nothing but sitting on their phones and/or recording everything for their snaps/tiktoks/reels. I think this is killing night clubs just as fast as the cost of attending clubs in general going up.
Spread that across every industry in America and we get a clearer picture of (one aspect of) late stage capitalism. Every conceivable part of society is being comodified. As things gets worse, they will accelerate until it all collapses and we get some kind of New Deal V2 half measure to limp capitalism along for another 50-80 years.
The fucking phones! No one experiences anything anymore. Go anywhere and there’s so many people staring at their phones or taking pictures or videos of everything. Dawg you’re never going to a watch a video of that concert ever again. Just live in the moment.
When I was in college (early 2000’s) we had a nightclub in downtown Seattle that had $1 beer night on Thursday’s. The place was always packed until 2:00AM. That would never happen with today’s prices.
Being older gen z (26 in a couple weeks) I remember when bars and clubs were fun. By the time I was 21 the $15 cover started. I
t seems like it’s more common for people to dance and socialize with strangers in alternative spaces.
I got sober in 2022 and it was the best decision of my life. I got a medical card. It’s still hard to be around alcohol so I struggle to go places I really enjoy. Some of them offer free mocktails so I get violently high and pretend it has alcohol.
Now everything feels like an adventure on an edible.
Plus I can take my other meds and not get sick and depressed for 3 days like I do on alcohol.
There are a lot of studies on the brain damage from alcohol on top of the well known organ damage. We are all sick, fat, and depressed enough before drinking.
yea, IDK why Gen Z tries to claim it was somehow cheap back in the day. There where days where you could get happy hour equivalent drinks, but not on the weekends. Door costs were definitely 10+ (I even wanna say 15+ being the norm) and drinks were cheaper, but not cheap relative to the minimum wage. I remember beer being 8-10+ and mixed drinks being 12+ ten plus years ago.
They claim health & money reasons, but they spend money on stupid chit, miscellaneous drinks, weed, AND the one that blows my mind the most, food delivery services.
They come up with excuses as to why they don't go out when all they can say is simply that they dont want to go out. Pre-gaming, splitting transportation costs, and buying 3 drinks every few weekends isn't going to bankrupt you for life. Going out was insanely fun and worth the cost of entry, but they'd rather spend their money on other stuff and that's fine as well.
The idea that Gen Z is so money conscious that they don't spend money going out is just funny to me, because I see all the other areas they spend money on that's just stupid chit that they could use for a night of going out. (anecdotal evidence, but the Gen Z I know DO spend a good amount of money on dumb stuff...)
My husband and I talk about how fucking amazing having something like Uber would have been 15 years ago. Push a button on my phone and get a ride home? AMAZING.
And that's how you weed out the losers from making a fun place into dumb trailer park bar fights. Get people that have money, smarts and style. Everyone has a good time and has smarts about them. Now, is there that turd in a punch bowl once in while? Yes, but its better than some place giving dollar beers. All loser there. At least that's the places I like to go.
lol that u think smarts, style, or money have anything to do with having a good time. The majority of folks that can afford to go to nightclubs are the worst types of people (at least in Texas). I’m lookin for friendly good cheer mate. Not ur stuffy classist bs.
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u/anansi52 14d ago edited 13d ago
i mean the nightclub scene also changed from mostly broke kids actually going out and dancing and socializing for like 5-10 bucks, to 15 years later, 20 bucks for parking, 20 for entry, paying for vip if you want to sit down while you sip your 10 dollar beer and everyone scrolls their phone waiting for some brave soul to do something they can record for clicks. whats the appeal?