I recently became aware that all of the popular Christmas Songs are from Baby Boomer's childhoods- I am now curious what other facets of popular Culture are controlled by a demographic group?

Baby boomers have tremendously good taste. Gen X would rather hear “Santa Baby” by Madonna.

Baby boomers are now learning txtspk from their children.

@filmfann OMFG you are so cute. You have never seen Alison Brie doing Santa Baby. You old people are as cute as ham radio.

“Gen X: Female sexuatlity:“http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s2Kp-D-YbmQ

@Imadethisupwithnoforethought I prefer Eartha Kitt

@filmfann You do know that her full song devolves into her just saying “Sex” to the male character and he does whatever she asks? I just gave you the highlights

http://vimeo.com/33451025

What? I think most of them are much older than that.

I’m with @Jeruba the traditional Christmas songs are a lot older than my baby boomer self!

http://xkcd.com/988/

@Imadethisupwithnoforethought – that is interesting but to me the “traditional” songs of Christmas are religious so maybe the atheists are pushing them aside. I think of Silent Night, Oh Come All Ye Faithful, Away in a Manger, etc. They are all much older.

I am surprised to note that they didn’t make it into the most played lists, it seems to me as if I still hear them frequently at holiday time.

@rooeytoo I agree. I was surprised that only those songs written while the baby boomers were children are tops on the playlist, but the fact is, they are still today. Can you think of any other holiday or mass event controlled by a demographic like that?

When I first read the question what first popped into my mind was the bit of trivia that so many of the classic popular Christmas songs were written by Jews

But, then I read the details of the Q and you want info about things we participate in that basically came about due to a specific demograhic group starting the ritual or practice. Do you actually mean specific generation? You mention the baby boomers.

Fat Americans account for the vast majority of McDonald’s annual profit margin…who knew¿

One of my favorite Christmas albums wasn’t released until I was around 20, which wasn’t when I was a child. That would be the Carpenters Christmas album. I am also a fan of the South Park Christmas CD.

@filmfann “Gen X would rather hear “Santa Baby” by Madonna.”

Madonna covered a classic hit by Eartha Kitt, which, of course, was popular during the Baby Boomer years. Eartha Kitt’s version is sultry and delightful; Madonna just made a low-rent mess out of it.

Getting back to the original question—are there any trends, from past eras, that still prevail? (I hope @Imadethisupwithnoforethought won’t mind me paraphrasing.)

Queen Victoria wore a white dress for her wedding. Before then, brides didn’t wear white. The white wedding dress quickly became an international fad, and it’s now an entrenched tradition.

I believe that engagement rings didn’t really exist until after World War II. Thanks to post-war affluence and a brilliant marketing campaign by the diamond cartel, engagement rings are now expected.

Why are both my examples related to wedding? No reason. Those two items just popped into my mind.

@SadieMartinPaul Hmmm. I have my great grandmother’s engagement ring from the 1890’s so I had not thought it was a very new tradition. But, it be, possibly she was one of the few back then. There are some countries where women don’t wear white on their wedding day. I vaguely remember India being one. But, probably much of the world does as I think it is a Judeo-Christian thing, maybe also the Muslims, I don’t remember. Interesting.

<—- Gen X @filmfann You won’t hear Madonna playing in my house. Our Christmas music collection consists of Nat King Cole, Frank Sinatra, Bing Crosby and Vince Guaraldi Trio. Oh, I can’t forget South Park Christmas. :P

@JLeslie Asian cultures have their own customs for wedding clothes. In China, red is the color of good fortune and happiness, so brides traditionally wore red outfits. From what I’ve read and heard, however, many Chinese brides now wear western-style white dresses and veils (they may or may not change into a red dress for the reception).

@SadieMartinPaul I wonder if it is just following western trends? Or, if it is because more Chinese people are becoming Christians? On fluther just recently I leanred it is illegal for the Christians to go over there an recruit, but I personally know Christians who do missionary work, and I assume they are recruiting while there.