dolphins and generational symbols

[power gem]

i read this post elsewhere and it resonated with me:

I'm working on a theory, a kind of generational zodiac. It seems to me that the first decade of my life (born '91) was rife with dolphins - dolphin buddies in children's media, plastic glow-in-the-dark dolphin appliqués on bedroom walls and ceilings, binders and folders emblazoned with day-glo hallucinations of neon dolphins somersaulting over the waves of tropical seas There was, of course, the mainstream breach of dolphin culture in the first Ace Ventura Pet Detective, then the ur-document of the dolphin subconscious, Ecco the Dolphin. I think the era can be neatly cut off in the year 00. The early aughts were characterized by a fair amount of dolphin backlash, from early internet legends of Soviet trained war dolphins, to that experiment where the lady lived with a bunch of dolphins and fucked them, to the "revelation" that dolphins often torture and murder porpoises for fun. All this sealed the deal for the dolphin, and ended its reign as the generational animal. Still thinking about what followed it. 00s: penguins/polar bears? 10s: ??? 20s: capybara?​

my childhood too was full of dolphins. i feel a deep nostalgia whenever i see tacky dolphin themed art and memorabilia.

i don't know what the "generational animal" of the 2020s is, or if there is one. sure, there are capybara memes, but its not like everything in the kids section of a department store has a capybara on it. these sort of plant motifs were very common on consumer products in the late 2010s/early 2020s and might be a candidate for a generational symbol:

i haven't seen as much of them lately though. i'm not a zoomer and don't pay attention to zoomer trends, so maybe i'm completely wrong, but my impression is that zoomer aesthetics tend to be less representational. the kids these days aren't drawing or making animations - they're filming stuff with their phone camera on tiktok. they are interested in (hyper)reality, not symbols. when was the last time you saw someone wearing a graphic tshirt that wasn't a band tee?

 

[雨、Some_porcupine、 逃げ出した後]

these for me ('99)

pick

 

[LeVil_78]

well as another zoomer who didn't pay attention to zoomer trendsd I'd say our animal could be the flamingo it's the one I see the most associated with those tropical plant motifs you posted wich were definitely a big thing in the past years. i remember all the girls owned at least one article of clothinfg, a textbook, a phonecase, a backpack, a pin, a pencil case or ssomething wth those motifs and they always was a flamingo in those preferably wearing some shades

 

[SomaSpice]

View attachment 56884
these for me ('99)
View attachment 56885View attachment 56886View attachment 56887View attachment 56888View attachment 56889View attachment 56890
pick
View attachment 56891

What about these?

 

[雨、Some_porcupine、 逃げ出した後]

View attachment 56937
What about these?

full mood, from opposite side XD
smacks hard (for people who are scared)

 

[雨、Some_porcupine、 逃げ出した後]

seapunk aesthetic

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=unN7QvSWSTo

 

[Jackal]

View attachment 56884
these for me ('99)
View attachment 56885View attachment 56886View attachment 56887View attachment 56888View attachment 56889View attachment 56890
pick
View attachment 56891

"If you don't remember 9/11 you are a zoomer" lmao i was born almost a year after 9/11 dude lmao.

 

[Jackal]

View attachment 56937
What about these?

This was my childhood.

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N5yAbYvOFIo

 

[Z0diacK]

Fuck yeah I remember those dolphins, everywhere were they. That's crazy shit