Don’t laugh at Michael Rotondo – he's the perfect millennial scapegoat
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Version 0 of 1. It has been a whirlwind few weeks for Michael Rotondo, the 30-year-old who went viral last month after his parents went to court to get him out of their house. In case you missed it, here is a quick recap of the saga. First, there was the eviction. On 22 May, a judge in upstate New York ordered Rotondo to move out of his parents’ home, where he had been living for the past eight years. Then there was a shot at redemption: a national pizza chain offered Rotondo a job and $1,101 in cash, saying that it “[felt] for millennials, across the board”. There was also a brush with infamy. Alex Jones, the internet’s most notorious conspiracy theorist, invited Rotondo on to his InfoWars show. “The media made you the ultimate demon in the world,” Jones opined. “This whole millennial thing … being afraid of change, I think you are indicative of that.” I hate to say it, but Jones’s analysis is not entirely wrong. The reason Rotondo has made a mark on our collective consciousness is because he is the perfect millennial scapegoat. He embodies all the negative stereotypes of the millennial generation: he is self-centred, financially insecure and entitled. Crucially, Rotondo allows older generations to sneer at millennials without confronting their complicity in his situation. After all, his story – a grown child still living at home – is far from unusual on either side of the Atlantic. More young people are living at home, for longer stretches. That does not mean they are losers; it is a result of the cost of living surging and wages stagnating. Want to know who is responsible for this depressing state of affairs? Well, I will give you one hint: it is not millennials. Housing Opinion Communities comment Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share via Email Share on LinkedIn Share on Pinterest Share on Google+ Share on WhatsApp Share on Messenger Reuse this content |