Fox – the TV network that brought you Family Guy, The Walking Dead, and The Trump Presidency – want to trademark the phrase ‘ok boomer,’ so that they can launch a game-show of the same name.

 For the unfamiliar, ‘ok boomer’ is a withering verbal put-down used by millennials to deride the allegedly narrow-minded political and social opinions of the ‘baby-boomer’ generation. The New York Times have warned that the popularity of the phrase signals the end of “friendly generational relations” as we know it. Unfortunately, the geopolitical language reflects a grim reality: the Baby Boomers are stockpiling long-range weapons and recalling their ambassadors from the generational UN. TikTok is being weaponised by Gen Z militia groups, whilst Gen X diplomats mediate negotiations. Calls for peace go unheard.

Obviously, inter-generational strife isn’t a new phenomenon. Personally, I would argue that the ‘end of friendly generational relations’ took place in late 2015, when I nearly reduced my Mum to tears by getting drunk and vomiting in one of her drawers. Oh, the hijinks o’ Youth! Mum, if you’re reading this, sorry about the cashmere. Thanks for unblocking me!

 British Vogue credits Generation Z (“or Zoomers”) with originating ‘ok boomer.’ I have never heard the phrase “Zoomers” before, but it is perhaps an appropriate term for the generation that grew up with access to Heelies ™.

 Notwithstanding the origin of the phrase, Fox’s game show will surely divide opinion if it’s commissioned. In an unprecedented scoop, Varsity have managed to get their hands on the original pitch for the show. It reads as follows:

 -------- TOP SECRET --------

 Let’s play: Ok Boomer! The game that all (some) of the family will love! Games include:

 Netflix and Chill! We immerse our four boomers in an industrial refrigerator and see how many episodes of acclaimed Fox comedy “Brooklyn 99” they can watch before they bail!

 Deciphering Emoji Slang!

(Spoiler: this one can either mean ‘sorry for your loss’ or ‘ur so sexy ahah’ depending on whether or not you put the clown emoji or the crying laughing emoji first. Don’t get caught out!)

 Destroying The Climate Beyond Repair And Then Refusing To Take Urgent Action: A family favourite; this one is what it says on the (non-recyclable) tin.

 Deal or No Deal: For our British Audiences – a spin on the classic game show, our contestants will take part in three years of protracted negotiations to remove their team from the show! The group that secures the best deal for British fisheries wins!

 The winners will take home a year’s supply of single-use coffee cups! Let’s play!

 ------ TOP SECRET------

I for one can’t wait to watch it! But  as exciting as the show-pitch is, it also represents the latest iteration of a popular trend: large corporations ruining popular phrases by attempting to appropriate them for their own ends. Just last month, Coca-Cola released new cans emblazoned with ‘it’s lit’ and ‘Yassss.’ The fact that Fox wants to trademark ‘ok boomer’ indicates that the phrase has well and truly entered the mainstream. Before too long, it is destined to go the way of ‘swag,’ ‘yolo,’ and ‘bae’ – used often by those attempting to appeal to young people, but not much by young people themselves.

Let’s hope Fox sticks to more light-hearted endeavours, like releasing season 688 of the Simpsons, or tirelessly fighting for the arrest of Hilary Clinton.