And by contributions to your pbs station from viewers like you. Thank you. Tavis bestselling author and humorist p. J. Orourke takes on nothing less than the baby boom generation with his book, entitled the baby boom. Good to have you on this program. That is a promise. Tavis what is of value in comparing and contrasting the baby boom generation with the greatest generation . There is the perception out there, the archie bunker perception, that the two generations fought like cats and dogs. It is not really true. The greatest generation came through some stuff that we could not even imagine, the depression and world war ii. All they wanted after that was a breather and a quiet life and they got us. Ourthing with us is that parents felt a lot of anger and disappointment in the economic establishment, the political establishment. Off to war and before that they were broke. We acted on those feelings. When someone does something that you want to do because you do , youuite have it together are a little afraid and they are actually doing it, it makes you mad. Tavis let me ask you point blank whether or not the baby boom has lived up to its. Xpectations has the baby boom lived up to its expectations . Not. , it has the biggest fact that i ran into in the book was that we were 10,000 richer, not average, median family income. We grew up in the world 10,000 richer than our parents did read we had the stability. Wonderful world in america after world war ii. Steady economic growth, much more prosperity and stability. And we turned out to be, well, you know. [laughter] we did not turn out to be bad. We turned out to be fun. Theid not turn out to be doctors and lawyers that our parents wanted us to, but we did turn out to be fun. Tavis how does one explain that this generation grows up and comes into its own with greater resources but does not measure up in every way . We are a nice generation. We are a fun generation. Generation, not filled with hatred or crazy totalitarian ideas. There are the fringe exceptions, but you know what i mean. Tavis has the baby boom generation done its part to bequeath whatever it should have bequeathed to the generation coming behind it . Yes in the sense of attitude. In the sense of just acceptance and enthusiastic embracing of all sorts of people from all parts of the world. Yes, we gave them that. On the other hand, we are going to bust their wallets so bad. We are turning 50 now. Are in theires 60s. We are on medicare and Social Security and the generations coming after us are going to be broke. I am glad you take such joy in that. Well, it was not our fault. That is our mantra. We did not pass Social Security. We did not pass medicare. Tavis it raises a very serious question about how history will regard what the baby boom generation did do. Every generation is going to be regarded one way or the other by history. There is no debate about the greatest generation. I do not know what they will say about my generation. You have to feel that these kids are coming up to date because these are the ones that are not going to have jobs or good paying jobs. You go to school and get an education and work at an apple store or something. If you are lucky. I do not know what people will say about this generation to come. Boom generation unfortunately, at least for a long time, youre going to be analyzed mainly in the demographic sense that we are so that there are so darn many of us. We will be analyzed by what we did to the python as we went down the python. Will seethink people us very well because after the baby boom comes the baby bust. We have this in balance it is not just america. Most developed countries have a wild in balance. We have too many old people. I am not volunteering to get out of the way, but we have too many old people. I think it is going to take decades before the real understanding of the electronic , muchtion that we caused as it took us decades to understand the wonderful Industrial Revolution in the early 19th century. We did not get that for a long time. , and you what extent have raised this a couple of times now, to what extent does this year size and scope of this generation impact all of the other tentacles and issues . Just completely. Voting to from control in congress. We will just take the example of control in congress and the presidency is in control of the baby boom. Job. Ics is an over50 they do not a doubt in washington. Tavis for better or worse. They do not age out so one of the things we get is this deadlock because we love to get yellow we love to yell at each other. We love to argue about stuff. It is naturally this kind of political deadlock in washington. Tavis i was going to go there. That seems to me to be the polar issue. Polar opposites, if this generations greatest contribution is technological advances, the flip side would have to be that Everything Else is gridlock. So the internet and all the technological advances, but the deadlock on Everything Else has abridged our freedom. Something like gridlock, you have got to be careful. Sample of the gulf of talk and revolution that gave lbj freedom to do whatever he wanted in vietnam and we all know how that worked out. Two votes against it in the senate and no votes against it in the house. That is lack of gridlock. When you say i do not want politics to be gridlock, be careful. Tavis that could be simply this. , but it isuge stain but one thing he did give us what the Civil Rights Act and the voting act. Could not have done it without the democrats and the republicans. Tavis absolutely. I cannot say vietnam notwithstanding, but he got a lot done. In this generation, it is hard to see. Some of these issues that we are facing are really perplexing issues that have the American Public split right down the middle. Lyndon johnson faced were moral issues. We have a situation here where half the people in america want more social services to be paid for by the other half and the other half of the American People are the people paying for this. Sometimes, i cannot remember which cap i am in. I am 66. Half the time, i am a medicare plan d for scripture and drug beneficiary. The other half of the time, it is april 15. I myself get confused by this. You are right. The baby boom has not shown the genius for be able to work these things out. Tavis as a result of that, e issues appear to be they will not be forever. We are going to get a Ronald Reagan and a tip oneill. They will be very different looking. But they will get together. They probably will not get together and drink, but this will work out. Tavis i love the way you described it with the baby boom generation, freshmen, sophomores, juniors, seniors. That was fun to do. I had 75 million people. They are not all the same. How do you define them . You cannot define them by gender or race or ethnic background or even where they live. This is not the way we feel or think. I said, here is a generation that never grew up. You have the seniors like me. We are right at the cuttingedge , right on the edge of the voyage of discovery. We are tethered closely to the greatest generation. We ended up getting dragged onto the boat. All you can say about the senior generation was that Hillary Clinton belongs and so does cheech from cheech and chong. You have the tech brains, but not at first. At first, they were crazier than sears. For them, drugs were not an experiment, they were proven. John belushi was born in 1949, but i knew him and he was held back a couple of years. So he is basically they were the ones wandering barefoot. They found some shoes when they got to Silicon Valley but never did find their neckties. Sophomores are a little bit more cautious about this. They are into the sex, drugs, and rock n roll and the deep philosophical underpinnings. They also realize that what works in principle does not always work in a beanbag chair. Who you have the freshman are born in the early 60s and thisare different because is the aftermath of world war ii, the civil rights struggle, the war in vietnam. Things,w about these but these things are monuments to them. Distancede a little from the rest of the baby boom. I sometimes think that that is one of the things that would , sometimes, when our president has trouble communicating to america at large, it is a little bit of this age group. Littlee on the cusp, a distance from those who are older than they are. If i can do it, anyone can, never get your way through the text. The book is called the baby boom. And why i will not do it again. P. J. Says the latter refrain is a promise. Something that your generation e us that may very well be there may not be another generation that comes close that your generation made, music. I do not have time to get into it, but the music of that generation. Our music was good. It would be fun and have a good soundtrack. Music, comingg of up, a conversation with singer Amel Larrieux and a performance. Stay with us. It has been seven years since Amel Larrieux released a new cd, but she has continued to tour and record and now has a new cd out called ice cream everyday, which sounds good to me. She has been concentrating on writing new songs and raising her two daughters, who are now teenagers. She will perform related her latest single, afraid, later in the program. Great to have you on the program. Where you been . Writing, making kids, raising myself. Touring. It is one of those things where you are independent and kind of have the luxury of taking time. But i do not believe in rushing it and that is one of the reasons why we became independent. ,avis you say raising yourself i think i know what you mean by that, but tell me a little bit more. All of us, in our own respective possessions are still living and evolving human beings. You pass emotional stages of me,ge and, especially for in the public eye, for my profession, but not necessarily completely comfortable with that. There is a crazy conflict with that. I am just a woman. I am 40. Things have changed hormonally and emotionally, raising two teenage girls. There is a lot going on for me personally. And as a human being, seeing where i am at. Tavis you say you did not want to rush it. I get that as well. Someone who might have benefited from taking more time without pushing projects out so quickly. But you understand that music has its own timetable as well, which is sometimes different than the audience. That is so true. That is why i reiterate that it works for someone like me. We have particular ways of wanting to do things. Formulaic formula. Nurturing our process by giving a space and time will get us this final product that feels right and comprehensive and rushing it never works. Tavis before i go to ice cream everyday, which i love the title of, how many times every day do you get asked about groove theory . It definitely comes up. For me, the greatest part about it is i am a songwriter first. Those songs i wrote straight out of the box when i was 18. , the a lovely reflection first thing that i gave to the world. Tavis did that put a level of pressure on you that that project was so wellreceived . The only pressure was when i was with the label and they the olde to duplicate single, tell me. Which did not work out that way for me to do that. I was willing to write other songs, but i was not interested in going backwards. Otherwise, it has just been great. This long and i can still do those songs. I love to hear peoples experience through the songs i have done. That is like a. That is like a new life. Tavis it is such a great track. You just do not duplicate that everyday. I love it to this day. Tell me about ice cream everyday. Far be it from me to interpret what the artist meant. I was having a really rough day and i just kind of whined, i wish i could have ice cream everyday. This was during the writing of the album and my husband said, that is the title. That is it. Forecame kind of a metaphor experience that i needed to go through on my own, finding this thing that i could implement into my life and i would like everyone else to think about implementing the thing give yourself a break. A wonderful little spark of joy. Be something else. I found medication, another part of why i can sit here like this and be killed and be chilled. To be iceo want mine cream everyday. With whipped cream on top. Before i let you free to perform cd,us, as i listened to the there is a refrain that i heard a few times from beginning to end. Feel, haveo you you felt. Absolutely. I think i am empathetic by nature. I think all artists have this kind of constant absorbing of things around them. I think i am sometimes, to a fault, so in touch with what is going on with other human beings that it could really throw me off, but it can also really inspire me. Making that connection is very important. Tavis it is a great project. Before we hear something from it, a quick word about the musicians who will be accounting you in his performance. Jessie conners will be on bass. Skylar,ldest child, will be on guitar and vocals. Tavis i love it. You will hear these two teenagers that amel has been raising. Here they come, singing their latest release, afraid. Thanks for watching and as always, keep the faith. Here comes amel. Stay with us. I dream of you nights and daytime too like someone slipped me something and that somethings you almost walked into a wall imagining your embrace have to snap myself out of the thought of your lips an their heavenly daze and the sensation is real the blood rushes into each place as if you were here elevating me to closed eyed elation heartbeat is racing this evocation got me afraid of the rapture stirring inside of me got me afraid of what im gonna do if i get you to see got me afraid of you youre so fine sometimes i forget to breathe got me afraid that wherever you are is wherever i have to be you must be kin to the moon cause when youre up and out and full i could be anywhere and feel the pull whisperin to my ocean your glow is nectar flowin into my spine and this is why i am afraid of the rapture stirring inside of me got me afraid of what im gonna do if i get you to see got me afraid of you youre so damn fine sometimes i forget to breathe got me afraid that wherever you are is wherever i have to be wherever you are is wherever i have to be wherever you are is wherever i have to be wherever you are wherever you are is wherever i have to be wherever you are is wherever i have to be wherever you are wherever you are wherever you are wherever you are wherever you are wherever you are whever whever, wherever, werever yeah, yeah, yeah wherever where, yeah [applause] for more information on todays show, visit tavis smiley at pbs. Org. Tavis hi, im tavis smiley. Join me next time for a andersation with will forte a performance from grammywinner earl clue. And by contributions to your pbs station from viewers like you. Thank you. Be more. Pbs. [ music ] hello welcome to this is us. Im Becca King Reid we have stories of remarkable relationship. We meet a group of people who used to get together on the at recess and still getting together. And scientists over the pnnacle and tiko drummers who meet in an usual way. Time to go to donlies for chocolate making and maybe a taste too. [ music ] welcome to donlys chocolate shop. Joining me is rich donly,