I absolutely agree with the assessment in the article. The current generation (say, 18-30 year old men) is, as the movie says, a generation of men raised by women. As a generation, we have no male tradition handed down to us; we've been left to create ourselves, because what we've been told we should be isn't even a biological possibility for most of us - because we've been told to, basically, be women.
As far as the artists' gripe about being hung out to dry, that's precisely what has happened to us. We've been told, from a very young age, that the path to success is to go get good grades, go to college, and then "rake in the big bucks". Never mind the fact that most college and college preparatory information has been increasingly targeted towards women; never mind that there is no emphasis whatsoever in schooling on deductive problem solving, or on 3-dimensional analysis and thought processes (ie anything to do with the real world) - because those are, predominantly, male traits and skills. (Though thankfully, there's still some inductive problem solving discussed - albeit not much.)
I grew up in a family with a grandmother who was a public school educator; she retired when I was about 12. I was told - and still am told to this day - that the road to success is to go through the motions of school, excel, get into a good college, excel in a field that pays well, and then get a good, comfortable job - preferably with a big, stable company that you can stay with until you retire or with the government. This is the same basic message I received from many teachers while in school. You're not told that there's a glut of college graduates these days, or that any job you get directly out of college will pay only marginally more than an entry level position not requiring a degree, or requiring something like an associates/trade degree. You're not told that there's a complete glut of people out there with business degrees, various art-related degrees, and anything to do with the humanities. You're not told that the utility of a masters or doctorate degree is fairly marginal, or that research positions (in industry or education) are slim to nil.
They basically lead you to assume that a college degree, regardless in what it is, will provide you with a free lunch ticket, regardless of your talent (because you're special and unique, of course), and that the environment you'll be entering into will be one where your school hands you a job in a 1950s business environment, with 1980s-1990s innovation, and 1990s money. From where I sit, they're basically setting up students for "socialist disillusion", what with the excessive helping of such dogma received in colleges and their push for young minds to enter such environments. Simply put, I think they want there to be a burgeoning class of young, educated, inexperienced, and motivated people with a conceited sense of self. It fits in well with the whole Marxist dream.
And no, I'm not entirely bitter (a bit angry, but I'm not saying I was outright wronged): I don't fit the generational trend. I was home-schooled for much of my life; I've found tradition by looking back several generations (I'm 25, married, and have 2 children); and I've learned to not only think for myself but to think creatively and solve problems. But I know I'm the exception, not only because I'm aware of the fact that I am particularly bright, but also because I can see that most people who are approximately my age - and upwards of 35-40 in urban areas - are still children, failing to take responsibility for their actions and living for the moment.
