The Rise and Fall of Gen X - Speaking of PopMatters, our favorite (if somewhat hit-or-miss) alternative webzine looks in on the Nirvana-nostalgia frenzy and wonders "what ever happened to the slacker revolution?" Apparently, the mass-merchandising machine that is MTV killed it. I'm not sure I disagree with that assessment. Cobain and friends were rebelling against the network's "ceaseless looping of vacuous Winger, Bon Jovi, Michael Bolton and MC Hammer videos" as much as anything, but like a horror movie monster, MTV absorbed their blows, grew stronger on their energy, and moved on. Thill's criticism of MTV's self-congratulation for its role in the (failed) alternative revolution is therefore right on the mark. Not that I have the right to complain -- I have been assimilated.