The Boomer Doll.

By Jeanne Chinard

Make no mistake about it, the Boomer Woman is still a force to be reckoned with. And ironically, it all started with a doll
 named Barbie.

In 1959, this petite, pretty young woman took the world by storm. She captivated a generation and exemplified what it meant to be a woman.

But as some of the little girls who played with her began to grow up, they discovered that Barbie's world – a world filled with curlers, cold cream and country clubs - just wasn’t enough. They realized that in order to reach their own potential, they would have to break the rules.

And make their own. They would go on to change the world and redefine what it means to be a woman. But today, instead of embracing the strength, sophistication and savvy that are the hallmarks of this remarkable group of women, marketers have just created
 a new doll – the Boomer Doll (TM).

You see her every night on television; that depressed, constipated, overweight, over-medicated woman who is obsessed with odors and would rather eat ice cream than have sex. She has become the most misunderstood, discriminated against, and undervalued consumer in the world.

From the way she is presented in the media, you would never think of her as owning or being an evangelist for Apple computers, Mini Coopers, Blackberry smartphones, Wii games, Burton Snowboards, Babolat tennis racquets, or season tickets to the Lakers. Nor would you conclude that she is actually an insatiable downloader of music, e-books and apps, not to mention the biggest presence on Facebook. But she is.

And she is angry at the way she is being portrayed. Smart. Motivated. Aware. I call her the GenModern (TM) woman.

With her intelligence, guts and style, she is still leading the way. She is the driving force of “the generation that won’t take old for an answer (TM).”

Ignore her at your peril.