New Zealand MP Goes Viral With 'OK, Boomer' Put-Down

The much discussed phrase “OK boomer” made it into the parliamentary record in New Zealand on November 5 during a debate on carbon emissions.

Green Party MP Chlöe Swarbrick, who is 25, said “her generation” and those to come did not have the “luxury” past generations had when it came to ignoring the effects of climate change. She was heckled while noting the average age of parliamentarians, to which she replied, “OK, boomer”.

Speaking to Jason Walls, a parliamentary reporter, after she found herself going viral for the quip, Swarbrick said the phrase was her generation’s “explanation of frustration”.

The phrase has come to mainstream prominence in recent weeks after its use in memes on the internet and on video-sharing apps like TikTok. The New York Times described it as “the digital equivalent of an eye roll”, a response to intergenerational inequality and criticism of younger people’s habits and attitudes by older people. Credit: New Zealand Parliament via Storyful