The Alabama minor league baseball team the Montgomery Biscuits is creating a stir for poking fun at millennials for being oversensitive, which has resulted in immense blowback from those lacking the concept of irony.
It all began with a series of promos for the league, that was altered for different age demographics. In an effort to bring in more young people, the team started “Millennial Night,” which the advertised amenities including avocados, craft beer, safe spaces, a napping area, selfie stations, and participation ribbons. “Want free things without doing much work? Well, you’re in luck! Riverwalk Stadium will be millennial friendly on Saturday, July 21, with a participation ribbon giveaway just for showing up, napping and selfie stations, along with lots of avocados” posted the team to Twitter.
Want free things without doing much work? Well you're in luck!
Riverwalk Stadium will be Millennial friendly on Saturday, July 21st with a participation ribbon giveaway just for showing up, napping and selfie stations, along with lots of avocados 🥑
🎫: https://t.co/mEfHPEQ6fF pic.twitter.com/jvGKCCenpn
— Montgomery Biscuits (@BiscuitBaseball) July 11, 2018
According to Fox News, Vice president of fan engagement, Mike Murphy, told Fox this is just one of 70 promotions the Biscuits offer for their home games, ranging from Outdoors Night to Military Wednesdays and Autism Friendly Night. “80 percent of the people in our front office are millennials, myself included, and we’re just having fun with some of the clichés that people point out about millennials,” Murphy said.
And predictably, there were plenty of millennial outraged by the tweet that poked fun at their delicate sensibilities.
https://twitter.com/texaninnyc/status/1017257453619220480
https://twitter.com/Gamec0cks/status/1017382303125966850
A live look at the Biscuits’ marketing and PR manager today pic.twitter.com/mW2P33rba9
— Will Weaver 📸 (@WillWeaverRVA) July 12, 2018
One critic suggested a “boomer night” in the future, where they ruin everything and have the millennials pay for it. A reference to the national debt, perhaps?
https://twitter.com/Gamec0cks/status/1017382303125966850
Others had some funnier takes:
https://twitter.com/gswaller/status/1017223687400026112
https://twitter.com/906graphics/status/1017401877380513792
https://twitter.com/BrownsBacker34/status/1017427886402351106
The theme, by the way, is just poking fun. It’s not like there will actually be selfie stations, a napping area, and participation ribbons handed out in the stadium. “I don’t think [Biscuit employees] meant anything sour by it or to cast a negative light on the next generation at all,” said Biscuits pitcher Benton Ross. “I think they’re trying to make light of it and encourage the next generation to come out, support the Biscuits, support baseball and just be themselves.”
Ironically, the reaction to this PR stunt has only further confirmed some of the millennial stereotypes they cited.
