"A result of a generation gap": Jodie Foster's remarks on "annoying" Gen Z in the workplace leaves netizens divided

American actress Jodie Foster sparked a debate online after she called Gen Z "annoying" in an interview with the Guardian, published on Saturday, January 6, 2024. The two-time Oscar-winning actress, in a humorous jab, elaborated that she found their attitude toward the workplace difficult to understand. She stated:

"They're like, 'Nah, I’m not feeling it today, I’m gonna come in at 10:30 a.m.' Or, like, in emails, I’ll tell them this is all grammatically incorrect, did you not check your spelling? And they're like, 'Why would I do that, isn’t that kind of limiting?'"

However, Jodie Foster was not just critical of Gen Z. She praised The Last of Us actress, Bella Ramsey, stating that the 20-year-old impressed her with her understated appearances sans make-up offers a fresh "vector of authenticity." The Silence of the Lambs actress explained that her generation did not get that sort of freedom.

Foster's comments caused quite a stir with many wondering if her frustrations with the style of work were due to the generational gap.

A comment reacting to the news (Image via X/@zaqrider)

"There's a difference between the Twitterverse and the work world": Jodie Foster's Gen Z comments leave netizens divided

As news of Jodie Foster's comments about Gen Z's work habits spread, internet users were quick to share their take on the subject on social media. Many sided with Foster stating that Gen Z is more comfort-focused and "driven by social media" without understanding the real world.

Others pointed out that Gen Z does not want to be part of the "toxic work culture" but still "get the job done."

Here are some comments seen on X regarding Jodie Foster's comments about Gen Z:

A comment reacting to the news (Image via X/@CaleMaloney)

A comment reacting to the news (Image via X/@NICOLES)

A comment reacting to the news (Image via X/@JustasPetrazole)

A comment reacting to the news (Image via X/@What_s_Up_You)

A comment reacting to the news (Image via X/@unstableswiftie)

A comment reacting to the news (Image via X/@helenapeabody3)

A comment reacting to the news (Image via X/@Apuntes_)

A comment reacting to the news (Image via X/@ifkate)

A comment reacting to the news (Image via X/@CreedDotGov)

A comment reacting to the news (Image via X/@iammattymarz)

A comment reacting to the news (Image via X/@dojnickiana)

A comment reacting to the news (Image via X/@TexasVegetarian)

A comment reacting to the news (Image via X/@GiMarieQueen)

A comment reacting to the news (Image via X/@spixcedt)

A comment reacting to the news (Image via X/@_JamesGtfo)

A comment reacting to the news (Image via X/@justvanillaling)

In addition to praising the The Last of Us actress, Bella Ramsey, Jodie Foster cautioned younger generations:

"They need to learn how to relax, how to not think about it so much, how to come up with something that's theirs."

Foster explained that she does a lot of mentoring and reaching out, especially to young actresses because she had it hard growing up. She added:

"I can help them find that, which is so much more fun than being, with all the pressure behind it, the protagonist of the story."

Jodie Foster has not released any statements about the development.

About the author

Nirali has been a popular culture writer at Sportskeeda for the past 1.5 years, covering celebrity/influencer trends and profile/histories, political news, crime reports, and lifestyle. She completed her Bachelor's in Architecture from University of Mumbai and Masters in Heritage Conservation from University of Southern California. Professionally, Nirali has a strong 7.5-year experience working as an architect, an Assistant Archivist and a Digital Archivist across three companies.

Nirali’s educational qualifications and unique career trajectory put great emphasis on research and writing, which along with her personal interest in popular culture, led her to the current role at Sportskeeda. Her specialties are researching histories, crime stories, and developing general knowledge pieces.

The most crucial step in Nirali’s reporting is rigorous fact-checking, and she relies on information from primary sources only for her news. In the absence of a primary source, Nirali double, and even triple-checks information from multiple sources before presenting them to her readers. Strictly anti-AI, she believes in giving credits wherever necessary.

Nirali’s favorite celebrities are Mark Ruffalo and Dolly Parton, and she admires them for their support of humanity and advocacy for what is right. An avid reader, Nirali can be found nose-deep in a new book when she is away from her keyboard. Nirali also loves to illustrate in her free time.

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Edited by Meenakshi Ajith