The Green Party's new senior citizens spokesperson has outraged social media users for using the "derogatory" phrase "OK, Boomer".
Ricardo Menéndez March entered Parliament following this year's election and on Monday it was announced he would become the party's spokesperson for senior citizens, among other roles.
He took to Twitter following this to express how he hopes to represent senior citizens in his role.
"As the senior citizens portfolio holder I'm ready to ask 'are you OK, Boomer'," he said. "Hardship grants for senior citizens have increased over the past few years, with growing inequities for our migrant, Pasifika and Māori senior citizens. Everybody deserves to grow old with dignity."
His tweet wasn't received well some users, with one labelling it "disrespectful".
"I'd rather you didn't call me 'Boomer' please," one person said. "It's true I'm in that demographic, but the term has been taken over by younger people than me to use in a derogatory way, usually to falsely accuse me of having extreme wealth and multiple houses, to the detriment of younger generations."
Menéndez March responded, saying "that's the whole point" and he's breaking the narrative that all senior citizens have benefited from capitalism.
"We also have Millennials and Gen Z folk who have inherited ridiculous amounts of wealth. Looking forward to honouring the intergenerational work happening on the ground for justice," he said.
Another Twitter user said: "Calling someone Boomer is highly disrespectful. Also these retirees have paid taxes and work hard their whole lives."
Others wrote it was "just a joke" and "well-intended", but it was easy to "see why people are a bit miffed".
"An MP, a member of a highly-paid, powerful elite, riffing on an insult to joke at members of the public, whom he has spokesperson responsibility for, is punching down," one said. "Chloe's 'OK, Boomer' was different - she was responding to another MP who was being rude to her - and so it felt fine. If anything, it was punching up."
Fellow Green MP Chlöe Swarbrick used the "OK, Boomer" phrase in Parliament last year in response to a heckle while she was speaking about the Zero Carbon Bill.
She said at the time that "responding succinctly and in perfect jest" about her age as she spoke about the impacts of climate change on her generation with the title of another generation "makes some people very mad".
Other Twitter users felt Menéndez March's Boomer reference was misinterpreted.
"I feel like Ricardo's light-hearted way of introducing his new area of responsibility has been misinterpreted by many," one said. "He genuinely wants to look out for seniors - ie make sure 'they're OK'. You could not find a more genuine guy. There is absolutely no disrespect intended."
Another said he was "genuinely asking" if Baby Boomers are okay.
"Ricardo is genuinely asking us if we're OK and we can only focus on the appropriateness of the collective noun. Yes I am thanks @RMarchNZ and thanks for asking. Boomer is fine and I'm sure you didn't forget the silent generation either."
The phrase "OK Boomer" first emerged in early 2019, and Google Trends data shows it was popping up in searches around July. It started picking up in mid-October on social media app TikTok, but the New York Times sent it mainstream in an article in October last year called ''OK Boomer' Marks the End of Friendly Generational Relations'.
"'OK Boomer' has become Generation Z's endlessly repeated retort to the problem of older people who just don't get it, a rallying cry for millions of fed-up kids," it said, reporting it was being used to hit back against anyone over 30 - a group including Millennials, Generation X and Xennials as well as Boomers.
