Allison M. 

Italian American obviously, 18 years old, mostly listens to the Weeknd and other rappers our Dads pronounce the name of wrong because they think it’s hilarious 

Q: Do you give a shit about Bruce Springsteen? 

A: Who is that again? 

Kevin M. 

My brother, 24 years old, on the precipice of Gen Z and Millennial and still clinging to youth

Q: Do you give a shit about Bruce Springsteen? 

A: Of course! 

Q: Why? 

A: He’s an old ass lefty! 

Jo P. 

Girl I dated in highschool, 18 years old, dawg walker 

Q: Do you give a shit about Bruce Springsteen? 

A: I mean yeah sure. 

Q: Can you name any of his songs? 

A: Uh…. 

Anonymous 

Kid I went to middle school with that didn’t want to give his name, 17 years old, nerd

Q: Do you give a shit about Bruce Springsteen? 

A: Not at all. 

Q: Why? 

A: Immigrant parents? I don’t know. 

Hayden H. 

My boyfriend, 20 years old, from Wisconnsin but just wanted to be apart of things

Q: Do you give a shit about Bruce Springsteen? 

A: No. 

Q: Why not? 

A: My dad never really liked him so I didn’t grow up listening to him 

and I always thought he wrote “small town” by John Mellancamp- a song I hate.

Kev F. 

Fake New Jerseyan- actually seagull from Staten island, 19 years old, folds pizza boxes at an Italian restaurant 

Q: Do you give a shit about Bruce Springsteen? 

A: I don’t know what that is. 

Jacob D. 

Some dude I met on Bumble, 21 years old, that’s it 

Q: Do you give a shit about Bruce Springsteen? 

A: Uhh not particularly I know my Nana does for sure. 

Q: Do you and your Nana have a song you listen to together or anything? A: She used to play Born in the USA like constantly when I was little and in her car and I think the meaning was completely lost on her. 

Jill P. 

Absolute delight, 18 years old, triple threat: blonde, smart, and clumsy 

Q: Do you give a shit about Bruce Springsteen? 

A: Yeah! *Hums chorus to Born in the USA* 

Sarah M. (Me) 

Writer, 18 years old, has zero journalistic integrity and is willing to interview themself in the name of The Boss 

Q: Do you give a shit about Bruce Springsteen? 

A: One of my earliest memories is listening to Waitin on a Sunny Day with my Dad. As I’ve gotten older it only makes me appreciate his work and lyricism more. Maybe it is a familial thing and it depends on your upbringing. Bruce Springsteen’s music is very nostalgic for me and it does make me sad knowing some of my friends don’t have that same connection with something I really love. But it’s just not that deep. Unlike many boomers I’ve heard from, I do not think this is a loss of New Jersey culture. To say we have a culture at all is a bit of a stretch but whatever. Gen Z is by no means as familiar with him as a whole compared to our parents (even our immigrant parents, shout out to my mom, #1 Singaporean Springsteen stan) but I still think it depends on the person and that Bruce Springsteen will always be an iconic and essential part of New Jersey. Gen z’s political and social angst simply lies in other music, however, that does not make The Boss insignificant. We remember him through our fathers and our grandmothers and our deep rooted teenage desire to be understood and/or decimate systemic oppression of the working class. So to answer the question yes, I give many shits about Bruce Springsteen.



S. McKiernan is a college student and short story writer/poet with hopes of being a novelist. She also has average knitting skills, a nose ring, and a fear of regret. Follow her on Twitter @s_mckiernan or Instagram @s.a.mckiernan