13 Boomer Celebrities That Millennials And Gen-Z Still Respect Because They Haven't Made Us Cringe With Any Problematic Comments

    I would never disrespect unproblematic king, Keanu Reeves, with an "Okay Boomer."

    Kelsie Hammond
    by Kelsie Hammond

    BuzzFeed Staff

    A lot of boomers have a strong reputation for being the relatives you only see on holidays. They tend to say something cringeworthy around the table that totally derails Thanksgiving dinner — and it often includes the phrase "traditional values", which we know is just slang for "racist and anti-gay."

    FOX / Via giphy.com

    Thankfully, they're not all this way. Here's a list of boomer celebrities that seem like they would be the cool aunts and uncles who I wouldn't have to avoid at family events:

    1. Liza Minnelli

    liza doing a dance pose
    Harry Langdon / Getty Images

    Liza hasn't said anything to say that would constitute an "Okay, boomer" because she continues to be on the progressive side of the conversation. She's always been an ally and was one of the first mainstream celebrities to speak out against the stigma surrounding AIDS and advocate for research to combat the disease way back in the early '90s. In regards to the LGBTQ+ community, she told Billboard, "Their examples have shaped me, and without them, my life would be empty." 

    liza during an interview with larry king
    CNN / Via youtube.com

    2. Dolly Parton

    dolly on stage with her guitar
    Gary Miller / Getty Images

    Aunt Dolly, the original cool aunt on Hannah Montana, has always been ahead of her time with body positivity with owning her sexuality — but above all? She's a queen of philanthropy. Her foundation has donated over 100 million books to kids. She could easily be a billionaire by now, but she isn't only because she keeps giving money away. We love our ethical auntie. 

    dolly saying she's not a joke because she's sure of herself in an interview
    ABC / Via youtube.com

    3. Keanu Reeves

    closeup of keanu outside
    Jose Perez / GC Images

    I have nothing but love for everyone's favorite internet daddy. I have to respect this king who donates to children's cancer research and is generally just a super chill dude. He stays to himself and doesn't bother anyone, which is super rare for his generation. You want to know what is even more rare for a boomer? He's a good tipper. I rest my case.

    keanu saying gravity keeps him down to earth
    BuzzFeed Celeb / Via youtube.com

    4. Cher

    Kevin Winter / Getty Images

    Cher is a philanthropist, an advocate, and the woman who's launched a thousand memes. I've seen the clip of her saying "Wagon wheel watusi" from her role in the movie Burlesque so many times that now my brain repeats those three words on an endless loop. She's always been a force of women empowerment, and this only adds to her meme-ability. I can't mention Cher without referencing this iconic interview when she said, "Men are a luxury...not a necessity. Like dessert. You don't need them to live." 

    cher saying she is a rich man
    NBC / Via youtube.com

    5. Stanley Tucci

    closeup of him in a suit
    Rich Polk / Getty Images

    Now this is not just a boomer that's chill with me, but also a man I would trust to watch my drink at a bar. I've literally never heard Stanley say anything cringeworthy at all. He focuses on acting, good food, and spreading joy. When he's on set, he goes out of his way to make sure other actors feel comfortable. During their movie, The Lovely Bones (a movie with some seriously heavy content), he always made sure to check in on his costar Saoirse Ronan to make sure she was comfortable.

    stanley during an interview
    Parade / Via youtube.com

    6. Julia Louis-Dreyfus

    closeup of her in a dress
    Dominik Bindl / WireImage

    If "booked and busy" were a person, it would be Julia Louis-Dreyfus. After Seinfeld, she continued to crank out banger after banger as the starring role in TV shows like The New Adventures of Old Christine and Veep or stealing the scene guest starring in shows like Arrested Development and 30 Rock. She even joined the Marvel Cinematic Universe with her role in The Falcon and The Winter Soldier. All this time that she's stayed on on our screens, she hasn't said anything cringe that made me think, "Oh, no. Not you, girl." Instead, she has used her platform to advocate for the environment and speak out against big oil.

    julia saying, there's an urgency to the climate crisis
    People / Via youtube.com

    7. Lionel Richie

    him performing at a piano
    Mireya Acierto / Getty Images for The Everglades Foundation

    This man is such a lovely human who has always given us immaculate vibes with his sweet tunes. Yacht rock would be nothing without Lionel. As a judge on American Idol, he aims to build performers up instead of knocking them down, even though harsh criticism was the standard for artists when he started out. He doesn't have an "I suffered, so you should too" mindset, and instead he works to help artists feel better about themselves in order to propel them further into success. He just gets it. 

    lionel saying, and what we try to do is encourage
    Live Nation / Via youtube.com

    8. Weird Al Yankovic

    closeup of him at an event
    Frazer Harrison / Getty Images

    Just an unproblematic man with luscious curls, an accordion, and a dream. I honestly didn't even know he was a boomer until I started making this because he has such a childlike sense of wonder and whimsy. This is a guy who just wants to play his silly little songs and have a fun time. He doesn't make a lot of political statements, but when he does, he makes light of the hellscape we're living in.

    if the supreme court is really supreme where's the guac, ground beef, and sour cream
    Weird Al / Via youtube.com

    9. Stevie Nicks

    her singing on stage
    Tim Mosenfelder / Getty Images

    Just thinking about Stevie Nicks makes me want to grab my shawl and twirl. I love this witchy woman. She's still in the spotlight but hasn't shown any signs of shady boomer antics. She has always been candidly pro-choice, supports wounded veterans, and has spoken out against racism. Stevie is just one of those artists that has stood the test of time both musically and socially. 

    stevie saying, racism in the last four years is so much worse than it was. i lived through the 60s i've seen all this. i don't wnat to live in a country that is so divisive
    Variety / Penske Media via Getty Images / Variety

    10. Meryl Streep

    meryl with her award
    Jason Merritt / Getty Images

    I can't really say Meryl seems like a cool aunt because that's mother!! I have to show my respect to the person who set the record for the most Oscar nominations for any actor or actress — but apart from her professional success, she's also supported the "Time's Up" movement and the SAG-AFTRA  actors strike. In reference to the strike, she said, "We will stand strong together against these powerful corporations who are bent on taking the humanity, the human dignity, even the human out of our profession."

    meryl on stage saying, when the powerful use their powers to bully others, we all lose
    NBC / Via youtube.com

    11. Sheryl Crow

    sheryl playing her guitar on stage
    Erika Goldring / Getty Images

    Every day really is a winding road, but it feels like a smoother ride when I'm listening to the soothing melodies that Sheryl Crowe has been blessing us with for decades. She's just as calm a presence in person as she is in her music, and even though she's a boomer, I would never dare throw an "Okay, boomer" her way while she's speaking up for the trans community and advocating for gun control. 

    @SherylCrow

    12. Sandra Bullock

    closeup of sandra sitting for an interview
    Randy Holmes / ABC via Getty Images

    Sandy B, my queen. This is a true girl's girl. She thanks the women who came before her for paving the way and rejects the societal pressures that tell women that we should be fighting each other. In addition to being an advocate for women, she has also expressed that, "Racism, anti-Semitism, sexism, homophobia, anything Nazi [related] have no place in my life."

    sandra at a movie premiere
    Gilbert Carrasquillo / FilmMagic / Cosmopolitan

    13. Conan O’Brien

    closeup of him in a suit
    Rich Fury / Getty Images

    I usually have to fight the urge to reply, "Okay, boomer." when I hear someone talking about how being gay is ~just a phase~, but Conan is a boomer who not only has always supported gay rights, but even officiated a wedding on live television way back in 2011. 

    conan officiating a wedding
    TBS / Via youtube.com

    There you have it! These are the celebrities that can hang because I've heard enough from boomers who justify their close-minded beliefs with the logic, "Oh, I was raised in a different time." Let me know in the comments what celebrities you would never hit with an, "Okay, Boomer." ⬇️