Q: Fads come and go, as do waves of nostalgia. At the moment, the Aughts (years from 2000 to 2010) are trending. Is there a decade that makes you nostalgic, and why?
-from Susan
Okay, I’ll try to stop laughing. The Aughts were yesterday! How do you become nostalgic for clothing that‘s still in the “new” part of the closet and movies that haven’t even moved to the top of your chronological “must-see” list? I can see bell bottom pants as a nostalgia item, but, please, that was the 1970s. I know. I was there.
I hate to admit it in writing, but my nostalgia is for the Ronettes and the Wall of Sound, for the Four Tops and Chubby Checkers and Fats Domino and late Everly Brothers early Beach Boys. If those names are an unknown language for you, I pity you. (This is what everyone says about their decade, right?) The songs from that era were core to my intensely felt (if not lived) teen years and I know every lyric and opening chord. It’s amazing that all of that is engraved in my brain somewhere, but not the trigonometry class material from the same time.
When I was young and impressionable, fashion sucked me in. Short skirts, high white boots, long hair, knee socks, strapless prom dresses – every couple of years, the fashionistas demanded a total new look. At some point it left me behind with a closet full of stuff I didn’t dare wear.
Seriously, I know there are fads even though I’m not on Tic-Toc and so am clueless except for those moments when a Kardashian headline forces itself on me. Let’s face it – I’m so far removed from what catches the attention of those young enough to even follow fads that all I can do is say, “Whatever,” and go back to reading a good book. Speaking of books, there are definitely fads I’ve noticed in books. Remember the crime fiction books with “Girl” in the title. Yeah, that was a fad. “Memoirs” by under-30s celebrities whose only claim to fame is pushing themselves forward as celebrities. Yeah, that’s a fad.
Diets are a perennial source of fads. Eat only sardines. Eat only fruit. Never eat fruit. Eat only beef and raw grains. Eat only once a day. Eat five times a day…Screaming headlines that this and only this diet will help you live like an Amazon until you’re 125 years old!
All right, Susan, that’s enough curmudgeonly prose for today. Truth is, fads bore me, but there’s always something wonderful about every decade that makes me grateful. Like this:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jSPpbOGnFgk
Well said, Susan. Fads fade — but not the Ronettes and Chubby Checker doing "The Twist."
ReplyDeleteGreat post, Susan! And I’m feeling nostalgic lately for the 1970s. It was a fascinating time, but not just for the fashion and music. Social changes and freedoms. It was a cool time. And, yes, I had some cool bellbottoms.
ReplyDeleteJim