I was not surprised to see myriad new trends that were very old news. Vintage brooches, fur frocks and 1920’s glamour graced the glossy pages. Designers such as Chanel and Versace presented fashion that was seemingly inspired by Audrey Hepburn and Marilyn Monroe. Ostentatious handbags bombarded the fashion runways. Pencil skirts ruled supreme.
In a society that suffers from a never-ending identity crisis, a lack of creativity is paralyzing pop culture. The society of the new millennium is engaged in nostalgia overload and, in turn, a lack of originality.
In addition to these fashion recreations, the entertainment industry has produced various films and television shows reminiscent of generations past. From blockbuster remakes such as Starsky and Hutch, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and Alfie, movies have taken on a new role, defined simply as childhood déjà vu. And undoubtedly more “new-oldies” are in the works.
The music industry has also been bitten by the nostalgia bug. Although various artists produce novel material, these newbies are a minority among the majority who dwell in the past. Ebullient songwriter Jason Mraz ardently mimics the word talking yarns the redoubtable Bob Dylan fashioned well before Mraz was even conceived. Like a true nostalgic modernist, Dylan’s overall pessimism concerning modern-day music is pronounced; for he believes that music today lacks true feeling and depth.
National schmaltziness reveres the days when gas cost 50 cents, milk was delivered to your doorstep, movies were a quarter and AIDS, terrorism, nuclear weapons and biological warfare did not instill fear in every American. The past is “known” – a safe place that many wish to revisit, whereas the uncertain future or “unknown” is often frightening.
Generation nostalgia is today and with the uncertainties of the near future, tomorrow’s generation will surely have its history books wide open. m
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