“She hates life. Make it stop. When did Motley Crue become classic rock?”
Come to think of it, when did the 1980s become classic, prompting Bowling for Soup’s Debbie to remain preoccupied with “1985”?
Perhaps today’s youths have become preoccupied with things made popular in the 1980s — among them checkered Vans sneakers, colorful scrunchies and torn and/or acid-washed jeans. Oh, the social media memes that note today’s “VSCO girl” thinks she’s so great sporting these items when, in fact, mom used to wear them, too! Ha ha.
Take note, however, that the VSCO girl carries a hydroflask, which I don’t believe exist 30-plus years ago.
Really? The 1980s are 30-plus years in the past?! Say it isn’t so!
Last week, my daughter’s high school held a spirit week leading up to a backyard rivalry football game. On one day, students were encouraged to wear “flashback/throwback” garb. My daughter decided to wear an MTV T-shirt featuring a black-and white-checkered “M” that matched perfectly with her checkered Vans sneakers.
Who doesn’t remember Shawn Penn’s character Jeff Spicoli wearing those very shoes in “Fast Times at Ridgemont High”? As a result, I refer to them as the “Spicolis.” Choosing shoes one morning, for example, I asked my son which sneakers he wanted to wear. He said, “My Spicolis.” (Blogger’s note: The kiddos know of Spicoli, but haven’t seen “Fast Times.” Not for a few years…)
It’s cool to see today’s youngsters taking on trends from the 1980s and ’90s. It’s almost like some of us who donned poodle skirts, rolled-up jeans and scarves tied in our ponytails to replicate sock hops of the ’50s and ’60s on those dress-down/theme days.
If MTV would actually play music videos like it used to, that would be even cool. Until then, I’ll take the retro stuff appearing in pop culture, my kids’ enthusiasm for things of the past and the reality that the ’80s are considered part of the classic rock category.
The mom of a dancing teen and a tween who enjoys scouting and hockey, Katie Campomizzi-Clews is a copy editor at The Republican-Herald. She began her career at The RH as a staff writer following graduation from Lycoming College, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in mass communication with a minor in psychology. She shares her experiences of balancing work and parenting and takes a look at issues, events and trends concerning parents and children.
