I was just watching an episode of The Simpsons where Bart and Lisa were watching "School House Rock" and Bart asked Lisa about it, and she said, frowning, "This is one of those campy '70s throwbacks that appeals to Generation Xers." I've always wondered exactly who the target audience for '70s nostalgia was in the '90s. Some of it was definitely the group of people who were "peak Gen Xers" born in the late '60s and early '70s period '80s teens, who had childhood memories of the '70s and wanted to know more about it and have a very rose-tinted view of the period. Some was certainly aging '70s-generation boomers born in the mid-late '50s for whom an idealized view of their decade suited them. And the third group was the XY group born from about 1975-1983 who couldn't remember the '70s but were "on the verge" of them.

I would say there are also three primary groups involved in the current '80s retro movement. The aforementioned first group I mentioned who have golden teen memories of the '80s (or at least idealized ones) are definitely part of the driving force behind it. There's also the same group of people born maybe from 1975-1983 who have alot of '80s childhood memories, and so idealize it even moreso. Then there's the group of people who are curious about the '80s like myself, born from maybe 1984-1992, for whom it was on the verge of our existence but still before our time, slightly, driving our curiosity.

The '90s nostalgia movement will probably also include three groups, the teen, childhood, and "verge." The teen group will be the aging mid '70s-mid '80s born adults, centering around those born in the late '70s and early '80s, who were '90s teens. The child group will be more mid '80s-early '90s, probably centering around those about my age, born c. 1990. And then the the curious group will be those born from like 1994-2004, for whom it was on the verge of their existence, the YZ/Z grouping.

Bump...

You're right.  There's three nostalgia movement movers, four actually.

1. Those who spent their prime years in the era
2. Those who spent their childhood in the era
3. Those who existence fringes upon the era
4. Those who see it as "old" and "retro-cool"

You're right.  There's three nostalgia movement movers, four actually.

1. Those who spent their prime years in the era
2. Those who spent their childhood in the era
3. Those who existence fringes upon the era
4. Those who see it as "old" and "retro-cool"


Those who see it as "old" and retro-cool tend to be some of the least significant, though...like people born in the late '80s for the '70s. Never caught on as much...

I was just watching an episode of The Simpsons where Bart and Lisa were watching "School House Rock" and Bart asked Lisa about it, and she said, frowning, "This is one of those campy '70s throwbacks that appeals to Generation Xers."

The best is BArt's response to that..."we need another vietnam..thin out their ranks a little..." ahh, the Simpsons- always timely.

The best is BArt's response to that..."we need another vietnam..thin out their ranks a little..." ahh, the Simpsons- always timely.


Hah! I love that quote...I can just imagine Bart and Lisa today turning on the TV and finding "Full House" or "The Cosby Show" on and saying..."Oh, this is one of those campy '80s throwbacks that appeals to Generation Yers."

Hah! I love that quote...I can just imagine Bart and Lisa today turning on the TV and finding "Full House" or "The Cosby Show" on and saying..."Oh, this is one of those campy '80s throwbacks that appeals to Generation Yers."


Hahaha  ;D

I was just watching an episode of The Simpsons where Bart and Lisa were watching "School House Rock" and Bart asked Lisa about it, and she said, frowning, "This is one of those campy '70s throwbacks that appeals to Generation Xers." I've always wondered exactly who the target audience for '70s nostalgia was in the '90s. Some of it was definitely the group of people who were "peak Gen Xers" born in the late '60s and early '70s period '80s teens, who had childhood memories of the '70s and wanted to know more about it and have a very rose-tinted view of the period. Some was certainly aging '70s-generation boomers born in the mid-late '50s for whom an idealized view of their decade suited them. And the third group was the XY group born from about 1975-1983 who couldn't remember the '70s but were "on the verge" of them.

I would say there are also three primary groups involved in the current '80s retro movement. The aforementioned first group I mentioned who have golden teen memories of the '80s (or at least idealized ones) are definitely part of the driving force behind it. There's also the same group of people born maybe from 1975-1983 who have alot of '80s childhood memories, and so idealize it even moreso. Then there's the group of people who are curious about the '80s like myself, born from maybe 1984-1992, for whom it was on the verge of our existence but still before our time, slightly, driving our curiosity.

The '90s nostalgia movement will probably also include three groups, the teen, childhood, and "verge." The teen group will be the aging mid '70s-mid '80s born adults, centering around those born in the late '70s and early '80s, who were '90s teens. The child group will be more mid '80s-early '90s, probably centering around those about my age, born c. 1990. And then the the curious group will be those born from like 1994-2004, for whom it was on the verge of their existence, the YZ/Z grouping.



Yeah, the people that were teens are kids in a decade aren't the only ones who get involved in a nostalgia movement. I think it also includes those who were born late in a decade or early in the next one. I think 90's nostalgia will mostly include people born from about 1977-2002 or maybe up to 2003 or '04.

Yeah, the people that were teens are kids in a decade aren't the only ones who get involved in a nostalgia movement. I think it also includes those who were born late in a decade or early in the next one. I think 90's nostalgia will mostly include people born from about 1977-2002 or maybe up to 2003 or '04.


Yeah...

The 1975-1984ish group are the people who will be nostalgizing it for their '90s teen experience.
The 1983ish-1993ish people are those who will be nostalgizing it for their childhood experiences.
The 1994ish-2003ish people will be nostalgizing it for it being foreign and on the verge of their existence.

I think the '90s revival will include some 1987-1991 things as well that continued through the early and mid '90s, like the American alt rock and old school hip-hop. I suppose the XY group will have completed their  three stages by the time of the '90s: '70s for verge, '80s for childhood, '90s for teen. The boomers are '50s for verge (see: Happy Days in the '70s and '50s fashion revivals), '60s for childhood, and '70s for teen. The peak Xers are '60s and '50s for verge, '70s for childhood, '80s for teen. And the peak Yers are '80s for verge, '90s for childhood, and '00s for teen.

Hah! I love that quote...I can just imagine Bart and Lisa today turning on the TV and finding "Full House" or "The Cosby Show" on and saying..."Oh, this is one of those campy '80s throwbacks that appeals to Generation Yers."


;D

Yeah...

The 1975-1984ish group are the people who will be nostalgizing it for their '90s teen experience.
The 1983ish-1993ish people are those who will be nostalgizing it for their childhood experiences.
The 1994ish-2003ish people will be nostalgizing it for it being foreign and on the verge of their existence.

I think the '90s revival will include some 1987-1991 things as well that continued through the early and mid '90s, like the American alt rock and old school hip-hop. I suppose the XY group will have completed their  three stages by the time of the '90s: '70s for verge, '80s for childhood, '90s for teen. The boomers are '50s for verge (see: Happy Days in the '70s and '50s fashion revivals), '60s for childhood, and '70s for teen. The peak Xers are '60s and '50s for verge, '70s for childhood, '80s for teen. And the peak Yers are '80s for verge, '90s for childhood, and '00s for teen.


I personally would fall into the second category, of course since my childhood years fell in the 90s...Hence I can directly relate to some aspects of 90s pop culture which deal directly with my childhood memories and experiences, like schoolyard fads (yo-yos, tazos, tamogotchis...much too old for pokemon ;-)), cartoons - nickelodeon, after-school cartoons, fashion and clothing, and a lesser extent music. They were certainly idealized years in my mind, which is part of their nostalgic appeal.

Conversely, I have very little interest in the 80s as a decade, which I see as boring, materialistic and rather 'passe.' Other than the 90s, I feel nostalgic about the 60s, 70s (as If I've actually lived there, which I'm sure I must've in a past life lol), and after that probably the Roaring Twenties with Art-deco/Jazz the Charleston, Prohibition.

So I guess it depends on one's personal perception of each decade, and how much they like it. Youngsters born after 1990 probably idealize the 80s the same way those of mine idealise the 60s-70s and the Boomer generation, the fact they weren't there adds to its mythos.

So I guess it depends on one's personal perception of each decade, and how much they like it. Youngsters born after 1990 probably idealize the 80s the same way those of mine idealise the 60s-70s and the Boomer generation, the fact they weren't there adds to its mythos.


As a 1990er, I have to say it's slightly different than that.  The '60s and '70s were way before my time, not even close.  They're like another period of history to me, like World War 2 or the Wild West.  Even my parents were young then.  The '80s, on the other hand, I am on the verge of existing in.  They don't seem totally foreign compared to the '00s, different enough to be interesting, but not so different that they're not relatable.

As a 1990er, I have to say it's slightly different than that.  The '60s and '70s were way before my time, not even close.  They're like another period of history to me, like World War 2 or the Wild West.  Even my parents were young then.  The '80s, on the other hand, I am on the verge of existing in.  They don't seem totally foreign compared to the '00s, different enough to be interesting, but not so different that they're not relatable.


I could sort of imagine what living in the late 70s and early 80s was like, but the 60s and early 70s appeal because of their novelty; they appear so different, almost exotic from what I consider modern modern, i.e. an urban/cultural landscape similar to the 90s/00s.

I could sort of imagine what living in the late 70s and early 80s was like, but the 60s and early 70s appeal because of their novelty; they appear so different, almost exotic from what I consider modern modern, i.e. an urban/cultural landscape similar to the 90s/00s.




The very early '80s are this way to me.  I think about 1955-1981 is the period that is not 1940s ancient, but is like a completely different era to me.  My "approximate time" is about 1982 to 2006+, into the tens.

The very early '80s are this way to me.  I think about 1955-1981 is the period that is not 1940s ancient, but is like a completely different era to me.  My "approximate time" is about 1982 to 2006+, into the tens.



Yeah, I feel the same way about the early 80's as well. Like I can sort of imagine what things were like in 1980 even though I wouldn't be born for 7 more years.

I have more museum interest in the '20s-'50s and before, like "I would've loved this had I been alive then." I can relate to certain aspects of the '70s very well though I really shouldn't be able to...there's something about disco, gritty inner-city prostitution/Times Square scenes, CBGB, and singer-song writers like Joni Mitchell and Carole King that strikes me though I'm a bit too young to nostalgize for it. The '80s and early '90s are interesting to me because while I didn't experience them, they're still quite close. I think there's a bit too much derivation of the '80s in this decade for my taste...alot of the good aspects of it were honestly bled out for the materialism that shines through brilliantly in this decade, and alot of it was sort of "soulless."

I have more museum interest in the '20s-'50s and before, like "I would've loved this had I been alive then." I can relate to certain aspects of the '70s very well though I really shouldn't be able to...there's something about disco, gritty inner-city prostitution/Times Square scenes, CBGB, and singer-song writers like Joni Mitchell and Carole King that strikes me though I'm a bit too young to nostalgize for it. The '80s and early '90s are interesting to me because while I didn't experience them, they're still quite close. I think there's a bit too much derivation of the '80s in this decade for my taste...alot of the good aspects of it were honestly bled out for the materialism that shines through brilliantly in this decade, and alot of it was sort of "soulless."


The 80s had a decade had a peculiar 'soullesness' - reflected in its music, whole outlook on life. Like it lacked the pathos that the 70s reeked, or the sense of tumult of the 60s. It just seemed so staid in many ways...It didn't get in your blood the same way as the late 60s did. But you pbly have no idea what I'm talking about, lol.

The 80s had a decade had a peculiar 'soullesness' - reflected in its music, whole outlook on life. Like it lacked the pathos that the 70s reeked, or the sense of tumult of the 60s. It just seemed so staid in many ways...It didn't get in your blood the same way as the late 60s did. But you pbly have no idea what I'm talking about, lol.


The '80s and '00s both have a certain soullessness to them. The thing about both the '80s and the '00s is that they're both sort of flashy, pretty, and oftentimes aesthetically pleasing, but they lack a sense of soul.

The '80s and '00s both have a certain soullessness to them. The thing about both the '80s and the '00s is that they're both sort of flashy, pretty, and oftentimes aesthetically pleasing, but they lack a sense of soul.


And that's precisely why I much prefer the 60s, 70s and 90s...

And that's precisely why I much prefer the 60s, 70s and 90s...



I like alot of '80s music, but I'd prefer to live in those.

And that's precisely why I much prefer the 60s, 70s and 90s...



No decade has more of a spirit than the '60s.  "The Sixties" is much more than a decade.

No decade has more of a spirit than the '60s.  "The Sixties" is much more than a decade.


If the 60s were the Renaissance, then the 80s were puritanical Victoriana...Culturally speaking, that is...

If the 60s were the Renaissance, then the 80s were puritanical Victoriana...Culturally speaking, that is...


That makes sense.  I can't say the '80s were progressive, but I love the new wave music from then.

That makes sense.  I can't say the '80s were progressive, but I love the new wave music from then.


Under the surface, they were, with new wave and the American alt rock scene. And Prince, Madonna, etc. But economically and socially, they were a devolution.

Under the surface, they were, with new wave and the American alt rock scene. And Prince, Madonna, etc. But economically and socially, they were a devolution.


Without a doubt.  They sent us back to the '50s.  The '90s were like a new '60s, and the '00s a new '70s.

Without a doubt.  They sent us back to the '50s.  The '90s were like a new '60s, and the '00s a new '70s.


The '70s were less mediocre and materialistic. If you put the '70s, '80s, and '90s in a blender and took away the juice, you'd get the '00s.

The '70s were less mediocre and materialistic. If you put the '70s, '80s, and '90s in a blender and took away the juice, you'd get the '00s.


;D

I was just watching an episode of The Simpsons where Bart and Lisa were watching "School House Rock" and Bart asked Lisa about it, and she said, frowning, "This is one of those campy '70s throwbacks that appeals to Generation Xers." I've always wondered exactly who the target audience for '70s nostalgia was in the '90s. Some of it was definitely the group of people who were "peak Gen Xers" born in the late '60s and early '70s period '80s teens, who had childhood memories of the '70s and wanted to know more about it and have a very rose-tinted view of the period. Some was certainly aging '70s-generation boomers born in the mid-late '50s for whom an idealized view of their decade suited them. And the third group was the XY group born from about 1975-1983 who couldn't remember the '70s but were "on the verge" of them.

I would say there are also three primary groups involved in the current '80s retro movement. The aforementioned first group I mentioned who have golden teen memories of the '80s (or at least idealized ones) are definitely part of the driving force behind it. There's also the same group of people born maybe from 1975-1983 who have alot of '80s childhood memories, and so idealize it even moreso. Then there's the group of people who are curious about the '80s like myself, born from maybe 1984-1992, for whom it was on the verge of our existence but still before our time, slightly, driving our curiosity.

The '90s nostalgia movement will probably also include three groups, the teen, childhood, and "verge." The teen group will be the aging mid '70s-mid '80s born adults, centering around those born in the late '70s and early '80s, who were '90s teens. The child group will be more mid '80s-early '90s, probably centering around those about my age, born c. 1990. And then the the curious group will be those born from like 1994-2004, for whom it was on the verge of their existence, the YZ/Z grouping.


You hit it on the head and I certainly agree with you. I find it funny that Bart would make a distinction considering that he started out life as an Xr. In a couple more years he'll be a Z'r.

You hit it on the head and I certainly agree with you. I find it funny that Bart would make a distinction considering that he started out life as an Xr. In a couple more years he'll be a Z'r.


Muchas gracias. Yeah, right now Bart would be an early Zer born in 1996. He started out life as a late Xer born around 1979-1980.