I'm not totally sure how to describe this, but I've thought about this for awhile. As a whole, the '80s were very trendy and fast-changing in terms of pop culture (especially fashion, slang and music). Yet, at the same time, there seemed to be more variety to choose from in the mainstream, and the older stuff also held on in a secondary sense for quite awhile.

The opposite seems to be true now. For instance, if you're not over the top with it, you can pretty much dress any time and get away with it (unlike in the '80s and even '90s, where being more than 2-3 years out of date would've been unthinkable, lol). But at the same time, it's alot harder for older artists to make comebacks or for "non-cool" pop music to be in the mainstream like it was then.

Overall I get the impression that while you could like some select things from 1981 in 1987, its immediate image was VERY cheesy and dated. Whereas today it's not particularly silly to like individual 2001 things in 2007, yet the older stuff doesn't pervade in the mainstream as much. Does that make sense?

Yes, I get what you are saying.  I know when I was younger (in the mid to late 80's)..fashion was all the rage. If you didn't look cool and wear what was deemed "cool"...you were looked down on. Now, when I entered high school in the early 90's....it seemed like people's perceptions changed a bit...and people decided that they could wear what they wanted to, and didn't seem to care what others thought about them. Nowadays, there are so many diverse people, with so many different styles...and it seems like nobody really cares (like they did years ago)....unless someone wore something totally drastic, ya know?

Yes, I get what you are saying.  I know when I was younger (in the mid to late 80's)..fashion was all the rage. If you didn't look cool and wear what was deemed "cool"...you were looked down on. Now, when I entered high school in the early 90's....it seemed like people's perceptions changed a bit...and people decided that they could wear what they wanted to, and didn't seem to care what others thought about them. Nowadays, there are so many diverse people, with so many different styles...and it seems like nobody really cares (like they did years ago)....unless someone wore something totally drastic, ya know?


Totally agree, and I think it's because '90s culture was relatively laid back. People didn't care quite as much anymore about being immediately up to date, and now it's even more casual. The only fashions from then which look ridiculous today are the most extreme stuff, like backwards ballcaps or parachute pants. Also, being retro/old school has slowly gotten more commonplace for younger people. Largely I think it's also because there's more to choose from, so it's not so unusual to look to the past for entertainment.

I think it used to be specifics that might get you laughed at, but not the overall package so much. For instance, I'm guessing it was cheesy to play Culture Club songs around your trendiest friends a few years later. Yet, that era's music wasn't entirely outmoded, since it was so classic and influenced what came afterwards.

For instance...I remember lots of early '80s songs were still really common on the radio in, say 1989 and people still liked it along with the newest stuff. This is one reason I've always felt like it was totally part of my time even if I wasn't there firsthand. It had a lasting presence for quite awhile, ya know?

Yeah, I think there is.  For one, it didnt SUCK when the 80's did it.  I remember they said that 80's fashions were coming back, but its just not the same.  Its pretty stupid when people try to bring it back.  I mean, as much as id like to go back to the 80's, we just cant :(.  Instead of making your own styles people have to copy something else because of their lack of creativity.  Its pretty sad when you take something that didnt suck and make it suck =/.