Retro Re-evaluation

Categories: uncategorized

Date: 15 March 2009 10:07:44

It seems that our current generation of teenagers are doing that thing which creative generations do, acting as cultural historians going back to previous generations - finding the bits that were fun or clever and then re-appropriating them.

It's something I've become aware of over recent months - by listening to the young people around me, aswell as observing contemporary cultural trends such as those detailed in yesterdays Guide (the interesting bit of the Saturday Guardian).

At home Third Party has shown me how Wham are a bit like Abba. Something you just wouldn't admit to liking at the time - (commercialised pap), but now very listenable fun. She has also been introducing me to mash-ups, still don't quite get the difference between this and sampling. Still if it results in a PWEI resurrgance I'll be v. happy.

At work I recently witnessed a poll being taken amongst the class - to settle one of those bloke disputes. The question, "The Clash or Radiohead".  Thankfully The Clash won by a large margin.

This is all giving me huge reasons for hope. If we look at the emergence of all key youth sub-cultures, and "youth movements" they have involved young people using creativity and fun, but also finding cultural symbols from the past and subverting them in order to make their own point. Add in a load of youth who are generally pissed off at the state the older generations have let the world get in and I think we might be in for the emergence of something interesting. Let's hope so.