It seems the edgy eighties are making a massive come back in modern day pop culture. February saw the release of NBC's new Knight Rider pilot, which attracted a staggering 12.7 million viewers - not bad for a show that's been off the air for nearly 22 years. The Sarah Connor Chronicles are also currently playing on Virgin 1 and in the UK the BBC have released “Ashes to Ashes” a show where a detective travels back to the 1980s.
And the eighties resurrection doesn't stop there. As a nod to the nostalgic Noughties a brand new publication is launching all about 80s culture. The free magazine called “Retrorama” is filling a massive gap in the publishing market and as a result is attracting a wealth of subscribers all of whom want to read about their favourite things from when they were young. But why has this new magazine proved so popular? Are we that world weary that we want to retreat back to a time which seemed simpler to us? Or is it just a bit of lighthearted fun that reminds us of the good times growing up?
Certainly at the moment, the outlook for humanity doesn't look great. It seems as though every news report has something to say about our impending doom. Some talk about global warming, others are more concerned about obesity and then there is always the worry of biological or nuclear terrorism. The world we live in today is at times very frightening, but are the threats on life as we know it really that different to 20 years ago? Environmental concern, war and terrorism have been an inherent part of our culture for several generations now. And the eighties was the time when the whole world seemed to be on diet pills, so why the rose-tinted spectacles?
My best guess is that the eighties come back is proof of a shift in affluence and it is now the children of the 80s who are calling the shots in the commercial world. A generation ago everyone was mad about the sixties and seventies. The birth of rock and roll, soul music and other such social movements left the mass affluents (i.e. those old enough to be earning a decent wage and therefore have a disposable income) with a very rose tinted view of their childhood and teenage years. Despite deep political rifts, the post-war generation grew up with the notion that they were lucky to have everything they had and to be living in a time when war (at least on home territory) was a thing of the past.
As more and more products of the eighties shimmy their way into the media spotlight, I can't help but assume that the next generation is now calling the shots. Children of the eighties are now the ones with the disposable incomes (if they can ever get themselves out of debts) and therefore the ones that the world will cater for. The good news about this of course is that those who want to can re-live the best parts of their childhood without any of the economic depression and social stigma surrounding sexuality that so strongly categorised the 80s. In short, now that the decade is over, we can enjoy it!
For more information on the free magazine mentioned above you can visit Retromag.
