I often find myself wondering what people in the future will remember about this era. The early post-millennial decade of 2000-2009 saw the rise of the internet, and, while still mired in confusion, was a technological age. The transition between millennium. This decade, however, continues to be unsure. What great works of art have been made over the past two years? Even before that? What great novels have become touchstones for a generation of novelists commenting upon what they witnessed in this modern age? Is the Tea Party and now the Occupy movement our great contributions to politics and social change?
Popular culture confounds and confuses me. Then again, I have actively spent my time since roughly 2001 avoiding most (if not all) popular music, most popular books, most popular television shows, and most popular movies (then again, triumph of art over popularity. Exceptions, obviously. Especially in movies; there just aren't enough indie movies. But I digress. Yes, I disdain most aspects of popular culture. But that's not what were necessarily talking about here. This is a little larger than that.
I find myself wondering what people living in previous ages thought. The 2000s have this obsession with the 1990s, this nostalgia of everything. Everywhere within my generation, it exists, like it was this golden age of living. My brother was born in 1993, and he always talks about the 90s. I ask him how he remembered any of those things: he was 6 when the decade ended. He says stuff I listened to, but I have a confession to make: I didn't care about music until I was about 12 or 13, and even then, it was shitty pop music. Which was just as terrible as pop music in the 2000s, the 2010s, and probably the 2020s. All these kids who were young as shit when the decade ended claim all this stuff these days. Here's my question: has this been occurring since the beginning of time? Do people automatically remember and pine old decades?
Life has been relatively stable until recently here in the United States. I remember the day that President George W. Bush declared war on Iraq; it didn't really effect me at all, so I wasn't too worried, other than not agreeing with it. But since then? Nothing. Suddenly, the recession hits and everything seems to be going to shit. America's debt reaches crisis levels, according to economists, the European Union is close to collapse, and everyone is pissed at everyone else. The future is looming, and just over the horizon, something big seems like it is about to happen. And no, I'm not referring to the 2012 conspiracy. It just feels like something huge is about to go down, something that can and will change the lives of people across the world. So when that day comes, what will happen? And will we be ready for it?
Kids talk of the 90's cause it's "cool".
ReplyDeleteOlder folks like me talk about it cause it was when we were young. In the 90's twenty somethings use to go on with the 80's. My parents in the 90's and now go on about the 70's (when they grew up).
Its just the way people are! They talk about their youth! Its just different for you cause you would have been the young age (14-18) in the early 2000's! And people haven't started talking about it yet (90's talk started in 2004) So thats your "time" and soon enough people in your age group (age 22-27) will be talking about the double zeros in reminisant tones!
I am. D:
ReplyDeleteAs other things in life, you always remember the good stuff and forgot the worst.
ReplyDeletepeople will always fear the unknown, and since we dont know what will the future have for us, its the same for that, and i agree with bersercules
ReplyDeleteIt's seriously awesome to see you back, and in great form. I'm reminded of something the great and wonderful Meatloaf said. "Don't worry about the future sooner or later it's the past". Me and my friend were both children of the 90's, and we talk about how good we had it, and really I expect that kids who were born in this era are going to talk one day about how good they had it, and how all music is shit. Which is one of the things I do. Not all recent music is crap, but an awful lot of what's "popular" is. But this isn't about music, this is more about how we will be remembered. To be honest I can't really think of anything all that great that we will be remembered for. JK Rowling was a good writer, but I doubt she will ever be compared to Dickens, there are good musicians, but I doubt they will be compared to the great classical composers. Sometimes I don't know what the future people will think of us, and sometimes, I really don't know how I feel about living long enough to see it. Unless 2012 happens, which is highly unlikely. Something might happen, but the end of the world? Nah not really.
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