As I’m in my last six months of being a teenager, I can’t help but reflect on the past seven years. One thing I’ve come to realize is how much I wish I was a teen in the 80s. I feel as if I do not belong in this century, but I that I have a soul that belongs in the 80s. Yes, I’ll admit I listen to 80s music on Pandora while I'm working out and write in a diary or journal about memories I never want to forget.
1. Then and Now
In my generation, when people hear the name Molly Ringwald they think of the mom of Amy on "The Secret Life of the American Teenager." They have no idea that she was a teen star in some amazing 80s movies like "Sixteen Candles," "The Breakfast Club" and "Pretty in Pink." The way Hollywood depicted teenagers in the 80’s and the way my parents describe their young adult years makes me wish I could experience it for a day.
2. The Romance
I think what really boggles my brain is how men loved in the 80’s and would take chances asking a girl out on a date in person, not over the internet. Men got creative with how they would ask a girl out. Whatever happened to chivalry? Does it only exist in 80s movies? I want John Cusack holding a boombox outside my window. I want to ride off on a lawnmower with Patrick Dempsey. I want Jake from Sixteen Candles waiting outside the church for me in his nice red Porsche on my birthday. I want a boy to walk up to my door and knock when he is here, rather than getting a text saying “I'm here” as he is waiting in his car across the street for me.
3. The Music
The Smiths, Michael Jackson, Madonna, Bon Jovi, Bruce Springsteen, and Cyndi Lauper - these are only a few of the artists that changed American music and culture. It was the best and worst of music, but even when it was bad it still made you want to dance and feel alive. It didn’t talk about disrespecting girls and “getting money” - it talked about love and living life to the fullest.
4. The Clothing
I know we all look at pictures of our parents from way back when and think, “What were they thinking?” But I’m sure our children will think the same in 20 years. The clothes seemed fun and full of energy. There were absolutely no limits or rules against showing your shoulders. If you wanted to wear overalls and put your hair up in a scrunchie, you would rock the outfit and no one would judge you.
In every 80s movie, the plot of the story shows how the underdog gets the girl or guy, or a bunch of rebellious teens living in the moment and going against authority. Dancing and singing in a musical number would solve your problems, and you could even make detention fun with a group of people you didn’t know. The teens from the 80s may not have had social media or cell phones, but they didn’t need those things to create and capture good memories.
