First things first: I hate the 80's. The cultural inundation of skinny jeans and day-glo geometry has given me constant nightmares of a dystopian future of neon body art and seizure-inducing music videos.
Not to mention the hipster version: mustaches, aviators, and mullets. Seriously, let's leave that alone entirely.
So, imagine my joy when I heard Usher and Will.i.am's OMG on the radio. Yeah, the glaring reference to AIM-speak was kind of painful at first. But a few moments into the song comes, not quite a sample, but a reference to a 90's remix of a funk favorite called "Love You Down," which happens to be on heavy rotation at the local roller rink. The video of the INOJ version of the song is deliciously 90's, and I hope it's a sign that the 80's mania is on its way out.
*Note: let's take the 80's to include the first two years of the 90's... it was kind of a rough transition.
Granted, it's pretty sad when instead of original style, we're just recycling our parent's parachute pants. And when song titles could be half-assed text messages, and when the denim era seems to be an improvement on pop culture. But, it's definitely the lesser of two evils, and there's always Lady Gaga to make things fresh for us (or, to make a fresh place for latex on the surface of society rather than the margins). Plus, I like the thought that the Pussycat Dolls are just newer, sluttier Spice Girls (horrible person, right?).
Additionally, I'm giving thanks that my favorite decade hasn't been wholesaled into modern fashion (not that I think the 1920's are up for a reboot anytime soon; zoot suits and drop-waists are tough styles to sport).
I eagerly await the advent of the 1990's.
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