Nostalgia for 2020?

It was the best of times, It the worst of times. But mostly the worst of times

December is often a month of reflection, a celebration of the old year as we hopefully descend into a new one. However, I think we can all agree that the beginning of the decade did not start on the right foot. Between a global pandemic, killer hornets, and fires in the Amazon, it feels as if we are living in a dystopian nightmare.  As we wrap up these final days of 2020, we remain cautiously optimistic about the new year- probably more cautious than optimistic. But despite all the hardships we endured throughout the last 365 days when we look back in five or ten years, will we have nostalgia for 2020?

2020: A Bitter Sweet Memory

I’m sure those who survived the plague didn’t look back and say, “Hey, remember the Bubonic plague? That was fun!” I am positive that no one will bask in the memory of a province-wide lockdown and wearing face masks. Anyone who is an essential service worker or a health care provider can tell you first hand that there is nothing fun about a pandemic. But 2020 reminded us that the human race is resilient.

In an election that brought the world to its knees, U.S. President-elect Joe Biden made history by earning 80 million votes. At the same time, Kamala Harris, VP-elect, will become the first woman to be vice-president. While across the globe, over one-hundred COVID-19 vaccines are in development. Students and professionals worldwide are continually adapting to an online environment, and they are thriving- suffering, but making it work.

Everyone has their definition of nostalgia. Zoom presentations may not give us that warm and fuzzy feeling, but there are key moments that we will fondly look back on.

Suppose the only memory you have of this year is surviving. Let that be your greatest accomplishment. In five years from now, you can say with pride that you survived 2020. Like director Brad Bird once said, “It’s not fun crossing the Gobi desert, but at least you can say you made it out the other side.”

New year, Now What?  

2020 was no doubt a challenge for pretty much everyone. As we reach the end of this dismal year, it’s hard to stay optimistic when it seems as if life is getting worse instead of better. We are still living through uncertain times. This pandemic isn’t going to end just because the clock strikes midnight. The calendar is not going to restore the economy. Most of us are still longing for the days before masks and social distancing.

However, the start of a new year is like a blank page in the story that is your life. Okay, that’s cheesy, but there is an opportunity to start over come January 1st. Of course, that is much easier said than done. Depending on how you experienced the last twelve months, it’s natural to feel a bit anxious, lost and even hopeless. But as we try to carry on, we must recognize that we have the absolute power to choose what we take with us. So, what will you remember? What will you leave in 2020, but more importantly, what will you take with you?    

“Hold on to the memories, they will hold on to you.” – Taylor Swift, New Years Day  

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Liz Marion

Liz is a full time student with a background in illustration and concept art. She is currently trying her best.

Movie Memories

The Movie Experience  

There is something about watching movies. Whether it's in the comfort of our own home or the top row of a cinema, we all have fond memories of eating overpriced junk food and discovering our favourite films.

The Drive-In

In 1933, the first drive-in movie theatre opened in the state of New Jersey. During their peak popularity in the 50s and 60s, over 4,000 theatres popped up across North America.

Illustration by Liz

The drive-in was and is still a unique movie-viewing experience. Unlike attending a traditional movie theatre, where you are discouraged from talking to your neighbour, the drive-in can be a real social affair. Family's pile into their cars, friends gather on lawn chairs and blankets. There is no wrong way to experience the drive-in.  

Pulling up to the lot is almost like entering another time. Most drive-in theatres today have kept their vintage aesthetics. They are usually not renovated or remastered. The sound system is as good as your radio, and the picture quality is often grainy (in some cases). But the low quality and greasy foods are what makes the drive-in special. It is less about the movie and more about the experience.

Although its popularity has dwindled over the last thirty years, the drive-in has never faded out of the entertainment industry. Ten percent of drive-in theatres still exist across North America.

Renting Movies at the Local Video Store

Before Netflix and Disney+  ruled home entertainment, renting movies from the local video store was the original Friday night ritual. From 1977 to 2010, rental stores such as Blockbuster and Rogers Video brought movie buffs closer to the films they love. With rentals, you didn't have to wait for your favourite movie to premiere on cable tv to watch it again.

For anyone who grew up in the 90s and early 2000s, renting movies was a whole experience. On a Friday night, you would head over to your local rental store with your family or friends and browse the shelves.  Most people didn't have internet, so discovering the perfect Friday night movie was either by recommendation or pure chance. After about 45 minutes, you would bring your pile of movies and snacks to the counter. The sales associate would remind you that new releases are a two-day rental, and a two-dollar fee would be added to your account if you did not return the movie on time. You would then leave with twenty dollars worth of quality weekend entertainment. Life was good.  

Since the rise of streaming services, video stores have become a novelty. Blockbuster, which once had over 9,000 locations, now has only one store left.

Good Old Fashion Movie Theaters

Although traditional movie theatres are not extinct, the theatre experience has drastically changed over the last decade. There once was a time when you would have to stand in line for hours to get the best seat for the latest summer blockbuster. Now with the touch of a button, you can order your tickets months in advance. Remember when you had to save your friend's seat with a jacket as they got their snacks? Now you can order your entire meal right from the comfort of your reclining chair. Back in the day, we had seats with worn-out cushions. If the movie were longer than 90 minutes, you would hear from your tailbone.

Movie theatres have gone through incredible technological transformations—Ultra AVX, IMAX,  and of course, epic surround sound. However, there was nothing quite like experiencing a 3D movie before RealD 3D debut in the mid-2000s. The flimsy cardboard glasses with blue and red plastic lenses weren't the highest tech or the most comfortable. But it was exciting and, for some of us, an entirely new experience.

 As we continue to navigate these strange times of social distancing and streaming services, the cinematic experience is continuously changing. But it's not about how we watch movies. It's about creating a memory that will last longer than any pandemic.

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Liz Marion

Liz is a full time student with a background in illustration and concept art. She is currently trying her best.

X-Men the Animated Series: A Nostalgic Review

Cue Theme Song

Before earth's mightiest heroes dominated the big screen, one super team saved Saturday mornings, Xavier's gifted youngsters­­- The X-Men. The series follows the titular group (Cyclops, Jean Grey, Wolverine, Storm, Gambit, Beast, Rogue and Jubilee) as they fight for mutant-kind, save the space-time continuum and stop intergalactic forces.

The 90s was, no doubt, the golden age of cartoons. Fox Kids and Cartoon Network kick-started our superhero obsessions, with classics such as Batman: The Animated Series (1992-1995), Spiderman (1994-1998) and The Powerpuff Girls (1998-2005). Nickelodeon proved that cartoons could tug at the heartstrings with Rugrats (1990-2006) and Hey Arnold! (1996-2004).

 But in a decade full of epics, what made this show about a ragtag team of mutants in yellow and blue spandex so memorable?

A Unique Depiction of Humanity

"You, fools! Heroic fools. The brave are always the first to die." -  Magento

Using the word "human" to describe the X-men may sound a bit peculiar. The mutant condition is a vast topic that carries across the entire Marvel universe (in the comics, not the cinematic universe) and is not associated with humanity. However, you do not need to be a die-hard comic book fan to notice that the X-men has always been an allegory for social injustice and prejudice. Stan Lee even based Charles Xavier and Magneto loosely on Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X.

Amid the flashy suits, snappy quips, and dinosaurs (yes, I said dinosaurs), the series was not afraid to dig deep into social commentary without losing its fantastical elements. After all, it is a show about superhumans fighting aliens and time travellers.

Season two introduces "The friends of humanity," an anti-mutant terrorist group lead by Greyson Creed (season 2, episode 1, Till Death, Do Us Part, Part One). Out of all the X-Men villains, this group is the most provoking because it is a clear illustration of extreme prejudice against minorities. Twenty years later, the image of this cartoonish mob burning down buildings and chanting "no more mutants" has never felt so real.

 We Are All A Little Weird, And That's Okay

Since the shows ending in 96, Marvel has produced many animated films and series, but nothing quite hits home like this adaption of the X-Men.

No matter what whimsical adventure the team embarked on, the show at its core is a celebration of individuality. These dynamic characters illustrate that in our differences, there is strength and unity. It is not easy standing out from the crowd. People often fear what they don't understand but we don't have to feel isolated. We are more alike than we are different.  

You Don't Have to Be a Fan to Enjoy The Series

“It's adamantium tasting time, boys'!”- Wolverine

 You don't have to be a comic fan to appreciate the animation, humour and action (if your confused, fear not. A recap or a flashback will catch you up to speed). Here's a list of five episodes that any cartoon fan or action buff can enjoy.

5. Night of The Sentinels (part one and two), season 1, episode 1 and 2

We are introduced to the team as they fight mutant-hunting robots at the mall.

4. Captive Hearts, season 1, episode 5

The queen of the Morlocks kidnaps Jean and Cyclops while challenging Storm to a lightsaber battle.

3. Red Dawn, season 2, episode 4

Professor X  and Magneto fight dinosaurs in the Savage Land. Meanwhile, Colossus and Wolverine team up to save Russia.

2. Old Soldiers, season 5, episode 3

The Wolverine, Captain America crossover we all deserve.

1 .Repo Man, season 2, episode 5

The Canadian Avengers kidnap Wolverine.

Just don't skip the intro.

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Liz Marion

Liz is a full time student with a background in illustration and concept art. She is currently trying her best.

The Nostalgic Trend

New Year, Old Trends.

As we enter a new era, we become more fascinated by the past and less inspired by the future. If there is anything the last six months have taught us, is that the world changes rapidly, but the past does not. A global pandemic did not kick off the nostalgic mega trend, but the concept of “retro,” as the name suggests, is anything but new. The last 10 years have proven how marketable and influential nostalgia has been on modern trends. Major film studios invest in reboots and sequels of successful franchises, while the fashion industry is known for recycling old ideas and calling it “vintage.”

So, why did Jurassic World make $150 million in 2015? Why do Converse high-tops never seem to go out of style, and why is Friends one of the most watched shows on Netflix? The answer is obvious; large corporations know their demographics, but consumers also know what they want.

Who is Buying into Nostalgia Megatrend?

It is no coincidence that the turn of the decade brought back Tamagotchis and VHS themed notebooks. According to an article on BBC Ideas, millennials are the most nostalgic generation.  Generation Y are nostalgic for the late 90s to early 2000s, a simple time, before the age of smartphones and high-speed internet. This era represents a unique time in history. The housing market was in good shape, college was affordable, and the golden age of Saturday morning cartoons was at its peak. But after 9/11, the raging war in Iraq and the financial crisis in 2008, life became more complicated. The boomer mentality of going to school, getting a job, and buying a house was fleeting. As millennials transition into adulthood, it is only natural that this generation reflects on a time when life wasn’t so difficult.  

So, Why Go Backwards?

Corporations have profited on happy memories of sad adults and angsty teenagers, that is for sure. But perhaps the real question is, in a world full of innovative technology, why is the consumer looking backwards instead of moving forward? Why does the past inspire us? Maybe it is less about finding inspiration and influence in trends and more about seeking a sense of familiarity. As we try to navigate this new world of masks and social distancing, one thing remains untouched: our memories.

We may not have a time machine to take us back to Saturday mornings in 2003, but streaming services and Eggos come pretty close.    

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Liz Marion

Liz is a full time student with a background in illustration and concept art. She is currently trying her best.

Fond Memories

We’re all nostalgic for the past…

Nostalgia can be defined differently for all of us: it can be The Backstreet Boys, scrunchies, mac and cheese, or a rotary phone. Nostalgia is that burst of yearning and happiness that rises in our chests as we remember a fond childhood memory. We take it with us as we try to move forward, we let it influence our fashion, culture, and future.