I don’t often watch TV. What I do, however, participate in often is flipping channels vigorously before shutting off the set. A few months ago, I found a few good pieces to share with my readers. The Astronaut Wives Club (AWC) went strong through its season, receiving high praise for its accuracy and overall throwback appeal. With a little more dry humor and historical reference, Another Period seeks to mock modern-day reality shows with its satirical, Victorian style. Buzzfeed has published an article about vintage lingerie, see here. But actually it would be treason to say just one article of theirs focuses on the epics of yesteryear: The top of the page suggests an entire section that falls under ‘Rewind”! I decided to do some exploring of course, and for those who are interested, this section has some real throwbacks in it, but its focus is on media and ’90s and ’80s funzies.
Some advertisements, like this one from Progressive Insurance, leave behind the romanticized versions of mid-century America for tones of reform. Flo is here seen arguing against the male figure that she too can handle the work a man can. Classically 1950s gender roles have been removed over the years, and this is a perfect opportunity to remind my readers that revivalism is about restoring the positive aspects of yesteryears: discrimination of any kind is not endorsed by authentic revivalists, especially the writers here at RR. Sometimes the past can be overwhelming, and so it is important to keep it in perspective. No year is without its flaws. The romanticism of a given decade is what appeals to us, but we must understand that no time was perfect. Of course, on the same strain, don’t let the mass media big cheeses dissuade you from bringing back the simplicity and can-do attitude of the 1950s.
What strikes me the most is The pro-retro propaganda! Check out this Kohler faucet commercial, for starters. The decade-by-decade snippets give us emphasis on the appeal of ‘timeless’ household features. The greatest ad this semester for the vintage lover in us all was the Pledge/Johnson & Johnson commercial for Thanksgiving. This heartwarming sentiment bridges the generation gap in as little as one minute. It shows the kind of timeless love that anyone can hope for. Another fascinating discovery I’ve made this year is the viciously overpriced store, Anthropologie. I’d never visited until this year prior to Black Friday, and from the moment I set foot inside, I was transported to a world of revivalist fantasy. Unfortunately, this is a very high-end store, and their prices reflect it, to the dismay of the graduate-student-budget writers like myself.
http://9gag.com/gag/aOVoKWE?ref=fbp 9GAG, another popular boredom-relief site, also picked up on the craving for vintage things. Check out their amazing pics!
Craving more media? These guys are inspired by the vintage movement too! Find another we missed? Post it to our facebook page! Stay Curious!
Retro Curious Rebellious: The Revival 