The title of this post is one that I hope sticks with every reader. Over the course of a year of successful blogging, I think it is important now to write up a disclaimer of sorts. So many people talk about the “olden days” as being overly-romanticized, biased, and viewed through a stereotypical and stigmatized lens. In order for anyone to truly appreciate the past, it is so valuable to be aware. At a time in the US when coming together and giving thanks is just a staple of this season, it is more important than ever to emphasize this pillar of our revival antics.
The sad realities of the past are the same ones that plague us today. Previous to the hippie/beatnik movement, racism was rampant and it seemed like the Caucasian population was having all the fun. Today, we are fighting racism and bias tooth-and-nail in hopes that someday equality will be true to its word. I’m stressing this because sometimes people will address me or my colleague Manny Dylan with concerns that those who advocate for the past find these traits of yesteryear to be acceptable. Darlings, I promise you all, that this will never be the case. Revivalism focuses its energy on giving a second life to the best bits of decades past, not the regrettable bits.
We try not to use the term ‘cherry-picking’, only because it suggests we amend material to be in our favor. However, that is the idea. It is so important to pick apart revivalist ideas and lifestyles because if we take too much modern or too much vintage, we end up on the extreme sides of the spectrum. With too much modernism, we wouldn’t have something to write about, social media would become a dependency issue, and the top priority would be economic value. Too much retro would translate to a paper newsletter, no mass media, and no blog. 😦 In order to truly understand revivalism and living a retro lifestyle, we need to talk about moderation. It’s been a theme since the very beginning, but no post has centralized around it.
In the wake of recent hate crimes in the greater New York area and the political climate that wrongly pits parties against one another and tosses out offensive names like ‘snowflakes’ and ‘extremists’… this is more important than ever. Loving thy neighbor may not have been the theme of the heavily=gentrified 50s, but we are in 2018 now. Now is the time where ‘letting the good times roll’ shouldn’t be specific or unequal to any population.
The title “Aesthetics and Racism” is to display the very contrasting morales we can observe in decades past. Aesthetics, such as the craftsmanship of artifacts from each era or the overall ‘flavor’ of the past are the attributes that revivalists encourage. Racism (perhaps one of the most severe juxtapositions to the beauty of the ages), on the other hand, is extremely discouraged for obvious reasons. Going forward, it is vital to our culture not to bring back all these traits, because some of them are just plain wrong. Those bits and pieces that are morally justified are the ones that are worth pursuing. On a small scale, how many of our readers remember Randy from ‘A Christmas Story’? This sweetheart probably shouldn’t bestow the same frosty immobility of his snowsuit onesie to his own children. However, a hand-knit sentiment like a scarf or mittens to keep warm is a classic alternative to not being able to put your arms down.
On a macro-level, all people should be treated equally and respectfully. Welcome hard work and cherish the time you spend impacting the lives of others, even through the little things. So for any further clarification, the vintage/retro ideals (the real deal ideals), do not participate or approve of the past’s erroneous tidbits. We at the Retro Revival want to thank those who posed questions about morality, because without these complete answers, we wouldn’t be representing revivalism at its best. Until next time, stay curious!
Retro Curious Rebellious: The Revival 