What’s Old is New Again

Have you noticed how things come around again, and again, and again? There really is nothing new under the sun, and yet we treat the next “new” trend like it’s god appearing for the very first time on this earth. We are humbled, we revere it, and we willingly give our money and time to give it its proper glory and place. You know, until the next “new” thing comes around to take its place.

My daughter is into Strawberry Shortcake. No, not the one from the early 80s, or even the one from five years ago. There is this new one that almost looks CG, the characters are so human and lifelike. And it makes me think that maybe putting a twist on a classic like that is the only way to “create” something new.

She is also into Super Mario Bros., the classic game from Nintendo, the Gumby movie, funky headbands, and chunky headphones. Is she a throwback or is she just embracing the new trend of bringing back the old, recycling it for yet another new generation?

While I was at work today somebody’s cell phone started ringing, but at first I had no clue that it was a ringtone because it sounded exactly like the classic old-school telephone ring that I used to hear growing up when someone else in my household would get a call. Apparently it is one of the most popular ringtones for people young and old, so much so that it is being preloaded as the obligatory ringtone for a lot of new phones now. To think that your ringtone could be literally anything in the known world, and so many are choosing the one we couldn’t help having as children.

Is it a matter of simple nostalgia or is there more to it? We flocked to see The Expendables because it brought back memories of when action movies were about physical action and not about special effects. We watch and re-watch old TV shows to relive our childhoods. We listen to 80s playlists and scream along to “Total Eclipse of the Heart” (both parts) to feel young again. Maybe that’s the true fountain of youth. As long as the sense of youth is there we will always be young.

So what is it with our kids, then? They don’t remember a time before personal home computers, and in my case, before iPads. When Mario was first made into a game cartridge to be played on the original NES they were -20 years old. And yet they also drive sales of these items, they watch old reruns of “Saved by the Bell” religiously. And they rock out to “Paradise City” as hard as anyone. Maybe they feed off of us and our enthusiasm, or perhaps they do it so they can seem cool and “retro” around their friends. Regardless of why, it keeps driving the return of these nostalgic shows, movies, celebrities, and music.

And maybe that’s not such a bad thing after all. But my ringtone is U2 from 2008.

Sam