Cultural touchstones of the 2020s?

[Letthecarhuntbegin]

I think I am getting old.

I hear music from the 80s, 90s or 00s and I get a feeling that takes me back to the time. Then there’s TV shows everyone seems to know and love (in another thread tonight a poster compared her husband to Victor Meldrew - of course everyone over the age 30 and possibly younger knows who Victor Meldrew is!) or fads everyone went through (remember when everyone was wearing Ponchos, heels with jeans, massive earrings and scarf-like belts in the early 00s?) There was a certain zeitgeist that ‘takes me back’.

I’m not feeling it for this decade. Maybe because we’re still in the middle of it? Or maybe because I am too old to be in touch with new things. I am not on Tik Tok…

So what cultural gifts / touchstones do you think the 2020s have brought us so far? Things that almost everyone will recognise and remember from this period.

(culturally, not stupid covid and shitty politics)

*gasp
not a gap - where everyone runs away, lol.

One ‘pop culture’ thing that reminds me of 2020 and lockdown is the Blinded by the light song, there was a TikTok dance with it that went viral. For some reason that has really stuck and if it comes on the radio instantly brings back that time (not good!)

And watching it with the rest of the planet during lockdown

I think the creation of Spotify and online platforms means that we simply won't have the same kind of 'cultural sweep' that the 80s and 90s had. People are audience to way more kinds of things these days. They aren't hearing the same song on the radio 25 times a day because they are listening to their own playlists, curated by searching through literally millions of song catalogues.

Same goes for fashion and the likes of Instagram, where people no longer only see what is on their Highstreet but what the people within different cultures and sub-cultures are wearing.

The strong memories of the earlier decades come down to the celebs that made them happen and drove them forward through fans following suit, thus making trends that have lasted generations. Bowie made androgyny OK, as one example in a see of possible examples. Do we have such strong celeb worship these days? The Kardashians certainly control the conversation in todays world but so many people hate them too.

As others have said, I think you're too early for this decade. 2 years have passed, we are only 1/5 of the way through. If I had to make a list of notable things for the previous 2 years:

• Work/life balance becoming common phrasing and something people actually consider for themselves
• Cancel culture. Holding people to account for past wrongs (but often letting mob mentality go wild and just ruining peoples lives for small transgressions)
• Social Media Perfection - no one lives in bog standard mid-terrace homes online anymore. Its all photogenic pink doors, landscaped gardens with gazebos as big as marquees, carpets hoovered with the lines showing and fresh flower arrangements on the table every 4 days. In other words, fake reality designed to inflate ones ego and cause a sense of failure in others.
• Foreign country cosmetic work; turkey teeth, mummy makeovers and hair transplants
• Saxenda & the like - people who want quick fixes and ignore the (frankly scary) potential side effects for fast weight loss. Heroine chic is definitely on its way back into fashion and that horrifies me. (does not apply to people who have been prescribed by a health professional, obviously)

@porpy Similarily, I can't listen to Human by Rag&Bone Man without crying after it was played on the radio immediately after a news special about the bombing of Apello. The feature ended in sound clips from social videos/reading of tweets from people who were there throughout the night and then there was about 10 seconds of silence and the song played. Totally changed how I heard the song and I couldn't get out the car for about 15 minutes.

But I suppose that was less widespread so others won't have the same association. I think now there's so much more available for all tastes that there are less defining songs/TV etc. But the things that stand out cross generations, like Stranger things and GoT (although that's 2010's)

Not so much a gift but probably the effect of the BLM marches and the fact women are finally being listened to regards SA in the police.

Music is a weird one, because I dare say my parents weren't fans of my era of music because pop or stuff in the chart tends to pitch what the younger listener likes. It's also a different time now where before we listened to the chart, had top of the pops and went to Our Price for music, my teens can click a button and watch or stream what they like.
Hence why something like Stranger Things had managed to get Metallica and Kate Bush back in the charts.

If I was going to have to pick a song or some songs it would be stuff like WAP (although, ew) and probably Ed Sheeran and Adele.

Likewise TikTok seems to have created a cultural shift as it's allowing creators who would otherwise have been busking to get a deal with comedy shows or music. Look at Sam Ryder.

Same with TV and film. There were must see films we queued for, and if not we waited until they went on terrestrial TV at Christmas. The big blockbuster movie was the big draw for ITV and BBC.

Now, you're spoiled for choice. I don't think I've been to the cinema in ten years as it's so expensive and nothing really takes my interest enough to justify going.

I suppose it will be stuff like Squid Game and Bridgerton and of course Stranger Things.

I think we had these massive cultural music and tv markers in the 60s, 70s, 80s, 90s and to a lesser extent the 00s because it was all we had. We couldn't binge watch tv shows so waiting for 7pm on a Thursday for Top of the Pops or 9pm Friday for the next episode of Friends was a big deal and then we talked about it at school. I assume teens don't do that now - there is no TOTP and people binge or watch episodes of shows at different times.
Similarly, music influenced a huge amount back then. You could usually tell the sort of music someone was into by their clothes and you sort of gravitated together into little tribes. With instagram and tiktok etc. That's become diluted.

It's a little sad really but teens now won't mind because they've never had it to miss.

I do think weddings of the future will have a load of people doing the tiktok dance trend that went with that song though!

21st century generally - I think Ed Balls and Gangnam Style will ring a bell with most.

2020s particularly - I think you'll get a lot of people remembering the Queen and Paddington tapping their teacups to We Will Rock You.

if you go on Twitter when something like Emily in Paris starts, the # is so much fun. Similarly, if you follow festival # it's often hilarious. I told "some teen" that I went to the original Creamfields...he turned out to be a rapper who was performing for the first time and now he follows me because he thinks I'm cool. 😂

Social media can be a lot of fun - extremely well illustrated by Emily in Paris, which us older folk can totally see is created by the creator of Sex et le Cite! I think I've spotted some altered costumes in there.

I'm not sure we know yet what will define the 20s, it's hard to see it while it's happening.

But what about the 2010s? I can't really even think what are the cultural touchstones of that decade, which makes me feel like a decade has passed me by! Anyone remember those pre-covid days?

Interiors wise- fake MDF panelling. In a few years time it will become as much of an interior faux pas as avocado bathrooms and 70's fireplaces.

But yeah I get what you mean OP, but then I also thought that about last decade and actually there's a lot of stuff now I think about it.

Also we're not even halfway through the 2020's. So far I'd say lounge wear, super chunky trainers, mixing office wear with lounge wear (eg blazers with leggings/smart joggers), TikTok. Big events like Covid, the whole Royal family saga with Harry and Megan.

Music and TV wise though I totally get what you mean, I can't think of anything. Most mainstream music these days is all just shit dancey covers of songs from the 00's.

Of the top of my head

Shake it off
Uptown Funk
Chandelier
Downtown
Get Lucky
Happy
Call me maybe

💃🏽💃🏽💃🏽💃🏽

Me and DP talk about this a lot - I think the idea of cultural touchstones in music and TV etc has been killed off by the amount of options we have these days. People don't all watch the same things or listen to the same things because you're not forced to engage with the same 4 channels. Good in some ways but a shame in others.

There are some things lots of people watch and listen to but in terms of what will stand the test of time and be remembered when we think of this era, probably only the very biggest things. Game of Thrones, Taylor Swift, that kind of thing.

I think it's a bit too early in the 2020s to focus on just them, a bit easier if you consider the 2010s.

ooh and remember this?

My abiding memory of the 2010s is Vine and my niece's and nephews planking. Reality TV like the Kardashians etc.

2000s Probably Amy Winehouse and Peter Pan collars coming back, Alexa Chung and Sienna Miller being cool to me. My Space, definitely and YouTube seeming really cool!

2010s TV- Sherlock.

So big they were doing screenings of new episodes at cinemas.

That spotty Zara dress that made everyone look like Wee Willy Winky.

It'll be feeling poor.

Covid

Masks.

Cost of living.

Energy poor/ banks.

Ukraine war

That's is the culture of the 2020's so far, unless something major changes.

I’m noticing a shift in decor trends now. I have a grey sofa and carpets and was looking for some cushions and bits... everything is now tailored to neutrals, beiges and creams. Even Mrs hinch now has a beigey cream house, grey is looking very 5-10 years ago now. I’ve also noticed more geometric print rather than florals, less wicker hearts and shabby chic type decor in shops which was everywhere a decade back.

It's all tiktok and Twitter.

Culture wars.

Women/ trans rights

Strikes

And I'm sure Harry and Meghan will feature.

Thank you! Yes, those bring back the 2010s. And everyone was obsessed with Game of Thrones and Breaking Bad.

And Downton Abbey. There was a great mashup of Downton and Breaking Bad, I can't find it now, hope they haven't removed it.

Tom Holland dancing to Umbrella...surely every office in the land watched that together? Judging by all the client emails, I'd say so!

Women all
Looking the same. Long blond hair. Perfectly manicured eyebrows, big lips. They look
Like they are all wearing masks.

I think you can't see it when you're in it. I am v old and I remember a younger friend saying she was going to a 90s party, and I thought...but we just wore ordinary clothes then 😊 And when people wear day glo for 80s fancy dress I think 'I don't really remember that either'. Things will get picked that might not be really representative as well?

I think it’s probably too early to tell for the 2020s (especially given disruption to the arts due to covid). I also think there’s going to be a change in what defines an era due to the huge amount of choice and means of watching television/listening to music etc. Everyone is exposed to a wider variety of media - I can easily stream an art house movie from Senegal for example that previously would have had maybe one showing at one of the more trendy cinemas so I’d have had to make a real effort to a) hear about it and b) watch it. Now I can scroll across it on a screening service sat in my pyjamas on the sofa. There probably won’t be repeats of huge viewing figures for dramas/soaps etc in the way there might have been previously. The events that bring in record viewers will be sports, live/historical events for example. For the 2020s I think the lionesses winning the euros and the queens funeral will be UK cultural touchstones (even taking into account how soon we are into the decade). Plus there will always be the odd celebrity curveball (Will Smith slapping Chris Rock at the oscars? (Technically 2019) but Prince Andrew’s interview? Meghan and Harry on Oprah?).

I think culturally the impact of the 2010s was massive. Just thinking film and TV - It’s arguably the decade where superhero films dominated (I know iron man etc came out just before but the avengers/the idea of a universe of films etc occurred mostly in the 2010s). Disney live action remakes (or villain origin stories). Messy female protagonists/millennial women on screen (girls, broad city, the bold type, insecure, crazy ex-girlfriend, shrill). Game of Thrones/fantasy as ‘prestige entertainment’. The revival of the movie musical. Love Island and reality to shows based around romantic relationships (married at first site etc). Arguably police dramas provided that collective watching moment (thinking Line of Duty, Happy Valley). The beginnings/normalisation of taking a more diverse approach to casting historical dramas utilising non-white actors (or stories exploring historical non-straight relationships). The idea of binge watching a series. Fashion wise there’s the rise of the normalisation of filler, contouring, ‘instagram face’, loungewear, the prominence of the MET gala, ‘aesthetics’. Lots of this will straddle the 00s/20s decades but that’s always happened (people didn’t wake up on the 1st Jan 1960 and throw away their Elvis records/full skirted cocktail dresses etc and put on a mini dress whilst listening to the Beatles and taking the pill).

I don’t think we’ll really know what defines the 2020s until the 2030s though…