Louie Hubbell-Staeble

Enrolled: 1977-1987

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Movies

“One thing that was new back in the day were handheld cameras. That gave movies a sense of documentary aspects and the appearance of being real,” he said.

Lacking much of the technology and equipment used in today’s films, other avenues were found to appeal to audiences.

“They were almost cheeky with the sentimentality and bogus fantasies. A lot of it was just pure fantasy. Is there anything wrong with that? No, not necessarily. It just doesn’t really communicate anything. It’s escapism,” he said.

One of the big escapism films of the time was “Easy Rider.” It’s tale of bikers traveling across the country and meeting extravagant people at every turn gave audiences a world to lose themselves in.

Not all films of the time period were focused on fantasy and escapism. Environmental messages were prominent in many films.

“The environmental messages had a huge impact. There’s something visceral that can be seen and touched in a sense. The trouble with some of those targeted messages is that people can become fatigued,” he said.

Music

“A lot of people who I knew were ‘Deadheads.’ The Grateful Dead was just primordial. It was a more carefree existence. Just kind of dropping out seemed to be a big part of what people did then,” he said.

However, he didn’t identify with the Grateful Dead at all.

“Because I had long hair and whatnot, people said, ‘Oh there’s one of the Deadheads, there’s one of the hippies,” he said.

He identified more with harder rock, such as Led Zeppelin.

“The louder forms of music seemed to shout out something. Heavy metal represented an industry of everything we were critiquing,” he said. “Music represented something that was organic but also had to be well played and well crafted.”

Pink Floyd also had a large presence on campus.

“You could almost see those who were ‘Deadheads’ and those who were really into the ‘Floyd,’” he said.

Cultural trends

Some of the big fashion trends present were denim and long hair.

“There were all kinds of independent ways of expressing oneself,” he said.

However, the fashion trends that facilitated materialism made for some contradiction.

“I’ve always found it kind of contradictory that people who were rebelling against society would wear, basically, a uniform,” he said.

The unforms people often wore were modeled after their favorite celebrities, like Mick Jagger and Joan Jett.

Besides fashion trends, clubbing and dancing became a major pastime. The way clubbing, dancing and fashion interacted made for an interesting nightlife experience.

“It was a unique form of communication. It required some deep knowledge of what was cool and not cool.”

Andrew Bailey

Enrolled: 2017- Present

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Movies

Movies today take a lot of influence from nostalgia. The MCU cashes in on people’s affinity with superheroes in their childhood, whereas period pieces like “Mid90s” take people back to the freedom of youth.

With the evolution of film came access to higher-quality equipment and the prowess of computer-generated imagery.

CGI has allowed filmmakers to forgo practical effects in favor of designing everything on the computer screen. People can be aged to look older or younger, such as Finn Wolfhard in “It: Chapter Two.”

The nonstop action of today’s blockbusters has also allowed room for more CGI explosions and landscapes, taking people into fantastical worlds. The concept of fantasy in film has not waned since it came into prominence in older films, with fantasy becoming even more visceral with the technology available.

Music

Music today has seen an almost complete refocusing to hip-hop, pop and bass drops, compared to the rock & roll of the 70s and 80s.

With hip-hop and pop replacing rock as the most popular music today, many consider rock and the classic guitar solo to be remnants of the past.

With new genres taking prominence in popular culture, the new technology available to artists today has weaved its way into their music. Electronic elements and autotune have seen increased use over the years, giving artists more avenues to explore with creativity in their music.

Political messages in music have stood their ground over time, however, with the 2016 election bringing about many albums and songs solely focused on the political landscape, providing calls to action and preaching messages to their listeners.

Cultural trends

Materialism still plays a factor in how people dress and what sort of image they want to portray. The ‘uniforms’ present in the 70s and 80s have been dropped in favor of looks more fit for modern times.

Clothes like pastel-colored shirts, chino shorts and boat shoes are often worn to portray a preppier look and the mixture of comfort and style has seen a rise, giving people more options than ever as to how they want to look each day.

Clubbing has also remained a mainstay, with the nightlife bringing about new styles of dancing and constant reminder of what is and is not cool.

Although the style of dress and the images people want to portray has changed over time, the ideas of materialism and staying true to what is “in” have not. Trends come and go, but the desire to follow them is a timeless tradition.