Static Screens & Cassette Tapes
Feeling Those 80′s and 90′s Vibes
by Kaitlyn Tiffany
As a teenager who grew up in the early 2000s, I really didn’t get to experience very much of the tape days, before Blu-ray, before Netflix, before the iPhone, and before Instagram. I fortunately do have many memories of playing with my Barbie CD player and visiting my local Blockbuster weekly, but there is this essence of life that I feel has been lost with our current technology, and my goal in life is to learn from the decades before social media and try to capture that pureness and incorporate it into my own state of living.
On Saturday nights, I usually spend centuries trying to find a film to watch through any one or all of the ways we can obtain movies these days, it’s honestly a waste of time and my suggestion to try and really enjoy picking out a movie again is simple, go thrifting! My town has this amazing used book, record, and CD store that also happens to sell movies and I love visiting it occasionally to continue growing my movie collections. Some VHS, some DVD, but overall I truly appreciate having hard copies of movies and it always brings me back to the time when they were made and I’m sure we all can admire the sound of that tape rewinding and the grain that it leaves on old TVs.
Another way that I try to take myself back to the decades of Pretty In Pink and Jawbreaker, is simply to listen to music that’s not on your phone. This might seem obvious, but I cannot tell you how many times I forget that I have an amazing array of vinyl and CDs (all used of course), when I get sucked into my ridiculous touchscreen world. Obviously not everyone has these kinds of resources but if you do, or know where you can maybe invest in some, I truly recommend it, because there is nothing better than listening to Simon and Garfunkel on a record when stressing from AP course work (props if you are in college or dealing with any hard classes because we are all in this together man). Just remember to disconnect every once in a while, because school is stressful and we all need an honest break sometimes.
Lastly, my biggest suggestion is simply to live. This is something that 21st century kids seem to have a problem with. The small task of putting down the phone and going outside has become harder and harder every year, with more apps asking you to join their world, and more things requiring a smart phone, it’s no surprise that we feel funny sometimes when we leave it in our cars or at home. You can do it guys! Take a deep breathe right now. Close your eyes. Think about the last memory you have when you were completely blissful. Now take that moment, and figure out what you were doing that made you so happy, and incorporate that into your everyday life. For some that may be hanging with your best pals, for some that may be laying in a bubble bath with rose petals listening to Joni Mitchell’s Blue album on repeat, and for some that may just be sitting on your porch swing in the middle of summertime while you read Oscar Wilde excerpts. Whatever small that you’ve done in life to bring you immense pleasure, don’t forget about it. Do what makes you happy and embrace all the joys of life.
I had this kind of realization when I took an existential nature walk (well it was through my street light covered neighborhood, let’s be honest), and as I listened to some of my favorite podcasts (check out Lauren Rose’s Vagina Slims and my The Daydreamer Diaries on Sound Cloud if you’re interested), I felt this overwhelming sense of the past. As 1992 ford models passed by and the soothing words of one of my ultimate favorite people played in my head, I realized how much of the past is all around us. If you are ever feeling that this time period is just TMI for you I totally understand. I’m not encouraging that you “live in the past” or that you become some pretentious hipster that mocks people who listen to the top 100, I’m just trying to let y’all know that it’s seriously OK if you feel that your mix-tape makin’ teenage heart needs to be quenched sometimes. In the end, I’m just sayin’ that we all need a break sometimes and the simplicity of the 80s and 90s can be quite refreshing, especially when you see the right movie or hear the right song.
Without further ado, here are some of my favorite STATIC movies and tunes that always put me in a good mood, enjoy! XOXO Kaitlyn
Coming Soon to Own on Video and DVD
Clerks (1994) dir. Kevin Smith
Desperately Seeking Susan (1985) dir. Susan Seidelman
200 Cigarettes (1999) dir. Risa Bramon Garcia
Next Stop Wonderland (1998) dir. Brad Anderson
Empire Records (1995) dir. Allan Moyle
Office Space (1999) dir. Mike Judge
The First Wives Club (1996) dir. Hugh Wilson
You’ve Got Mail (1998) dir. Nora Ephron
St. Elmo’s Fire (1985) dir. Joel Schumacher
Twister (1996) dir. Jan de Bont
Now Available on Vinyl and Cassette
Temple of the Dog (1991) // Temple of the Dog
Pottymouth (1993) // Bratmobile
I Love Rock ‘N Roll (1981) // Joan Jett and The Blackhearts
MTV Unplugged in New York (1994) // Nirvana
Like A Virgin (1983) // Madonna
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