Nostalgia: It aint what it used to be
OK, I’m a sucker for a bit of nostalgia. It can be old music, old telly, old toys, old friends or memories of those school days that only recently finished. To be honest, stick me in front of Grease or The Breakfast Club and I’ll grow nostalgic for the American high school adolescence I never had. I’m a sentimental sod at heart but fan of nostalgia that I am I can’t help feeling that the standards are slipping!
I live with three other students in rented accommodation and on the nights we can’t afford to go out we sit in front of the television blinking at the picture and praying to god for a better signal. One of my housemates, Paul, is thirty years old, ten years older than I am and when we’ve been sat in front of the telly for too long I begin to notice something odd. While we watch the various clip shows that make up the channel four evening schedules we both enjoy the old music, TV clips and film snippets that fill these nostalgia fests. Hundred greatest singles, Hundred most embarrassing moments, Top ten 1984 and the rest. The difference is that while Paul remembers The Stone Roses’ infamous performance on The Late Show from when it was first broadcast I remember with a warm glow when I saw it presented as an embarrassing moment by Zoe Ball. While Paul gets excited by Rentaghost because he used to watch it as a kid I’ve never seen it without first seeing Jamie Theakston telling me to look out for Sue Johnston who went on to star in Coronation street.
I wonder when I’m older what will be the defining memories of our generation. Seeing Johnny Vegas for the first time talking about Star Wars on I love 1977? (“[toy] light sabres hurt but they didn’t leave a mark…take that you little Jedi shite!”) or maybe it’ll be seeing Jimmy Carr present his first of many list shows for channel four? Maybe we’ll have the hundred greatest list show links presented by the loathsome June Sarpong? Ah well, you’ll have to excuse me. I’m just off to reminisce about last nights dinner. Ah! Those were the days.
I live with three other students in rented accommodation and on the nights we can’t afford to go out we sit in front of the television blinking at the picture and praying to god for a better signal. One of my housemates, Paul, is thirty years old, ten years older than I am and when we’ve been sat in front of the telly for too long I begin to notice something odd. While we watch the various clip shows that make up the channel four evening schedules we both enjoy the old music, TV clips and film snippets that fill these nostalgia fests. Hundred greatest singles, Hundred most embarrassing moments, Top ten 1984 and the rest. The difference is that while Paul remembers The Stone Roses’ infamous performance on The Late Show from when it was first broadcast I remember with a warm glow when I saw it presented as an embarrassing moment by Zoe Ball. While Paul gets excited by Rentaghost because he used to watch it as a kid I’ve never seen it without first seeing Jamie Theakston telling me to look out for Sue Johnston who went on to star in Coronation street.
I wonder when I’m older what will be the defining memories of our generation. Seeing Johnny Vegas for the first time talking about Star Wars on I love 1977? (“[toy] light sabres hurt but they didn’t leave a mark…take that you little Jedi shite!”) or maybe it’ll be seeing Jimmy Carr present his first of many list shows for channel four? Maybe we’ll have the hundred greatest list show links presented by the loathsome June Sarpong? Ah well, you’ll have to excuse me. I’m just off to reminisce about last nights dinner. Ah! Those were the days.
posted by Chris Chopping @ 6:09 AM
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