How Today's Teenagers Are Embracing Nirvana and Other 90's Pop Culture

There are no less than three high schools within four miles of where I live. As a result, the neighborhoods I travel are always crawling with teenagers. In the last several months I've noticed a very curious fashion trend among this set, in that they're often sporting hoodies, sweatshirts and t-shirts featuring 90's bands. Hardly a day goes by in fact when I don't see a pimply-faced sophomore in Nirvana gear. I've also seen Metallica quite a bit, Snoop Dogg, Death Row Records, Foo Fighters and Slipknot. Now I need to stress that this is more than anecdotal (I'm not a big fan of any of these acts so I have no subconscious tendency to notice anyone repping them.) This is something that's both very real and being perpetuated with intention. Apparel makers are cranking out 90's-related clothing and retailers are aggressively promoting it in the teen market. 

Just the other day I saw a large poster in Tilly's window featuring a kid wearing a Nirvana shirt. It made me wonder -- why are merchandisers reaching back to pop culture from thirty years ago to appeal to today's teens? Are they just giving these kids what they've newly discovered and are now embracing? 

Beginning points for cultural trends are often difficult to pinpoint but at the same time, retro style is nothing new. Fashions, music and pop culture figures are often resurrected as they experience periods of nostalgia, usually about twenty years after they first emerged. The 1970's looked back at the 50's with Sha Na Na, American Graffiti, Happy Days, Laverne & Shirley and Grease. The 80's saw comebacks for big hair, stirrup pants, miniskirts, paisley ties and penny loafers -- all popular in the 1960's. The 90's saw revisits to the 70's in The Brady Bunch films, That 70's Show, and the re-release of the original Star Wars trilogy. But currently, for unknown reasons, it seems the first decade of the 2000's is being overlooked in favor of what was popular in the 1990's. 

I ventured into the aforementioned Tilly's to see if I could discover more and realized that my observations were one hundred percent accurate. The store was loaded with apparel celebrating 90's pop culture, including Mike Tyson, the Chicago Bulls (who won six NBA titles in that decade) and Ice Cube. During a subsequent perusal of Tilly's website I found even more 90's apparel -- Friends, The Simpson, Aaliyah, Tupac, and tons and tons of... you guessed it... Nirvana. What is it about that particular band that elevates them so much among today's youth?... Is it their music?... Almost certainly not. This 90's craze that's taking place wasn't triggered by teens going through their parents CD collection and discovering grunge classics like "All Apologies" and "Smells Like Teen Spirit". Could it be the imagery and typography?... After all, the "Nirvana" lettering is pretty cool and the album covers for Nevermind and In Utero, as well as the "zonked out smiley face" logo are all pretty iconic. Yes, the aesthetics of graphic designs for the band are certainly a factor -- but the main reason Nirvana apparel is so ubiquitous today is largely due to the 90's nostalgia I've described and the fact that, while grunge didn't age well or sustain its popularity in subsequent decades, Nirvana is almost unquestionably the seminal band of that era. The same way the Sex Pistols and The Clash still carry the mantle and are revered in punk rock (the most significant rock sub-genre of the 70's) that's the esteem that Nirvana is held in when it comes to grunge (the most significant rock sub-genre of the 90's.) 

And so it was that I came to realize that the reason I'm seeing so many Nirvana shirts is less about the band and their music and more about the position they hold in connection with 90's. When you think about it, it could just as easily have been Pearl Jam except Curt Kobain's premature death by suicide has led to a certain romanticization of the artist's life, thereby creating greater recognition and appreciation for his work. 

In any case, if there's one thing I can't abide it's posers. If they truly like Nirvana's music that's one thing, but these teenagers running around in the band's tees just because all the other kids at the mall are are just plain annoying. And hey, as long as we're paying tribute to 90's alt-rock, I say we get retailers cranking out apparel featuring Smashing Pumpkins, Sonic Youth, Blind Melon, 4 Non Blondes, the Pixies, Liz Phair and of course Alanis Morissette.

40 Years Ago, Risky Business Legitimized Teen Comedy

With due respect to the John Hughes' classic The Breakfast Club, the most important teen movie of the 1980's may very well be Risky Business. Released 40 years ago, Paul Brickman's Risky Business legitimized teen comedy like no film before it and set the stage for the “High Renaissance” of that subgenre that took place in the middle of the decade.

The early 1980's was an era filled with “high school boys looking to get laid” comedies (e.g., Porky's, Losin' it, My Tutor) that were thin on story and heavy on goofy, sometimes inane, humor. But then Risky Business comes along, featuring that same teenage boy out for sex... except now we get to see WHY he's experiencing that sexual frustration (as well as a ton of other anxiety.) We witness the pressure he feels (some applied by his parents, some self-imposed) to raise his SAT score, join school clubs he has little interest in, and get accepted into the college not he, but his parents want. Tom Cruise's Joel Goodson was the first Gen X hero – bored, disillusioned, forced down paths he's not sure he wants to tread and enduring a suburban hell complete with a pristine home/prison, successful parents he can never please or measure up to, and a voice in his head warning he'll “never have a future.” As Joel courageously tries to live up to his surname, his attempts to relieve his growing angst by defiantly maxing the volume on the family stereo and joyriding in his dad's Porsche prove insufficient. Though the apprehension he feels about where he's headed in life is apparent, relief seems unattainable. That is until he's pointed to call girl named Lana with the promise, “It's what you want... it's what every white boy off the lake wants.” It's this exploration of the unknown – the dark, not so pristine world of sex, prostitutes, and life or death run-ins with “killer pimps” – that drives the story of this restless, uneasy Gen-X teenager.

It wouldn't be until the middle of the decade – with Hughes' Breakfast Club, Pretty in Pink, Some Kind of Wonderful trilogy – that teen comedies would so earnestly acknowledge and portray the contemporary fears and anxieties of those of us who came of age in the 80's. Joel's experience in Risky Business underscored a generation's gnawing need to subvert societal conventions and oblivious parents who failed to recognize how much emotional turmoil we were in as we struggled to figure out who we were and what should come next. In the process, we also had to navigate our way through expectations of continuing the American familial tradition that existed since the Great Depression, whereby each succeeding generation acquired more wealth and success than their parents. In these ways, Risky Business actually defined Gen X, crystallized its world view and authored its motto with the ironic and oft quoted line, “Sometimes you gotta say, 'what the fuck.'”

Risky Business would proceed to enter the zeitgeist in several ways. The scene where Joel slides across the hardwood floor in his socks became instantly iconic and has been parodied in everything from The Simpsons to video game commercials. Cruise's wardrobe in the film -- Docksiders, button down dress shirts, Izod polos – became the standard for preppies everywhere and after he sported 60's style Ray Bans in multiple scenes, the brand saw a resurgence that continues to this day. Risky Business proved particularly popular among college students, so much so that within six months, it was screening on university campuses and the film's one-sheet was pretty much the coolest thing you could have hanging in your dorm room. By the following fall, the film was a mainstay on HBO and its many memorable lines -- including “Get off the babysitter!”, “Porsche, there is no substitute.” and “Looks like University of Illinois!” -- were being quoted ad nauseum.

Risky Business further set itself apart with its artful cinematography (Lana’s first appearance; the train sequence) and an ethereal original score by Tangerine Dream that proved a huge departure from the typical teen movie soundtrack full of contemporary pop and new wave hits.

The end result saw audiences immediately embracing the film and its stars. Risky Business grossed $63 million on a $6 million budget and, boosted by positive word of mouth and a strong second run, would finish as the eighth highest grossing film of the year and the #2 comedy behind only Trading Places. An unknown Rebecca De Mornay (who won the role of Lana after Michelle Pfeiffer passed) was catapulted to Hollywood's A-list and, though she worked sparingly, graduated to starring roles in The Trip to Bountiful, The Slugger's Wife, and the And God Created Woman remake. Over her career, she's delivered a string of stellar but overlooked performances in films like Runaway Train, The Three Musketeers and The Hand That Rocks the Cradle. Oh, and that Cruise guy did okay too – starring in films that grossed a combined $10 billion at the box office, earning multiple Oscar nominations and becoming what many consider to be “the last Hollywood movie star.”

Now, forty years later we can look back at Risky Business and it's cleverly written script as the teen comedy that broke the mold and forged an alternative paradigm for the sub-genre. With its more serious take on the teen experience – in this case, through its The Graduate-like themes of eschewing the supposed American dream of an Ivy League education, landing a high paying job, and moving to the suburbs – Risky Business paved the way for John Hughes' films, Say Anything, Adventureland, and virtually every other smart, thoughtful teen comedy that followed.

Related Posts:
The Evolution of the 80s Teen Movie - How Bob Clark, Gen X, and Home Video Changed the Landscape of American Cinema
The Evolution of the 80s Teen Movie - How Bob Clark, Gen X, and Home Video Changed the Landscape of American Cinema - Part II
Welcome to Pop Culture Fiend

Airline Magazines, Godfather III, and Madonna... What's the Connection?

Was flipping through an in-flight travel magazine (Departures) and came across this cool ad for Louis Vuitton, featuring five-time Academy Award winner Francis Ford Coppola and his daughter Sophia.

I met Francis Coppola in the early 90s. I was at a really nice movie theater (at least it was back then) –- Loews Ridgefield Park, which is in northern NJ, very close to Manhattan. This theater had ten screens, which back in those days was a lot. It was an odd night because all of the auditoriums were open to the public except one that was hosting a non-publicized special screening of Frankenstein, starring Kenneth Branagh and Robert DeNiro. I look over and there, by the concession stand, is the film’s producer, Francis Ford Coppola himself. He was doing nothing in particular, so I walked over and told him what a fan I was of his films (the three Godfather movies, The Outsiders, and The Cotton Club, in particular.) The greatest living American director (sorry Spielberg, Allen, Tarantino, and Scorsese) was then nice enough to autograph my popcorn bucket. 

As for  Sophia, back in 1990 she was bashed quite a bit for "ruining" The Godfather Part III. The criticism isn't really fair but I will say that when you watch the film, it’s painfully clear that Sophia's part was too much for her. Her father and others should have recognized this and recast the role. 

Few realize that the pivotal role in question, that of Mary Corleone, was supposed to be played by Winona Ryder. But Ryder was suffering from exhaustion -- she had just shot Welcome Home Roxy Carmichael, Edward Scissorhands and Mermaids back-to-back-to-back. What's more, the actress had experienced some very long work days shooting the last of these films because the production had fallen behind schedule after the original director (Lasse Hallstrom) was fired. When Mermaids did finally wrap, Ryder began shooting G III in Rome, but her then boyfriend, Johnny Depp, reportedly wanted her back with him in the US. Ryder claimed exhaustion and dropped out a month into the shoot. Sophia, who had almost no acting experience, was cast by her father (who had creative control of the picture) as a replacement. The part was rewritten to better suit Sophia and the sexuality of the character was toned down. And again, all of this took place after principal photography had already begun. So all of this considered, it's amazing Godfather Part III turned out as good as it did.

After being skewered by the critics, Sophia pretty much gave up acting but did go on to write and direct the critically acclaimed The Virgin Suicides and Lost in Translation, for which she won an Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay.

Despite Sophia’s poor performance, Godfather III is still a must-see that’s better than 99% of the movies out there. It has an intricate, compelling plot; maintains continuity with the two preceding films; features great performances by Andy Garcia, Joe Mantegna and others; and was Oscar-nominated for Best Picture of 1990.

Here’s the extended trailer:

Lastly, if you’re a hardcore fan of The Godfather films, I recommend the The Godfather Companion by Peter Biskind, which has the complete story of the production of the trilogy and lots of interesting details about Part III in particular. For instance:

• Diane Keaton wanted too much money to reprise her role as Kay, so Coppola was forced to cut her part down significantly.
• Mario Puzo wrote the first outline for G III way back in 1978. In it, Michael Corleone (Al Pacino) is a Howard Hughes-like recluse; the Mafia and the CIA are at war; and the film's climax tales place during a Bicentennial parade. (All of this is drastically different from how the final screenplay turned out.)
• During casting, Julia Roberts was the first choice to play Mary. Madonna was also considered but at 31, it was decided she was too old for the part.
• Later, Madonna was seriously considered for the role of Grace Hamilton, the reporter who sleeps with Vincent (Andy Garcia.) At the time, Madonna was coming off the hugely successful Like a Prayer album and was arguably the biggest name in music. Perhaps partially because of this, she demanded a salary of more than half a million dollars (for what amounted to about 15 minutes of screen time) and the producers passed, eventually giving the part to Bridget Fonda.

Related Links:
The Godfather Companion

Shout Out to: Found Item Clothing

Found Item Clothing designs and sells t-shirts from classic 80s and 90s movies, including Caddyshack, Stripes, Revenge of the Nerds, Happy Gilmour, Teen Wolf, Tron, and a bunch more. They've been at this a long time and the quality, love and care they put into reproducing each shirt down to the last detail is top notch.

I've known about these guys for years and am a proud owner of one of their Real Genius "Gorillas" shirts. And back when I was part of the Anything But Monday Show Podcast, I had Found Item's Adam on the show and we inspired him to create the Repo Man "Beer" shirt.

So click on over and browse around. And be sure to check out their It Goes to 11 blog dedicated to 80s pop culture.

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Shout Out to: "The Payback"

Shout Out to: Dian Parkinson
Shout Out to: Sidney "Woim" Kibrick

The Photo That Launched the Nike Empire

Ever wonder about Nike’s famous "Jumpman" logo – the symbol of the world-renown Air Jordan brand basketball shoes and other Jordan-brand apparel? Want to know the story of how the logo was designed and selected? 

Take a look at this scanned magazine photo from the Pop Culture Fiend Archives. It’s 25 years old and it’s had quite an impact on both the advertising world and the legacy of one of the world’s most successful companies. 

Back in 1984, Life magazine, then its second incarnation, ran a cover story on the upcoming Summer Olympic Games in Los Angeles. Photographer Co Rentmeester shot a spread on American gold medal hopefuls that included hurdler Edwin Moses, boxer Mark Breland and University of North Carolina basketball star, Michael Jordan. Back then, Jordan was a college junior and was most famous for making the game-winning shot in the 1982 NCAA Championship game. At the time the photo was taken, Jordan was the College Player of the Year but no one really had any idea he would go on to become the greatest player in NBA history.

Around the time Rentmeester’s photo appeared in Life, Nike signed Jordan to a contract -- after he decided to forgo his senior season at UNC -- and the company got to work on a signature shoe. 

The first two generations of Air Jordans featured a  basketball and a pair of wings (I had some exactly like the one above) -- but when shoe designer Tinker Hatfield and the Nike team decided to completely redesign the shoe for the third generation, they looked into the past and to Rentmeester’s photo for inspiration. The photo was reproduced in a studio and thus was born the Jumpman logo. The Air Jordan III’s went on to become the best-selling Jordans yet, and after Michael wore them in his now epic 1988 NBA Slam Dunk Contest win, the shoes became must-haves. (I should know, I was working at Foot Locker at the time.)

Largely due to the success of the Air Jordan brand (and this logo) Nike, which at the time was fiercely competing with Converse, Puma, and Adidas, would go on to become the most successful sportswear company in the world… and it’s all because of Rentmeester's picture.

Related Links:

Air Jordan Collection