Youthquake Time Warp: Cyberspace
Neo-Futurism meets the TGIF post, Space Cases 🛸
Trends always take from past eras, which is happening now with “new” fads dipping back into the trends of my youth. For instance, the dreaded low rise jeans seem good in theory until you’re having a breakdown over trousers (if you don't jump to put jeans on, baby, you don't feel my pain). Since the familiar Y2K trend has been re-emerging, it’s been quite a retrospect. We see the reckoning the media is experiencing with their treatment and previous ideologies during that era. Now that I’m older and somewhat wiser seeing so much making a comeback is a trip.
Rich in nostalgia, the current aesthetics appreciate the era I grew up in during my awkward adolescence. Except now, the internet is so much faster with an intricate and complex infrastructure with endless possibilities.
We first saw glimpses of Y2K neo-futurism making a re-entrance in music in 2014 thanks to visionary producers A.G. Cook and artists like Charli XCX or Sophie (RIP). The 2016 Met Gala theme, Manus X Machina: Fashion in the Age of Technology, also helped usher in this upcycled trend. Now the re-emerging movement is fully reaching its peak as the aesthetic continues to trickle down onto the mainstream trendsetters. After all, it’s the American way (America loves to commercialize and commodify). The 2000s have nothing on the modern-day cyberpunk with NFT and cryptocurrencies, making heads spin online with digital collectibles (even Nyan Cat sold). This tech-forward and the gadget-heavy trend are a bit more affordable (aside from devices themselves). Still, it’s brimming with shiny, frosty, chrome-y, metallic, holographic, and anything but bland than the ‘90s biker shorts phenom that Instagram “influencers” fawned over. However, I’m not against biker shorts. As a ‘90s kid, of course, I love them, especially the lace-trimmed ones that we’d wear underneath dresses with Timberland boots or Doc Marten lace-ups. We were living comfortably in our oversized sweaters or t-shirts for layering; however, I’m happy to see this recent trend revival die down because the new way of dressing them up looks odd and incomplete.
Like all trends, this nostalgic aesthetic is infiltrating pop culture just like before. The music, film, technology, and interior design of the noughties had fluid-like silhouettes. You may recognize this blob-like pattern of “blobitecture,” which is such a comfort to see come back. Led by trailblazers and innovators, Futurism and Afrofuturism have a comforting aspect for generations coming into their own. For instance, look no further than legendary music video director Hype Williams. His prolific videos were otherworldly and genuinely ahead of their time. Looking back, I can see why I latched onto his videos or artists like Outkast or the lunarious Zenon: Girl of the 21st Century. I’ve been obsessed with the cosmos and futurism design since I was a kid; I even had the AOL instant messenger screen name to prove it (Stargirl627 here). The fluidity of the aesthetics adapted its way onto our beliefs and unlearning the outdated status quo we’re conditioned to follow. Instead, futurism creates a new universal atmosphere where anyone can thrive in being who they are. Instead of the one we’re stuck in with stifling laws from corrupt politicians that profit from their equally evil overloads through super PAC funds.
Conversely, the best thing we can do is live honestly and thoroughly embrace and love ourselves because it’s our greatest weapon. These lawmakers and politicians whine and complain about “cancel culture” because they can’t seem to grasp accountability while canceling healthcare or any financial stability to the public during a panini like some game. So let’s continue to live loudly and be our true selves and stare adversary power structures in the face to live a life a more accessible and fluid way of living. Thanks to activism and pushing back to fight against oppressive and outdated intolerant lawmakers. Or people (for that matter), because what do obtuse thinkers hate more than what they can’t understand? Seeing the happiness and delight from people who know who they are and live freely in being themselves.
The once far away feeling of a 2000’s cyberpunk Mad Max dystopian future seems a lot closer now. So for some instant Y2K inspiration in all its nostalgic glory, here is a little mood board of Y2K “blobitecture,” editorials, and more. Just don’t forget to aim for the cosmos, kids. Or, as Rudy Ray Moore says, “shoot for the moon, and if you miss it, cling on to a motherfucking star” in Dolemite is My Name (in which Eddie Murphy was robbed of further award nominations, subjectively).
✨ Like what you see? Then let’s make it official!
⏳ Rose McGowen famously said, “I like cheekbones. You know, a boy with a little Bowie going on” in the early 00’s classic, Jawbreaker. Same, except I like my men in dresses. Let me elaborate.
Many legends, known and unfamiliar, paved the way for men wearing feminine clothes again in the mainstream. Powerful music deities like Marc Bolan, Elton John, David Bowie, Freddie Mercury, Prince, Kurt Cobain, and more wore feminine clothes unabashedly. However, the credit goes to where it’s due, and that’s the LGBTQ+ community who contribute everything for it only to end up commercialized due to pop culture without as much as a credit. It’s because the community collectively chooses to live their lives, which helps younger generations find their beacon of hope via style icons or enamored artists.
Now fashion superstars like Billy Porter, Jonathan Von Ness, Keiynan Lonsdale, Jaden Smith, Ezra Miller, Harry Styles, Young Thug, and Lil Nas X express freely. They’ve made their expressive style evolve throughout the years. They seem more comfortable and care less about societal pressure and childish bland labels as outdated as their thoughts and ideologies.
Fashion is genderless. It isn’t binary, no matter how insecure politicians and close-minded people try to break others down for it. If some random neanderthal gets heated by femininity, well, that’s THEIR issue. Not the person who looks killer expressing who they are, fashion is an art form. Iggy Pop said it ideally in 2011’s T Magazine while wearing a stunning silk dress, “I’m not ashamed to dress ‘like a woman’ because I don't think it’s shameful to be a woman.” Madonna also wrote a fantastic 2000’s classic on the subject (with the B-side in Spanish), she may be a culture vulture, but that bitch is still Madonna.
Runner up, Vin Diesel, circa 2003, twirled his leather kilt in Edinburgh (“Oh. So now a brother can’t twirl?” - Brad Williams Happy Endings, now on HBO Max. Not an ad, just a favorite series). Also, the photoshoot has a flashback to the paillette sequin berets and crochet bags of the early ‘00s; yes, I did rock both but never as good as Brad Pitt for Rolling Stone.
🎵 Greetings earthlings, I’ve compiled a playlist for a music retrospective of futuristic Y2K songs of my adolescence. I hadn’t heard some songs in years while those younger than me will listen for the first time, making this nostalgia exploration more hilarious but in a great way.
✨ For my fellow Apple Music listeners, I gotchu HERE.
✨ For my Spotify listeners, I gotchu HERE.
Time Warp is where I’ll feature moments in pop culture for the day, with some director’s commentary. 📢
Here’s what happened on this day, April 9th:
Sir Walter Raleigh departed England for Roanoke Island (now in North Carolina) to establish the Roanoke Colony in 1585.
📢 These turn of events loosely inspired the most throw-away overhype season of AHS, subjectively.In Paris, the first public art exhibition was held at the Palais-Royale in 1667.
Sophia Loren won the Best Actress Oscar for Two Women in 1962.
The # 1 Hit in 1977: ABBA Dancing Queen.
HBD Albert Hammond, Jr., American singer-songwriter.
📢 Guitar God.HBD Gerard Way, American singer-songwriter and comic book writer.
📢 What can I even say to thank Gerard for MCR, something angsty this way comes— keep your eyes peeled.HBD Leighton Meester, American actress/singer and Gossip Girl icon.
📢 Good Girls Do Go Bad, and it’s so much fun.Indecent Proposal, The Sandlot, and Sidekicks debuted in theaters in 1993.
📢 The Sandlot was the very first movie I remember seeing in theaters (I was six).The Price Is Right aired a milestone 5,000th episode with every prize given away was a car in 1998.
Never Been Kissed debuted in theaters in 1999.
📢 I love this movie, but the storyline— I have questions.Ella Enchanted, The Alamo, The Whole Ten Yards, and The Girl Next Door were also released in theaters in 2004.
The # 1 Hit in 2011: Katy Perry feat. Kanye West E.T.
LYLAS/LYLAA, cyberbabes.
💘 Your supernova girl