Guest Post: The Nostalgia Epidemic: Websites That Take You Back
Posted by meredith on 07-15-2010
Today’s Ypulse Guest Post comes from our friends at I Heart Daily Melissa Walker and Anne Ichikawa. Since the pair recently teamed up again for fun side project turned viral hit Before You Were Hot, a submission-based collection of awkward adolescent befores and check-me-out now afters, I thought it would be fun to ask them to share their personal insights on the appeal of nostalgia and some of the sites that inspired their unique spin. Of course, readers are welcome to add their own favorite nostalgic sites (my vote goes to My Parents Were Awesome) in comments!
The Nostalgia Epidemic: Websites That Take You Back
Nostalgia is everywhere. From pseudo-vintage t-shirts at American Outfitters to remakes of “The A-Team” to the return of listening to music on vinyl, it’s reverential, charming and entertaining to look backwards. What’s interesting is that old-school ideas are being reincarnated specifically for this generation of teenagers (think the Heathers remake news, the re-release of Ann M. Martin’s Babysitter’s Club books, and even Madonna’s daughter Lourdes Ciccone’s raid-mom’s-80s-closet clothing line, Material Girl).
There may also be something to the idea that everyone likes to revisit their youth— specifically those iconic years in between childhood and adulthood. Nostalgia lets us remember where we came from and how we got to the present. Our collective desire for a walk down memory lane is evident from the well of websites that play to this idea. Here are six places to go for a blast from the past.
I’m Remembering! – A smartly done tumblr blog with photos and captions that inspire hundreds of comments and reader submissions. From Cabbage Patch cereal to Garbage Pail Kids to the Styrofoam separate-tomato-and-lettuce McDLT packaging, there’s something for everyone to get exited over while shouting, “I remember that!”
Mortified – Reminiscing on your teen years can be full of warm, fuzzy feelings; it can also be completely and utterly mortifying. The cultural phenomenon of Mortified (the live show, the books, the website) is still going strong, as they collect and share artifacts—poems, letters, home movies, diary entries—from people’s adolescence. It’s simultaneously cringe-worthy, hilarious and heartfelt.
Promtacular! – The iconic fashion sported at teenage formal events [pictured above] must be catalogued. Good thing Promtacular is doing just that. Reader submissions and categories like, “Oh Noes, Bows!” and “Backdrop FAIL” are instant formal-dance-memory triggers.
Awkward Family Photos.com – This hugely popular site harkens back to those moments in time when the whole family got together, wore something nice, and said, “Cheese!” Although momentous efforts were put into these photos, the result is often something to look back on and mock. From Trekkies to matching outfits to just plain what-were-they-thinking? poses, Awkward Family Photos puts all these portraits in one place for us to laugh at and to remember our own families with loving embarrassment.
Cassette From My Ex – Before CDs, MP3s, and iTunes, receiving a mix tape from your crush was the ultimate expression of l-u-v. At this site, read the often bittersweet stories behind the cassette and—bonus!—listen to an MP3 of the full playlist for each submission.
Ed. Note: Check out Melissa and Anne’s own BYWH pics below!
About Melissa
Melissa Walker is a former ELLEgirl and Seventeen editor who writes for Teen Vogue, Glamour, SELF and other magazines. She’s also the author of four young adult books, The Violet on the Runway trilogy and Lovestruck Summer, and the co-founder of iheartdaily.com and beforeyouwerehot.com.
About Anne
Anne Ichikawa has worked as an Entertainment Editor at ELLEgirl and Teen People magazines, which basically means she gets paid to listen to music, interview celebrities and watch movies (hard gig). She’s also the co-founder of iheartdaily.com and beforeyouwerehot.com.
Categorized under: Youth Media