Is the “Nostalgia Fad” Going Too Far?

I’m not sure if you’ve noticed but we’re literally re-living the 90’s and early 2000’s. Okay, maybe not “literally” and maybe not “re-living”, but it feels like a constant stream of revitalizations are surfacing. Just to name a few examples… Full House, X-Files, Gilmore Girls, TLC (the music group), Arrested Development, Twin Peaks, the list goes on and on. Some of these reboots aren’t necessarily a bad thing, but it feels like every other week an old reboot is being brought back. Is the entertainment industry really suffering so much that they just bring back nostalgic content instead of coming up with new ideas because they know it’ll peak a ton of interest?  

Don’t get me wrong, I am excited about a few reboots here and there. But, are some things better left in the past? Where we can admire from afar and be brought back to the good ol’ days? Personally, I think we should all learn a lesson from Friends. Friends, was an excellent TV show stretching over 10 seasons with the final one ending in 2004. As there is a rumour probably every couple of months stating a Friends reunion, it is almost always shot down just as fast as it can go viral. The cast of Friends have been very vocal about how a reunion will never happen. Of all the reboots that are going on, Friends is probably one I’d like to see the most. On the same token, I admire that they just want to leave the past in the past.

At first, the whole “let’s relive the 90’s” fad was really exciting. It’s fun to see memories from the past be brought back to life. Old characters or artists from your youth becoming relevant again in your adulthood sounds really appealing. Until it started happening ALL the time with EVERYTHING. Of course, that’s how it happens. One person has a great idea and the competition starts rolling in. But, when will it end? When will we just start creating new content and new ideas that will one day be looked upon with the same feeling of nostalgia and remembrance?
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In my opinion, it needs to end soon. It’s no longer exciting to see what will be rebooted next. It’s time for new ideas to be brought to the forefront and to sit back and admire the past for what it was. We’ll never move forward in the entertainment industry if we’re just recycling old ideas. I don’t want to speak for everyone, but I think we’re all ready to be wow’d with the new and not bored with the old.

Zachary Rees-Sirotich
Pepper Prep Monthly Contributor