Nostalgia

by Radoslav Serafimov

Do you remember the good old days before Covid? When you could go to the cinema with your friends, order a big bag of popcorn and a cold drink and lose yourself in a movie for a few hours? Does it feel good to reminisce on those good times? Well, I want you to ask yourself whether you really enjoyed every trip to the cinema. Did you never go with a pounding headache, or a terrible cold that distracted you from the movie? Or maybe you went expecting something bold and innovative and were rewarded with shameless nostalgia bait that made you angry (looking at you ‘Rise of Skywalker’). Reading this first paragraph will hopefully have shown you the central appeal and issue of nostalgia as a marketing technique – it’s appealing in the moment, until you stop and think and see the illusion of enjoyment vanish before your very eyes.

Much like how we spend incredible amounts on substances that help us forget our troubles, we are willing to pay a pretty penny for a shot of pure comfort and wistful memory straight to the heart.

Using nostalgia as a marketing strategy is nothing new. Up until the 20th century nostalgia was seen as a painful affliction, but once more scientific attention was focused upon it, it was discovered that nostalgia is indeed a rather pleasant experience, despite its wistful nature, and somewhat of a coping mechanism. When under pressure the mind will return to memories of better times, when a person felt safe, loved, and protected. This is why a lot of our nostalgic memories stem from our childhoods – when we were better shielded from the horrors of the world. It’s no surprise then that nostalgia sells well. Much like how we spend incredible amounts on substances that help us forget our troubles, we are willing to pay a pretty penny for a shot of pure comfort and wistful memory straight to the heart. The use of nostalgia to sell a product isn’t even something modern – it’s been around for at least 100 years, with each generation craving a time before theirs or one from their early years. The first example of whole generations experiencing nostalgic feelings is probably the ‘Americana’ movement of the early 20th century that craved the “traditional” American lifestyle. A great example of early commercial nostalgia pandering is “Grease”, which glamourized the 50s in a way that made an entire generation who had never experienced them crave those times. Nostalgia is undeniably a powerful tool to engage an audience because everyone invariably craves comfort and safety. But much like any coping mechanism, engaging in nostalgic fancy too often carries dangers.

The most obvious issue that stems from overindulgence is the way it leaves us open to manipulation. The truth is that Disney keeps pumping out unwanted, CGI-polished remakes of its classics despite the public’s outcry because they keep selling well. To mention the horrifying mess that was ‘Rise of Skywalker’ again – that was a movie I knew I’d hate before I ever set foot in the theatre. Yet I gave our Mouse overlords the money for a ticket, because ‘Star Wars’ is such a deeply ingrained part of my childhood that I learned to read with the sole purpose of being able to follow along with the subtitles of the movies in my own native Bulgarian. I allowed my own memories to be used against me by a powerful corporation to sell me a thing I did not want. If that’s not bleak then I don’t know what is. So, is this the death sentence for genuine artistic expression and consumer satisfaction – endless reboots and remasters of our beloved childhood franchises?

I venture that it is not! While studios can rely on nostalgia for a steady profit stream, consumers do desire originality and uniqueness, and those wealthy studios now have the funds to take chances on more risky, strange projects. There are quite simply more movies now than there ever were and that is, in part, because the movie industry has managed to make itself into a machine that is at least partially propped up by our collective nostalgia for it (just think about how the start of this article made you feel – not only are some movies nostalgia triggering, the mere concept of movies is!) This abundance of movies allows for a greater breadth of products. The other benefit is giving artists the chance to work on established ideas: to build and expand upon them. To bring up ‘Star Wars’ again - I swear I’ve seen other movies, don’t bully me - without the irresistible push of nostalgia, this franchise could not have spawned a dozen movies, half as many TV shows, and countless books, all of which come together to build a single, sprawling, interweaving work of art which is unlike anything anyone could have achieved 50 years ago!

While nostalgia is being used to get our butts into theatre seats and our money out of our wallets, if we allow ourselves to engage in it critically we can contribute to creating collective works of imagination that will be cultural landmarks in the public consciousness for years to come. And quite frankly, I think that’s beautiful enough to reminisce about someday in the future.