LONDON RUNWAY
THE STRANGE CASE OF ‘STRANGER THINGS’ NOSTALGIA This week Cara Balen looks at the 80s trends and tropes in the Netflix series Stranger Things and explores why they are so popular amongst the show’s younger viewers. With the release date of the Season 3 of Stranger Things drawing near (July 4th on Netflix), it is almost time to jump back into the fantastical world of Dustin, Mike and all the other characters we have come to know and love. If you haven’t watched this extraterrestrial TV show, it delves into the fictional town of Hawkins, Indiana, exploring the lives of different members of the community. But, this isn’t just some normal town. Like all classic science fiction stories, the viewer is plunged into a thrilling saga which investigates the deep, dark paranormal workings
that lurk just below the surface. Don’t worry, there won’t be any spoilers in this article, but if you are a fan of creepy monsters, mysteries, and the supernatural – this is the show for you! Tinged with 1980s nostalgia, the series takes the viewer on a journey back in time. A perfect mix of Spielberg and Stephen King, the show’s creators, The Duffer Brothers, allow us to forget the present and step into a story full of sentimentalities of the past. The characters rock vintage windbreakers, baggy jumpers with roll necks, ‘mom’ jeans, and leather jackets which give an eclectic mix of the 80s throwback items that are still popular today. You just need to look at Steve and Billy’s lion mane hairdos to know that this is not 2019
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anymore: we are in the totally radical 80s dude! From my jarring use of slang, you have probably guessed that I am not an 80s baby. Like many others watching Stranger Things, I can only dream of this 80s world of arcades, Star Wars memorabilia, rock and roll, and 70s Chevys. The Duffer Brothers wanted to use 80s America as their backdrop because they took their inspiration from the some of the darker sides of the Cold War, telling Rolling Stone they were influenced by “bizarre experiments” such as Project MKUltra, the chilling mind-control program organised by the CIA up to the mid-70s. This also allowed them to fill this new world they created with their 80s childhood memories, adding a real sense of genuine
