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In this article, Rylie Revercomb talks about why Stranger Things is nostalgic in preparation for the upcoming, final season.
Stranger Things
Stranger Things
By: Rylie Revercomb
By: Rylie Revercomb
If you, or anyone else in your family, was online at all during 2022-- you certainly know about Stranger Things. Set in the '80s, Stranger Things follows a group of DnD loving kids as they discover the hidden horrors in the quaint town of Hawkins, Indiana. Throughout its first four seasons, this show has pretty much everything! A group of misfit kids, nerdy jokes, throwbacks to '80s songs and trends, experiments, kids with superpowers, gore, mystery, Russian experiments, and some dang good cinematography. A show that was originally planned to be an anthology, wrapping up the original story within the first season, eventually became such a hit that the Duffer brothers had to continue. Each season seems to get better than the last, with season four in 2022 drawing a lot of attention. There were brand deals, commercials galore, people coming up with songs, and #StrangerThings trending on just about every platform. Another aftereffect of the show's sudden popularity was the resurgence of everything ''80s. Kate Bush’s hit song, "Running Up That Hill" from the album Hounds of Love is one of many nostalgic songs to suddenly be brought to the top of the Billboard charts. But, why? So many other shows dabble in '80s and '90s time settings… However, only this show has garnered so much popularity. Why Stranger Things? Why does it work? Well, there are a few reasons. And, not surprisingly, it is all thanks to the genius of the Duffer brothers. So, let’s venture into Hawkins, Indiana, 1983…
One of the most loved aspects of the '80s is the simple aesthetic. Big poofy hair, (often appearing matted due to the popular style of backcombing), makeup with bold colors like neon pink and bright blue, bulky earrings, mullets, high-waisted jeans, and accessories like leg warmers were all clothing must-haves in the '80s. These clothing staples depicted the style of the era, and have become so nostalgic and symbolic that they’re easily recognized today. This is why it is key that this style is perfectly replicated when creating a show or TV show based on this time period. Stranger Things does this fantastically. According to Inside Edition, a popular magazine covering anything and everything pop culture, “The show worked with 70 different companies to recreate the look of the ‘80s and those collaborations are paying off big time.” They also go on to describe how some of the fashion choices also tie in to popular movie characters, actresses, or actors of the time-- “Fan-favorite Dustin compares his girlfriend to Phoebe Cates… There’s even a nod to the iconic “red bikini” scene from Fast Times at Ridgemont High, this time remade with the sinister Billy as a lifeguard at the Hawkins public pool… and a Russian hitman who moves and looks like Arnold Schwarzenegger in the original Terminator.” So the wardrobes, casting, and character replication is top tier-- but it doesn’t end there.
While big fashion was a huge part of the '80s, the iconic hotspot places were, as well. Kids, teens, and adults alike often found themselves spending hours at a mall, going to skating rinks, (like Rink-O-Mania in season 4 of Stranger Things), or spending hours losing nickels and dimes at their local arcade. While the show might be riddled with terrifying monsters, on the surface, Hawkins is a wonderfully homey and nostalgic '80s town. It is a spot-on replica. Good Housekeeping magazine was able to interview actual interior designers, asking for a professional opinion on why Stranger Things brings out the magic of these old spots. Designer Meghan Jay claims, “The Stranger Things sets are filled with warm, ambient lighting from a mix of table and floor lamps, with no overhead lamps in sight.” There were other choices incorporated as well— with the article mentioning everything from the wood paneling interior design of the '80s to Shaggy carpets and crocheted blankets littered inside the living rooms. These were all popular techniques that were used back then. So is that what makes it particularly nostalgic? Just the incorporation of these elements? Well… not exactly.
Image By: Architectural Digest
While the use of wood panels and carpets are necessary to capture the look, the use of color and vibe are the overall elements that activate that nostalgic feeling in our brains. In the article on Good Housekeeping, Sarah Snouffer explains, “The goal was to express yourself through style and aesthetic, which differs from the more neutral tone we see today, yet plays into the rising trend of leaning more moody or bold with paint colors and tiles.” Now, minimalism seems to be one of the more popular interior design choices. Seen most often in middle-aged mothers, social media platforms like TikTok and Instagram are bombarded with “Beige Mom” and “Clean” houses and lifestyles. Now, if an adult sees a color that is not a shade of white, brown, black, or grey, then it’s straight to the hardware store for a new supply of paint! Some adults go as far as to paint over their child’s own toys so that they fit better with their personal aesthetic. The '80s did not have this. One of the best characteristics of the '80s was the worldwide appreciation for BIG, BOLD style! Vibrant colors from all over the rainbow, wallpaper with designs never before used, never before seen decor that would not have previously fit into any other time period. Home design in the '80s embraced these unapologetic design choices— and creating these unique, personality-driven area makes the show feel more real and lived in. It is an instant kick in that nostalgic part of the brain.
Another aspect of the show that kicks the nostalgia switch is something that we unfortunately will not have for later generations: the absence of digital technology. While the tech industry was growing fast in the '80s— what with the release of popular devices like the Nintendo NES in 1984, personal computers such as the IBM PC in 1981, and the creation of CDs back in 1982. However, this technology is not like what we have today— it was more of a privilege back then, not an easy access item that has become a daily necessity. Today, it is easy to use phones for everything. With recent phone bans hitting schools, some teachers are even upset because they used to use phones as part of their curriculum. Like it or not— it is just a convenient and easy way to access the internet at all times. And we have become heavily reliant on them. The kids in the '80s, however? Not so much. While we live in a digital world, the kids back then lived in an analog world. On a popular website called ExplainThatStuff, the difference between these two categories is tackled, “When we say something is analog, we often simply mean that it’s not digital: the jobs it does, or the information it handles, doesn’t involve processing numbers electronically.” For example, analog clocks rely on the minute and hour hands moving slowly and constantly for users to tell the time. Meanwhile, a digital clock doesn’t show that. It goes through all the numbers in the programming, and only shows the user the exact minute a minute or hour switches to the next number.
The great thing about Stranger Things is that it shows how different the technology used to be. In the first season, one of the opportunities that gets the original group of boys so excited— Mike, Will, Dustin, and Lucas— is the AV club. The Radio club. They are fascinated by it, and are constantly using the radios throughout the show to communicate, uncover mysteries, find hidden plot points, and move the show further forward. While the AV club slowly disappears around the third season, given that they are no longer in middle school… radios are still important. Dustin builds an actual, working satellite to get his radio waves to reach his long-distance girlfriend, later using it to perform a high-stakes musical duet— and the other characters continue to communicate via handheld walkie-talkies and radios. This absence of digital technology pulls fans into what the '80s is really like— there is no blue light, no brainrot, and certainly no handheld device that can accomplish pretty much any feat imaginable. There are separate devices for everything, which have their own function and just scream analog. It is so different, so refreshing, and that is what makes it so nostalgic.
Finally, and perhaps most importantly, we come to pop culture. It is no surprise that the '80s has had one of the biggest, if not THE biggest, cultural impact on our current pop culture. Songs still get played on the radio from the '80s, movies are frequently rewatched from that era, and kids even born in the 2010s know their references to old-timey music and movies. So, it makes sense that when creating a show in the '80s, you have to go an obsessive amount on the references— all the way down to those nitty, gritty little details. Popular online magazine called The Hindu dives into this topic, stating, “Another major inspiration in the series is a genre of cinema which flourished during the '80s: sci-fi… The series isn’t shy of displaying its love for Star Wars, with a number of references scattered across episodes… Writers and directors Matt and Ross Duffer grew up watching many of these summer blockbusters like Back to the Future, Ghostbusters, E.T. and Alien, and are quite obviously inspired by them.” Well, "inspired" is one word from it. It seems that anytime Stranger Things is not focused on the mystery, horror, or action section of the show, it is diving headfirst into reference after reference. For Halloween, the boys all dress up as characters from the previously mentioned Ghostbusters, while Max dons Michael Meyer’s killer mask from the iconic horror movie Halloween. On top of that, Max shows Eleven her first comic books in Season Three, introducing her to Wonder Woman and the other DC superheroes— all while Dustin, Erica, Robin, and Steve, (all freshly returned from their invasion of a Russian Base), sit in a theater and watch Back to the Future during its release year.
Image By: Glamour
Movies are not the only references, either— because, as The Hindu argues, the most definitive characteristic of the '80s is sound. The article states, “If can be argued that the archetypal ‘80s sound was the synthesizer. The genre of electronic music produced by this instrument proliferated in the industry and dwarfed its successor, rock and roll. The synthetic textures to the music coupled with disco-pop beats had the world in a tizzy.” Stranger Things really brings out these memorable songs. Some even find themselves playing a key role in the series! While Will is in the Upside Down, we get flashbacks to him and Johnathan listening to "Should I Stay or Should I Go?" by The Clash. Later, Will is seen constantly humming the song in order to ward off danger— as that was his brother’s favorite song, and what the two of them listened to in order to drown out their parents' constant bickering. Later, in season four, we see music play an even bigger role as it is used to save victims from Vecna’s curse. To save Max from being snapped in half like a wishbone, the gang hooks up her favorite song "Running Up That Hill" by Kate Bush. Popular songs are not where it ends, though— because the original soundtrack for the series really leans hard into the synthesizer genre with popular, original instrumental songs like "Kids" or the iconic opening theme "Stranger Things". It’s kind of hard to forget the title of that last one.
There you have it. All of the reasons why Stranger Things is such a nostalgic and popular show. The style, the decor, the atmosphere, the movies, the music, and the analog technology. Although… Maybe that’s not all of it. While people seem to be constantly looking for a reason why the show is doing so well and resonating with both younger and older audiences— the main reason, really, is that it is good. It is a good show with strong, loveable characters, an engaging plot, a blend between softer and more intense scenes, effective villains, and a hidden mystery that is slowly being revealed each season. The show is the Duffer Brothers' masterpiece. While the producers certainly do put out effort into carefully recreating each and every piece of the '80s, that tender love is shown in other areas of the show. While nostalgia might be part of the love for Stranger Things— it’s ultimately the actual show itself that generates all of the love. SO, GO WATCH IT! Season five of this hit show, after nearly four years, has finally premiered. Whether you are a nostalgia enjoyer, or just a lover of good TV shows, Stranger Things is a must watch. So break out the Jiffy Pop, crack open a can of New Coke, and sit back on your couch. We are SO back. VECNA LIVES!
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