That ‘unjustified’ nostalgia...

The Carrie Diaries.
I tried so hard for so long to avoid getting tripped into the glossy pit that is this tv show. But when exams began, procrastination came knocking- it was AnnaSophia Robb at my door of distraction, her blond curls bouncing around those baby doll eyes, her rainbow splashed handbag swinging... I gave her a chance and oops. Hooked tighter than a worm to a hook.
Don’t fight it, my friends said. Theres no point. So I let it take over. The addiction of it all!!!! The fashion!!!! The sheer happy go lucky fabulousness of the entire shabang. No regrets. I’m in LOVE with the Carrie Diaries.

It is my feel good show. After a boring, unglamorous day at work, I can sink down in my duvet covers with the lap top glowing before me and just let go. Life becomes ideal- I get excited for Carrie’s lucky moments, her triumphs and lessons, I am distraught every time she suddenly turns awkward around Sebastian, then I rejoice my little heart out when they reconcile.
This show has led me to this website:  http://wornontv.net/the-carrie-diaries/  where I drool over the fashion, making a mental wish list and pretending I can afford every garment.

Something I have noticed about watching the Carrie Diaries, and the effect it has on me, is the powerful feeling of nostalgia it promotes. While I was not born in the 1980s, seeing the telephones connected by curly cords, the milkshake bars, the shoulder pads, the thick brick ‘cell’ phones and outrageous tutu shirts make me glow with a familiar and reminiscent warmth that is, to quote a friend, ‘unjustified’. They just don’t get it though.

It is a universal feeling this nostalgia, and I’m sure I’m not the only one who feels it when watching such shows.
Another example is the film Clueless. Makes me tear up everytime. The tight strappy dresses, american teenage slang (as IF.... whatEVER), the fashion, the music, the fashion, the music THE FASHION, THE MUSIC!!!!

Another thing that hits my nostalgia button is To Kill A Mockingbird. The nature of childhood being a universal feeling. The tire swing, the overalls, the naivety, records, coca cola, porch swing chairs, neighborhoods, school fights...

In such films and tv shows, much of my nostalgia is triggered by AMERICA and the AMERICAN CULTURE. It makes me wonder at how influential that culture is... desert road trips, new york, southern manners, cadilacs, juke boxes.... LOLITA. The American road trip. Jazz and bebop. This culture fascinates me.

All in all, I highly recommend watching the Carrie Diaries for its simple pleasantness, incredible fashion and heartwarming, toe tapping music that radiates the good ol days when I wasn’t even born.