Congratulations on surviving the impossible year of 2020; you’ve now made it to 2021!
But the fun’s not over yet! If you’ve been keeping an eye out with your 20/20 vision, you might have noticed a sense of deja vu. With each new day feeling like another chapter in a future AP U.S. history textbook, it seems like we’re repeating history — almost as if we’re living through the 1920s all over again. Here are three ways this decade has been less than original, at least so far.
An unpopular quarantine
Starting with the elephant in the room, the first thing that comes to our minds when we’re comparing the 1920s and the 2020s are the pandemics. The Spanish flu, caused by the H1N1 virus, emerged in 1918, spread worldwide and lasted until 1920. Seeming to follow suit, COVID-19 was first identified in 2019 and grew to a pandemic, keeping all of us in our homes. Some things seen during both pandemics are the adoption of mask-wearing, avoidance of crowds, restrictions on public gatherings and quarantining.
The good news is that if we’re using the past to see what our future holds, it’s forecasting a period of sex-crazedness, partying and drinking once our world returns to normal. In the meantime, while we sit in our rooms, wishing to touch some grass, the pandemic gives us ample time to plan amazing outfits that’ll turn heads the moment we’re allowed outside.
“The new woman”
Ladies, if you’ve ever worn a flapper costume to a Halloween party or a black-and-gold sequined dress to a high school dance, you might want to trade that feathered headband for whatever clothes you find most stylish in your Gen Z closet.
That’s right. Our generation has a new female icon on the rise: the bimbo. “Are you a leftist who likes to have your t*ts out?” Taking TikTok by storm, the term “bimbo” has transcended the visual of hot, air-headed blond bombshells. It has been reclaimed to represent glamorous, misunderstood femmes! And the best part is that it’s not just femmes; bimbo culture encourages everyone — bimbos, himbos, thembos — to be their best selves. Bimbofication is a movement of self-acceptance and a protest against misogynist views that deem intelligence and attractiveness to be separate entities. The new flappers, bimbos are rebellious, flaunting disdain toward what society considers acceptable behavior. Like flappers, bimbos are the life of the party, but until they can hit the dance floor safely, you can find them jamming out to some trendy tunes on your TikTok page.
New music, same groove
The 1920s are often termed the Jazz Age, a time during which jazz music catapulted into popularity across the United States. The genre itself has proven to contain some diverse tunes, ranging from upbeat swing music to somber, blueslike melodies. In our own Roaring ’20s, we’ve seen the sudden explosion of indie and alternative music, a genre characterized not by brass and woodwind instruments but instead by the sounds of guitar strings, music production apps and digital beatmakers. Although indie intends to capture anti-conformity and strays away from popular social trends, it has quite arguably become the new mainstream. With subcategories such as indie rock, indie pop and lo-fi, the genre has a song for everyone. Formerly underground songs are now sitting on our Spotify playlists, waiting to be played on repeat.
Seeing double yet? Even after 100 years, the same trends seem to rediscover themselves and live on, yet there is still so much more to expect from 2021. So hang on tight — this year is going to be a heck of a ride.
