The quality of life canard and the irresistible appeal of nostalgia

Retro 1980s gadgets, cassette tapes, games, and memorabilia on a table

Though some might claim otherwise, I was there and few would really want to go back to a time when our lives were shorter, far less convenient, far less mobile, and far more of a pain in the ass in almost every measurable way. Over the past several weeks, more than one person has mentioned… Continue reading The quality of life canard and the irresistible appeal of nostalgia

Stranger Things and the limits of the nostalgia mashup

It’s hard to build a solid foundation culling almost exclusively from other people’s work, then attempting to redefine it as something more than it was ever intended for, transforming the joy of nostalgia into a fantasy epic. I’ll start by being honest:  I always thought Stranger Things was at least a little overrated.  As a… Continue reading Stranger Things and the limits of the nostalgia mashup