September 12, 2013

Even one-night stands had distinct identities back in the '80s

Speaking of how young people don't have very strong, distinct identities anymore, what about an extreme test of the idea -- did even the most fleeting encounters leave an impression of the other person's distinctiveness? I'll leave it to another New Wave fave to settle the matter:



Can you imagine a similar song being so well crafted these days, let alone make it into the one-hit wonder hall of fame? Young people's identities are too under-developed to write songs about, and they're too distant toward each other to notice even if they did meet someone who makes an impression.

"Little Red Corvette" is a related example of how vivid an individual's identity used to be, regardless of how little time you spent with them.

(Worth reminding folks that when young people use the term "hook up," they're posing as more experienced than they really are. What actually happens when "hooking up" is what we would've called a make-out session -- kissing, but probably not sex, which only takes place in 1 out of 4 hook-ups.)

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