One Frame from Classic 90s Movie Going Viral - It Shows How Our Culture Has Radically Changed
Those of us who were young’uns during the 1980s and 1990s remember the existential dread that accompanied someone’s 40th birthday party.
I remember plenty of them involving my father’s work colleagues. Someone would usually give them an uplifting coffee mug that cheerfully stated “Life Begins at 40.” And then, just to throw a bit of pessimism into the mix, there would also be another coffee mug that identified the recipient as a member of the “Over-the-Hill Gang.”
Back then, 40 was a bleak milestone. Now, we’re told that 40 is the new 30. Or the new 27.5, or however we’re rounding down these days. Not to date myself, but I’m roughly in that age group, and many of my peers seem to believe this piffle.
As they approach the threshold of becoming a member of the “Over-the-Hill Gang,” they have no responsibilities, no family, no home and no plans for the future. They’re living in a prolonged adolescence of epic proportions.
If you ever needed a stark reminder of just how much has changed, consider a screenshot from a 1995 film starring Steve Martin and Diane Keaton, in which Martin was supposed to be playing a 45-year-old.
He certainly doesn’t look it, and I don’t mean he looks younger:
An unbelievable thing that has changed in 30 years is that in 1995, this was supposed to be what 45 year-olds looked like. pic.twitter.com/UZ0DR8wEWm
— Jessica Ellis (@baddestmamajama) December 20, 2022
While it’s not quite 30 years, you get the point.
As Fox News noted, “The ‘Father of the Bride’ films, starring Martin and Keaton as George and Nina Banks, is a romantic comedy about a couple coming to terms with their daughter Annie’s marriage and, later, preparing to be grandparents. The series also starred Martin Short, Kimberly Williams-Paisley, Kieran Culkin, and George Newbern.
“Writer/director Jessica Ellis shared a screenshot of Martin and Keaton sitting on a couch in the movie sequel on Twitter with the caption, ‘An unbelievable thing that has changed in 30 years is that in 1995, this was supposed to be what 45 year-olds looked like.'”
Now, let’s first note that neither Martin nor Keaton were 45 in 1995; Martin was 50, and Keaton was 49.
In addition, it’s worth noting that Martin’s hair went gray early, and he never bothered hiding it. In 1979’s “The Jerk” — released in the year when Martin was turning 34 — his hair was already salt-and-pepper at best.
That said, you can certainly notice the difference. A suit and tie on Martin? Modest dress and pearls for Keaton? Good grief! To modern audiences, this is as anachronistic as Lucy and Ricky’s separate beds.
Now, keep in mind, Ellis thinks this is a bad thing.
People are being willfully annoying so to clarify:
1. The CHARACTERS are in their mid-40s, this is repeatedly established across both films
2. It’s not Steve’s hair, it is the STYLING. The “ideal” was to be a person in old lady twinsets and pearls *by your 40s*— Jessica Ellis (@baddestmamajama) December 20, 2022
However, earlier in the thread, Ellis managed to stumble across an inadvertent truth regarding the viral photo:
WARNING: The following video contains graphic language that some viewers will find offensive.
This photograph also explains why Millennials live with a sneaking suspicion we have never gotten our shit together
— Jessica Ellis (@baddestmamajama) December 20, 2022
Well, there’s a reason for that: We haven’t.
Would millennials’ ailments be fixed if we all went back to wearing a suits and ties or modest clothing and pearls? No, but the root cause — our generation’s stubborn refusal to grow up and present ourselves as adults — is an interrelated issue.
Most of us, if we could get away with it, would show up at work dressed as Sam Bankman-Fried. Some of us do. And, as one user pointed out, future generations will be gawking at this the same way we’re gawking at a 45-year-old character in business attire.
What if I told you our skinny jeans, Converse, and awesome t-shirt collections will be the new Old People wardrobe?
— Robsy (@Theburbanist) December 20, 2022
As someone who owns two pairs of Converse Chuck Taylors, I should hardly be one to talk. However, even I confess that our dad regalia will age just as poorly as Steve Martin’s — no matter how much we think we look 25 again. We’re not, and it’s obvious — and our kids will be gawking us like we’re gawking at Martin and Keaton.
The sad thing is, though, I can’t tell whether they’ll be gawking because we were dressing down compared to them, or whether we were dressing up.
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