CHRONOPHOBIA

The year was 1989. I was at the tender age of 13. “Batman,” starring Michael Keaton and Jack Nicholson was due out in June.

Everyone, it seemed had a Batman T-shirt. “Bat-wear” was somewhat of a fad. There were Batman tank-tops, backpacks, key-fobs, and even bat-symbol-shaped cereal! Prince, whoever he is, had hit the number 1 music charts with “Bat Dance”. The craze was n. Batmania had descended upon this small Texas town.

The school had even went as far as to declare a certain Friday “Bat Day,” in a lame attempt to raise school pride. Every student except for the poor and down-trodden had something Bat-related on. I had nothing. I was taunted and picked on for ‘buckin' the trend’ and not wearing anything Batman related. What struck me as odd was that I was made fun-of the last school year for reading a Batman comic during P.E. class. Now, these same fools were scoring points off of me for NOT being more of a Batman n!

As predicted, the movie had hit big at the box office, setting record ticket sales. Living far out in the country with frugal parents and being too young to drive, I didn’t see the movie until August! Eventually, I had managed to convince my mother to buy me a Batman T-shirt.

I had always loved Batman, ever since I was 6 years old, when I was an avid fan of “Super Friends,” a cartoon show where a myriad of DC Comics characters collaborated together to stop crime and world take-over plots. Now, I was set!

Entering my Freshman year in High School in September of 1989, I eagerly showed up with full Batman regalia. Some of the students still wore their T-shirts-- Most of them gray and spotted from excessive wear over the scorching summer. I wasn’t too bad out of fashion just yet. But the during the spring semester, guess what? I was taunted for wearing the T-shirt.

Water off a duck’s back, I understand. I’m not holding a grudge. But that did prove to me something ugly about the society in which we live.

What is it that drives us as Americans to compulsively buy the newest fad merchandise and call it “old” months later? I suppose it’s not fair to assume that all Americans are like this. There are many who wear the same clothes for up to 20 years, and would have no earthly idea what a “Tickle-Me Elmo” or (*Insert current fad here*) is!

Maybe it was just that, being 13 and 14 year-olds, 3 months seemed much longer than it does in adulthood. For instance, a 2-year-old would think of an hour-wait as an eternity! 3 months would be 1/8 of his life!

But then again, there is a general trend of instant gratification. Take alternative music for instance. (Maybe not every reader who is looking at this page will know about it, but bear with me!) A certain radio station will play a popular hit into the ground, playing it over and over and over to satisfy the public’s urge to hear it over and over and over. But where is the song a few short months later?

I could cite many instances of songs that came and went (Remember “The Way” by Fastball”? Great song). I could cite many instances of groups that came and went (Remebmer “The Spice Girls”? I sure don’t).

It’s a shame that in order to be popularly accepted, one must be in love with the same music, fashion trends, and catch-phrases that the pop-culture promotes.

The high school students of my brother’s class of 2003 recognize Brittany Spears, Tommy Hilfieger, Doc Martens, and “My Bad” as popularisms.

My high school class recognized Paula Abdul, Marthe Francois Girbau (spelling may be off), The Reebok Pump, and “Not!”. And I graduated in 1994! Gee. Long time, huh?

Yes, trends do change, and one can get easily tired of an onslaught of pop-culture. It comes from magazines, television, internet, radio, peers, everywhere! Pop-culture burn-out is increasingly common. One can only handle so much promotion!

But why should one’s personal preferences be governed by the timeliness of a trend?

For the sake of simple discussion, I would like to coin the term “chronophobia” to describe method in which trends come and go.

Case in point: I like classic rock. I also like country music from before 1996. But it is not popularly accepted. I get into my car and turn-up The Moody Blues or Waylon Jennings and one of my contemporaries in the passenger seat will cringe in disgust. He or she would much rather listen to something “new” and on the top 100 charts this month.

Some of this fear of older material may come from a rebellion against the person’s parents. I’m not too crazy about grooving to the same hits that my parents grooved to in their day. There’s just something awkward and strange about that.

My parents were considered ‘squares’ by the pop-culture their day. They didn’t smoke pot, protest the war, or listen to acid rock. My mom liked rock ‘n’ roll up to a certain point and my dad despised rock ‘n’ roll almost completely. Therefore, I don’ have the same inhibitions about listening to music from their day as the typical Gen-xer would.

Exception: The Beatles are well-accepted by my generation. But I think that is because The Beatles were cynics-- forerunners to the coming of Generation X. The Beatles were out of place and extremely progressive at the height of their popularity. Thus, they are regarded as ‘founders’, and not ‘fossils’.

What’s next? Who are the forerunners of the next generation’s mentality? Remember, my fellow Gen-xers and younger-- What you dance to today, your children will mock tommorrow.

Any discussion? Do you agree or disagree? Hit the message board and leave your thoughts!

Main Page