WHY THE 20s WILL ROAR
The Roaring 20s 2.0
Despite attempting to kick off 2020 with optimistic resolutions and sacred internal promises, this decade arrived arms-a-swinging. Between fierce forest fires, the imposing threats of World War III and a royal rift, the new 20s sure started with a bang, or rather… a roar.
Could we be on the cusp of ‘The Roaring 20s’ 2.0? In the words of Mark Twain, “history doesn’t repeat itself, but it often rhymes.”
Here we go again?
The 1920s saw hips swinging to jazz on the radio, eyes ogling at films in glorious technicolour and car wheels turning electronically for the first time ever. Following World War I, and preceding both the Great Depression and World War II, it was a time of prosperity, peace and playfulness. This calm between storms made room for fun for the first time since… well possibly ever.
There’s potential for this decade to hold as much fun and antics as the Gatsby era. So let’s take a step back in time and see if the 20s can offer any insight into what’s to come over the next ten years.
Bopping and popping to slut-dropping.
Jazz seduced the world, leaving conservatives clutching their pearls at the very sound of a sordid and sexy saxophone. The upbeat tempo sparked lively dance styles and frisky behaviour, frowned upon by traditionalists and opening the gates of hell for what was to come…
What would those flapper girls, thought to be so radical back then, think of today’s music trends? Between ‘My Neck, my back’, twerking and an anaconda’s growing demand for buns, people from the 1920s would be absolutely reeling. But tastes are only getting more outlandish, and we should surely expect the next generation to out-filth us all.
Tantalising technicolour.
The silver screen came alive with the introduction of technicolour films in 1926. Some worried that this dazzling development would ruin motion pictures, with fears colour would overshadow narrative. But once the initial angst had passed, a trip to the cinema became an even more frequent treat for households – and Hollywood started its long reign dominating the entertainment industry.
Fast forward to 2020 and Hollywood is broken. And not just because Ricky Gervais ripped them a new one at the Globes. Online streaming giants have changed the game. Romance today is less ‘over-the shoulder-popcorn-grab’ and more ‘Netflix and chill’. The youth are obsessed with short-form content, causing advertisers to flock to phone-friendly platforms like YouTube and Tik Tok. Wanting a piece of the pie, Hollywood bigwigs are trying to keep up with the short attention spans of Gen Z. So we can expect blockbuster content to appear on a six inch screen, in six seconds. Also, babies will be born wearing glasses.
Fast but not too furious.
Transportation made a huge leap in the 20s thanks to the invention of Henry Ford's Model T, affectionately dubbed the "Tin Lizzie." Owning a car became a symbol of luxury, a chance to let your neighbours know you were living the extravagant lifestyle the 20s celebrated. This new-found convenience also opened the gateway for travel, adventure and freedom.
Imagine the surprise someone from the 1920s would feel upon seeing a grown-up in work attire hooning the streets on a Flamingo. From Uber and Ola, to driverless cars and Teslas, wheels turn very differently today. Just like in the 20s, we’re looking for the most convenient way of getting around. But the big difference is that we’re now aware of the effect car emissions have on the planet. So we can expect convenience and environmental impact to continue to drive social and technological developments in the world of transport.
Bottles down, lighters up.
Despite all the apparent fun being had, the 1920s saw a nationwide alcohol ban. The Protestants and Progressives were concerned about the unholy impact alcohol could have on society. The ban directly sparked a rapid rise in organised crime. Although it wasn’t outlawed for long, in the decades that followed, New Zealand had some serious restrictions on where and when people could imbibe – right up until the 60s.
A century later, our drinking culture is absolutely thriving. Not only that, here we are on the precipice of legalising the devil’s lettuce – a decision with the potential to take a fairly profitable industry out of the hands of gangs, and create a handy new tax for the government. There’s still a referendum to be had. But if not this year, then surely sometime within the decade?
Ready to roar?
Although we weren’t alive during the 1920s (well most of us), we can see it was kind of like the birth of fun as we know it. And even though the ‘scandalous’ flappers would be shook by how we keep ourselves entertained, it was their pioneering resistance to societal boxes that landed us in the hot mess we’re in today.
It might seem a bit of a jump comparing the 20s a whole century apart, but the fun started back then and we can only hope it will continue in all the right ways.