In depth: "Stranger Things" and unpacking American childhood through 1980's suburban life

This time last year, I was taking an American Studies seminar for my major that focused on the theories and methods of unpacking and understanding American culture, and what American culture even meant. The final paper prompt was to take a piece of work – TV, movie, literature, etc – that was distinctly American, and argue why it would be a good topic for an American Studies class. At the time, I was going through a Stranger Things obsession – I had just finished the second season, was listening to the soundtrack on repeat, and had even asked for a soundtrack vinyl set for Christmas. Most importantly though, I was so enthralled with the content of the show and its ability to speak about childhood and teenage years in 1980's suburbia. I was also obsessed with understanding the cultural implications that followed from that decade: the 80's is portrayed so often in modern media, as movies like "The Breakfast Club" and "Ferris Bueller's Day Off" still have prominent roles in American pop culture. To commemorate and further understand those films, I wrote an essay focusing on the ways that "Stranger Things" creates huge nostalgia for 80's America, making it a prevalent piece of work to study in a larger cultural context.

Even though this isn't a piece I'm writing presently in my current life, I still stand by everything I wrote and consider it one of my favorite academic papers I've ever written. Of course, I've edited some of it to better fit the mood of the blog and I've taken out the formal footnote citations, but the bulk of it remains unchanged. I hope you enjoy!

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From the rainy streets of Oregon’s suburban coast to the bustle of upper-middle class Chicago neighborhoods, classic 80’s teen movies are considered iconic and memorable in the popular film world, highlighting the lives of suburban America and the kids who occupy it. Despite the plot lines or genres of these classics, they all tell the tale of suburban life. Ferris Bueller, The Goonies, The Loser’s Club in Stephen King’s “IT,” and other iconic childhood roles continue to exist in remakes of films. They also exist in the extremely popular Netflix show, “Stranger Things.” Even today, these 80’s teenagers are seen as emblems of American childhood, as “Stranger Things” encapsulates 1980’s suburban culture with a mix of modern sci-fi influence. But how have these childhood identities withstood decades of progress, technology, and modern American changes? And why do we continue to go back to the simpler times of 1980’s America?

Themes of young love, close friendship, and “sticking it” to parents are still prevalent in modern films and TV shows like “Lady Bird” and “Riverdale.” The classic high school narrative remains the same, just with different content and traditions of the various time periods. “Stranger Things” touches on classic suburbia through the little things, such as the use of a midwestern town in Indiana, complete with upper-middle class suburban neighborhoods and local kids who ride around all day on their bikes, playing games and looking for trouble. And yet, “Stranger Things” unpacks so much more than just suburban childhood. The character developments in the show speak volumes of topics, such as the importance of women and mothers. It also works just as a cultural text should: the production and consumption of the show has led to serious circulation, transporting tons of fans back into their own childhood experiences, and leaving Millennials and Gen X viewers longing for the 80’s childhood shown on screen. It is a classic American work in that it represents American youth more so than many 80’s movies actually did: unlike those blockbusters, “Stranger Things” is an international phenomenon, perhaps one of the most recognizable and talked-about shows of the past few years.

“Stranger Things” is a Netflix-produced show, which already speaks to its ability to circulate and spread quickly. In recent years, Netflix has grown into an adorned media outlet that not only shows movies and series from other channels and producers, but also creates their own. While the in-house creation is a relatively new development for Netflix, it has been a massive hit, in large part to the commercial success of “Stranger Things.” Nothing quite resonated with audiences like “Stranger Things” did. It was an unprecedented, surprising, and beautifully crafted first season, and it lured viewers into its trap. Soon enough, merchandise such as posters, bobbleheads, and other memorabilia began to emerge, along with memes and other icons of pop culture. Its circulation was immense, as it was made available to all Netflix users all at one time. Thus, it was a perfect binging moment for many fans, not only because of its roster of extremely talented actors, including Winona Ryder, but also for its heartfelt plot line and its ability to capture the experiences of adolescence in organic ways. From the puppy love that unfolds between Mike Wheeler and Eleven ­– a girl he finds alone in the woods after escaping from a science lab where she had been experimented on – to the family dynamics that come from siblings and rivalry, the story, while supernatural and fantastical, still clings to poignant moments of childhood.

By creating such a cult classic in just one season, the show’s creators, The Duffer Brothers, also created an 80’s time machine that then spun into other media works. Soon before the “Stranger Things” second season premiered, a remake of the 90’s TV- movie Stephen King’s “IT” came into theaters, bringing yet another vision of 80’s suburbia to the masses. There seems to be an 80's cultural boom in American media, and, as the Hollywood Reporter says, “There’s a collective sense that the organic magic found in ‘80’s blockbusters was something special that Hollywood is trying to recapture.”

So how does “Stranger Things” create an immediate notion of American childhood right off the bat? The answer lies in the first episodes of both the first and second seasons, primarily the first. At the beginning of the episode, a slide comes on the screen, reading: “November 6, 1983: Hawkins, Indiana.” The mid-80’s date, combined with the midwestern setting, immediately sets the scene of American suburbia. Then, viewers find themselves in a suburban home’s basement as a group of middle school boys sit around a card table playing Dungeons and Dragons – a popular game at the time. Around them are classic 80’s Coke cans, as the iconic soundtrack for the show begins to play in the background. The music consists of nostalgic synths mixed with the production values and ideas of modern music, excellently crafted into art that compliments the content and expands beyond the realm of the show. Above the basement, a mother with Farrah Fawcett hair is making dinner and yelling at her son to quit the game, saying that “it’s a school night.” As the boys race upstairs, the boy’s father is seen adjusting the bunny ears on the home TV, as his sister lays on her bed in her room, talking on the landline. The boys eventually make it to the garage where their bikes await them, fully equipped with spotlights to navigate the neighborhood streets in the dark. These bikes mirror those found in The Goonies as the kids fly down the neighborhood streets, a sense of adventure, but also forthcoming, radiating through the air. The bikes become symbols of not only the show, but the 80’s suburban childhood as a whole, as they act as the main modes of transportation for these boys.

Similarly, the first episode of Season 2 aims to exude the carefree attitude of these close-knit friends. The episode begins with the boys talking to each other on their walkie talkies as they scrounge around their houses for quarters so they can play at the arcade all night. The episode then takes viewers to the arcade, as the preteens swear and taunt each other through numerous games of “Dragon’s Lair” and “Dig Dug.” Moments like these introduce millennial viewers to a brand new idea of childhood, defined not by the hand-held devices but by the various other steps that it took to get to where we can now reach with just one finger swipe. For example, the act of calling friends on the walkies, then biking together to the arcade, then playing games together all night with their hard-earned quarters, creates a sense of camaraderie and closeness within their friendships that is now hard to find. Everything was connected, but in a different way – it was only connected when it needed to be, and when it required effort. Shannon Purser, who plays Barb in the first season, explains this further in an interview with The Guardian by saying, “I think there’s a lot of nostalgia from millennials because, even though we didn’t live it, we experience it all the time. A lot of us watch 80's movies and listen to 80's music. We like the strong bonds of friendship that were key in those movies.”

In the grand scheme of things, the “strong bonds of friendship” play critical roles in the 80's movies that are still known and loved. The Goonies, going on adventures on their bikes and getting into trouble mirror the closeness of the “Stranger Things” boys as they bike to school and together through the dark. These friendships also shine through in Ferris Bueller’s relationship with Cameron, Molly Ringwald’s relationship with Duckie in “Pretty in Pink,” and even the closeness of The Breakfast Club as they sit together in detention for an entire day. There is an element of cohesion and connection that makes the 80’s so riveting. Without the constant presence of screens and the simplicity of transportation in a suburban setting, there is an appeal that comes from self-sufficiency and the ability to connect with friends while also retaining a large sense of self. It can be argued that this sense of self cannot be found within the realm of social media, which relies so much on other opinions and judgements. In the 80's, the bonded friendships came through genuine connection and proximity, with an added element of natural self-awareness, giving viewers nostalgia for a time much simpler and much more independent.

It is for these reasons: the proximity, the connections, and the camaraderie, that 80's suburbia constantly recurs in American culture. It is American childhood in its simplest form: riding bikes through the streets, calling friends on the phone, digging for quarters in couch cushions. It is the importance of actual place: being together in a tangible location like the Arcade, rather than through the screen on FaceTime. And it is also the understanding that some qualities of childhood and adolescence will transcend the test of time: they are the innate feelings of insecurity, puppy love, fear, frustration, and a general sense that nothing makes sense and nothing seems right, but everything is okay. “Stranger Things” brings those feelings into view, giving viewers a chance to relive those moments with fondness, with entertainment and plot twists and riveting storylines also thrown in. It is an element of American culture that should be analyzed further. It is the complexity of American childhood, represented through the medium of a supernatural Netflix show.