What's old is cool again.

My husband and I went to see a pretty good movie the other day – 21 Jump Street. Of course the language was a bit over the top, but that’s true of many movies. What I did think was cool about the movie is the fact that it’s based on a show from the 1980s .  That seems to be a trend with movies and music as well these days. Remakes are wildly popular, and for a reason. 

With a marketing background, I learned way back in college a simple rule that’s held true throughout the years:  “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” Please pardon my liberties with the grammar, but that’s the actual rule, verbatim.

Think about it:  Starksy and Hutch. The Flintstones. The Addams Family. Footloose. All remakes. Rumor has it that even Jaws and Star Wars will be remade in the next year or two. We loved those shows and movies when we were kids. They may not have been brain food, but they had something that the majority of today’s entertainment lacks –that something that stirs nostalgia and fond memories, that thing that makes for a blockbuster.

 The same can be said for music. Our children love “our” soundtrack, 70s and 80s music. My daughter has remarked to me on a couple of occasions that her children won’t want to listen to the music of her generation like our children enjoy our music. I think she may be right. Will rap and hip-hop last? I guess only time will tell. Will a group like Aerosmith or The Eagles or Journey come out of today’s music? I kind of doubt it, but we’ll see.

Then again, maybe I’m biased.

Are you 40-something? Why do you think the music, television and movies we grew up with still have appeal?

Carole Townsend is also a Gwinnett Daily Post staff correspondent and author of the recently-released book, “Southern Fried White Trash.” The book takes a humorous look at families and how we behave when thrown together for weddings, funerals and holidays. She has been quoted on msnbc.com, in the LA Times, USA Today and the Christian Science Monitor, been featured on FOX 5 News and CNN, and is often a guest on television and radio shows nationwide.