Bret Easton Ellis' book Less than Zero exploded into our culture in 1986, earning him fame, a movie deal and shining a light on a generation and culture that revealed itself, through Ellis's words, as self-indulgent, pointless and degenerate.
Or so the preceding generation presumed. As all preceding generations presume when watching the follies of the youths.
The mid-80s brought a crackdown on the party lifestyle, just in time for me to hit the main party age. In 1984, I watched high school seniors vehemently protest two things: making the drug X illegal and enacting The National Minimum Drinking Age Act.
Elders may have been impressed to finally see Gen X care about something passionately, but I'm sure they felt it was too bad that the inspiration was drugs and alcohol (very ironically, I am sure, in a fair number of self-righteous cases).
Still, thanks to Nancy Reagan we learned to Just Say No and thanks to Tipper Gore we could easily spot entertainment that might harm our delicately maturing sensibilities.
If the stash of marijuana in this one kid's locker in my high school was any indication, Nancy's plan was of limited success. If our outright enjoyment of the plethora of utterly trashy 80s movies (Porky's anyone?) and other Explicit forms of entertainment was any indication, so was Tipper's.
But, as in the book, eventually most people grow up, usually without too much self-destruction, or discover recovery. Those same crazy youths of the mid-80s now have a mortgage and some form of obligation to the PTA (which very well may be a scarier institution than a lender).
I think we're going to do our level best to forget about all that when we go to BlogHer in San Francisco. (And for those of you who were born before or after my generation, that includes you too. Although, those of you born in the 80s may be required to keep your dewy youthful visages a minimum of 3 ft from me until after say roughly 10 p.m.-ish when the lights are dim and everyone has hit that OMG this is SO AWESOME! point.)
That said...
I have my tickets to San Francisco. I have a place to sleep (a hotel! with a bed! walls and ceiling too!) and I do plan to sleep. I was last able to pull all night partying in 1995. And once in 1999, when we all did our best to fulfill our lifelong vows to Prince. But clearly, that muscle is out of shape and these rapidly-nearing-middle-aged eyes and bones need beauty (and brain) sleep.
Before I lay my head down to rest, though, I plan to see and chat up as many of you as I can. So tell me where I can go and find you.
I'll be in San Francisco by the evening of the 17th (God and the airline willing) and will leave on Sunday the 20th.
You can find me at the registration desk (at some point) logging you lot in and going with the flow. I like to roll that way on vacation---someone else lead, I follow. I have to make all the choices and decisions in my daily life so I seek a respite from that.
I had no idea there were some people hoping to see me in Austin and so I missed out on the chance to say hello and get to know some cool people.
I don't want that to happen in San Francisco. So leave a comment, let me know if you're going to BlogHer too, and let's compare itineraries. ;)
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Comments
I like to sleep, but I also tell myself that I only get to see all these people once or twice a year, so I like to live it up. Since I had a newborn with me last year, I didn't get to party as much as I wanted. This year I intend to make up for that.
and mature, clearly. the better angels of my nature are just happy that you all get to hang out, and wish i could be a fly on the walls.
also wanted to say i loved Less than Zero (oh, Robert Downey Jr, you beastie).
I still find it hard to believe that Kyla was born in the 80's, but I'm sure will be obvious on Friday morning when her face doesn't look all creased like a pillowcase.
Dude. 84. What a year.
I'll be there vicariously so you had best be reporting.
Fin and I touch down at 8 Thursday night, God and airline willing, and will make our sticky, weary way to the People's Party. Hopefully we'll meet up sometime between the party and our flight out Sunday morning.
I might make alternative arrangements to bathe bon's feet in Epsom salts or something else appropriate to my age and status.
Wish I could go too. :)
i am the ONLY person not going. well, me and mad. i'll help her rub bon's feet. :-)
Sob.
And it's even being held an hour away from where I grew up.
Double sob.
Don't forget...People's Party...free booze.