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Such a long journey30 milestones in living
When it comes to issues of lifestyle, the last 30 years have seen a century's worth of change. Who would have thought, when The Sun began on Nov. 1, 1971, that, come the next three decades, men would pop a blue pill for sex, that cellphones and computers would become so central to our lives, that we'd have space shots and flu shots, that in embracing "retro" we'd bring back the mini and the VW Beetle, that people could drive between England and France, or that kids and parents alike would become besotted with a fictional boy wizard who played a kind of soccer on broomsticks. Lifestyle has reflected changes on so many fronts, from parenting to food and fashion, from health to sex, from Viagra to the Chunnel, from the space shuttle to Harry Potter. Nonetheless, in The Sun's very first issue the Lifestyle section's Dear Abby column addressed a woman reader's complaint that her husband paid more attention to his mother than her. Maybe we haven't changed that much after all. 1. HAVE A NICE DAY: The big bumper sticker of 1971, became a saying that has lasted over a quarter of a century. Some say far too long. 2. HOT PANTS: These short shorts were a '70s trend that most men would say was too short-lived. Came the millennium and fashionistas brought back the '50s peddle-pusher as mid-calf capris, the new-again hot length. 3. MS. MAGAZINE: Gloria Steinem co-founded the world's first feminist magazine for newstand distribution in '72 -- the same year that Burt Reynolds posed naked for a Cosmopolitan centrefold. 4. HOT TUBS: Cheaper -- and sexier -- than a rec room, the "soak and poke" tub became a new reason for having the neighbours over in the mid-'70s. Wonder of wonders, they're back in style in 2001! 5. STREAKING: Running naked across a sports field or a high school cafeteria was pretty common mid-'70s. 6. ABORTION: The marches that took on steam in the '70s replaced the civil rights marches of the '60s. 7. HUGGING: In the late '70s, hugging was a greeting, a form of therapy, and a new tactic for parenting. Men hugged men, women hugged each other and bumper stickers proclaimed "Have you hugged your kid today?" 8. JOGGERS: By the late '70s they were everywhere and of every age. Within a decade, fun-runs and serious marathons cropped up all across Canada -- giving joggers both a goal and a sense of purpose. 9. TEST-TUBE BABIES: The world's first test-tube baby, Louise Brown, was born in '78 in Oldham, England, thus beginning a new age in reproductive technologies. Today's issue: Children of sperm doners demand to know who fathered them. 10. THE WALKMAN: The first Sony Walkman is unveiled in '79 as people of all ages tune in to tune out. Over the next few decades the world of carry-around communication blossomed to include pagers and Palm Pilots. 11. THE PREPPIE: The term for a student of a preparatory school becomes a statement of style and the '80s begins the start of several multi-million dollar clothing empires built on loafers, crew-neck sweaters and cord pants. By the mid-'90s, every Canadian knows the Gap. 12. AIDS: In 1981 the AIDS virus is first diagnosed and the world is never the same again. 13. FAIRY-TALE WEDDING OF THE CENTURY: Crowds lined the streets of London to cheer on Charles and Diana as they were married in St. Paul's Cathedral, in July of '81. By the end of the next decade, crowds lined the streets again to mourn the passing of the princess who charmed the world. 14. THE JANE FONDA WORKOUT: 1982 and the beginning of the celebrity workout craze. 15. RIPPED JEANS: A trend that mothers never understood made its debut as a fashion statement thanks to the ripped clothing as fashion in the movie Flashdance. "Grody to the max" becomes slang for disgusting beyond belief. 16. McDONALD'S: Still going strong in '84 when the food chain announced it sold its 50 billionth hamburger. 17. THE YUPPY: In '85, the young urban professional hits their stride with all the success and trappings of the age before downsizing. 18. CRACK: This new form of cocaine first hit the streets in '85 and within a few years 'crack baby' became a new term that pediatricians everywhere have to learn. 19. THE FAMILY ROOM: By the late '80s, every new house had one and the number one renovation in urban centres was for a family room off the kitchen. By the '90s, bathrooms were becoming beautiful while the rec room sunk to new a new low as mere storage space. 20. BREAST CANCER AWARENESS: The mid-'80s begins a women's health trend that explodes into the next decade. By the mid '90s, women become more aware of heart disease as an even greater enemy while lung cancer begins to claim more women than men. 21. REEBOKS: Running shoes come out of the gym and into everyday wear, stores begin to stock dozens of styles, fortunes are built, kids will even steal them and seniors find they provide great support. Today's trends: Runners without laces, designer labels, and sport-specific brands. 22. PASTA AND PIZZA: Though they're the food of the '90s and still going strong, sushi and Thai tastes are beginning to tickle more of our tastebuds. 23.THE RV: Everybody wanted a recreation vehicle and it seem -ed that by '95 everybody had one! Five years later, the minivan rules! 24. SINGLE PARENTS: It was a growing population trend of the '90s. Today, parenting is richer and more complex with same sex couples and blended families. 25. THE BOOMERS TURN 50: 1996 -- a new age for soon-to-be seniors. Grandparenting will never be the same. 26. A HALF-CAF, LOW-FOAM LATTE: Seattle's Starbucks sprouts stores throughout Canada. Does anybody still drink ordinary coffee? 27. BEND OVER AND COUGH: With the '90s showing increasing prostate cancer rates, a new era of men's health awareness is launched. It's about time. 28. SEX, SEX: Steamy tales of love and lust capture viewing audiences with Sex in the City, while sex continues to steal plotlines and airtime in everything from the Bill and Monica show to Tony Soprano. 29. THE PILL TURNS 30. While birth control pills soldier on to protect women, we're still working on one for men. Meanwhile Viagra becomes the pill of choice for many guys, while anti-depressants gain a foothold in Canadian medicine chests. 30. WAR: Though some predict a baby-boom as a result of such uncertain times, war replaces sex as the three-letter word on most people's minds. |
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