When he said people will look back on this 20 years from now I thought that was now, then I realised this video is from 42 years ago and now I need to go and have a quiet lie down.
I love how they are all socially aware of their surroundings. They all had such valid points & articulated them very well. Wonder how they all got on in life
I left school in 81, it was an absolute privilege to have lived through the 80s. Best music, best culture, best girls. No tech, no subscription TV, simple happy times where the was a lot more unity 🙏💖
@@Leoviliti1 I do feel for today's kids, I would say they are no where near as happy or sure of themselves as we where back then. It's system overload now. 😭
They do. It reminds me of the diversity of fashion and styles when I was in High School (1980 to 1984). I kind of miss those days. It's all so homogeneous now.
The girl talking about the focus on girls weight is so right, she’s that observant at 16. I was a skinny teen naturally, I never thought about that, but she’s right. It’s the same now, but even worse, with all the photoshopped perfect images online and apps and filters
Great seeing this! I was eighteen years old in 1982, now I'm sixty! I loved the New Romantic look back then, tried the 'wedge' haircut too, as loved Human League. 😀💕🎼
I was only 17 and a friendly, happy punky/hippy type with friends like all of these people. In our part of SE London we all got on lovely. Have a great night rabbit 😉
one person is talking and everyone else is quiet and listening. these old videos blow my mind. whatever you call this kind of behavior it's dead and gone. also just the fact that the video editor allowed the video to have quiet spots and just be plain. a modern video editor would have added music or something annoying.
@@Fredric_Cedrichoh really? the modern version of this would be everyone who isn’t talking would be on their phones and not paying attention to the speaker. the people in the video genuinely seem to be listening and for the most part are silent and physically still. i.e. they’re able to point their attention at one thing. people have trouble with that these days.
Lol, getting older is what we are doing, raised our children, and many have grandchildren now. I would like to think most of us were and still are progressive in our thinking, most of us still work, and probably will well into our 70's. I think for many of us making societal changes were really important, we embraced individuality, we were still living in a cold war at that time, the UK became far more science & technology driven, Thatcher was one of the first to hi-light climate change, at the UN, times were tough at the beginning of the 80's, as we changed to the free market system.
I’d hate to go back. In the 80s I reported being raped, and the police laughed at me. That was common then. It was in their guidelines to disbelieve the woman.
I totally agree. I was a 17 year old punk in 1982 and these wonderful, lovely people are exactly what we were like back then. The LACK of variety of fashion and styles is what I most miss when up my local SE London high street these days.
The whole idea was not to be as everyone else - no one had jobs ( thank you Mrs Thatcher for all that empowerment to women you didn’t give women- instead evidenced that you had to behave like a badly behaved man to get anywhere) but you made your own clothes , raided auntie’s wardrobes and up cycled anything that could be up cycled - there was a strong lean to be different from everyone else but I’ve no doubt that was kicked out of most of us we moved forward to get that deposit on our wimpy house by the 9-5 stifling office job that killed your soul - this was one of the most innovative generations of all time!
Here I see young versions of Billy Idol, Sigue Sigue Sputnik, Bananarama, The Specials, Toya Wilcox, Swing Out Sister, Hazel O'Connor and that bloke who sang 'Stop The Cavalry'.
1982: '80s TEENAGERS on CLOTHES and CONFORMITY | 16 Up | Voice of the People | BBC Archive 0848am 25.9.24 ehhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh, kelvin...........
@@simonlb24 Comments on ‘1982: '80s TEENAGERS on CLOTHES and CONFORMITY | 16 Up | Voice of the People | BBC Archive’ 0852am 25.9.24 yeah and those songs are mine. so eff off!!! skins in brothel creepers...
Great days. This was me in 1983, big blonde mohican, 21 years old, earrings, feeling trapped in the north east town of Darlington and needing to get out and see a bit of the world. Durham County Council wouldn't give me a grant to go to drama school in 1984 which was my dream. During the interview the guy took one look at me and asked me if I believed in God. I couldn't see what that had to do with anything. For him I was just a weird thug, not a potential actor. So I was thrown on the scrapheap on the dole for a whole year and had to go through the same process a year later but the next time my hair was normal not because I wanted to keep him happy but because I'd moved on from blonde mohicans. I think times have changed these days - look at how many young people and people with responsible positions in companies now spôrt tattoos - but there's still a lot of prejudice about how people look and dress.
Darlo in the 1980s was chock full of amazing young people, we had great times but career prospects were thin on the ground and many of us took years to find something better, usually by leaving the area or using our own initiative in some way.
I miss the old days. We live in very difficult & evil times at present. We must strive to get good times again. With love & best wishes from Ireland. 👍❤️🇮🇪🏴🇬🇧
The weirdest thing about watching this is: we thought that the '80s were 💩 when we were youths back then, but now we can see just how great they were! Original looks, music and thinking. We played outdoors, we all turned up at friends doors and we all had to ask to use the phone to call our mates. We put litter in the bin, appreciated every penny we got and we respected our elders - mostly! 😂 What a great time to have been alive!
In the 80s I got turned down for a job because I had worn TROUSERS instead of a skirt. The initial interviewer was so impressed with me she didn't want to wait to call me back for a 2nd interview. She put me straight through to the boss for this 2nd interview. It was him who said no because of the trousers 🙄 1989 me and my friend walked into a bank to inquire about getting a mortgage together. Was told oh no we can't give 2 women a mortgage, you might be LESBIANS. We weren't, but so what if we were 😳
This is why people looking back on their youth with words like "Everything used to be better, as the people were more open-minded" are often just blurred by nostalgia.
I was kicked out by my posh step father who was head of customs and excise in London City , it was about the music 🎧 but he thought I wouldn’t get a job , I was homeless for a year in London age 17 , my eldest is a sgt detective, she went through her expressive stages . We both have ADHD and love to be individual and be critical thinkers rather than conformists .
As you can see there was no aggressive response or action from these young people, they are just talking about themselves, they are sharing their feelings experiences and emotions without arguing about it. Respect 🇬🇧
I can totally relate to this. When I was 16 I had an office job. I had a blonde mohican with pink sides and a black zig zag through the middle. I could flatten it and make it look like a normal haircut with a lot of hairspray....however one windy day the hair lifted up to reveal who I really was and I was told that if they had known I had a mohican they would never have employed me. This video completely sums that up.
I hear ya kirsty mate! I was 17 in 1982 and worked for London Borough of Greenwich computer unit doing really early word processing. I could look vaguely respectable at work. Sta prest trousers and button down collar Ben Sherman shirts and then I'd go to full on anarcho punk gigs at night and look a right mess!
These young people are very clued up on the social issues of their time, the pressure on young people to conform, and the dichotomy of having a non-conformist "look". It's always good to see young people challenging expectations, and you can see the same attitudes in many young people today who aren't afraid to say "why are we doing this the way we've always done it?"
@@Mantolwen today's "young" people ("young" in experience; "young" in childishness understanding) have been conditioned by educators to have no understanding of what has gone before and why and how it "went before." Without this, "young people" are old before their time
@@PincoPallino-zh8wm - It doesn't necessarily mean they were worse either. And interestingly, you call them friends, yet in the same breath accuse them of "whining" and being "bitter". Are you sure you're not looking in the mirror when making that sweeping and inaccurate generalisation of Gen X?
Back when kids could think for themselves. No social media to confuse their brains. Just original thinking and I can be whoever I want to be. 1982 my teenage years.
I was 12 or 13 years old studying in Paris and we took a one week trip trip to visit London in 1982 . That is exactly what we came across in the streets . Despite much unemployement and Thatcher ruthless policies that was sheer diversity fun music and change of scenery . Incredibly vibrant to say the least for a young teen from the continent
Impressive that the generation during this time were well spoken and conversed with other diverse cultures without conflict and expressed respect and politeness.
All generations can speak respectfully depends on the group you're speaking to. Ageism is such a cliche human trait. I bet back in the 1800s they thought the children in their day were better behaved.
I’m still a punk now - though a toned down tame version of the extreme style . I don’t care what anyone says the late 70’s/ early 80’s era was the best, phenomenal times. Most of the music today is crap and has been for the last ten years.
Every older generation generalizes the younger generations' music as "crap," "garbage," etc. New music isn't being made for you--it's being written for the younger generations to enjoy. I say this as someone in my 40's who There is more music being created and published today than at any point in human history, thanks to the proliferation of technology and the internet. One person with an iPhone, imagination, and a bit of time spent on editing can do a bang-up job without requiring tens of thousands to pay recording studios and engineers. The difficulty now is separating the wheat from the chaff and *finding* good music to enjoy. Any genre, any style can be found in spades, including late 70's and early 80's style punk, disco, big band, or others that have long since gone out of popular favor. Dive down a rabbit hole on Soundcloud, or Bandcamp, or Spotify. There's more content than one person could possibly fathom. If you don't find something you like, it's not a lack of good music available, it's you!
People treat fashion like we (not into fashion fads) treat musicians!? This "mods, punks, goths etc." reminds me of 1d vs. Bieber or Katy vs. Taylor Both corny af but at least those into music fandoms do so for amusement only, instead of wanting to be perceived like this or that Or maybe a better parallel would be comparing fashion styles with people that are fond of x music genre Technically harmless but they're so dull sometimes
@@thenightporter I’m not sure you listened properly to the speakers in this video.I can hear several of them repeatedly using filler words such as “yknow” , “uh” and “like”. Multiple times in one sentence too. Maybe listen again it sounds as though you’re clouded by your nostalgia
I was 13 then lol, loved it, cos you got everyone punks, skid heads, new romantic, true all judged on how you look, dont jude book they say by its cover. He saw into the future lol 20yrs from now, but we didnt imagine it on a phone
The market she’s talking about is Berwick St in Soho, there are several fabric shops there . I was 16 in 1982 too, and I was a goth and then got into psychobilly
This is a fascinating time in english history. They all have valid opinions but the young man at 5:39 is smart. he sees the world as it is and from many perspectives. Image has power. If image didnt mean anything the punks would not dress the way they do. They know full well that image has impact on the senses of others. In a perfect world we would accet people soley based on character but we are primordial visual creatures.
@@thenightporter the London accent has turned into a Jamaican infused Ebonics mashup. It all started in the late 1990s early 2000s. Youths in London started mimicking Caribbean blacks and totally arsed up the London accent!
@@DudeEnglish Yeah, you have to go to places like Basildon and Dartford to hear anything like this type of accent now, although I don't know whether young people in those places are using it or not these days. It might just be older people. I'm from the Midlands so I don't visit those places very often.
@@DudeEnglishGenerally I agree, though as a black londoner who was a kid in the 80s I don't have that accent. I can't explain why. I suppose there are always some exceptions.
The guys in A flock of seagulls were hairdressers. They had a bust up back in the 80's & are not talking to each other anymore. The singer is trying to tour the US as a flock of seagulls, but I don't think one guy quallifies as 'a flock'. Maybe 'a middle aged seagull' would be a better name for him & his new band. There's a YT video about trying to get the band back together.
Of course this probably isn't a representative sample of young people. The ones prepared to talk to the BBC are probably a bit more...whatever you might call it.
@@mdem64 a very valid comment because people their age today live through and are controlled by their cellphones. Take it away for 24 hours and see how their world crumbles.
They're really articulate... they've got their own minds and ideas..no influences from the media, social or otherwise...i was the same age as them...i still dont like to conform😅
In my local Screwfix the people working there range from 70year olds to young people with tats and punky hair. No one cares - they are all helpful and polite. I recently met a young girl who was a goth from Holland and she said there was a big difference between there and the UK. In the UK no one cared how she dressed or noticed her but in Holland she got disapproving looks and comments.
I always find it amusing when people abroad persist in the old cliché that here in the UK we're all hideously conservative (with a small c) and disapproving of things that fall outside of 'the norm'. And yet, the reality is often the opposite. I hope our young Dutch friend feels welcome here. Good for her!
@@analogueman123456787 UK was very conservative at these times. I was told not to wear shorts out and about! If you are clean and tidy, not dressed in a vulgar fashion and polite you should be fine.
@@slowedndreverb I'm a man that dresses up as a goth girl. Not trans or anything just gothic skirts and yea I get a lot of dirty looks and people laughing. But who cares because I'm doing more than these people ever did. The world really has changed and for the better
@@michaelturner4457 1982: '80s TEENAGERS on CLOTHES and CONFORMITY | 16 Up | Voice of the People | BBC Archive 1318pm 25.9.24 hmmmmmmmm..... i wss gearing up for my teens... i had a similar veiw to these kids ie: no matter how different you consider yourself there's all us the same mentality regards adhereiung to some set of norms... all very obvious. and the anarchists are no doifferent nor the punx... it's all a load of old pony and comes down to money. and who controls those purse strings.... as for sub cultures and they're dead and buried. tats and piercings becmae the high viz street cred signals of disctinction.... and now everyone has a piercing and a tat.... big money beign different. i'd rather be normal...abnormally gifted, though...
7:05 she must be heartbroken watching the world regress so rapidly FORTY years later 💔😩 so many people fought for freedom of expression back in the 60s-90s and now things are forcefully being turned back to conservatism
I know of one Wimpy in my area, near the Shugborough country house in Staffordshire. All the others disappeared ages ago. Of course it might be another company using the same name, I'm not sure.
What a great find!!! FAB video. 70s and 80s had the best bands EVER, interesting fashions, but in terms of being different, being a punk or new romantic etc etc definitely difficult getting work as very judgemental and conventional society! Much more open minded nowadays. Also racism was much worse back then. Not easy getting interviews if you had foreign names!!! I remember the 80s as being pretty tough. But we worked hard and partied harder ❤
I’m still a punk - if a tame version of the extreme style. I don’t care what anyone says the late 70s/early 80s era was magnificent, extraordinary years . New Romantics would have been at the height of the sub culture back then , so too goth , both spin offs of punk . I really do miss those days . Most of today’s music is crap and has been for ten years now.
The trouble with anything that comes from the BBC is that you can guarantee each of these guys were hand picked for some reason or another, then taken along to a wimpey for the recording. You can tell because everyone listened politely to everyone else & didn't appear to know anyone else's names. The BBC always did this sort of thing & try to pass it off as fly on the wall type stuff. Had they turned up at a youth club or something similar to do this, the whole scene would have been totally unpredictable, very noisey & unmanageable. This way, they give their chosen, hand picked subjects a free fizzy drink at a specific wimpey on the promise they behave themselves & talk to the camera. I would have been about the same age as these guys were at that time & it is clear to see that this group did not know each other.
If you'd been one of the people making this programme, you'd want youngsters who could string a sentence together and who could talk with and listen to each other without trying to dominate the conversation. I think the clip works quite well.
Teenager of the 1980s here; Anyone else find it funny how when we we’re at school we moaned about the uniform but we (most of us) followed trends such as punk, skins, mods, rockers etc - all in effect have their own kind of uniform, ok not all exactly the same but fundamentally each “tribe” have certain protocols and dress codes.
still true among punks, skins. i dont dress as a skin anymore only for those rare gigs, nights and would never have the chelsea cut. what i hate in all this they still judge you by your investment into the fashion part and competition is big. doesnt matter that some are very disgusting characters or lack any. community and tribe based on these things is not for me
It is great seeing footage like this, it takes me right back. I think that if there was no reaction to the way they dressed, they would have been disappointed and It was all a part of the game and they wanted to be noticed. However, they also did not want to be discriminated against, so as some of them said, there were some jobs that would have welcomed them. As change always takes time to develop, it should be no surprise that businesses would not like to take the risk of losing customers or business, so perhaps the discrimination was justified.
My kit in the 80's... Blue or black jeans. A rock shirt tee that defined you that week, an open flannel shirt, and bargain brand docs. I'm 56 now and my wardrobe is pretty much the same. Except the boots are now top line work boots.
Back in the early 1980`s you had to close in on the second hand charity shops if you wanted a Slim-Jim tie or shirts that did not have Aeroplane wing collars ,No ebay and unlike today Teenagers fell into different cults with music and fanzine Pop Groups unlike today it has been stagnent for the last 35 years!
I think it’s the opposite of stagnant now. Thanks to the internet people can find any clothes they want, in any colour or style, at very low prices. I see people in fantastic outfits every day.
@@bobbugwithoneeyeskingiskin8974 they wear a variety of clothes. As for ‘looking at their mobile phones’, they could be texting a friend, doing homework, researching something, reading an ebook, watching a film, checking the news…what’s wrong with that?
@@JehanineMelmoth I have been around a lot longer than you and people dressed up more then than they do now! Went out together more! Children have never been more depressed than they are now, even with all this technology at hand, than at any other time in history! The fact that they don’t need to work to get information or gather together to experience films, music, etc ! That is because of this technology! It has become a barrier between humans and it only getting worse!
Thug skinhead! Very articulate young man and four O-levels is nothing to be sniffed at. I didn't do O-levels but I do know they were very difficult. Get to know the person first. Xx
Kensington Market was great back in the days. Dark, dingy with the tattoo parlour by the entrance. Then, it closed down and some of the stalls moved to Camden. Camden was great for a while, not so much now.
I was in to 2-Tone so I dressed Skinhead/MOD style, I can still pull the ivy league / Mod look of today as I remained slim, so I can still wear Fred Perry polos, Ben Sherman shirts, Ralph Laureen shirts, Levi 501, Levi Sta prest trousers, etc etc. I think I must have about 40 Ben Sherman shirts. I used to reason just they like did, but I have grown up a lot since then and the world has changed for the worse since those great days. Woke came and it all turned to shyte.
I remember my grandparents being scared to walk past the punks in Rhyl with us in tow. They were very judgmental about them, shall we say! I just wanted to be one of them, although they did scare me a bit en masse.
I played my nan Never Mind The Bollocks Here's The Sex Pistols back in the day and she loved it! She thought it was the most exciting thing she'd ever heard. Good ol' Nan Lucy!
@@jennytaylor3324 I'm seen people describe the painter Francis Bacon, who was born in 1909, as one of the biggest punks around in terms of his general attitude. Just watched a documentary about him where someone said that. Not what I expected but you can sort of believe it the more you find out about him.
What's the difference between those days and today ? No matter what kind of subculture: They (we) were all WELL EDUCATED - everyone listened to everyone - and we all had wonderful illusions of changing things cause everything was new and exciting...- good times...🙏!
Comments on ‘1982: '80s TEENAGERS on CLOTHES and CONFORMITY | 16 Up | Voice of the People | BBC Archive’ 0854am 25.9.24 watch the young ones and the young adults skit... yeah.... right on!!! noel...
I remember PHAZE clothing in Dat Lundun. I remember the long wool coat era. Every alternative had one while the ‘society’was strictly Berghaus and no, no ‘Lewy who?was even known…groannnn
When he said people will look back on this 20 years from now I thought that was now, then I realised this video is from 42 years ago and now I need to go and have a quiet lie down.
Tell me about it! 😄
I was 1 years old when they did this interview 😮
@@Noname-oo9gn - Still a youngster then... I'm jealous! 😄
@@Noname-oo9gn Same ha ha ha
😂 I know exactly what you mean. I left school in 1982 and it’s almost impossible to believe it’s over 40 years ago.
I love how they are all socially aware of their surroundings. They all had such valid points & articulated them very well. Wonder how they all got on in life
I left school in 81, it was an absolute privilege to have lived through the 80s. Best music, best culture, best girls.
No tech, no subscription TV, simple happy times where the was a lot more unity 🙏💖
No tinder you just sent ur mate over to ask a boy out 😅
I was seventeen in 82 left school as you in 81
Looking back at this makes me cry ..😩😢
@@Leoviliti1 I do feel for today's kids, I would say they are no where near as happy or sure of themselves as we where back then. It's system overload now. 😭
Spent all of my 20s in the 80s. The best decade ever.
They all look fab!
They do. It reminds me of the diversity of fashion and styles when I was in High School (1980 to 1984). I kind of miss those days. It's all so homogeneous now.
That hair dye makes them so special. So different from today's youth, with no style of their own.
But so much older than they actually are.
I was still a child back then but looking back I realise had some very cool clothes that decade!
The girl talking about the focus on girls weight is so right, she’s that observant at 16. I was a skinny teen naturally, I never thought about that, but she’s right. It’s the same now, but even worse, with all the photoshopped perfect images online and apps and filters
I would go back to the 80's in a heartbeat!! Im 53 now, this era was amazing!
it makes me sad now 😢how times have changed!!
❤
Same and I'm the same age.
I’m 49 and grew up all over the world. They are all so spoiled now. I loved it back then, we were more of a free spirit then
Me too. I m 53 , 54 in 2 week. 80s was a golden era compared to now
55 here. Agreed
I'm 53 and yes the 80s were the best!!!
Great seeing this! I was eighteen years old in 1982, now I'm sixty! I loved the New Romantic look back then, tried the 'wedge' haircut too, as loved Human League. 😀💕🎼
I was only 17 and a friendly, happy punky/hippy type with friends like all of these people. In our part of SE London we all got on lovely. Have a great night rabbit 😉
@@hopebgood thanks, have a great day yourself! 😀 We certainly had great times to be young and vibrant, well I think so anyway! 😀
@@rabbit64sj91 Oh, I had a great time! hee hee 😉 I still am tbh. Hope you are too...
Open Thy Hearrrrrt😩 🎶 Back end of 1981 to be fair.
I was a New Romantic back then fantastic time
one person is talking and everyone else is quiet and listening. these old videos blow my mind. whatever you call this kind of behavior it's dead and gone. also just the fact that the video editor allowed the video to have quiet spots and just be plain. a modern video editor would have added music or something annoying.
Too busy scrolling their smartpho.... oh, wait!
Literally the first minute the girl talking is being heckled, someone even shouts out shut up..
No it isn’t lol
i f-ing hate half sec cuts where i can't even pause to see what's up. like calm down
@@Fredric_Cedrichoh really? the modern version of this would be everyone who isn’t talking would be on their phones and not paying attention to the speaker. the people in the video genuinely seem to be listening and for the most part are silent and physically still. i.e. they’re able to point their attention at one thing. people have trouble with that these days.
Would love to see them now!
Probably working in banks, tax office or job centers.
@@ianwhitehead691probably retired or approaching it - was 42 years ago
Lol, getting older is what we are doing, raised our children, and many have grandchildren now. I would like to think most of us were and still are progressive in our thinking, most of us still work, and probably will well into our 70's. I think for many of us making societal changes were really important, we embraced individuality, we were still living in a cold war at that time, the UK became far more science & technology driven, Thatcher was one of the first to hi-light climate change, at the UN, times were tough at the beginning of the 80's, as we changed to the free market system.
Some may longer be with us. They speak so well.
@@baa-v3vSo you basically ruined the world then, in the name of "progress". Congratulations...
I feel at 'Home' watching this...Take me back!!!!!!
We had it the best in the 80's .... I want to go back. No phones... Just friends that last a lifetime.
There have always been so- called friends , back stabbers , liars, jealous types,the lot etc etc
I’d hate to go back. In the 80s I reported being raped, and the police laughed at me. That was common then. It was in their guidelines to disbelieve the woman.
@@JehanineMelmoth Yeah, all these generic comments romanticising the past are just weird
@@NoNeed2No complete rubbish.
@@walkingonsunshine8574 I’m so sorry that you suffered.
The variety of fashion and styles in this classroom is exceptional👏
I totally agree. I was a 17 year old punk in 1982 and these wonderful, lovely people are exactly what we were like back then. The LACK of variety of fashion and styles is what I most miss when up my local SE London high street these days.
The whole idea was not to be as everyone else - no one had jobs ( thank you Mrs Thatcher for all that empowerment to women you didn’t give women- instead evidenced that you had to behave like a badly behaved man to get anywhere) but you made your own clothes , raided auntie’s wardrobes and up cycled anything that could be up cycled - there was a strong lean to be different from everyone else but I’ve no doubt that was kicked out of most of us we moved forward to get that deposit on our wimpy house by the 9-5 stifling office job that killed your soul - this was one of the most innovative generations of all time!
Best era ever. Take me back any day!
Here I see young versions of Billy Idol, Sigue Sigue Sputnik, Bananarama, The Specials, Toya Wilcox, Swing Out Sister, Hazel O'Connor and that bloke who sang 'Stop The Cavalry'.
That would be Jonah Lewie, who you can also find in the kitchen at parties.
1982: '80s TEENAGERS on CLOTHES and CONFORMITY | 16 Up | Voice of the People | BBC Archive 0848am 25.9.24 ehhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh, kelvin...........
@@simonlb24Chatting to Louise, telling her how much he loves her....☮️😂
@@simonlb24 Comments on ‘1982: '80s TEENAGERS on CLOTHES and CONFORMITY | 16 Up | Voice of the People | BBC Archive’ 0852am 25.9.24 yeah and those songs are mine. so eff off!!! skins in brothel creepers...
Sadly I think they all became Tory ministers...
well spoken, stylish , fun to be around ans no mobile phones ... so glad I lived in the 80s ...
Great days. This was me in 1983, big blonde mohican, 21 years old, earrings, feeling trapped in the north east town of Darlington and needing to get out and see a bit of the world. Durham County Council wouldn't give me a grant to go to drama school in 1984 which was my dream. During the interview the guy took one look at me and asked me if I believed in God. I couldn't see what that had to do with anything. For him I was just a weird thug, not a potential actor. So I was thrown on the scrapheap on the dole for a whole year and had to go through the same process a year later but the next time my hair was normal not because I wanted to keep him happy but because I'd moved on from blonde mohicans. I think times have changed these days - look at how many young people and people with responsible positions in companies now spôrt tattoos - but there's still a lot of prejudice about how people look and dress.
Did you eventually make it through to acting, or ended up getting diverted to the mainstream?
Darlo in the 1980s was chock full of amazing young people, we had great times but career prospects were thin on the ground and many of us took years to find something better, usually by leaving the area or using our own initiative in some way.
I’d love a follow up to this. What their life is like now. Fascinating
I miss the old days. We live in very difficult & evil times at present. We must strive to get good times again. With love & best wishes from Ireland. 👍❤️🇮🇪🏴🇬🇧
I love their looks..very originals
Look at all those different, individual hairstyles. Love it.
The weirdest thing about watching this is: we thought that the '80s were 💩 when we were youths back then, but now we can see just how great they were! Original looks, music and thinking. We played outdoors, we all turned up at friends doors and we all had to ask to use the phone to call our mates. We put litter in the bin, appreciated every penny we got and we respected our elders - mostly! 😂 What a great time to have been alive!
💯
The skinhead girl is gorgeous! I love that style so much 💛
She looks like a dove ❤
You can see more of that type of style on this video from just a few weeks later in January 1983. ua-cam.com/video/OEG_w5fudbY/v-deo.html
In the 80s I got turned down for a job because I had worn TROUSERS instead of a skirt. The initial interviewer was so impressed with me she didn't want to wait to call me back for a 2nd interview. She put me straight through to the boss for this 2nd interview. It was him who said no because of the trousers 🙄 1989 me and my friend walked into a bank to inquire about getting a mortgage together. Was told oh no we can't give 2 women a mortgage, you might be LESBIANS. We weren't, but so what if we were 😳
“Ahh, the good old days”. In many ways it was better and in many ways it was worse.
So ridiculous!!!
This is why people looking back on their youth with words like "Everything used to be better, as the people were more open-minded" are often just blurred by nostalgia.
a' the goofy old times
I was kicked out by my posh step father who was head of customs and excise in London City , it was about the music 🎧 but he thought I wouldn’t get a job , I was homeless for a year in London age 17 , my eldest is a sgt detective, she went through her expressive stages . We both have ADHD and love to be individual and be critical thinkers rather than conformists .
Beautiful youth.
Absolutely gorgeous!
As you can see there was no aggressive response or action from these young people, they are just talking about themselves, they are sharing their feelings experiences and emotions without arguing about it. Respect 🇬🇧
I can totally relate to this. When I was 16 I had an office job. I had a blonde mohican with pink sides and a black zig zag through the middle. I could flatten it and make it look like a normal haircut with a lot of hairspray....however one windy day the hair lifted up to reveal who I really was and I was told that if they had known I had a mohican they would never have employed me. This video completely sums that up.
I hear ya kirsty mate! I was 17 in 1982 and worked for London Borough of Greenwich computer unit doing really early word processing. I could look vaguely respectable at work. Sta prest trousers and button down collar Ben Sherman shirts and then I'd go to full on anarcho punk gigs at night and look a right mess!
These young people are very clued up on the social issues of their time, the pressure on young people to conform, and the dichotomy of having a non-conformist "look". It's always good to see young people challenging expectations, and you can see the same attitudes in many young people today who aren't afraid to say "why are we doing this the way we've always done it?"
Now they change gender and experiment with their sexuality. Same mindset.
@@Mantolwen today's "young" people ("young" in experience; "young" in childishness understanding) have been conditioned by educators to have no understanding of what has gone before and why and how it "went before." Without this, "young people" are old before their time
What did they change by looking different?
@@MarkAlexanderCresdee exactly.
@@MarkAlexanderCresdee today's youth is the first to ask the man how they should rebel, that is not rebellion
Living the dream , drinking and eating at Wimpey
Still doing it matey
I last had a Wimpy only last week in Kent, when did you last have one?
Yes Wimpy!! still have them now😅
I wish Wimpy were still around
@@taraelizabethdensley9475 You mean round your way, as in general they are still around-had one in Kent a few weeks ago in Dartford!
I liked seeing all the different tribes of kids back then. I'm English but live in Canada, all the kids look the same.
can you do a follow up on them? where are they now and if their views changed since then?
@@PincoPallino-zh8wm - And no doubt you'll do exactly the same when you grow up...
They're all conservatives now lol
they all became investments bankers
or they dress up like this on weekends again close to retirement 😆
@@PincoPallino-zh8wm - It doesn't necessarily mean they were worse either.
And interestingly, you call them friends, yet in the same breath accuse them of "whining" and being "bitter". Are you sure you're not looking in the mirror when making that sweeping and inaccurate generalisation of Gen X?
Back when kids could think for themselves. No social media to confuse their brains. Just original thinking and I can be whoever I want to be. 1982 my teenage years.
They may not have had social media, but there was ads, and magazines, modles, just like that girl said. It was still hard... that's the whole point.
I was 12 or 13 years old studying in Paris and we took a one week trip trip to visit London in 1982 . That is exactly what we came
across in the streets . Despite much unemployement and Thatcher ruthless policies
that was sheer diversity fun music and change of scenery . Incredibly vibrant to say the least for a young teen from the continent
Ironically,It was a fun time.I was the same age as you,grew up in London,early 80’s were the best❤
I’ll always love the fun fashion of the 80s 💘
The Lady Di hairstyle obviously exerted a strong influence on some of these teenagers.
Impressive that the generation during this time were well spoken and conversed with other diverse cultures without conflict and expressed respect and politeness.
Gen X
there’s several modern youtube series across youtube that show young people conversing in a healthy way about several issues. like middle ground.
All generations can speak respectfully depends on the group you're speaking to. Ageism is such a cliche human trait. I bet back in the 1800s they thought the children in their day were better behaved.
I’m still a punk now - though a toned down tame version of the extreme style . I don’t care what anyone says the late 70’s/ early 80’s era was the best, phenomenal times. Most of the music today is crap and has been for the last ten years.
I can only really think of the current band Idles whom seem to capture that punk spirit of yore .
@@ZowieBBowie I remember you! Our nickname for you was always “Farty Breath”, did you ever get that sorted out?
@@hermanhawtrey8578 😂
Every older generation generalizes the younger generations' music as "crap," "garbage," etc. New music isn't being made for you--it's being written for the younger generations to enjoy. I say this as someone in my 40's who
There is more music being created and published today than at any point in human history, thanks to the proliferation of technology and the internet. One person with an iPhone, imagination, and a bit of time spent on editing can do a bang-up job without requiring tens of thousands to pay recording studios and engineers. The difficulty now is separating the wheat from the chaff and *finding* good music to enjoy. Any genre, any style can be found in spades, including late 70's and early 80's style punk, disco, big band, or others that have long since gone out of popular favor.
Dive down a rabbit hole on Soundcloud, or Bandcamp, or Spotify. There's more content than one person could possibly fathom. If you don't find something you like, it's not a lack of good music available, it's you!
@@0num4the people don’t realize they become their parents with these generalized hateful statements
Would love to see them brought back together for an update.
I was a mod then and I’m still a mod now at 58. Always looked smart and well dressed and always will. It’s a way of life !
It was awful when the Jam split up at the end of 82.
People treat fashion like we (not into fashion fads) treat musicians!? This "mods, punks, goths etc." reminds me of 1d vs. Bieber or Katy vs. Taylor Both corny af but at least those into music fandoms do so for amusement only, instead of wanting to be perceived like this or that Or maybe a better parallel would be comparing fashion styles with people that are fond of x music genre Technically harmless but they're so dull sometimes
Back in the day when folk spoke without using a load of filler words. No talking over and interupting one and other.
Wow!!!! You're correct, nowadays every 4th word would be, "like."
@@thenightporter I’m not sure you listened properly to the speakers in this video.I can hear several of them repeatedly using filler words such as “yknow” , “uh” and “like”. Multiple times in one sentence too. Maybe listen again it sounds as though you’re clouded by your nostalgia
I was 13 then lol, loved it, cos you got everyone punks, skid heads, new romantic, true all judged on how you look, dont jude book they say by its cover. He saw into the future lol 20yrs from now, but we didnt imagine it on a phone
The market she’s talking about is Berwick St in Soho, there are several fabric shops there . I was 16 in 1982 too, and I was a goth and then got into psychobilly
The video for Strange Little Girl by the Stranglers features a lot of goths walking around that area in 1982. ua-cam.com/video/jDpNhgIq0pg/v-deo.html
This was fabulous 👌
This is a fascinating time in english history. They all have valid opinions but the young man at 5:39 is smart. he sees the world as it is and from many perspectives. Image has power. If image didnt mean anything the punks would not dress the way they do. They know full well that image has impact on the senses of others. In a perfect world we would accet people soley based on character but we are primordial visual creatures.
I love the London accent… back then, not now!!
What's the difference? 🇺🇸 asking.
@@thenightporter the London accent has turned into a Jamaican infused Ebonics mashup. It all started in the late 1990s early 2000s. Youths in London started mimicking Caribbean blacks and totally arsed up the London accent!
@@DudeEnglish Yeah, you have to go to places like Basildon and Dartford to hear anything like this type of accent now, although I don't know whether young people in those places are using it or not these days. It might just be older people. I'm from the Midlands so I don't visit those places very often.
@@DudeEnglishGenerally I agree, though as a black londoner who was a kid in the 80s I don't have that accent. I can't explain why. I suppose there are always some exceptions.
I wonder if that bloke from a Flock Of Seagulls ever went for an interview for a normal job?
Another great upload.I was 15 then, where did time go?😝
It went the same place as my hair I would imagine! LOL!!
Well the guy from Flock of is living in America now i think and doing something with cars .
The guys in A flock of seagulls were hairdressers. They had a bust up back in the 80's & are not talking to each other anymore. The singer is trying to tour the US as a flock of seagulls, but I don't think one guy quallifies as 'a flock'. Maybe 'a middle aged seagull' would be a better name for him & his new band. There's a YT video about trying to get the band back together.
@@phoenixxavier9615 😂 I'll have to seek that out,loved him...
Miss that time so much, we were so lucky and we didn’t realise!
They seemed so much more clued up, streetwise and mature back then
Of course this probably isn't a representative sample of young people. The ones prepared to talk to the BBC are probably a bit more...whatever you might call it.
Very interesting this wouldn't mind seeing the full version.
No phone zombies and kids with eloquence and attitude. Love it.
"Phone zombies" 😂😂😂
cell phones didnt exist, invalid comment
@@mdem64 a very valid comment because people their age today live through and are controlled by their cellphones. Take it away for 24 hours and see how their world crumbles.
@@mdem64 technically they did around 1985 but only rich and the military had them
They are the grandparents to this generation so maybe they’re to blame a bit 😂😂😂😂
I was a teenager when this filmed. My style was totally different, but what they said about everything was true as it still is today.
I'm 54 now I ❤ the 80,s
💜
This was my generation, I love the 80s! Teenagers in this video are very articulate I love their style.
Girl with the short hair is so pretty. I'm 54. I love this. Takes me right back.
"I'm not an individual I'm just what someone else wants me to be" oh my god nothing ever changes
They're really articulate... they've got their own minds and ideas..no influences from the media, social or otherwise...i was the same age as them...i still dont like to conform😅
In my local Screwfix the people working there range from 70year olds to young people with tats and punky hair. No one cares - they are all helpful and polite. I recently met a young girl who was a goth from Holland and she said there was a big difference between there and the UK. In the UK no one cared how she dressed or noticed her but in Holland she got disapproving looks and comments.
She could change gender and British people wouldn't care either. Britain has no standards.
I always find it amusing when people abroad persist in the old cliché that here in the UK we're all hideously conservative (with a small c) and disapproving of things that fall outside of 'the norm'. And yet, the reality is often the opposite. I hope our young Dutch friend feels welcome here. Good for her!
@@analogueman123456787 UK was very conservative at these times. I was told not to wear shorts out and about! If you are clean and tidy, not dressed in a vulgar fashion and polite you should be fine.
@@slowedndreverb I'm a man that dresses up as a goth girl. Not trans or anything just gothic skirts and yea I get a lot of dirty looks and people laughing. But who cares because I'm doing more than these people ever did. The world really has changed and for the better
This isn't very long ago... I'm not old!!!!!
1982: '80s TEENAGERS on CLOTHES and CONFORMITY | 16 Up | Voice of the People | BBC Archive 0848am 25.9.24 yer well old, madam...
It's 42 years ago. It was about their age then, got my first full-time job in 1982, I'm retired now. It's less years between 1982 and World War 2.
@@michaelturner4457 Oh YES - and i'm afraid we ARE old now...😥😔😏
@@michaelturner4457 1982: '80s TEENAGERS on CLOTHES and CONFORMITY | 16 Up | Voice of the People | BBC Archive 1318pm 25.9.24 hmmmmmmmm..... i wss gearing up for my teens... i had a similar veiw to these kids ie: no matter how different you consider yourself there's all us the same mentality regards adhereiung to some set of norms... all very obvious. and the anarchists are no doifferent nor the punx... it's all a load of old pony and comes down to money. and who controls those purse strings.... as for sub cultures and they're dead and buried. tats and piercings becmae the high viz street cred signals of disctinction.... and now everyone has a piercing and a tat.... big money beign different. i'd rather be normal...abnormally gifted, though...
@@silvertip185 🙏True words🙏🙂
Im sure the 2nd women talking is the lady off 'Airline'' from the 90s, Jane Bolton
7:05 she must be heartbroken watching the world regress so rapidly FORTY years later 💔😩 so many people fought for freedom of expression back in the 60s-90s and now things are forcefully being turned back to conservatism
How things have changed, wow, I love this video! Would be so nice to get everyone in this video together again and see what they think now
I so remember those Wimpy tables lol, brilliant 👏
I know of one Wimpy in my area, near the Shugborough country house in Staffordshire. All the others disappeared ages ago. Of course it might be another company using the same name, I'm not sure.
I love this. Awesome ❤
Reminds me of school days.
Independent thinking, rebellious, challenging and...polite, articulate and smart!
I was 4 back in 1982.....& I've just ordered 5 more "New Wave" original 80s blazers. Nothing beats bleached tips & power dressing!
What a great find!!! FAB video. 70s and 80s had the best bands EVER, interesting fashions, but in terms of being different, being a punk or new romantic etc etc definitely difficult getting work as very judgemental and conventional society! Much more open minded nowadays. Also racism was much worse back then. Not easy getting interviews if you had foreign names!!!
I remember the 80s as being pretty tough.
But we worked hard and partied harder ❤
‘I’m not an individual’ hahaha 🤣 reminded me of Life of Brian.
8:30 - Girl in a yellow jacket, what a natural beauty ❤
Great vid. Wonder if these now 60 year olds are seeing this!
Yes. They are! 😊
Back when people actually listened to one another, rather than constantly being offended, not listening and shouting over everyone else.
Social media was non existent
I’m still a punk - if a tame version of the extreme style. I don’t care what anyone says the late 70s/early 80s era was magnificent, extraordinary years . New Romantics would have been at the height of the sub culture back then , so too goth , both spin offs of punk . I really do miss those days . Most of today’s music is crap and has been for ten years now.
In fairness, the Blitz Kids were an amalgamation of punk and glam, not just punk.
The girl who said she had to take her earrings out for an interview is gorgeous
You're easily impressed.
I was once told by a very wise person “if you haven’t got anything nice to say, say nothing”.
@@bougeac But that is quite possibly the nicest thing anyone has said to you in a long time..
Good times ...!
I loved the 80s wish I could go back didn't have stress or any worries back then
Same.
Cold war was still going on, so that was something to worry about
The trouble with anything that comes from the BBC is that you can guarantee each of these guys were hand picked for some reason or another, then taken along to a wimpey for the recording. You can tell because everyone listened politely to everyone else & didn't appear to know anyone else's names. The BBC always did this sort of thing & try to pass it off as fly on the wall type stuff. Had they turned up at a youth club or something similar to do this, the whole scene would have been totally unpredictable, very noisey & unmanageable. This way, they give their chosen, hand picked subjects a free fizzy drink at a specific wimpey on the promise they behave themselves & talk to the camera.
I would have been about the same age as these guys were at that time & it is clear to see that this group did not know each other.
ohh dear how terrible, HOW DARE THEY.....
If you'd been one of the people making this programme, you'd want youngsters who could string a sentence together and who could talk with and listen to each other without trying to dominate the conversation. I think the clip works quite well.
spot on!
we're still debating the same ideas over and over 40 years on
Teenager of the 1980s here;
Anyone else find it funny how when we we’re at school we moaned about the uniform but we (most of us) followed trends such as punk, skins, mods, rockers etc - all in effect have their own kind of uniform, ok not all exactly the same but fundamentally each “tribe” have certain protocols and dress codes.
Yeah, that's kinda true.
"I don't wanna be like everyone else, that's why I'm a MOD see !" Jimmy, Quadrophenia movie
still true among punks, skins. i dont dress as a skin anymore only for those rare gigs, nights and would never have the chelsea cut. what i hate in all this they still judge you by your investment into the fashion part and competition is big. doesnt matter that some are very disgusting characters or lack any. community and tribe based on these things is not for me
yeah but difference is it was a choice
@@kumachan9311but even though there was a uniform of sorts,there was the one-up man ship with clothes to be different within the mod culture.
It is great seeing footage like this, it takes me right back. I think that if there was no reaction to the way they dressed, they would have been disappointed and It was all a part of the game and they wanted to be noticed. However, they also did not want to be discriminated against, so as some of them said, there were some jobs that would have welcomed them. As change always takes time to develop, it should be no surprise that businesses would not like to take the risk of losing customers or business, so perhaps the discrimination was justified.
Can’t believe they’re nearing 60yr old now 😮
Yep... that’s me 60, born and raised in South London. My sister was into the punk look
We can not believe it ourselves either 😂
My kit in the 80's...
Blue or black jeans. A rock shirt tee that defined you that week, an open flannel shirt, and bargain brand docs.
I'm 56 now and my wardrobe is pretty much the same. Except the boots are now top line work boots.
Black jeans, black shirt then. Same now 💜
They were basically having a philosophical discussion on free will (and lack thereof)
Crikey the funny thing is that they now look positively normal compared to what’s out there now!
Back in the early 1980`s you had to close in on the second hand charity shops if you wanted a Slim-Jim tie or shirts that did not have Aeroplane wing collars ,No ebay and unlike today Teenagers fell into different cults with music and fanzine Pop Groups unlike today it has been stagnent for the last 35 years!
I think it’s the opposite of stagnant now. Thanks to the internet people can find any clothes they want, in any colour or style, at very low prices. I see people in fantastic outfits every day.
@@JehanineMelmoth…and they are all wearing Tracksuits or Primart t-shirts looking at their mobile phones!
@@bobbugwithoneeyeskingiskin8974 they wear a variety of clothes. As for ‘looking at their mobile phones’, they could be texting a friend, doing homework, researching something, reading an ebook, watching a film, checking the news…what’s wrong with that?
@@JehanineMelmoth I have been around a lot longer than you and people dressed up more then than they do now! Went out together more! Children have never been more depressed than they are now, even with all this technology at hand, than at any other time in history! The fact that they don’t need to work to get information or gather together to experience films, music, etc ! That is because of this technology! It has become a barrier between humans and it only getting worse!
@@bobbugwithoneeyeskingiskin8974 what makes you think you’ve been round a lot longer than I have? You don’t know how old I am. How old are you?
I love this, remember it in the day!
no one looking down at glowing rectangles in their hands, what a joy to see
Yeah cigarettes were much better 😂
What are you using to type this?
@@healthycathy9782 laptop
glowing rectangles lol dumbing things down like that is not doing yourself a favour It only adds a mawkish tone to your comment
@@canIsaythesameforyou ya mum
Thug skinhead! Very articulate young man and four O-levels is nothing to be sniffed at. I didn't do O-levels but I do know they were very difficult. Get to know the person first. Xx
Happier times
This Style is in right now amazing
1:50 cross between Rooney and Gareth Bale
Kensington Market was great back in the days. Dark, dingy with the tattoo parlour by the entrance. Then, it closed down and some of the stalls moved to Camden. Camden was great for a while, not so much now.
Camden market used to be great.
Skinheads always smart ASF ..I always worked with my feather cut
The good old days ❤️
I was in to 2-Tone so I dressed Skinhead/MOD style, I can still pull the ivy league / Mod look of today as I remained slim, so I can still wear Fred Perry polos, Ben Sherman shirts, Ralph Laureen shirts, Levi 501, Levi Sta prest trousers, etc etc. I think I must have about 40 Ben Sherman shirts. I used to reason just they like did, but I have grown up a lot since then and the world has changed for the worse since those great days. Woke came and it all turned to shyte.
We're all pushing 60 now!
Excellent opinions.
What a vibe though. Would be their friends.
I remember my grandparents being scared to walk past the punks in Rhyl with us in tow. They were very judgmental about them, shall we say! I just wanted to be one of them, although they did scare me a bit en masse.
I played my nan Never Mind The Bollocks Here's The Sex Pistols back in the day and she loved it! She thought it was the most exciting thing she'd ever heard. Good ol' Nan Lucy!
@@hopebgood Wow, that's particularly impressive for that generation. 😮
@@jennytaylor3324 I'm seen people describe the painter Francis Bacon, who was born in 1909, as one of the biggest punks around in terms of his general attitude. Just watched a documentary about him where someone said that. Not what I expected but you can sort of believe it the more you find out about him.
What's the difference between those days and today ? No matter what kind of subculture: They (we) were all WELL EDUCATED - everyone listened to everyone - and we all had wonderful illusions of changing things cause everything was new and exciting...- good times...🙏!
They would love to see the charity/thrift shops we have now!!!
Comments on ‘1982: '80s TEENAGERS on CLOTHES and CONFORMITY | 16 Up | Voice of the People | BBC Archive’ 0854am 25.9.24 watch the young ones and the young adults skit... yeah.... right on!!! noel...
Oh they would go mad for faded out of shape primark t-shirts and piss stained Tesco chinos
@lgiddey We had charity and vintage shops then too....I bought a lot of my clothes back in the 80s and 90s from these shops.
@@lgiddey they would order temu stuf rather than lifting their arse and look all the same..
I remember PHAZE clothing in Dat Lundun. I remember the long wool coat era. Every alternative had one while the ‘society’was strictly Berghaus and no, no ‘Lewy who?was even known…groannnn
My birth dad was in his 20’s in 1982 and my birth mom was 13 in 1982 ! Go 80’s and I born in 1992 ! 😊