Michael Galinsky’s Throwback Snaps Recall a Time of Colorful Stores and Loud Arcades
Once upon a period, American shopping malls were the middle of social life. And while today the once-ubiquitous centers of consumerism are closing up, a look back at these time capsule shots of a bygone era brings you right back again to those heady times.
As the 1980s dawned, a number of these glistening, glass-enclosed cathedrals of consumerist hedonism opened over the country. At their peak, there were around 2,500 malls spread out over the US. But online shopping and the rise of suburbanization have put scores of those once-grand malls out of business.
During their heyday, malls became the nation’s new public square. These were a spot where you could get all of your shopping done in a single spot, catch a film, or grab a mouthful to eat. These were an ideal place to generally meet friends and see what your neighbors were buying. But primarily, malls offered a secure space to socialize, clear of the troubles of the surface world. https://time.com/3805133/flashback-to-the-timeless-malls-of-the-1980s/
But the idea of a mall being an idealized town center for middle-class white people was a social fantasy that couldn’t endure economic hardship, civil rights movements, or war. So it’s no wonder that films concerning the heyday of mall culture stayed stuck in 1950s nostalgia with a white-knuckled grip.
From the cult classics of Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure to the teen kingdom of Valley Girl, malls were an integral site in the mythology of young America. In case of the latter, it absolutely was a space where good-girls (Deborah Foreman) and their wrong-side-of-the-tracks guys (Nicolas Cage) could bond to savor some hedonistic fun.
Yet malls in films of the era also established them as spaces of danger and hedonism. The absolute most famous example was George Romero’s Dawn of the Dead, in which a zombie invasion forced shoppers into hedonistic consumption. Much more subtle films, such as Fast Times at Ridgemont High or Valley Girl, depicted malls as hedonistic teen paradises where in actuality the privileged can escape from the troubles of the surface world.
But as malls evolved to cater more to entertainment and leisure, their role in American social life began to decline. In the 1990s, malls started adding playgrounds, concert halls, and more to attract consumers away from traditional retail outlets. And with the rise of the web, shopping became less of a social activity and more of someone pursuit. Whilst these photos of a mall-gone-by show, the modern day equivalent of a shopping center has be of a digital destination for individuals who want to buy products but don’t care to spend much time with other people. But despite their declining popularity, it’s still very possible that some of these iconic shopping spots will survive, and you may even see one in a film someday. For now, though, set aside a second to Flashback to the Timeless Malls of the 1980s.
Eduardo Verastegui 
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