Whatever happened to the Valley Girls?
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Do you remember the Valley Girls of the '80's?
The term originally referred specifically to affluent young women living in the San Fernando Valley area of Los Angeles. The term morphed in the 1980's and 1990's to represent a more widespread and cartoonish stereotype of young women-typically characterized by a "ditzy" or "airheaded" personality, and unapologetically "spoiled" behavior that showed more interest in shopping, personal appearance and popular social status rather than in any intellectual pursuit.
That really is no different than many teens in other time periods but the Valley Girls left their mark with their language interjections and their personification became popular world wide.
Remember...
- As if
Barf me out!
- Whatever!
- Fer shur
- Totally
- Gag me with a spoon!
- Tubular
- Grody to the max!
- Like, oh my God
- I'm suuure!
- Tripendicular! .
- Totally Radical, Dude!
- You are totally sluggin'!
- Betty - an attractive woman
All sentences seemed to have been spoken as a question... with words like 'way', 'totally', 'duh', and 'like' interjected in the middle of phrases. You will still hear some of these used today of course.
In Southern California the term "Valley Girl" refers to girls from the San Fernando Valley.
In context it is associated with a spoiled "white" girl from an upper class background who socializes with other "valley girls" in cliques. In nearby regions of the San Fernando Valley people will often call a girl a "valley girl" or tell her to "go back to the valley" if she is showing signs of materialism and/or ditzy behavior.
Recent population shifts have changed the image of the valley girl, which may not have registered with those not familiar with Los Angeles' current racial makeup.
During the 90's the demographics of the San Fernando Valley changed dramatically into mostly lower middle-class Chicano households (due in part to illegal immigration), Today's typical "Valley Girl" is no longer white, affluent, and English-speaking but rather Hispanic, low-income, and bilingual.
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Right on!
Ahhhh.. the American "fads".... the "mindless" energy of youth! May it always abound.. for then we know all is still right with our country!
CJ 4 years ago
The Valley Girls (of the 80's) grew up and became mothers!!!Yes, they are now the "parents" of those little darlins' that have-ta-have the clothes worn by Paris, Lindsy, Britney, and any other so-called "talent" in HollywoodLand.
The NEW VALLEY GIRL, who slipped over the border and failed to have proper papers or failed to learn English, will be short-lived, just as their 80's counterpart. Just as the Go-Go Girls, Moon Walking, Disco, and any other "sign-of-the-time" that is now departed, the Valley Girls, on any level are a figment of their own creation and there they shall always stay!
How can a society have any alliengence to any group that is so pathetic and lacking so much of any value or lasting purpose.