#mEmphis.

[darkpastelpurple]

Jerma Memphis

#is this anything #is this jerma memphis #is this #j #e #r #m #a #mEmphis.

[waffled0g]

Everyone gets “The 90s” look wrong and I hate it

Couple years ago I saw these two board games at the store back to back. Well, not saw them per se, but ya know. Spied them out of the corner of my eye. And for a moment without reading the text, I couldn’t tell you which was which decade at first. Funny. Either they were in a rush to get these out the door or they wanted their throwback trivia game boxes to look uniform. I didn’t think too much of it.

Only, from then on I started seeing it MORE. Every time someone markets a 90s or 80s throwback...

Goddammit they’re identical! What??! How did we let this happen? As a 90s survivor and a designer, this drives me up a wall.

Look, I know I’m late to the party to complain about “the 90s look” when we’re just starting to get sick of the Y2K nostalgia train. But c’mon, the 90s were not The 80s: Part Two™ 

Trust me when I say that we weren’t all wearing neon trapezoids up until the year 2000. The 90s look being peddled is so specific to the tail end of the 80s and an early early part of the 90s - a part of the 90s when it wouldn’t stop being the 80s. This is Memphis design being conflated with the wrong decade.

Keep reading for a long ass graphic design history lesson and pictures of old soda and fast food.

Specifically, the look is Memphis Milano, self-named by the Italian design house Memphis Group. Starting in the early to mid 80s, they made all sorts of furniture, fabrics and sculptures that were like a Piet Mondrian grid painting under heavy radiation. Their whole deal was defying the standards of existing industrial design up to that point on purpose. Chairs had weird arches, bookcases would be in strange alien colors, unusual materials like plastic or elastic were used in place of metal or wood, that sorta thing.

Memphis quickly became the signature look for the decade. You can tell something’s influenced by Memphis design from it’s telltale trademarks:

Clashing, neon colors.

Use of diametric shapes.

Contrasting patterns like zebra print stripes, confetti squiggles and checkerboards.

It wasn’t long before Memphis Milano-inspired design was everywhere in 80s pop culture:

It was a special time, yes.

I was a kindergartener at the tail end of the 80s, so I knew Memphis mostly through the lens of kids media. Toys, clothes, games, tv shows used it like candy colored catnip. Cable channel Nickelodeon more or less adopted the Memphis aesthetic as their signature in-house style and practically built a monument to it at a Florida theme park:

I think this is why folks mistake what decade Memphis is representative of - 90s staples like Nick, Saved By The Bell, Fresh Prince - they all stayed around much longer than the design trend’s expiration date. 

Couple that notion with the fact that companies are slow followers to design trends. Something gets popular and they want to get on the bandwagon? Gotta wait for the ink to dry, gotta wait for the production molds to be made. It would take a few years for them to completely work Memphis outta their system.

Now, this is not to say Memphis is bad! Personally I’m a fan of the aesthetic, if my neon-drenched artwork wasn’t a tip-off already. But it is a trend, and trends never last forever.

So what took the Memphis Milano look down for good? This part’s up for debate, but I personally think it had something to do with this dude:

It’s that grunge music from Seattle that’s so popular with the kids these days dontchaknow.

Once Smells Like Teen Spirit hit in 1991, the Nirvana tone drove the rest of the decade. Clean geometry became weathered, grainy and organic. Bright neon pastels became more bold. Bubblegum pop music sounded fake and manufactured. Attitude and apathy was authentic. Whatever.

Things got grungy. Things got grimy. Olestra was invented.

I think the best way to visualize this transition is how Cherry Coke entered the decade and how it left it:

1992 Memphis on the left, 1998 grunge junkie on the right. Fitting that the 90s would end with a design that looked like Darth Maul’s lungs.

Okay, so what should 90s retro design look like?

Continue on to PART TWO! Spoilers: No VHS filters or vaporwave needed, but maybe bring an antacid.

#90s #1990s #memphis milano #grunge #everything you know is wrong #y2k

[eightsixxx]

XXX; (Memphis.)

#SoundCloud #music #Memphis. #MEMPHISMAN #BASS NATION #BASS #ELECTRONIC #soundcloud

[toshootforthestars]

(X)   (X)

ALT TEXT:

Jack Mirkinson on 27 Jan 2023 posted:

a lot of people will say that these things are very complicated but it’s actually pretty simple: this is who the cops are and this is who they will always be

the cops have been indiscriminately killing and brutalizing black people for approximately their entire existence. at a certain point maybe people might want to accept that this is one of their core functions

Bree Newsome Bass on 27 Jan 2023 posted:

“How can it be racist if the police are Black?” BECAUSE THE INSTITUTION OF POLICING ITSELF  IS RACIST

This is why it never works when people try to deflect from the fact that policing itself is the problem & therefore can not be reformed into a solution

There were Black people who worked on the slave patrols & who were hired to help kidnap Africans too. What is difficult to understand?

Who actually controls the institution of policing? The white elite & the ruling class. Who is most impacted by the violence of policing? Poor people, the working class and Black people. Again, what is not clicking here?

#food for thought #tyre nichols #news #memphis #memphis tn #us law enforcement is out of control

[justseventeen]

"January 1985. 'A Sure Cure for the "Bed Room Blahs" -- New Wave Novelties!'

#seventeen magazine #1980s style #1985 #memphis design #decor

[mysharona1987]

#tyre nichols #blm #news #memphis #twitter #poc #quotes

[fruitiermetrostation]

Eras of Aesthetics

#art #design #fashion #flat design #frutiger aero #history #graphic design #graphics #illustration #memphis design #photography #technology #timeline #y2k

[leidensygdom]

I did an outfit for Memphis (tiefling warlock), who belongs to Chitabs!

She's just got the coolest aesthetic around there and I couldn't resist playing with it! (Reblogs are super appreciated~)

#dnd #dungeons and dragons #tiefling #fantasy #warlock #dnd art #original character #character design #sygdomthings #syg2023 #memphis #demon #monster #monster girl #terato #necromancer #fashion #pathfinder #art #digital art #artists on tumblr

[warakami-vaporwave]

Stereo 1995 1am (print version)

#retrowave #synthwave #vhs #90s #90s kids #vaporwave #colorful #80s #neon #glowing #newretrowave #newretro #glitch #vhs edit #90s aesthetic #abstract #a e s t h e t i c #artists on tumblr #art #memphis group

[paintingafterpainting]

https://www.reddit.com/r/Design/comments/l0nyxp/judith_disrupting_holofernes_gentileschi_x/

#corporate memphis

[haveyouheardthisband]

#Southern Hip Hop #Memphis Rap #Crunk #Gangsta Rap #Dirty South #Horrorcore #1990s #2000s #USA #poll

[vaporwave]

#vaporwave #retrowave #80s #90s #patrick nagel #memphis #bedroom

[gooberscollage]

Patterns from Ten Swedish Designers : printed patterns by Kerstin Wickman (2001)

#collage #collage material #art #magazine #art materials #kidcore #1980s #1990s #80s #90s #geometric #arcade carpet #Memphis #Memphis style #abstract #pattern #fabric #funky

[wanderingelvis]

Hi, I really loved your headcanons for how Elvis would talk about an innocent reader to his friends, and I was wondering if you could write an imagine or short fic going more in depth on the mafia guy's not-so-pure feelings for the reader?

I love this suggestion, I hope what I've written is okay - not been feeling the most confident in my work lately! 🧚

🧚 Masterlist 🧚

Everything always manages to fly right over your pretty little head

Dirty jokes, condescending comments, telling looks

Even when someone has to sit you down and explain to you what's going on, sometimes you just still won't understand

Even though you try to understand, sometimes you'll nod along with wide eyes and those pouty lips, at everything that's being said just to try and seem like you're convincing someone, anyone

But it's what makes you utterly adorable to Elvis

And to the rest of the Memphis Mafia

You're so goddamn clueless and innocent that you instantly make anyone with a bit more knowledge than you feel special

You'll cling to them, ask them questions, listen to every word they have to say and try and understand it

And you'll make them feel like they're the most important person in the world to you at that moment

And goddamn, that's an addictive feeling for any man to feel

So it only made sense when Elvis moved you into Graceland with him and you became Elvis' little darling

And the Memphis Mafia's little darling by default

They're all infatuated with you in some way

And Elvis knows

He knows that he's got the prettiest, sweetest, most adorable little thing in the world

So he knows he ain't gonna be the only one to be blown away by you

There's a policy of "look but don't touch" when it comes to you

For no reason, other than your safety, should any of the Mafia try to get handsy with you

But oh boy, do they dream about it

They know better though, they know how possessive and protective Elvis is of you

"I catch any one of you fellas tryin' it on with my Y/N and I swear there'll be goddamn hell to pay."

Elvis tells them on afternoon

You never notice the stares from all of the men

Or the looks they exchange with each other whenever you twirl around or bend over slightly too much and your pretty little panties become exposed

And whilst as a collective, they intimidate many

How else did they get the name, 'Memphis Mafia'?

They don't intimidate you

No, in fact, you'll sit by Sonny all night during a poker game, having him explain the rules and help you with your hand

You'll ask him questions like he's the best poker player in the world all night

And he'll feel incredible because of it

You'll babble and babble at him with questions and he has to try and not laugh as he finds it just so endearing how clueless you are

But how totally determined you are to be able to play with all of the men

And when you play a great hand at the poker game because of Sonny's help, all of the big, old men will suddenly shower you with praise, making you blush and get all nervous and shy at the onslaught of attention

"Atta girl!"

Sonny will chuckle

And you giggle that angelic giggle and give Sonny a hug, thanking him for his help

Only for Sonny to be aware of the unspoken and invisible policy that hangs over your head and he catches Elvis' eye from across the poker table, and he's watching you and Sonny like a hawk

"Why don't you go show EP what you did, hey hon?"

Sonny will suggest, letting you run to Elvis who smiles warmly at you, and engulfs you in a cuddle

A cuddle that makes you feel practically giddy with delight as he effortlessly brings you onto his lap, holding your tummy with his strong arm, keeping you in place

"My clever girl."

Elvis coos in your ear as you sit in his lap, making you smile bashfully and squirm about

Many of the Mafia members watch Elvis' interactions with you and whilst they wouldn't admit it, they were jealous

So goddamn jealous

Wishing it was their laps that you would settle in

That it was the rings on their fingers that you'd absent-mindedly play with when the men were talkin' about things you couldn't understand

Wishing it was them that would end up taking you upstairs and undress you

That it would be them that you'd giggle to as they kissed your body all over

That it would be them that would fuck you endlessly and they'd hear your sweet little cries and moans all night long

Only for you to say thank you at the end

Because you're such a good girl

But it isn't them that gets to experience that, and it never will be

It's Elvis, it's always Elvis

He has your heart

But the members of the Memphis Mafia will settle for having even just a conversation with you

Because even if Elvis has you, at least they have their sinful thoughts of you

#elvis imagine #elvis #elvis presley #elvis x reader #elvis smut #elvis x y/n #elvis fluff #elvis x you #70s elvis #yandere elvis #60s elvis #50s elvis #elvis the pelvis #elvis fanfic #elvis x oc #elvis presley x reader #elvis angst #elvis the king #elvis fans #memphis mafia #jerry schilling #innocent!reader #innocent reader

[usafphantom2]

14 March 2018. Boeing B-17F-10-BO Flying Fortress 41-24485, “Memphis Belle,” at the National Museum of the United States Air Force, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio.

@ron_eisele via X

#b 17 flying fortress #Memphis Belle #usaaf #bomber #ww2 aircraft #Usafphantom2

[derangedrhythms]

She looked like she had been to the underworld and back and could speak the language of the dead and the lost.

Tara M. Stringfellow, from 'Memphis'

#tara m. stringfellow #memphis #prose #p #quotations from books i didn't like