Pitch Perfect: a Classic 2010’s Period Piece

Pitch Perfect, the 2012 film that had “aca-nerds” and “gleeks” in a frenzy. Now, I recently rewatched the film to see if it stood the test of time. Spoiler alert, it didn’t. However, as I was embarking on this cinematic journey, I realized that though it might not be an amazing film, it’s true to the 2010’s and ultimately should be considered a period piece.

I know what you’re thinking, “How in the world is Pitch Perfect a period piece?” but hear me out. The film holds a lot of cultural significance to the 2010’s.

1) The Acapella craze of the 2010’s

Truly, acapella was at its peak in the 2010’s. With shows like Glee and bands like Pentatonix being popular at the time, it’s hard to downplay the impact acapella had on the 2010’s. Even 2010’s smash hit singer Karmin made a song about it (unfortunately, the song is not acapella). You truly couldn’t escape it. It was so popular that people were even saying the acapella covers from Glee were better than the original songs. Spoiler alert again, they weren’t. You really couldn’t escape the impact of acapella singing. Even I was in a glee club.

Photo Credit: Jasper Place High School

2) The Cup Song

Need I say more? The cup song had everyone and their dog in a chokehold. It was so popular that Pitch Perfect star Anna Kendrick recorded a professional version of it, a music video for it, and it was played on radio stations! Luckily it couldn’t be submitted for a Grammy, but if it could, it would’ve won. Now, if we’re being honest, the cup game was big at overnight summer camps way before Pitch Perfect, but it didn’t gain popularity and recognition until Anna Kendrick combined it with The Carter Family’s 1931 hit “When I’m Gone.” The significance of “Cups (When I’m Gone)” has since carried on to Junior High talent shows across the world and now Millennials and Gen-Z’s have to resist the urge to tap on a cup when they see one.

3) The 2010’s Fashion

The business casual aesthetic of The Barden Bellas uniform? The skinny jeans? The pumps and smokey eyes? It practically brings you back to the 2010’s. If the side parts and empire waists didn’t give it away, I’m sure the amount of plaid printed short sleeves will. With all of the low-cut/v-neck shirts in this film, it’s pretty hard to distance it from the 2010’s. These were all staples in fashion during the 2010’s and help add to the fact that Pitch Perfect is so 2010’s coded.

Truthfully, Pitch Perfect is the 2010’s and there’s no doubt about it. Watching the movie back, it felt like I went back in time to a world of Victoria’s Secret body sprays and khaki shorts. You really can’t deny it’s cultural significance and that’s why I fully believe it should be labelled a period piece even if it isn’t the greatest movie.

Comments