Saturday Night Fever-Is It Still a Thing?

Does Saturday night still feel the same to you?

Do you still have Saturday Night Fever? The iconic movie starring John Travolta with his killer dance moves came out in 1977, and oh boy has the rest of the world moved on! I was wondering how many other people have had a shift in their attitude about Saturday night over the years.

Travolta has a typical boring job at a paint store in New York. He physically lives at home but longs for Saturday nights, when he and his buddies go to the local disco and dance the night away.

Psychologically and emotionally, he lives for the weekend. It’s still a great movie, with a simple plot. Boy meets girl, they enter a dancing contest and fall in love. Mission accomplished!

Sort of like that song “Everybody’s Working for the Weekend” in 1981 by Lover Boy:

“Everybody’s working for the weekend,

Everybody wants a new romance…

You want a piece of my heart

You better start from the start….”

Saturday night used to be the hottest, most exciting day of the week. Everybody who was anybody went out and tried to “get lucky” and hook up.

Young people would scheme and dream, float and gloat about how great they looked, and strategize with their friends on where to go, what to wear, and how best to “score” with some random hottie.

It was the greatest feeling, the shattering of boundaries, the flouting of convention, and the almost unbearable feeling of being totally free.

That feeling of stepping out of your body, to transcend the limitations and constraints of the ordinary work-a-day world for just that one magical night where anything can happen and all your dreams come true

We all became larger-than-life versions of ourselves. Many young adults ended up meeting the love of their lives on these Saturday night excursions into the world of fantasy, adventure, and the thrill of the chase.

Fueled by alcohol, the drugs of your choice, and the support of your besties, everybody felt like they were on a magic carpet ride.

We were all always super confident that this Saturday night would be the one where everybody went home happy and had the time of their young adult lives.

It was dynamic because dancing is healthy and very aerobic.

It was exhilarating because you never knew if you would score or strike out, go home with the new love of your life, or feel the pain of rejection.

It was an endorphin rush like no other.

People usually went to their regular clubs where there was plenty of booze and everybody was there for the same reason.

People always went out with their besties, sometimes with a designated driver but even in those pre-rideshare days, usually not.

Usually at least one of your group would “get lucky” and the car would be one rider lighter on the way back home.

They didn’t call them “meat markets” for nothing.

Another movie from 1977 called “Looking for Mr. Goodbar” was a smash hit that showcased the darker side of hooking up with strangers, based on a real-life murder of a NYC school teacher.

But nobody ever thought that anything bad could happen to them. We were young, we were strong, we were bulletproof. Well almost.

But now, things seem to have changed. The 5-day work week is a thing of the past, and many people have to work on Saturdays, even late into the night. Saturday is just another day on the calendar.

The proliferation of dating apps and instant anonymous hookups has become mainstream and ubiquitous. The younger generation has a new perspective on random sex. It is commonly accepted.

But the more things change, the more they stay the same. The urge to merge is a primeval drive that just won’t go away.

Yet somehow, the magic seems to have gone out of the equation. Were we ever that young and excitable?

Did we really plan all week with our besties for that one glorious night in the spotlight?

Was it a real thing, or just another example of the same old song?

One thing remains. The best dancers, like John Travolta, in Saturday Night Fever, still have the best chances of success in a club.

It was fun. The beat goes on, but it’s different now. We are all connected…