Revisiting When Harry Met Sally: Is Gen X Ready for This Super Bowl Comeback?
When it comes to nostalgia, handle with care.
By Erin Mantz
When “When Harry Met Sally” hit theaters in 1989, Generation X was 9–24 years old. Our whole lives were ahead of us. Like Meg Ryan’s haircut, my 19-year-old friends and I were perky and playful, independent and ambitious, looking for love. We still believed in romance and chance encounters. And why wouldn’t we? Meg Ryan made an entire generation believe in meant-to-be happy endings.
When we stood in line for tickets to see the film in 1989, the San Francisco 49ers faced the Cincinnati Bengals in Super Bowl XXIII. I vaguely remember Joe Montana’s game-winning drive, but I do remember his twinkly blue eyes and my friends and I digging into Cool Ranch Doritos. And interestingly, I remember being moved by Coke’s “Mean Joe Greene” commercial, where that cute little boy gives the player a Coke, and he throws the kid his jersey. That commercial also counted on nostalgia. It first aired in 1979, and Coke brought it back in 1989. Seeing that again was fun.
But with Harry and Sally headed back into our lives via the Hellmann’s Mayonnaise Super Bowl commercial, will this reunion feel right, or will it twist the knife in our now-busted midlife illusions?
Meg Ryan and Billy Crystal look, well, older now. I know — we Gen Xers do, too. Seeing them may bring back all sorts of things we were tempted to believe in when we saw them last, when we were young: society’s expectations about love, friendship, and marriage; ideas about commitment and heartbreak. In 1989, we were on a journey to figure all that out, just like Harry and Sally.
For many of us, the road ahead was unexpected and bumpy. We found our way, but when things weren’t all resolved in the film’s 96-minute run time, we were let down. While I’m not sure Gen X will welcome Harry and Sally back or believe in the magic anymore, I’m guessing we are willing to give the commercial a try. We do love our nostalgia, the ’80s, and love. Our curiosity will not let us look away.
As the Founder of Gen X Girls Grow Up, a Facebook community of 33,000 Gen X women, I felt a little silly being concerned when I heard about this commercial. “YOU must be so excited,” some said. I stifled my skepticism at first and smiled anyway. In recent years, I’ve posted lots of news about ’80s revivals of things we loved growing up — Punky Brewster (canceled), Judy Blume’s “Are You There, God? It’s Me, Margaret” (one of the rare things done right by us).
I Googled the “When Sally Met Hellmann’s” commercial to see what all the fuss was about. The familiar sound of Billy Crystal’s voice (and, as my Jewish grandma used to say, “schtick”) immediately transported me back to the ’80s. Funny enough, his first line in the commercial is: “I can’t believe they let us back in here.” Exactly, I thought! Seeing Sydney Sweeney from “Euphoria” with them is a jarring juxtaposition.
As a Gen X girl, I should embrace this commercial, but it only made me reflect on what has and hasn’t changed in 30 years.
What hasn’t changed?
- Everyone is still searching for an answer to the iconic question “Can men and women just be friends?” With the pandemic and remote work ushering in the death of the “work spouse,” this question became even harder to answer.
- We are all still vulnerable in relationships — and in general.
- When it comes to chemistry with someone, you either have it or you don’t, even if you don’t realize it yet.
- Also, we are still trying to find a great deli.
What has changed?
- Unlike Harry and Sally in 1989, we don’t have the time or inclination to drive across the country without a cell phone, Apple Music or SiriusXM.
- Cozy bookstores like the one in the movie are falling by the wayside.
- Chance encounters are less likely; no one is running into their ex while shopping on Amazon. (If you do, you have a great story there.)
Oversized blazers have given way to oversized hoodies emblazoned with our kids’ college logos, an $85 bookstore token (we’re “treating” ourselves) that serves as a tribute to our kids’ tuition bills and reminds us how much we miss them.
Seeing Harry and Sally reminds me how much I miss the way movie theaters used to be, when we barreled in with some quarters in our pocket for a Coke and scrambled for seats in real time. We looked up at the screen with the element of surprise, unprepped by social media sneak peeks and spoilers.
Does Generation X romanticize the past? Unclear. We rejected New Coke, but many of us did see “Top Gun: Maverick.”
Where does that leave us with this commercial? We are deeply drawn to the nostalgia of our growing up years, and the traits that shaped us in the ’80s remain. What’s funny is some of those traits and memories are kind of tough. Gen X is skeptical and cynical, strong and disillusioned. But we are adaptable, too — and it’s just mayonnaise. Or does it stand for something more?
While an absolutely brilliant marketing move, I don’t know if this commercial is clever or risky. Maybe some things better left in 1989, like Milli Vanilli and acid-washed jeans. Eyes glued to the Super Bowl commercials — press pause if you need to; it’s not 1989 anymore — let’s see how this plays out.
