Valley girl
Valley girl is a term coined in the 1970s. Originally identifying a woman who lived in the San Fernando Valley area of Los Angeles, California, it morphed into a much more involved stereotype in the 1980s. During that time, the valley girl look - a combination of pastel and neon colours, ruffles and lace, tutus and leggings and bodysuits - was very popular. A valley girl is typically thought to be ditzy, or totally airheaded. She is characterised as blonde-haired, probably dyed, and is sometimes portrayed as hyper-sexual.A certain dialect of speech became associated with valley girls; it was known as "val-speak." During the 1980s it was very common to hear everyday teenagers using val-speak. Words like "like," "way," "totally" and "duh" were interjected in the middle of phrases and sentences as emphasizers without actual meaning. Some of the slang included:
- "Barf me out!" ("That's disgusting.")
- "Fer sure." ("Definitely.")
- "Totally." ("Yes." or "Definitely." or "Very much.")
- "Gag me with a spoon"
In 1982 a Frank Zappa single entitled "Valley Girl", featuring his daughter Moon Unit, speaking typical Valley Girl phrases, became Zappa's only US Top 40 single.
In 1983 a film called "Valley Girl" was released starring actor Nicholas Cage and actress Deborah Foreman.
Some performers from the era who personified and popularized the valley girl image include:
- Julie Brown
- Brooke Theiss (""Just the Ten of Us"")
