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 the film called "Valley Girl" was released starring actor Nicholas Cage and actress Deborah Foreman. This movie became a hit of its time for both up and coming actor Cage, and its soundtracks of New Wave artists whose popularity peaked at that time.
Some performers from the era who personified and popularized the Valley Girl image include:
- Julie Brown
- Brooke Theiss (""Just the Ten of Us"")