Nostalgia for the Nineties
So I had a 90's flashback a couple weeks ago. I went to the mall. I had a Mrs. Fields cookie. And I walked out with a Green Day CD and a Mortal Kombat video game. I'm pretty sure I had an experience just like that when I was in 8th grade... back in 1995. The only real difference in the whole experience is that I'm 15+ years older and I bought the CD at Borders instead of a Wherehouse, because Wherehouses have long gone the way of the DoDo. But it got me thinking about the Nineties. That period in my life that I loved oh so much. I'll always consider myself a 90's kid. Sure, I was born in 1980 and experienced that rad decade, but my high school and teen years were in the 90's and that's the decade that defines me. Besides, I didn't really take anything away from the 80's. Maybe Michael Jackson. And sort of Metallica, though I didn't really get into them until the 90's. But not much else that's still relevant today. No, it was the 90's that I'll be telling my grandkids about. And so tonight, I bring you on a nostalgic journey of flannels, roller blades, and grunge! Why I loved the 90's...
Because Claire Danes was a perfect portrayal of a high school teenager in the 90's and My So-Called Life was one of the best one season shows of all time.
Because music became real with bands like Nirvana, Soundgarden, and Pearl Jam taking over the airwaves and putting crappy pop and 80's hair metal in the rearview mirror (both have since made comebacks in the aughts).
Because Green Day made punk mainstream with the release of an album named after shit.
Because you had to wait and listen to the radio and have a tape ready to record to get that ONE song you wanted on a mix tape. (A mix tape, boys and girls, was what we used to make before "Playlists" on the iPod were invented and taping a song was the only way you could get a song you liked instead of downloading it in seconds).
Because the nighttime teen soap opera was born. I was never a big Beverly Hills 90210 fan, but I sure loved Shannen Doherty. And I was absolutely addicted to Melrose Place and in love with Laura Leighton.
Because MTV actually played music videos with only Dead at 21, Singled Out, and The Real World seemingly being the programs that interfered.
Because Jurassic Park was the most magical theatrical journey a teenage boy could take at the theaters (and it still holds up today). On the flipside, Titanic was probably the same for teen girls.
Because although The Simpsons laid the groundwork in 1989, South Park debuted in the 90's, as did Beavis & Butt-head and Family Guy, all pushing the envelope for adult cartoons.
Because Perry Farrell basically created the idea of annual festival shows with Lollapalooza which led to Warped Tour which led to a continued influence on big ticket concert tours today (Outside Lands, ACL, SXSW, Coachella, etc).
Because Bradley Nowell (Sublime) and Gwen Stefani (No Doubt) and to a lesser extent the one album wonders Reel Big Fish helped bring ska/punk into the limelight and introduced the world to the happy dance known as "skanking".
Because gangsta rap was born by two friends turned enemies in Tupac and Biggie and rap was the better for it.
Because the internet was born and nothing was cooler than chatting with strangers on AOL and doing random a/s/l checks in chat rooms. Oh, you didn't forget about the a/s/l checks did you? (Age/Sex/Location).
Because people streaked their hair different colors, which was a much better fad than highlighting the tips that would follow it in the 2000's (all of which I've done in my time).
Because skater chic was born in the 90's and peaked with the invention of the X-games.
Because cell phones and texting hadn't exploded and the only way to get in touch with someone was to call their home or (gasp) page them. Pager code was prehistoric texting.
Because there was no Social Media and people actually interacted with other people IN PERSON.
All these reasons are why I loved the 90's. What were your favorites of the 90s? What did I forget?
Because Claire Danes was a perfect portrayal of a high school teenager in the 90's and My So-Called Life was one of the best one season shows of all time.
Because music became real with bands like Nirvana, Soundgarden, and Pearl Jam taking over the airwaves and putting crappy pop and 80's hair metal in the rearview mirror (both have since made comebacks in the aughts).
Because Green Day made punk mainstream with the release of an album named after shit.
Because you had to wait and listen to the radio and have a tape ready to record to get that ONE song you wanted on a mix tape. (A mix tape, boys and girls, was what we used to make before "Playlists" on the iPod were invented and taping a song was the only way you could get a song you liked instead of downloading it in seconds).
Because the nighttime teen soap opera was born. I was never a big Beverly Hills 90210 fan, but I sure loved Shannen Doherty. And I was absolutely addicted to Melrose Place and in love with Laura Leighton.
Because MTV actually played music videos with only Dead at 21, Singled Out, and The Real World seemingly being the programs that interfered.
Because Jurassic Park was the most magical theatrical journey a teenage boy could take at the theaters (and it still holds up today). On the flipside, Titanic was probably the same for teen girls.
Because although The Simpsons laid the groundwork in 1989, South Park debuted in the 90's, as did Beavis & Butt-head and Family Guy, all pushing the envelope for adult cartoons.
Because Perry Farrell basically created the idea of annual festival shows with Lollapalooza which led to Warped Tour which led to a continued influence on big ticket concert tours today (Outside Lands, ACL, SXSW, Coachella, etc).
Because Bradley Nowell (Sublime) and Gwen Stefani (No Doubt) and to a lesser extent the one album wonders Reel Big Fish helped bring ska/punk into the limelight and introduced the world to the happy dance known as "skanking".
Because gangsta rap was born by two friends turned enemies in Tupac and Biggie and rap was the better for it.
Because the internet was born and nothing was cooler than chatting with strangers on AOL and doing random a/s/l checks in chat rooms. Oh, you didn't forget about the a/s/l checks did you? (Age/Sex/Location).
Because people streaked their hair different colors, which was a much better fad than highlighting the tips that would follow it in the 2000's (all of which I've done in my time).
Because skater chic was born in the 90's and peaked with the invention of the X-games.
Because cell phones and texting hadn't exploded and the only way to get in touch with someone was to call their home or (gasp) page them. Pager code was prehistoric texting.
Because there was no Social Media and people actually interacted with other people IN PERSON.
All these reasons are why I loved the 90's. What were your favorites of the 90s? What did I forget?
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