You know, it’s starting to hit me that the ’90s were 20 years ago. I realized this when I learned that Jonathan Taylor Thomas turned thirty-three last week. Crazy, right? (And I thought he would be a twelve year old forever.) It seems as if ’90s have made a comeback these last few years; whether it be in fashion, pop culture or just plain old reminiscing. And let’s face it, every generation it seems has had it’s nostalgia for previous decades. But now, they have finally called.
As a former ’90s kid, I think that the they were pretty great. Am I biased? Most likely. In the days before the internet really really kicked off, there were a lot of things that defined this decade, and made it pretty spectacular. Here are my reasons why the 1990s made for the last great decade of the 20th century.
1. Better rap music. That’s right. I’m not generally a fan of a rap, but I’m a fan of ’90s rap. (Or could it be considered hip hop?) Mainly because it was catchy, and oh so easy to remember the lyrics. (for another example, go here)
2. Better music in general.
Hey look! It’s the 20th anniversary of the Little Rascals, FYI.
3. The quality of kids movies. If the 80s were the height of teen movies, I’d say the ’90s filled that role for younger kids pretty darn well. Just to name a few… Hook, Home Alone, The Lion King, Little Rascals, the Babysitter’s Club, Camp Nowhere, Now and Then, the Sandlot, Heavy Weights–man, we got some good movies. They had good story lines, they were fulfilling, often hilarious, and so very ’90s. And ok, the teen movies such as Clueless/10 Things I Hate About You/whatever first comes to mind aren’t that bad. Let’s just say they reached their prime.
4. Some stand out fashion trends. Ok, since I was technically a kid in those days, I didn’t have defined sense of style… Unless it was something like this, or anything related to the Spice Girls. Like that time when I happily wore my first pair of platform shoes. (Only to never put them on again.) However, my older sister kept up with the trends, so whatever she wore, was most likely in style. The bold patterns and bright colours were a must; and before haute couture became the rage, it was all about keeping things cool and comfortable, and often times, grungy. Interestingly enough, there was a big ’70s revival going on in the ’90s, like with bell bottomed jeans, tinted sun glasses, and of course, the aformentioned platform shoes. That’s not to say there weren’t bad fashion moments, but let’s just say they won’t be returning anytime soon. I hope…
5. The slang. “Dude.” “Psyche!” “Wuzaaaaaa????” “This is the ‘90s!” Especially the last one. It’s the only one you can say that sounds proper.
6. Kick ass leading ladies. If you’re into the supernatural, Xena, Buffy, the Charmed Ladies, Sabrina, Sailor Moon… Can you say Girl Power?
7. The endless book series for kids/teens. My favourite series would have had to be the Babysitter’s Club, the Black Cat Club and Goosebumps, and maybe even the odd Bailey School Kids book. Also, remember Animorphs??! There were some really great series available to fill our imaginations.
8. The tv shows. I can’t say much for the adult stuff (since I never watched any), but I can’t say enough of the tv for the younger crowd! Are you Afraid of the Dark, Animaniacs, Rugrats, Power Rangers, Fresh Prince, Ninja Turtles… Just to name a few. Is it just me, or has the whole idea range for kids shows regressed since then? It’s since gotten a lot less bad ass, and more… *insert something here.*
9. We managed to survive days on end without a piece of technology glued to our sides. Sure, we had cellphones, but they were just cellphones. No internet on them, no camera, no games, just a mere phone to call somebody with. Can you imagine?
10. Totally hip dance trends. If you didn’t know the Macarena, then who the hell were you???
11. Sodalicious. ‘Nuff said.
12. It was the last decade for dangerous playground equipment, which they’ve since traded for boring plastic playground structures. I think they’ve phased out metal slides everywhere in my neck of the woods.
13. Cassette tapes. Insert, rewind, play. Easy.
14. WALKMAN’S. Aka, the old person’s iPod!
15. YTV’s Uh Oh, just because. When else would you get a game show for kids that would both challenge your mind and get you slimed? Ew. (I guess the same could go for It’s Alive! which ran earlier on YTV.)
But really: I’ve got to hand it to the ’90s for the bizarre humour that kept us entertained throughout the years. Strange as it was, it was awesome.
Writing my way Forward 