# What does / would "1990s nostalgia" include? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [April 2, 2007, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-would-1990s-nostalgia-include/398449 "2007-04-02T18:39:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Don\_Draper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b2d939/32.png) [@Don\_Draper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Don_Draper)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2007, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-would-1990s-nostalgia-include/398449/1 "2007-04-02T18:39:00Z")
Inspired by [this thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=414872), I got to thinking that surely enough time has passed that we can wax nostalgic (in either a good or bad way) of the 1990s. What are things / trends / music / movies / events that people associate with that decade? Obviously - 1. the O.J. Simpson trial 2. ‘grunge’ - in both music & fashion 3. Columbine & other high school massacres 4. “I did not have sex with that woman!” 5. the first Gulf War. 6. Y2K (Hah! Remember that?) 7. the Oklahoma City bombing 8. millenial hype (it’s gonna be the year 2000! It’s gonna be a new millenium!) 9. ecstasy (the drug of the 90s) 10. Pulp Fiction What other things do you associate with the 90s? ---
**Author:** ![Argent\_Towers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e8c25b/32.png) [@Argent\_Towers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Argent_Towers)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2007, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-would-1990s-nostalgia-include/398449/2 "2007-04-02T18:55:50Z")
Lots of melodic, listenable pop music on mainstream radio: Better than Ezra, Gin Blossoms, Cranberries, etc. Slobodan Milosevic’s face all over the TV. JNCO jeans. Guys with the top of their hair dyed blonde, and the bottom part natural. ---
**Author:** ![teela\_brown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d9b06d/32.png) [@teela\_brown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/teela_brown)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2007, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-would-1990s-nostalgia-include/398449/3 "2007-04-02T18:58:19Z")
They may have overlapped a little into other decades, but three of my favorite TV shows: 1. Frasier 2. Seinfeld 3. Star Trek: The Next Generation ---
**Author:** ![some\_white\_dude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b487fb/32.png) [@some\_white\_dude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/some_white_dude)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2007, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-would-1990s-nostalgia-include/398449/4 "2007-04-02T19:34:00Z")
[QUOTE=Argent Towers] Guys with the top of their hair dyed blonde, and the bottom part natural. [/QUOTE] Ha! I forgot about that. So many kids at my high school sported that look. I thought it looked strange at the time. I’ll add The Simpsons, Saved by the Bell, and Michael Jordan’s Bulls. ---
**Author:** ![Kevbo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e47774/32.png) [@Kevbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kevbo)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2007, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-would-1990s-nostalgia-include/398449/5 "2007-04-02T19:35:52Z")
A stock market where you had to be an idiot not to make money. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2007, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-would-1990s-nostalgia-include/398449/6 "2007-04-02T19:36:35Z")
Raves. The “peace dividend.” ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2007, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-would-1990s-nostalgia-include/398449/7 "2007-04-02T19:36:47Z")
Guys with the waist band of their pants on the middle of their butt and baggy boxers. THE WORLD TRADE TOWERS!!! ☹ ---
**Author:** ![jamus\_se](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/87869e/32.png) [@jamus\_se](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jamus_se)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2007, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-would-1990s-nostalgia-include/398449/8 "2007-04-02T19:45:35Z")
[QUOTE=Annie-Xmas] THE WORLD TRADE TOWERS!!! ☹ [/QUOTE] Barring a smaller bombing attempt on the tower back in '93, weren’t the twin towers by and large fine and dandy? ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2007, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-would-1990s-nostalgia-include/398449/9 "2007-04-02T19:51:48Z")
[QUOTE=teela brown] They may have overlapped a little into other decades, but three of my favorite TV shows: 1. Frasier 2. Seinfeld 3. Star Trek: The Next Generation [/QUOTE] I always thought of Next Gen as 80s and the other two as 90s. As you mentioned Seinfeld was the show I think most people will think of when they think 90s. I would add Simpson’s to the 90s shows. Northern Exposure would hopefully be part of the collective memory. NYPD Blue I am sure would. Movies should include Shawshank Redemption and the hype around The Blair Witch project. Other top movies from the 90s that stand out. Some are mentioned already. 1. 9.1 The Shawshank Redemption (1994) 244,856 2. 8.8 Schindler’s List (1993) 144,357 3. 8.8 Pulp Fiction (1994) 208,013 4. 8.6 Goodfellas (1990) 109,445 5. 8.6 The Silence of the Lambs (1991) 131,948 6. 8.5 Fight Club (1999) 181,465 7. 8.4 American History X (1998) 100,260 8. 8.3 Reservoir Dogs (1992) 106,545 9. 8.3 Forrest Gump (1994) 141,143 10. 8.2 Braveheart (1995) 133,756 11. 8.2 Fargo (1996) 91,218 12. 8.1 The Sixth Sense (1999) 137,600 13. 8.0 Groundhog Day (1993) 68,138 Music is tough, the 90s is when music kind of went in every direction. I don’t think there was a strong central sound to the 90s. 40s = Swing, Boogie Woogie 50s = Rock & Roll 60s = Folk Rock and the British Invasion 70s = Stadium Rock and Disco 80s = Punk & New Age 90s = Grunge, Rap, R&B, Strong Woman Singer/Songwriters, Country’s resurgence, etc. In 1992 Buttafuoco was the big news story. The Teflon Don was put away. John Gotti was ratted out by “Sammy the Bull” Gravano. The Yankees Dominate Baseball in the 90s after recovery from the Strike year. Ripken breaks Lou Gehrig’s record. Sosa & Big Mac break the HR record. All the Princess Di & Jean benet ramsey stuff in 1997. Jim (I know I will think of more later, but this seems like enough for now) ---
**Author:** ![Argent\_Towers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e8c25b/32.png) [@Argent\_Towers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Argent_Towers)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2007, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-would-1990s-nostalgia-include/398449/10 "2007-04-02T19:55:23Z")
[QUOTE=jamus\_se] Barring a smaller bombing attempt on the tower back in '93, weren’t the twin towers by and large fine and dandy? [/QUOTE] I think that’s her point. ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2007, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-would-1990s-nostalgia-include/398449/11 "2007-04-02T19:58:31Z")
[QUOTE=Argent Towers] I think that’s her point. [/QUOTE] Exactly. The #1 thing from the 1990’s I am nostalgic for is the World Trade Towers. #2 is everything else. ---
**Author:** ![dwc1970](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a183cd/32.png) [@dwc1970](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dwc1970)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2007, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-would-1990s-nostalgia-include/398449/12 "2007-04-02T20:09:49Z")
[ul] [li]The whole dot.[del]com[/del] bomb craze.[/li][li]The advent of the Internet[/li][li]The birth of DVDs[/li][li]Windows 95 hype[/li][li]The increasing ubiquity of cell phones[/li][/ul] ---
**Author:** ![An\_Gadai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@An\_Gadai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Gadai)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2007, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-would-1990s-nostalgia-include/398449/13 "2007-04-02T20:57:56Z")
Beavis & Butthead Pulp Fiction europop murky grunge videos ---
**Author:** ![Spoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@Spoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoke)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2007, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-would-1990s-nostalgia-include/398449/14 "2007-04-02T21:07:22Z")
In the news: Gulf War I Somalia The Atlanta Olympics…and the Olympic Park bombing. Nutty militia movements and the Oklahoma City bombing. Bosnia Kosovo Mary Kay Letourneau trial Dot com startups ---
**Author:** ![HubZilla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ccd318/32.png) [@HubZilla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HubZilla)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2007, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-would-1990s-nostalgia-include/398449/15 "2007-04-02T21:26:32Z")
Sports teams of the decade (by number of titles): College football: Nebraska College basketball: Kentucky Pro basketball: Bulls Pro baseball: Yankees Pro football: Cowboys How about some things left for dead in 1989, but had a giant resurgence (still being felt today) Macintosh computers New York City (like Times Square) ---
**Author:** ![Horatio\_Hellpop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Horatio\_Hellpop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatio_Hellpop)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2007, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-would-1990s-nostalgia-include/398449/16 "2007-04-02T21:31:53Z")
Although home computers and the internet had been around in some form for decades, they weren’t really ubiquitous until 1995 (which, IIRC, is the year that AOL hit one million subscribers). Lilith Faire Buffy the Vampire Slayer Law & Order Homicide: Life on the Street Soon Yi The meteoric rise and precipitous fall of Macaulay Culkin ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2007, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-would-1990s-nostalgia-include/398449/17 "2007-04-02T22:19:53Z")
[QUOTE=The New and Improved Superman] Inspired by [this thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=414872), I got to thinking that surely enough time has passed that we can wax nostalgic (in either a good or bad way) of the 1990s. What are things / trends / music / movies / events that people associate with that decade? [/QUOTE] [VH1 had a miniseries on this topic](http://www.vh1.com/shows/dyn/i_love_the_90s/episode_list.jhtml). ---
**Author:** ![congodwarf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e36b37/32.png) [@congodwarf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/congodwarf)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2007, 11:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-would-1990s-nostalgia-include/398449/18 "2007-04-02T23:28:32Z")
That fugly haircut from Friends. Damn. I went from 10 to 20 in the 90’s. Why is that the only thing that pops into my head? ---
**Author:** ![monstro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba9def/32.png) [@monstro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/monstro)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2007, 11:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-would-1990s-nostalgia-include/398449/19 "2007-04-02T23:33:52Z")
As a black urban teenager during this decade, here’s the things I remember: -Cross Colors -Skidz (they looked like flannel pajamas bottoms but they were real pants…all the “cool” kids had them but I didn’t) -Overalls. But you were lame if you didn’t let one suspender hang. -Women rappers like Queen Latifah, YoYo, The Brat, and Monie Love. -“Conscious” rappers like Arrested Development and De La Soul. -Dr. Dre, Snoop Doggy Dog, Tupac, Biggie–they define the era along with grudge music IMHO. -New Jack swing (groups like Tony, Toni, Tone, Color Me Badd, Tevin Campbell, BBD) -Afrocentricism. Everyone was reading Malcolm X and sporting Africa medalions. -The Rodney King riots. School was let out early because of them. The school bus ride home was very…interesting. -Movies like _New Jack City_, _Jason’s Lyric_, _Boys in the Hood_. -Shows like _In Living Color_, _Martin_, _A Different World_, _Living Single_ -Saying crazy things like “Yeeah, boyyyy!” and “That’s da bomb” -Dancing the Running Man, Roger Rabbit, and Happy Feet -Girls wearing Daisy Dukes and boys drooping their pants. That’s when it all started…in the 90s! ---
**Author:** ![HazelNutCoffee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ac91a4/32.png) [@HazelNutCoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HazelNutCoffee)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2007, 11:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-would-1990s-nostalgia-include/398449/20 "2007-04-02T23:38:09Z")
There’s actually a Facebook group called “If you remember this you grew up in the 90s.” Here’s part of their list: > [@](#): > > You’re a 90’s kid if: > > You’ve ever ended a sentence with the word “PSYCHE!” > > You can sing the rap to “The Fresh Prince Of Bel Air” > > You remember when Kurt Cobain, Tu Pac, River Phoenix, and Selena died. > > You know that “WOAH” comes from Joey from “Blossom” and that “How Rude!” comes from Stephanie from “Full House” > > You remember when it was actually worth getting up early > on a Saturday to watch cartoons. > > You got super excited when it was Oregon Trail day in computer class at school. > > You remember reading “Goosebumps” > > You know the profound meaning of “Wax on, wax off” > > You have pondered why Smurfette was the only female smurf. > > You took plastic cartoon lunch boxes to school. > > You danced to “Wannabe” by the Spice Girls, Females: had a new motto, Males: got a whole lot gay-er. (so tell me what you want, what you really really want.) > > You remember the craze, then the banning of slap bracelets and slam books. > > You still get the urge to say “NOT” after (almost) every sentence…Not… > > Where in the world is Carmen San Diego? was both a game and a TV game show. > > Captain Planet. > > You knew that Kimberly, the pink ranger, and Tommy, the green Ranger were meant to be together. > > When playing power rangers with friends you fought over who got to be who…and still all ended up being Tommy. > > You remember when super nintendo’s became popular. > > You remember watching home alone 1, 2 , and 3…and tried to pull the pranks on “intruders” > > “I’ve fallen and I can’t get up” > > You remember going to the skating rink before there were inline skates > > Two words… Trapper Keeper. > > You never got injured on a Slip ‘n’ Slide > > You wore socks over leggings scrunched down > > “Miss Mary Mack, Mack, Mack, all dressed in black, black, black, with silver buttons, buttons, buttons, all down her back, back, back” SHE ASKED HER MOTHER MOTHER MOTHER FOR FIFTY CENTS CENTS CENTS TO SEE THE ELEPHANTS PHANTS PHANTS JUMP OVER THE FENCE THE FENCE THE FENCE > he jumped so high high high he touched the sky sky sky and he didnt come back back back til the forth of july ly ly he jumped so low ow ow he stubbed his toe toe toe and thats the end end end of the elephants show show show > > You remember boom boxes vs. cd players > > You remember New Kids on The Block when they were cool > > You knew all the characters names and their life stories on “Saved By The Bell” > > You played and/or collected “Pogs” > > You had at least one Tamagotchi, GigaPet or Nano and brought it everywhere > > You watched the original Care Bears, My Little Pony, and Ninja Turtles > > NANCY DREW AND THE HARDY BOYS WERE THE BEST MYSTERY BOOKS > > Yikes pencils and erasers were the stuff! > > All your school supplies were “Lisa Frank” brand.(pencils.notebooks.binders.etc.) > > You remember when the new Beanie Babies were always sold out. > > You used to wear those stick on earings, not only on your ears, but at the corners of your eyes. > > You remember a time before the WB. > > You’ve gotten creeped out by “Are You Afraid of the Dark?” > > You know the Macarena by heart. > > “Talk to the hand” … enough said > > You thought Brain woud finally take over the world > > You always said, “Then why don’t you marry it!” > > You remember when everyone went slinky crazy. > > You remember when razor scooters were cool. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-would-1990s-nostalgia-include/398449.md?page=2)