Stuck in the 90’s
by Miguel Escobar, Monica G. Pe on September 7, 2010
We all grew up in the 90’s, but how often do we really get to revisit that lost decade?
Often in the fast-paced world of the 21st century, we forget to spare ourselves a glance at the immediate past we left behind. The tech and trends of today seem to ruthlessly throw old things into pits of obsolescence and antiquity.
One look back into the forgotten decade of the 90’s, though, and you might recall that pop culture back then was sprawling with fresh ideas at their infancy— characteristic of the creativity that bridged (albeit awkwardly) the oh-so-colorful 80’s and the booming 2000’s.
Before we were ever the generation of technology and the Internet, we were the kids of Power Rangers, of Sesame Street and The Muppets, of Disney’s fairy tales and Nickelodeon’s heyday— kids of the 90’s.
These were our years.
Old School Nick
Nickelodeon has always been a great network for kids, and it’s still going pretty strong. But who among us could forget those lazy afternoons spent at home, watching Kablam, Hey Arnold!, and Rugrats?
No self-respecting Nick fan of our time wouldn’t know who it was who truly loved orange soda. And who could forget the love-hate antics of the Arnold-Helga love team? Even the more surreal shows like Ren and Stimpy and Rocko’s Modern Life had their appeal, and the likes of Figure It Out, All That, and Legends of the Hidden Temple are just unforgettable.
Enjoy the Show
Nickelodeon notwithstanding, there was more to the telly than just the big orange splat. The Power Rangers series meant the world to so many of us back then. “Every kid was a Power Ranger. It was always just an issue of which color he or she was.” says Bianca, now a college sophomore.
It was also during the 90’s when undying classics like Friends and The Simpsons were born. Who would’ve thought that “The Rachel Hair” would be the salon staple of the time, or that “D’oh!” would eventually find itself in the Oxford English Dictionary? Others like Dawson’s Creek, 7th Heaven, Baywatch, and Art Attack (PVA glue, anyone?) also made the 90’s awesome for kids like us.
Of Boy Bands and Barbie Girls
The 90’s wouldn’t be the 90’s without boy bands— that much is certain. While rap metal, hip-hop, grunge, and the unforgettable Aqua are honorable mentions of that musical era—the sexually ambiguous, all-male pop groups like A1, *NSYNC, and The Backstreet Boys, as well as their girl band counterparts, the likes of The Spice Girls and M2M take the 90’s music cake.
90’s Flicks
Before we bought DVDs, we rented laserdiscs, Betamax, and VHS tapes. Home Alone, The Nightmare Before Christmas and Jurassic Park were just some of the movies we’d watch repeatedly. It was also in this era that the immortal cults of Star Wars and Star Trek were formed. For student Benj Ilagan, Space Jam, will always be a classic. “It had Michael Jordan and Bugs Bunny, it seemed so hi-tech.”, he explains.
But dinosaurs and lightsabers weren’t the only things that drew us to the silver screen. 90’s heartthrobs like Freddie Prinze Jr. and chick flicks were just as memorable. Recall the infamous Clueless line, “You’re a virgin who can’t drive”, or the late Heath Ledger’s musical debut in 10 Things I Hate About You, with “I Love You Baby.”
Student Pia Samson points out how these movies differ from the rom-coms of today. “Maybe it’s the old fashion courtship—it’s more sincere,” she says.
Fashion Victims
“I had this pair of denim overalls I’d wear all the time,” student Sylvina Lopez confesses. The 90’s was filled with fashion
hits and misses. Flannel shirts and Doc Martens can carry over to the next decade, but frosted tips and baggy jeans are best left to the Backstreet Boys.
Schoolgirl Antics
Hoarding stationeries was so much fun back then—we had gel pens in every color, heaps of Lisa Frank stickers and pencil cases with multiple compartments to stash our loot. Fashion blogger Tin Iglesias recounts her obsession with Hello Kitty, “I went to Gift Gate just to get my fill of Hello Kitty notebooks, pens, erasers and stickers.” Tin’s love for the adorable feline has never ceased, and she’s even got a tattoo to prove it.
Living in the Past
While we can do without beepers, Walkman players, and midriff tops, it won’t be easy to find replacements for the childhood mementos that the 90’s gave us. In fact, the technology of today ensures that we may never have to leave them behind. The 90’s kid in us still searches for boy band concerts on YouTube, revisits retro styles, downloads Aqua’s hits, and awaits the re-release of Star Wars on Blu-ray. In an ironic twist, the same technology that killed the 90’s made sure that they would live on forever.
