I’m not done complaining about the mixed-up messaging we got about love in the 90s. I’ve already touched on the desperation and over-worship that some female artists of the decade exuded. Their songs made love seem like a torture we should actively seek, and they suggested women could and should be overpowered by it. Then… Continue reading Boy Band Seduction
Zoot Suits at Homecoming
By the second half of the 90s, the grunge era had all too quickly come to an end, and there were a variety of new acts in town. We got a steady onslaught of boy bands and alarmingly young female artists. Groups like No Doubt and the Mighty Mighty Bosstones brought an influx of ska… Continue reading Zoot Suits at Homecoming
All That She Wants . . . Is Another 90s Birthday Party
I’m about to get really judgy. Sorry. I want to understand what has happened to birthdays. They used to be simple and stress-free. Now, they are beyond elaborate. People go all out! I’ve been to birthday parties with seven-tiered cakes, professional photographers, and step-and-repeats. People fly across the country or even the world for birthdays. … Continue reading All That She Wants . . . Is Another 90s Birthday Party
Keyser Söze Is Coming for You
Recently, I was asked what my favorite movie was. I used to name “The Goonies,” the 1985 adventure movie about a group of kids who embark on a treasure hunt to try to save their neighborhood.[1] But a few weeks ago, after indulging in a throwback rewatch, I realized that the answer may instead be… Continue reading Keyser Söze Is Coming for You
Hey Ladieeeesss!
I don’t know, I just feel like there were some female musicians in the 90s that never really went anywhere. They may have rode the airwaves for a couple of years, but now they’re mostly lost to time, with the exception of an occasional resurfacing at 90s throwback parties. The songs made these women temporarily… Continue reading Hey Ladieeeesss!
Proof of a 90s Origin
Who knows what that is? We do! Most all 90s teens had that series of screeches and beeps embedded in their brains by the middle of the decade. And, believe it or not, it was music to our ears. It represented a connection that was imminent – a connection to our email inboxes, to chat… Continue reading Proof of a 90s Origin
Warning: Not a Primer for High School
Imagine the song “I’m so Excited” by the Pointer Sisters. Got the melody in your head? Now fill in the blank: I’m so excited! I’m so excited! I’m so . . . _______! If you tuned in to Saturday morning television in the early 90s, you know the missing word is “scared.” The above is… Continue reading Warning: Not a Primer for High School
My British Rock Band Summer
When I hear the opening lines to “Hello,” the first track off Oasis’s “(What’s the Story) Morning Glory?,” I think of KFC and mah-jongg. Of a rotary phone and a floral sleep sofa. Of a homey apartment smell I can still conjure up in my brain. Allow me to tell a tale of the summer… Continue reading My British Rock Band Summer
Too Tall for Delia*s
While sitting in a waiting room recently, I glanced at the woman to my left, noticed her knee-torn boyfriend jeans with slightly shredded hems, and thought, “Oh no, it’s happening again.” You might expect me to embrace the return of 90s fashion trends that have been filling the stores these past couple of years. And… Continue reading Too Tall for Delia*s
The Undeniable Truth – or, “An Ode to the Compact Disc”
Let’s explore for a moment the pain of unwrapping a new CD: First, be sure the cashier removes the clunky, foot-long plastic frame before you leave the store because you won’t be able to do it yourself. I think these things were intended to prevent theft, but to this day I’m not entirely sure. … Continue reading The Undeniable Truth – or, “An Ode to the Compact Disc”
Don’t Call Me A Millennial
I gotta interrupt the nostalgia for a brief interlude here to address something that’s been on my mind for far too long. Indulge me, please, because I have got to get this out. I’ll try hard not to be obnoxious. I am not a Millennial, and I’m really tired of being classified as one. … Continue reading Don’t Call Me A Millennial
The Never-ending Afterschool Special
Before you get excited, this post isn’t really about an Afterschool Special.[1] Although those had such mature content that I think it could have been. No, this post is about a real-life saga that captivated America in the 90s, so let’s get into it. To start, a question: Where were you when the O.J. verdict… Continue reading The Never-ending Afterschool Special
I’d Go Back for Daria
Annoyingly, when I got to high school, people started asking me “What’s wrong?” practically every day. Apparently, I wore an expression on my face that indicated worry, trouble, sorrow, or some combination of the three. I could have interpreted my classmates’ interest in my well-being as them being caring and not as self-absorbed and mean as… Continue reading I’d Go Back for Daria
A Pepsi Kind of Decade
This ad is not the first thing that pops into my head when I think of Van Halen, but it’s pretty close: You can imagine what we all thought back in 1993 when we saw this Super Bowl commercial: “What?!” But then: “Wait, why?” That about sums up the 90s experience with Crystal Pepsi.[1] But… Continue reading A Pepsi Kind of Decade
The Ballad That Still Breaks Me
“Every night in my dreams, I see you, I feel you . . . .” I’m sorry! I’msorryI’msorryI’msorry. I know that probably caused you pain. It hurt me, too. But I have to address it. This blog is all things 90s, and that means we cover the good and the bad, the delightful and the… Continue reading The Ballad That Still Breaks Me
The Notes That Make Us Raw
Today I’m going to talk about how a certain sound – even just a chord – can evoke feelings of sickness, disbelief, realization, disgust, discomfort, and cluelessness all at once. It’s time for Pearl Jam “Jeremy.” Before I get into this, I need to share that I have major respect for Pearl Jam. Admittedly, there… Continue reading The Notes That Make Us Raw
If You Know Who You Are: My CK One Saga
In 1994, Calvin Klein came out with a fragrance called CK One. I still remember the commercial for it: a camera panned over a colorless scene of scantily clad, waif-like models in casual garb. The models chatted loudly, flirted, and made out with each other. The group was fairly diverse, ostensibly to demonstrate how universal… Continue reading If You Know Who You Are: My CK One Saga
What Tupac Taught Me About Boys
In the 90s, it was possible to encounter Tupac Shakur in a variety of ways. You could have been a fan of his music and videos. You might have spotted him in a couple of movies. You probably heard his name come up in the East Coast/West Coast hip hop feud. There was his tragic,… Continue reading What Tupac Taught Me About Boys
The Mag 7
Kerri Strug, Atlanta ’96. Anyone else get goosebumps just now? There are so many great moments in sports – an unlikely comeback, an underdog team that defeats the favorites, athletes sacrificing their bodies to push through pain . . . . The Kerri Strug vault at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics is one of these… Continue reading The Mag 7
The “Rachel”
In the mid-90s, there was a haircut trend that should have come with a Public Service Announcement. Something like, “Most stylists don’t know how to do it, and most girls don’t look good with it.” Or, at the very least, “Don’t get this cut the same week you start High School.” Allow me to provide… Continue reading The “Rachel”
Grunge
I hit my preteen years right as grunge music had its moment. The consequence? It was the soundtrack of my most formative years. This happened because, even though grunge wasn’t exactly what one might think of when one imagined popular music, many Top 40 stations played grunge constantly. They played it despite the fact that… Continue reading Grunge