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
Author: HMMF
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