Before the time of Facebook and Twitter, of rip-off 3-D films and BlueRay, of Miley Cyrus and Taylor Swift, there were the ‘90s. If this sounds like a fairy-tale introduction to the first decade of our lives, that’s only because that is exactly what it was. Let’s just admit it – the ’90s were pretty freaking great. There were pandas on the front page of the Washington Post’s Metro section and my problems were pretty much limited to my two twin sisters crying in the back of our Cheerio-crusted gold minivan.
It makes sense that our generation would glorify this time – just as our parents glorified the ‘70s or ‘80s. Every decade has its high points and low points; we just focus on the ‘90s because it’s the one that our twinkling childhood eyes remember. There is nothing wrong with that.
But really, what is there to brag about the ‘90s? Sure Jennifer Aniston’s Friends hairstyle was pretty cool, and the Spice Girls were a major hit, but what else? Why are we so obsessed?
Let’s start with the movie name dropping — Titanic (‘97), The Silence of the Lambs (‘91), Schindler’s List (’93), Forrest Gump (’94), Shakespeare in Love (’98), The Lion King (’94), Aladdin (’92), Ghost (’90), Pretty Woman (’90) and The Matrix (’99). These are, to say the least, classics. Where would we be without Leonardo DiCaprio? How would I know that life is like a box of chocolates without Forrest Gump? Where would sci-fi be without the blue or red pill? Not to mention what my personal childhood would be like without the Circle of Life and Aladdin’s magic carpet ride! Simply put, I don’t know what would have happened to the film industry without these titanic movies.
But movies weren’t the only thing keeping the ‘90s from becoming a flub decade – the television world’s stride bounded this rockin’ decade to the top of the charts as well. No one can dispute the quality of shows like Seinfeld, Friends, The Fresh Prince of Bel Air, Full House, That 70’s Show or _ER. You just can’t. Even if they’re not your favorites, some of the greatest stars of our time got their start on these programs. Not to mention the laughs and tears we shared with the characters of these brilliant programs.
Aniston, Will Smith, Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen, Mila Kunis, Ashton Kutcher and George Clooney have become giants in pop culture. Many of them not only continue to act but have become major producers and fashion icons who will grace the cover of People magazine for years to come.
But I haven’t even gotten to the music portion of this love-fest yet. ‘90s music isn’t a hard sell. The age of U2, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Dave Matthews Band, Radiohead, Faith Hill, Mariah Carey, Destiny’s Child and, of course, the Spice Girls, Backstreet Boys and *NSYNC is not only notable but impressive. This was the decade of a music industry renaissance, with the movement from cassettes to CDs all the way to Napster in 1999. Access to music skyrocketed and propelled into the landscape we see today with YouTube and iTunes.
Sure, the decade wasn’t perfect — Star Wars Episode 1: The Phantom Menace did come out then, after all. But other than that, I would have to say that our idealization of the ‘90s isn’t unfounded.
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