Not quite all that
In light of Stamp Student Union’s 1990s-themed All Niter on Sept. 27, I would like to make a toast to the ’90s in all of their faded glory. Who can ever forget scrunchies, soul patches and awful denim trends? Or annoying after-school specials, backwards pants and Justin Timberlake’s spaghetti hair? Or my own personal favorite, the generation’s (read: millennials) irksome need to constantly announce that they are proud to be “’90s kids.” We will never forget the ’90s; ’90s kids forbid us to. But here’s the question: Why exactly are ’90s kids so proud of their generation? Why has this previously mocked era suddenly become so popular 20 years later?
Perhaps it’s pure nostalgia — over the years, I have seen many trends inspired by past decades come and go — I’ve worn many, too. In chasing fashion trends, I have relived the ’20s, ’70s and the ’80s in the forms of drop-waist dresses, peace signs and neon Silly Bandz, respectively. The fact that consignment boutiques and web-stores like ModCloth even exist illustrates the current generation’s attraction to the past. But now, our generation is obsessing over the ’90s, as approved by Rihanna’s chokers, Lady Gaga’s repeat of Elizabeth Hurley’s vintage Versace safety pin dress and Madewell’s overalls.
Yet the current ’90s obsession does not end with modern fashion trends; the ’90s have pervaded pop culture. Cable television station Nickelodeon features reruns of Friends and The Nanny, while its sister network, TeenNick, recently launched “The ’90s Are All That,” a nightly segment that airs ’90s Nickelodeon comedies and cartoons, including All That, Doug and Rugrats. This summer’s screwball comedy The To Do List targeted a ’90s audience with its plethora of ’90s references and costumes. More recently, 2013 witnessed the return of boy band sensations, as N*SYNC performed at the VMAs and One Direction’s popularity skyrocketed.
It appears that when we get bored with trying to reinvent a past generation, we either tamper with or steal ideas from another one. Truly, what is a definitive quality of the current decade? It seems that we keep pulling from past decades to shape the one we are currently living in. Though mimicry is the highest form of flattery, how long can this wave of ’90s nostalgia last? When will somebody finally step up to the plate and define this era for us? Every era desires to be remembered as a golden age of some sort. If we, as the current generation, want the 2010s to be one of those golden ages, we must seek creativity, originality and innovation. Though we may draw inspiration from past eras, we should not try to recreate an era that had its fair share of the bad and the ugly.
That is not to say that we should not be collectively proud of the ’90s. However, being proud of the ’90s and overglorifying them are two different things. Every generation has the right to reminisce about the good old days and indulge in some degree of egotism, but there is a point of excess at which pride crosses the border into obnoxious. When we boast too much, we just sound pretentious. Every past decade had some memorable attribute or trend; the ’90s are no different. Every decade also had some aspects that should not be remembered; again, the 90s are no different. Think political scandals, wars in the Middle East, bombings and more. Even more frightening, on a technological scale, think of dial-up Internet connections, cell phones of enormous size and unwound VHS tapes from Blockbuster. I shudder reflecting on the memories of such horrors.
Simply put, the ’90s had highlights and lowlights. I was born in the ’90s, but I feel no need to brag about it. Actually, I am quite happy that I belong to this modern generation. I, like many others, particularly enjoy the conveniences of iPods, cell phones and Wi-Fi. With that being said, I propose a toast to the 2010s: May it someday be a decade that we celebrate, but not overglorify, 20 years from now.
