2016 hasn’t been the best so far – in fact, many are willing the year to be over so that we can be rid of it once and for all. Beloved celebrities have died, we’ve had to deal with Brexit, not to mention the horrific images from around the world… it’s not surprising that people are starting to look to the semi-recent-past for reassurance.
While in the noughties, the 90s were seen (to some) as an embarrassing teenage phase of fashion and music, something to be forgotten about. Why focus on the 90s when you’ve got the swinging 60s or 80s punk to reminisce?!
90s nostalgia
And yet, when the going gets tough, the tough looks back to the 90s. Mainly because the young adults, the 20-somethings, are from the 90s. 18 year olds were born in 1998. Even from someone that was born in ’93, that’s scary.
People born in the late 80s and early 90s are full of wistful nostalgia. We grew up without internet, without everyone having mobile phones, without digital cameras. We remember people lugging round polaroid cameras before they were cool. And we remember the internet dial up tone. Yet now we sit here with phones, tablets and computers, immersed in an world of social media satisfaction and general online knowledge. Seeing as my family got our first computer in the house when I was 14, that’s a pretty quick turnaround. Kids these days have iPhones when they’re 12; we remember being 12 as playing out, and making sure to get home before dark . We didn’t get angry reminders to get home via text. Technology has bloomed rapidly, and we’ve been flourishing with it, whilst still remembering the “good old days” (which weren’t actually that good, let’s face it).
Everyone older than 30 seems angry that the 90s are back, but we all know people who are still stuck in the 70s. No one wants to grow up – why should we? It’s mega boring. Give me beanie babies and my GameBoy Colour over council tax any day.
Pokemon Go
Pokemon came back into our lives after a good 10 year hiatus. Praise the lord, childhood returns! While Pokemon also appealed to the kids of today, it allowed the people over 20 the thrill of reliving a huge part of their childhood. It was great. The whole office got involved. Lunchtimes were spent walking around the city trying to find that damn Bulbasaur. The craze has now died down, but my god it was fun to be a kid again.
Mom jeans
Okay, these came back pre-emptively, but we all wanna be Monica and Rachel. We always have, just now we have an excuse to do it. Alongside the comeback of trainers being classed as even smart-casual, comfort is here to stay. Which is great if you don’t like running but you like trainers.
Films
Tarzan is back, this time back in the jungle after living the city life, and Ghostbusters graced the screens again with a *controversial* gender swap (get over it, women can fight fictional baddies too). Yeah, we know Ghostbusters was from the 80s, but we thought it deserved a mention.
Yesterday was Winnie the Pooh’s 90th birthday, and the celebrations include a new, feathery friend in the shape of a Penguin, which will feature in the new book to mark the great anniversary. Again, Pooh Bear and pals aren’t from the 90s, but the most treasured films are, so it counts.
Music
Craig David is clearly from the future and travels back in time to release UK garage albums. Don’t pretend you don’t know all the words to Fill Me In. In another genre, Blink 182 are back with a planned world tour and will be dropping a new album soon. 90s dance came back in the form of football chant “Will Grigg’s on Fire”, a parody of Gala’s Freed From Desire about a Wigan Athletic Striker, that was dubbed “the best chant ever known to man” by Wigan Athletic Chairman, David Sharpe. Kudos.
Now if the UK house prices can go back down to what they were in the 90s, that’d be great.
