ADVERTISEMENT

With the end of the Cold War and the spread of the internet, the 1990s is often remembered as a time of peace and prosperity. However, the decade was not without violence and tragedy, including the Rodney King beating and subsequent L.A. Riots, and the bombing of the World Trade Center.

So to get a more accurate view of this iconic era, Reddit user IndieSyndicate made a post on the subreddit 'Gen X,' asking it's members to share the common misconceptions about it. Born between 1965 and 1980, the cohort stepped up to the task and shared their diverse perspectives and experiences, shedding light on the often oversimplified mainstream narratives.

Image credits: IndieSyndicate

This post may include affiliate links.

#1

30 People Like To Romanticize The '90s, Gen X'ers Share What They Get Wrong Money was tight then, too. People were happy with fewer luxuries, because we could get by. And the very idea of giving a child a device worth hundreds of dollars was ludicrous! I still feel this way.

supermaja , Ahsanjaya / pexels (not the actual photo) Report

Final score:
140points
Add photo comments
POST
View More Replies... View more commentsArrow down menu
#2

30 People Like To Romanticize The '90s, Gen X'ers Share What They Get Wrong The 90s was a lot more analog than it’s presented. People still read newspapers and magazines. Cell phones were not ubiquitous. Cassette tapes and VHS tapes still dominated.

4reddityo , Lina Kivaka / pexels (not the actual photo) Report

Final score:
128points
Add photo comments
POST
eyelessonex avatar
Corvus
Corvus
Community Member
8 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

My folks had a pretty big collection of audio and VHS tapes at home... lots of hours spent with them.

Vote comment up
2
2points
Vote comment down
reply
View more commentsArrow down menu
#3

30 People Like To Romanticize The '90s, Gen X'ers Share What They Get Wrong There’s a HUGE difference between the early 90’s and late 90’s. After 1996 it was more millennial, pokémon, Britney Spears vs the early 90’s which was more grunge smooth RnB.

taez555 , Kübra / pexels (not the actual photo) Report

Final score:
128points
Add photo comments
POST
View more commentsArrow down menu
#4

30 People Like To Romanticize The '90s, Gen X'ers Share What They Get Wrong Internet being widely available, so many tv shows and movies showing teenagers in supposedly early and mid 90s sitting in their bedrooms chatting online on their personal computers or being "hackers" and I'm like "b*tch in 1994 I didn't even know what the internet was" and I didn't really get home internet until 1999 (in the one and only computer of the house), and neither did anyone I knew, even the rich kids at school didn't care or knew about it, you were either out of the house or watching tv.

nothingexceptfor , MART PRODUCTION / pexels (not the actual photo) Report

Final score:
121points
Add photo comments
POST
frogglin avatar
Little Wonder
Little Wonder
Community Member
8 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I had a BBS account in 93, got proper internet in 95. My dad paid for 10 hours a month. A MONTH.

Vote comment up
35
35points
Vote comment down
reply
View More Replies... View more commentsArrow down menu
ADVERTISEMENT
#5

30 People Like To Romanticize The '90s, Gen X'ers Share What They Get Wrong The 90s was the dial up era and transition from dot matrix printers to ink jet. That modem squealing sound sums it up. We had technology, but it required patience and we were so grateful to have it, nobody complained. You lose the Internet for 10 minutes these days and people act like they're going to lose their minds.

peonyseahorse , MART PRODUCTION / pexels (not the actual photo) Report

Final score:
96points
Add photo comments
POST
View More Replies... View more commentsArrow down menu
#6

30 People Like To Romanticize The '90s, Gen X'ers Share What They Get Wrong The early 90s and late 90s were two very different times culturally.

I can't stand it when I see a picture of the spice girls with a "So 90s!" caption.

anon , Vika Glitter / pexels (not the actual photo) Report

Final score:
76points
Add photo comments
POST
nerenahddhaneren avatar
Nerenahd Dhaneren
Nerenahd Dhaneren
Community Member
8 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I think the watershed moment was the advent of the Internet in the mid-90s.

Vote comment up
27
27points
Vote comment down
reply
View More Replies... View more commentsArrow down menu
#7

30 People Like To Romanticize The '90s, Gen X'ers Share What They Get Wrong That mom Jeans were cool. No one under 35 wore them. They looked like s**t.

palmveach1972 , Ann Bugaichuk / pexels (not the actual photo) Report

Final score:
73points
Add photo comments
POST
suzn34 avatar
Susan Bosse
Susan Bosse
Community Member
8 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

They still do. I'm a mom now and I wouldn't wear them unless you paid me a ridiculous amount of money.

Vote comment up
55
55points
Vote comment down
reply
View More Replies... View more commentsArrow down menu
#8

30 People Like To Romanticize The '90s, Gen X'ers Share What They Get Wrong That the 90s were some kind of utopia. There was a lot of good things, but the 90s were violent and there were way more ism’s on display.

MiltownKBs , cottonbro studio / pexels (not the actual photo) Report

Final score:
70points
Add photo comments
POST
rayceeyarayceeya avatar
Ray Ceeya (RayCeeYa)
Ray Ceeya (RayCeeYa)
Community Member
8 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Rodney King Riots, Waco, Ruby Ridge, Columbine, just to name a few. Oh and with Nix Benedict in the news right now, how can I forget Matthew Shepard?

Vote comment up
43
43points
Vote comment down
reply
View More Replies... View more commentsArrow down menu
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
#9

30 People Like To Romanticize The '90s, Gen X'ers Share What They Get Wrong I will describe the usage of computers on university campuses in 1996.

"checking your email" meant walking across campus *in the snow* and sitting down in front of a gigantic metal box and starting up an email program. "notifications" did not exist at this time. Even medical doctors used pagers.

vwibrasivat , Changhee Kim / pexels (not the actual photo) Report

Final score:
65points
Add photo comments
POST
sarah_a_tate avatar
Upstaged75
Upstaged75
Community Member
8 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Actually 1996 was the first year we had internet in our rooms at my college. I didn't have an internet ready computer so I either had use it in someone else's room or over to the computer lab.

Vote comment up
6
6points
Vote comment down
reply
View more commentsArrow down menu
#10

30 People Like To Romanticize The '90s, Gen X'ers Share What They Get Wrong Nobody seems to talk about all the maroon and hunter-green wallpaper strips that were added to the top of the walls in houses.

Maroon and hunter-green everywhere. From cars to vacuums and beyond.

Oh, and the prevalence of People magazine. I see stuff about Readers Digest, but People magazine is not really talked about.

I also don't think people really understand just how much people smoked then either. Smoking in the car with your kids in it, at McDonalds, at school, etc.

Ok-Film-2436 , Alina Vilchenko / pexels (not the actual photo) Report

Final score:
62points
Add photo comments
POST
View More Replies... View more commentsArrow down menu
#11

30 People Like To Romanticize The '90s, Gen X'ers Share What They Get Wrong The Rave scene was bigger and better than anyone seems to remember. PLUR.

Creamyspud , ELEVATE / pexels (not the actual photo) Report

Final score:
62points
Add photo comments
POST
View More Replies... View more commentsArrow down menu
ADVERTISEMENT
#12

30 People Like To Romanticize The '90s, Gen X'ers Share What They Get Wrong That everyone loved Curt Cobain and/or Nirvana or that he/they even “spoke” for a generation.

Rettorica , Adam Jones Report

Final score:
62points
Add photo comments
POST
jameskramer avatar
James016
James016
Community Member
8 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I still hear Nirvana on the radio and their songs still sound fresh. What they did was kill off c**k rock for which we should be thankful.

Vote comment up
45
45points
Vote comment down
reply
View More Replies... View more commentsArrow down menu
#13

30 People Like To Romanticize The '90s, Gen X'ers Share What They Get Wrong I loved the 90’s so much. But people do forget that 1/4 oz. Of weed could get you a serious sentence, and homophobia was even worse then i think.

Left_Percentage_527 , cottonbro studio / pexels (not the actual photo) Report

Final score:
61points
Add photo comments
POST
laura_ketteridge avatar
arthbach
arthbach
Community Member
8 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

The homophobia was deeply tied in with AIDS. At that point it was called 'the Gay Plague'.

Vote comment up
49
49points
Vote comment down
reply
View More Replies... View more commentsArrow down menu
#14

30 People Like To Romanticize The '90s, Gen X'ers Share What They Get Wrong Grunge always seems to get the spotlight, but an overwhelming number of people were pretty preppy actually. We did, after all, make household names out of the Gap, Banana Republic, J Crew, etc.

Hurley002 , OG Productionz / pexels (not the actual photo) Report

Final score:
57points
Add photo comments
POST
rayceeyarayceeya avatar
Ray Ceeya (RayCeeYa)
Ray Ceeya (RayCeeYa)
Community Member
8 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Real grunge came from thrift stores and discount stores. I used to have a route I'd make about once a month. Always had to check out the local Army Surplus too. Never know what you're gonna find.

Vote comment up
33
33points
Vote comment down
reply
View More Replies... View more commentsArrow down menu
#15

30 People Like To Romanticize The '90s, Gen X'ers Share What They Get Wrong A comment I heard years ago and don't remember the source: "1997 was the year it stopped being weird to have email.".

AntheaBrainhooke , MART PRODUCTION / pexels (not the actual photo) Report

Final score:
53points
Add photo comments
POST
robertjdesant avatar
Rob D
Rob D
Community Member
8 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Within a few years, it became weird not to have email.

Vote comment up
22
22points
Vote comment down
reply
View More Replies... View more commentsArrow down menu
#16

30 People Like To Romanticize The '90s, Gen X'ers Share What They Get Wrong Not all GenXers were disinterested slackers in the 90s.

JackTrippin , Elena Rubtsova / pexels (not the actual photo) Report

Final score:
52points
Add photo comments
POST
View more commentsArrow down menu
ADVERTISEMENT
#17

30 People Like To Romanticize The '90s, Gen X'ers Share What They Get Wrong The 90s were NOT represented in the film SINGLES or the TV show “Friends”. But the music represented the 90s well.

JuicyApple2023 , Warner Bros Report

Final score:
51points
Add photo comments
POST
nerenahddhaneren avatar
Nerenahd Dhaneren
Nerenahd Dhaneren
Community Member
8 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I beg to differ. Friends and Singles do capture a lot of what was going on in the 90s. The music does it even better though.

Vote comment up
18
18points
Vote comment down
reply
View More Replies... View more commentsArrow down menu
#18

30 People Like To Romanticize The '90s, Gen X'ers Share What They Get Wrong That Nirvana ruled the 90s, and brought an end to all other forms of hard rock. They hit hard for about two and a half years, and then we were stuck with Tonic and the goddamn Spin Doctors.

emmiblakk , Tobby Holzinger Report

Final score:
50points
Add photo comments
POST
View More Replies... View more commentsArrow down menu
#19

30 People Like To Romanticize The '90s, Gen X'ers Share What They Get Wrong Some of the most popular music artists of the ‘90s were also the most popular music artists of the ‘80s, like: Michael Jackson, Madonna, Whitney Houston, Janet Jackson, LL Cool J, Aerosmith, Guns N Roses, Bon Jovi, George Michael, Paula Abdul, and Salt N Pepa.

FlingbatMagoo , cottonbro studio / pexels (not the actual photo) Report

Final score:
47points
Add photo comments
POST
View More Replies... View more commentsArrow down menu
#20

30 People Like To Romanticize The '90s, Gen X'ers Share What They Get Wrong That the early 1990’s were really bleak economically. Nearly everyone I knew, including people with Ivy League degrees, were working good service or retail just trying to get by. The Information Age felt so distant in 1992 - it wouldn’t explode until another five years. Rodney King, the LA riots, OJ Simpson trial - these were big signs that we were a long way from racial harmony. Everyone older than us was screaming about family values, while we elected a known womanizer president, and a Speaker of the House who was impeaching the president while getting blow jobs from a woman who would become his third wife. We now had a known sexual harasser on the Supreme Court - gender equality wasn’t that great, either. The Balkans were destroying themselves. Rwanda genocide barely made the papers. Yitzak Rabin is assassinated. Middle East terrorism starts. There was a lot of global uncertainty. At home, Waco, the Oklahoma City bombing, Columbine, the Olympic bomber - these show deep divides brewing. Matthew Shepherd, whole communities still dying of AIDS, Don’t Ask/Don’t Tell - we have a long way to go for gay rights. But by 1995, the economy starts to heat up. By 1998 it’s exploding. Then the dot com bubble burst. All of these things set into motion the new and continuing problems that continue to dominate our lives today. Don’t get me wrong - the 1990’s were an amazing decade. Despite all of these things, there was a lot of hope, and the feeling that we could be part of a world that could still do amazing things and we were going to get to see them, participate in them, prosper under it. GenXers were, more than anything, YOUNG. That feeling of youth is what a lot of people miss when they remember the 90’s. Just as there was neon in the 1980’s, there was prosperity and feelings of possibility in the 90’s. But it wasn’t the norm, and it wasn’t for everyone. We felt great, sleeping on futons at 25, but little we know we were destined to back problems in our 40’s because of them.

Normal-Philosopher-8 , MART PRODUCTION / pexels (not the actual photo) Report

Final score:
46points
Add photo comments
POST
frogglin avatar
Little Wonder
Little Wonder
Community Member
8 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Yeah, my father was laid off in the early 90s during recession. We had a tough time of it, financially.

Vote comment up
11
11points
Vote comment down
reply
View more commentsArrow down menu
ADVERTISEMENT
#21

30 People Like To Romanticize The '90s, Gen X'ers Share What They Get Wrong I think one idea that's misrepresented is that we were already online, all the time.

I mean, I was STOKED when I got into the dorm with LAN connections in 1993, but I was an outlier. Lots of kids at my college barely understood using computers, much less anything internet-related beyond maybe an AOL/AIM. Obviously this was an evolution of ten very fast moving years.

HillbillyEulogy , Viktorya Sergeeva / pexels (not the actual photo) Report

Final score:
45points
Add photo comments
POST
View more commentsArrow down menu
#22

30 People Like To Romanticize The '90s, Gen X'ers Share What They Get Wrong That life was GREAT before the internet and cell phones made us all into anxious, isolated zombies.

LovesRainstorms , cottonbro studio / pexels (not the actual photo) Report

Final score:
44points
Add photo comments
POST
rayceeyarayceeya avatar
Ray Ceeya (RayCeeYa)
Ray Ceeya (RayCeeYa)
Community Member
8 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

So I was a teen in the 90s. I grew up in a rural stripmall of a town. What does a teenager in a town like that do to spend time with other teens? There's no social media and you're too young to go to bars so it can be a pretty lonely existence. When I got a job at 16 that let me spend time with people NOT from my school it was amazing. BTW I hated my school, if you can't tell.

Vote comment up
21
21points
Vote comment down
reply
View more commentsArrow down menu
#23

30 People Like To Romanticize The '90s, Gen X'ers Share What They Get Wrong A lot of people mention grunge and gangsta rap, but country was very hot too. Country line dancing became a big thing, Branson, Missouri became a big tourist destination with its theaters, and artists like Garth Brooks and Shania Twain made tons of money. My grandfather always had the country station on. Alan Jackson and George Strait were his favorites. The country influence made its way into homes, with cow, geese, and rooster decor.

thisgirlnamedbree , Negative Space / pexels (not the actual photo) Report

Final score:
42points
Add photo comments
POST
lanebass1990 avatar
LooseSeal's $10 Banana
LooseSeal's $10 Banana
Community Member
8 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

90s country is so good. It got upbeat and fun before it turned into bro country.

Vote comment up
26
26points
Vote comment down
reply
View more commentsArrow down menu
ADVERTISEMENT
#24

30 People Like To Romanticize The '90s, Gen X'ers Share What They Get Wrong Lots of smoking.

najing_ftw , Darya Sannikova / pexels (not the actual photo) Report

Final score:
38points
Add photo comments
POST
kayla-probeyahn avatar
Rose
Rose
Community Member
8 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Yep! I'm not gen x but I remember going to restaurants as a kid with my family and the hostess would ask if you want to sit in the smoking or non-smoking section

Vote comment up
12
12points
Vote comment down
reply
View More Replies... View more commentsArrow down menu
#25

30 People Like To Romanticize The '90s, Gen X'ers Share What They Get Wrong Cellphones were considered tacky and unnecessary unless you were a doctor.

iguessijustgoonthen , Vika Glitter / pexels (not the actual photo) Report

Final score:
37points
Add photo comments
POST
acey-ace16 avatar
Ace
Ace
Community Member
8 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I worked in the City (meaning in London, but also meaning in finance) for several periods though the 90s, and they were always seen as essential by the yuppies, tacky and showy by outsiders.

Vote comment up
14
14points
Vote comment down
reply
View More Replies... View more commentsArrow down menu
#26

30 People Like To Romanticize The '90s, Gen X'ers Share What They Get Wrong Please don’t bring 90’s fashion back. It died on the vine for a reason, it sucked. Run if you start seeing turtlenecks, multi color sweaters, buckle shoes and mullets.

terrapinone , Polina Tankilevitch / pexels (not the actual photo) Report

Final score:
35points
Add photo comments
POST
View More Replies... View more commentsArrow down menu
#27

30 People Like To Romanticize The '90s, Gen X'ers Share What They Get Wrong Us older Gen Xers we're full fledged, college educated working adults with careers in the 90s. Some of us even had kids and houses.

The advantage was that we had plenty of money for concert tix and Doc Martins.

JudyLyonz , KoolShooters / pexels (not the actual photo) Report

Final score:
32points
Add photo comments
POST
ppepworth avatar
Peppy
Peppy
Community Member
8 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

To be fair Dr Martens were much more reasonable priced then, as were concert tickets.

Vote comment up
36
36points
Vote comment down
reply
View More Replies... View more commentsArrow down menu
#28

30 People Like To Romanticize The '90s, Gen X'ers Share What They Get Wrong The ‘80s never really went away. There were a lot of people who hated the new directions in music, fashion, TV and movies the ‘90s brought and held onto their butt rock, Aquanet and mullets with a righteous fervour.

OccamsYoyo , Ron Lach / pexels (not the actual photo) Report

Final score:
31points
Add photo comments
POST
melissasawicki_2 avatar
Melissa Sawicki
Melissa Sawicki
Community Member
8 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Why is that person holding the Boom Box like it was so light???? B***h please.... those Boom boxes were heavy

Vote comment up
47
47points
Vote comment down
reply
View More Replies... View more commentsArrow down menu
ADVERTISEMENT
See Also on Bored Panda
#29

30 People Like To Romanticize The '90s, Gen X'ers Share What They Get Wrong “H****n chic” comes to mind.

rescuemutts369 , Bruno Thethe / pexels (not the actual photo) Report

Final score:
28points
Add photo comments
POST
tanne82 avatar
Me
Me
Community Member
8 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I always felt too fat in that time.... compared to Kate Moss I was, but looking back at pictures I was completely okay and healthy.

Vote comment up
25
25points
Vote comment down
reply
View More Replies... View more commentsArrow down menu
#30

30 People Like To Romanticize The '90s, Gen X'ers Share What They Get Wrong I think one of the most interesting transitions from the 90’s into the 00’s can be observed through The Sopranos. It starts with phone booths and pagers and ends with iPhones (Sopranos ran until 2007*, there was definitely overlap. It’s featured prominently in the final season, used by Anthony Jr.) so the cell phone evolution represented there is just one aspect of tech and culture changes at the turn of the century that can be seen in the series. The inclusion of the iPhone in the final season was some prime product placement marketing for the new product. If you think of the 80’s as “grey” you may have missed the the obsession with “neon” (uv) colors that began in the 80’s and proliferated in the 90’s. The 80’s were hyper saturated with a wholly different palette from the 70’s, and laid a foundation for 90’s design. 

ellimayhem , HBO Report

Final score:
28points
Add photo comments
POST
View More Replies... View more commentsArrow down menu
Continue reading with Bored Panda Premium
Unlimited content
Ad-free browsing
Dark mode
ADVERTISEMENT
See Also on Bored Panda
#31

30 People Like To Romanticize The '90s, Gen X'ers Share What They Get Wrong A lot of people talk about the 90s like it was a utopian decade. Sure, a lot of stuff was awesome. But there was also the AIDS epidemic, the crack epidemic, the heroin epidemic, lots of police brutality, the sharp uptick in domestic terrorism, etc. plus the casual sexism, racism, & homophobia. The hope for the future that started in late 1989 with the fall of the Berlin Wall and the heating up of our economy in the mid-90s only lasted until 2000. It was a very brief window, in retrospect. While I enjoyed the 90s, I lost a lot of friends to drugs. And I lost a lot of hope when W. was elected.

anon , MART PRODUCTION / pexels (not the actual photo) Report

Final score:
18points
Add photo comments
POST
michaeldanhauer avatar
Michael Danhauer
Michael Danhauer
Community Member
8 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

The election where Bush's daddy got him in office using a recount down in Florida in his other son's (Jeb) district was the most corrupt example of modern politics up to that point I can think of that I witnessed... Until Trump that is...

Vote comment up
10
10points
Vote comment down
reply
View More Replies... View more commentsArrow down menu
#32

I'm from 75 and my best friend is from 65. We have very different memories of the 90s.

SomeCrazedBiker Report

Final score:
18points
Add photo comments
POST
nerenahddhaneren avatar
Nerenahd Dhaneren
Nerenahd Dhaneren
Community Member
8 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I'm from 75 and my best friend is from 75. We also have very different memories from the 90s.

Vote comment up
12
12points
Vote comment down
reply
View more commentsArrow down menu
#33

30 People Like To Romanticize The '90s, Gen X'ers Share What They Get Wrong I don't think the Riot Grrrl movement gets enough recognition and acknowledgment as an extremely significant 90s cultural event.

smartasskicker , Greg Neate Report

Final score:
17points
Add photo comments
POST
acey-ace16 avatar
Ace
Ace
Community Member
8 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Err, probably because most people have never heard of it, neither in the 90s nor nowadays. (Had to look it up to know what this was even talking about),

Vote comment up
14
14points
Vote comment down
reply
View More Replies... View more commentsArrow down menu
ADVERTISEMENT
See Also on Bored Panda
#34

Khaki's everywhere. I doubt that is represented correctly.

rogun64 Report

Final score:
17points
Add photo comments
POST
View More Replies... View more commentsArrow down menu
#35

There were ALOT more rugby shirts then what is portrayed today.

HonestCamel1063 Report

Final score:
16points
Add photo comments
POST
acey-ace16 avatar
Ace
Ace
Community Member
8 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Never really thought about it but yeah, you're right. Some of them are still in my cupboards...

Vote comment up
6
6points
Vote comment down
reply
View more commentsArrow down menu
#36

Everything in the 80s was brown. Not grey.

LoudNinjah Report

Final score:
15points
Add photo comments
POST
lisa-jg-sharma avatar
Noproblem
Noproblem
Community Member
8 months ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

My memories of ‘80s decor were taupe and mauve, brass and glass, bleached oak and those fugly Nagel prints.

Vote comment up
4
4points
Vote comment down
reply
View more commentsArrow down menu
#37

30 People Like To Romanticize The '90s, Gen X'ers Share What They Get Wrong Remember when everything was "X-TREME!" They were still marketing to us then.

I spent the whole early aughts saying "'Green' is the new 'X-TREME'".

Raaazzle , Nicholas Githiri / pexels (not the actual photo) Report

Final score:
15points
Add photo comments
POST
rayceeyarayceeya avatar
Ray Ceeya (RayCeeYa)
Ray Ceeya (RayCeeYa)
Community Member
8 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

That was more of an extreme late 90s/2000s thing. I think the X-Games debuted in 2000 or 2001.

Vote comment up
3
3points
Vote comment down
reply
View More Replies... View more commentsArrow down menu
#38

The 90s as a vibe really only stretched from 92-96. It peaked in 94. By 97-98 it was starting to be culturally stagnant. And then 2001 happened and nothing was the same since.

DrMungo80 Report

Final score:
13points
Add photo comments
POST
rayceeyarayceeya avatar
Ray Ceeya (RayCeeYa)
Ray Ceeya (RayCeeYa)
Community Member
8 months ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

OP is being oddly specific. Guessing from the specified years, I'm thinking Jim Carrey's career arc.

Vote comment up
10
10points
Vote comment down
reply
View More Replies... View more commentsArrow down menu
ADVERTISEMENT
See Also on Bored Panda
#39

30 People Like To Romanticize The '90s, Gen X'ers Share What They Get Wrong The statement about the 80's was about the overuse of neon in costumes and nostalgia. There was neon but we didn't walk around like a lightbulb everyday. The decor was not zany and bright, it was brown and dull. Country and Americana were popular household decor.

What do people get wrong about the 90's? Honestly, IDK. Most everything I see has been pretty well represented as truthful without too much nostalgia-washing. I started high school in 1990 and graduated college in 1997, I feel like I transcended that timeframe pretty well and rarely if even have I seen anything where I'm like "nah, that's not it." One thing about GenX is I don't think we are prone to embellishments too much.

Purple_Pansy_Orange , Yaritza / pexels (not the actual photo) Report

Final score:
12points
Add photo comments
POST
jasonengman avatar
Jason
Jason
Community Member
8 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

When I was younger I wore, or had a lot of loud neon colored clothes and stuff. Though as I hit high school I switched to different styles

Vote comment up
0
0points
Vote comment down
reply
#40

That the economy was pretty weak for young workers until the dotcom boom in the late ’90s. Most so-called slackers were people who couldn’t find a good job.

ffs2050 Report

Final score:
12points
Add photo comments
POST
#41

I won’t say people get it “wrong” per se but when I’ve seen video of typical office workers in the 90s I’m surprised by how well dressed everybody is compared to now.

randomkeystrike Report

Final score:
11points
Add photo comments
POST
bettyboom avatar
Betty Boom
Betty Boom
Community Member
8 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I was required to wear a skirt or dress at work, along with heels until probably 99-01 and then we got casual Fridays. Your boss could easily send you home for looking shabby. That would NOT fly today.

Vote comment up
3
3points
Vote comment down
reply
View more commentsArrow down menu
ADVERTISEMENT
See Also on Bored Panda
#42

There werent roving gangs of equally diverse teenagers (including one girl in a wheelchair) running around spray painting everything with neon colored graffiti letters, all while learning wholesome life lessons from a kind hearted policeman, in EVERY city.

We were just as likely to be boring a*s losers at home watching TV as anyone else.

Ok-Scheme-1815 Report

Final score:
11points
Add photo comments
POST
feliciacahoon avatar
Idgafwyt
Idgafwyt
Community Member
8 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I have no idea if this is supposed to be about a TV show or movie or if OP was just coming up with a very specific scenario? If it's a show, it's not ringing any bells?

Vote comment up
3
3points
Vote comment down
reply
View more commentsArrow down menu
#43

Bedhead... you know, the hairstyle? Seemed like everyone on MTV had it around '98 or '99. I hate it for some reason, but worse I hate media that capitalizes on nostalgia and wants to rewrite fashion history and say bedhead was around in the '80s which I sure as s**t don't remember.

Scrotchety Report

Final score:
9points
Add photo comments
POST
jennsmith_1 avatar
Jenn Smith
Jenn Smith
Community Member
8 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

There was a whole collection of salon exclusive hair products called Bedhead. I know because I sold those 20.00 bottles of gel and mousse...lol..

Vote comment up
5
5points
Vote comment down
reply
View More Replies... View more commentsArrow down menu
#44

It wasn't exciting at the time. I remember in the late 90s there was an article in my local paper about 70s and 80s nostalgia and the conclusion was that the 90s would never be a nostalgic decade. They were wrong and I actually wrote the paper saying of course it would be. But at the time, the 90s felt unextraordinary.

harlequinn823 Report

Final score:
8points
Add photo comments
POST
View more commentsArrow down menu
ADVERTISEMENT
See Also on Bored Panda
#45

Americans mostly seem to not realise the rise of electronic music in the 90s in the rest of the western world. Most Americans were still hung up on three chords and the truth and the misery of grunge. I lived in the states for six months in 95/96 and was surprised how little inroads music like house and techno had made in mainstream society.

Fullonski Report

Final score:
7points
Add photo comments
POST
danmartyr_1 avatar
dan martyr
dan martyr
Community Member
8 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

It’s weird considering that the two big forms of dance music; house and techno came from the US. For me the 90’s was Trance , House, and Indie (Stone Roses, Blur, etc)

Vote comment up
4
4points
Vote comment down
reply
View more commentsArrow down menu
#46

30 People Like To Romanticize The '90s, Gen X'ers Share What They Get Wrong The early 90s were super violent depending on where you lived. That was the time of the "Super-Predators" as President Clinton called them. I think Woodstock '99 captures the idea.

Ecstatic-Condition29 , Erik Mclean / pexels (not the actual photo) Report

Final score:
7points
Add photo comments
POST
View More Replies... View more commentsArrow down menu
#47

It was known as the poor 80s here in Denmark. I didn't notice as a kid and it was a very colorful decade. I noticed that dad could afford more food and toys for me, when I visited him in CA, USA.

In the 90s I was still pretty formal and colorful and a lot of my parents generation were clearly still living in the 70s - judging by their homes or even cars. It's not a decade I remember fondly.

ladywholocker Report

Final score:
7points
Add photo comments
POST
ADVERTISEMENT
See Also on Bored Panda
#48

30 People Like To Romanticize The '90s, Gen X'ers Share What They Get Wrong People go on about how awesome video rental was back then. In reality, it completely sucked a*s, and heads would explode if we had to access movies that way today.

uglyugly1 , Julian Bracero / pexels (not the actual photo) Report

Final score:
5points
Add photo comments
POST
spencersmith avatar
SBocker78
SBocker78
Community Member
8 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Going to the video store on Friday night with your friends and picking out movies was awesome. Remembering to gather, rewind and return those movies on time was a pain in the butt.

Vote comment up
20
20points
Vote comment down
reply
View more commentsArrow down menu
#49

Not all of us were neglected latch key kids. I f*****g wished my parents would leave us alone for one second. Looking back I should’ve been much more appreciative; we had great home made meals three times a day, parents played with us and helped us study, dropped off and picked us up from school, they never left us by ourselves or baby sitters, no one smoked, etc. But I’d be lying if I said I loved it. I still wish they gave us some privacy and didn’t treat us like some helpless twats. I craved freedom.

FlipMeOverUpsidedown Report

Final score:
5points
Add photo comments
POST
michaeldanhauer avatar
Michael Danhauer
Michael Danhauer
Community Member
8 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

If you had the freedom you'd wish for more support and hands on treatment... It's human nature... You had it great and you know it

Vote comment up
5
5points
Vote comment down
reply
View more commentsArrow down menu
#50

That comic books sucked.

MSAPW Report

Final score:
1point
Add photo comments
POST
View more commentsArrow down menu
ADVERTISEMENT

Anyone can write on Bored Panda. Start writing!

Follow Bored Panda on Google News!