K....Megatron...apparently u and I are the same age....
I just turned 30...and I grad from college in 99

I used to like hanging around the younger college kids cuz I could still get away with it as well.....
and my stories would eventually give away my age too....

I dont mean this in a mean way...just curious...but dont u feel creepy hanging out with college kids now(if u still do, that is)
I know that I certainly did after a while and I had to stop.
I have a good friend of mine who is 31 and he still hangs with college kids every weekend. They make fun of him like heck because of his age and I never want to be "THAT" guy.

^Oh good Lord no!  I do NOT hang out with 18 and 19 year olds, or even the early 20s.   I think I didn't explain myself.  See I take night classes because I went back to school to get another degree that I would like to have to further my employment.  I see these current kids around, I'll have lunch with them but no I don't "hang out" with them.  They invite me but I pass.  I could if I wanted and no one would figure me to look strange with the 21 year olds, but no I don't want to be one of those guys either.  That's horrible to be the old geezer of the group.

I remember when I was about 14 and 15 years old, there was this neighborhood dude that was around 21 that was always hanging around us.  At first we thought it was pretty cool that he wanted to hang with us all the time.  Then we were like, hey wait a minute, this guy wants to hang with us!  Doesn't he have anything better to do at his age?  Apparently he didn't.  Granted that is a totally different scenario as he was a 21 year old loser with no life that wanted to hang with 15 year olds.  But like I said,, outside of getting lunch or coffee I try to avoid hanging out with the under 24 crowd.  Even though they are adults, I know it would look bad on me.  Plus I am on a different stage of life, I am thinking of finding a nice woman and settling down and having a family, doing the mature things in life, while these early 20s kids are still into partying, partying, and some more non-stop partying. 

My friends tend to be mid 20s and up through the 30s, and even 40s, 50s.   

I'm 46 and sometimes it feels weird when I talk to younger people, even on these boards, about stuff from when I was growing up(60's and early 70's)they sometimes don't really get it...stuff like music from the 1960's is like 'dinosaur' stuff to younger folks...but I understand why. In my time, bands like the Moody Blues, Nazz, Yes, Emerson Lake and Palmer, even the Beatles' later albums starting with Sgt. Pepper, were considered 'cutting-edge' as was technology like color television, cassettes, and even home recording studios...I have to wonder how many parents talk about the past, technology-wise, with their kids...Kids are sometimes like 'yeah, I know'

But then some fortysomethings don't have an XBox, mp3 player, or PC because they are confounded by technology..or they're afraid to use it...look at how many older folks cringe at having to program their own VCR's!

Yeah, I think 1994 is the point at which you can't comprehend the '80s.  The '90s were similar enough to the '80s in lifestyle, hell, I'd say technologically 1990-1997 is closer to the '80s than the '00s.  People still used faxes, for instance, well into the '90s.  Email is more a post-1996 thing.



Exactly, alot of stuff from the 80's made it well into the 90's(like TV shows and tech for example). Even though I cant remember the 80's(well except but maybe 1 second of 1989) I still think I could relate to someone old enough to remember the whole decade because the NES was the first console I owned(and i've played even more primitive systems before) and I had to go years without a computer or intenet so I know what it's like to live without it. The 80's feel pretty old to me but far from ancient.

Yeah, the '80s were still pretty close to my childhood. We had an '80s TV, car, VCR, radio/CD player, typewriter, etc. up until 1999 or so, and there were lots of movies and TV that I used to watch which were at least late '80s. Lots of decor in the '90s looked '80s. For example, my house's "interior design" scheme is '80s, done over between 1987 and 1990.

Yes. I feel like such a creep.


Actually, even though I was a teenager in the 80's and I personally didn't think the decade was particularly special, I can understand the fascination, because when I was a teenager I was obsessed with the 60's since I wasn't alive then so they held a certain mystique for me. And if the Internet had been around in say, 1986, and there was a website called inthe80s.com, I'm sure I would have been just like Donnie Darko, asking all these older people questions about the 60's, and there'd be some 35-year-old a$$hole telling me, "Yeah, the 60's weren't that big of a deal, you really didn't miss that much..." ;D ;D ;D

Yes. I feel like such a creep.


Actually, even though I was a teenager in the 80's and I personally didn't think the decade was particularly special, I can understand the fascination, because when I was a teenager I was obsessed with the 60's since I wasn't alive then so they held a certain mystique for me. And if the Internet had been around in say, 1986, and there was a website called inthe80s.com, I'm sure I would have been just like Donnie Darko, asking all these older people questions about the 60's, and there'd be some 35-year-old a$$hole telling me, "Yeah, the 60's weren't that big of a deal, you really didn't miss that much..." ;D ;D ;D


That's so true - I would've been right there with you. I was also fascinated with the 60's and 70's as a teenager and really felt like I had missed my mark by 15 years. I SO wish I had been born at least 10 to 7 years earlier, but I guess I can't complain now since I feel honoured that kids born in the 90's are so interested in the 80's and the stories and stuff.

That's so true - I would've been right there with you. I was also fascinated with the 60's and 70's as a teenager and really felt like I had missed my mark by 15 years. I SO wish I had been born at least 10 to 7 years earlier, but I guess I can't complain now since I feel honoured that kids born in the 90's are so interested in the 80's and the stories and stuff.


I loved the second half of the '70s around 1994, particularly when I watched alot of the movies from the era. I remember being jealous of the 12-year olds (who were then around 30) whom got to experience Disco, or were going to drive in movies a few years later.

Anyone who knows me, has said that no matter when I was born, I would always be attached to everything before and including my first 12 years. They're probably right.

Imagine I was born 100 years earlier (1881) and this was now 1906:

Hey, why are they building these silly cars and roads? Buggies will work fine. I always used to ride horses around the farm when I was a kid back around 1889, such good memories! I guess I'll have to get horseback riding equipment from the pawn shops now! ;D

I'll bet you a million bucks, that "me" would be saying this!

I loved the second half of the '70s around 1994, particularly when I watched alot of the movies from the era. I remember being jealous of the 12-year olds (who were then around 30) whom got to experience Disco, or were going to drive in movies a few years later.

Anyone who knows me, has said that no matter when I was born, I would always be attached to everything before and including my first 12 years. They're probably right.

Imagine I was born 100 years earlier (1881) and this was now 1906:

Hey, why are they building these silly cars and roads? Buggies will work fine. I always used to ride horses around the farm when I was a kid back around 1889, such good memories! I guess I'll have to get horseback riding equipment from the pawn shops now! ;D

I'll bet you a million bucks, that "me" would be saying this!


I hear ya. I mean, like I'm sure we've said before, I guess we can't appreciate our era until further down the line. Every generation has it's spectacular things to experience, but it just happens that the 20th Century was one hell of a time to be a part of. I'm sure it will be a century no one will ever forget come the next millennium, lol.

I remember feeling sorta bummed that I couldn't experience the 60's or 70's when I was 13 or so, but now the more I look at it, I'm glad I was born when I was, as I wasn't all that far from the 60's and 70's as some kids are today who seem to maybe not relate to it in the same way as we can. I feel fortunate :0)

^ As an '80s valley girl would say, "Fer sure!" :)

As time passes, I've also learned to like the present, because I know it won't be around forever either. Even though some things from today aren't to my liking (and truthfully, haven't been since 1997ish, or especially after 2001), I've made an honest effort in recent years to enjoy it while it's around (even the stuff that s*cks from the '00s I'll probably miss by 2013 or so).

And not even just the pop culture or tech, but personal experiences too. I just thought of it right now, but one reason I deeply miss the '80s and increasingly the '90s too, is the fact that many friends and other people I knew, I have since lost touch with (those people kinda shaped "my" past, so it makes me miss it even more). I've promised myself I wouldn't let that happen again in the future, so I guess good can come out of things like that.

Just wondering (if you were anything like me in this regard): Did the media make you wanna be around in the '60s/70s even more, or make you "jealous" of those that did, LOL?

For instance, I remember watching the original Bad News Bears movie when I was 12 and thinking, Man, they look like they're having so much fun. Yeah, it's a made up movie, but I'm sure there was stuff like that going on in 1974. Now it's twenty years ago and they're all probably somewhere else with different lives now, that s*cks.

^ As an '80s valley girl would say, "Fer sure!" :)

As time passes, I've also learned to like the present, because I know it won't be around forever either. Even though some things from today aren't to my liking (and truthfully, haven't been since 1997ish, or especially after 2001), I've made an honest effort in recent years to enjoy it while it's around (even the stuff that s*cks from the '00s I'll probably miss by 2013 or so).

And not even just the pop culture or tech, but personal experiences too. I just thought of it right now, but one reason I deeply miss the '80s and increasingly the '90s too, is the fact that many friends and other people I knew, I have since lost touch with (those people kinda shaped "my" past, so it makes me miss it even more). I've promised myself I wouldn't let that happen again in the future, so I guess good can come out of things like that.

Just wondering (if you were anything like me in this regard): Did the media make you wanna be around in the '60s/70s even more, or make you "jealous" of those that did, LOL?

For instance, I remember watching the original Bad News Bears movie when I was 12 and thinking, Man, they look like they're having so much fun. Yeah, it's a made up movie, but I'm sure there was stuff like that going on in 1974. Now it's twenty years ago and they're all probably somewhere else with different lives now, that s*cks.


I think what I will miss about this decade in 2013 is that I was closer to the century I was born in, lol. Other than that, most things so far have been forgettable. Yet, I'm sure I'll have some nostalgia, especially the more pop culture icons pass away, the harder the pill will be to swallow.

It is hard to look back on certain times and think of where the time went and long for them again. I always thought when I left my friends in 4th grade and changed schools, that I'd still be good friends with them still. Well, I've only kept in contact with maybe 2 people from all those kids I knew. I still have some long time childhood friends I've built a lot of memories with, but not quite as many. I'm glad though, to have hung on to those few.

I think the media and just the exciting changes in culture, feminist movement, fashion, government, and everything else was very historical and must've been amazing for those who lived through it. I never really felt "jealous" but I did feel like I had missed an era that I was so adept to. I always felt I should've been born in at least the early to mid-70's because I probably would have gained a better understanding of that time and have fit in with my peers more.

I always feel that when I see those sorts of movies. I've actually never seen Bad News Bears yet, but I can see where you're coming from with that.

I think what I will miss about this decade in 2013 is that I was closer to the century I was born in, lol. Other than that, most things so far have been forgettable. Yet, I'm sure I'll have some nostalgia, especially the more pop culture icons pass away, the harder the pill will be to swallow.

It is hard to look back on certain times and think of where the time went and long for them again. I always thought when I left my friends in 4th grade and changed schools, that I'd still be good friends with them still. Well, I've only kept in contact with maybe 2 people from all those kids I knew. I still have some long time childhood friends I've built a lot of memories with, but not quite as many. I'm glad though, to have hung on to those few.

I think the media and just the exciting changes in culture, feminist movement, fashion, government, and everything else was very historical and must've been amazing for those who lived through it. I never really felt "jealous" but I did feel like I had missed an era that I was so adept to. I always felt I should've been born in at least the early to mid-70's because I probably would have gained a better understanding of that time and have fit in with my peers more.

I always feel that when I see those sorts of movies. I've actually never seen Bad News Bears yet, but I can see where you're coming from with that.


Totally agree.

Do you also think people glamourize the past because there's a certain "safety" in it? You've been there, so you're familar with it (i.e. you know exactly what's going to happen and what's around. Or, on a more personal level, just knowing that your friends and family will be alive and well, etc).

For example, if time travel existed, you could just say, "Hey, let's stop over in 1994 and go to my old house" and it'd feel like you were taking a vacation. ;) But the present is like going to school or a 9 to 5 job. It's cool 'cause it's what you're used to, but it's not special because it's the "typical" day to day grind of reality.

Totally agree.

Do you also think people glamourize the past because there's a certain "safety" in it? You've been there, so you're familar with it (i.e. you know exactly what's going to happen and what's around. Or, on a more personal level, just knowing that your friends and family will be alive and well, etc).

For example, if time travel existed, you could just say, "Hey, let's stop over in 1994 and go to my old house" and it'd feel like you were taking a vacation. ;) But the present is like going to school or a 9 to 5 job. It's cool 'cause it's what you're used to, but it's not special because it's the "typical" day to day grind of reality.


That's exactly right, about the "safety" in the past. I suppose my fascination with the '80s and early '90s is similar to your fascination with the late '70s c. 1994. They're close enough to relate to and seem like just about the funnest time possible, when I could've had a "classic" high school experience. I feel nostalgia for the mid-'90s now alot, when the world seemed alot simpler, and I had so much less to deal with and worry about, and when I still had alot of curiosity about the world. 

That's exactly right, about the "safety" in the past. I suppose my fascination with the '80s and early '90s is similar to your fascination with the late '70s c. 1994. They're close enough to relate to and seem like just about the funnest time possible, when I could've had a "classic" high school experience. I feel nostalgia for the mid-'90s now alot, when the world seemed alot simpler, and I had so much less to deal with and worry about, and when I still had alot of curiosity about the world. 





I totally agree. That's the way I felt when I first started to feel nostalgic for the very early 90's(1990-1992) in about 2000. I was entering high school and there was just that "safety" in those old days. Now slowly but surely i've started to get nostalgic for the mid 90's and now the late 90's(and even 2000). Now I have a fascination with my earliest childhood days('87-'89).

I totally agree. That's the way I felt when I first started to feel nostalgic for the very early 90's(1990-1992) in about 2000. I was entering high school and there was just that "safety" in those old days. Now slowly but surely i've started to get nostalgic for the mid 90's and now the late 90's(and even 2000). Now I have a fascination with my earliest childhood days('87-'89).


I think I was pretty curious about the early '90s c. 2000, when I was an early Simpsons nut and really into Tori Amos and Seinfeld and wearing flannel day in and day out. Since 2003, it's more been the '80s mixed with the early-mid '90s that's my fancy. Of course, I can't remember anything except for some brief snatches before 1993, so my "'90s nostalgia" centers on my little kid days from 1993-1997.

What's really weird for me is explaining computers like the Commodore 64 and the Apple II family(especially the Apple II Plus and Apple IIgs)to people my age who have never used a computer. And trying to explain to younger people that heavy metal existed before the 1980's and bands like Metallica..I mention bands that I heard as a teenager, like Humble Pie, Deep Purple, Grand Funk Railroad, Blue Oyster Cult, and even Blue Cheer...they're like 'WTF are you talking about?'(not that I don't like bands like Metallica, Megadeth, Anthrax, and other thrash/speed metal stuff, I do!)

I wonder how many of today's young people have ever seen a console-type stereo, very prevalent thing in the 1960's. Or even a portable stereo with a record changer...or better yet an open-reel tape deck.

I wonder how many of today's young people have ever seen a console-type stereo, very prevalent thing in the 1960's. Or even a portable stereo with a record changer...or better yet an open-reel tape deck.


I've actually seen all three of those items as my grandparents own them and my parents had a double open reel tape deck. Interesting things.. I wish I learn how to work them... now I'm starting to sound young, eh? lol

It's been awhile. I almost get nostalgic about the time when I used to post to this board. Nevermind that, point is: we're all stuck on "time frames". I'll admit it, I'm trying to get over my obsession with my early childhood years. Really, how many of us actually remember the eighties? I'm talking to all the twentiesomething guys and girls(I'm 22 turning 23) who are going to college, getting jobs, getting married, and having kids. Right now WE are the generation.

I remember not many years ago I used to think people born in the early 80s made me feel old.  Then I've come to realize they really aren't that much younger then me, and at least they were actually sorta around for the 80s.  But it kinda unnerves me realizing how many big, adult looking teenagers are out there that were born in the late 80s and even early 90s.  I think back to something I did in middle school in 1988 or 1989, and then I realize these guys were just being born or maybey weren't even alive.   Hell in a strict biologically sense I'm actually old to have fathered some of these teenagers. All those years growing up we were the ones that made the generations before us feel old, and now that karma is finally coming back to us.  It just feels so awkward knowing that both the 80s and 90s are a mere footnote of the 20th century now, sometimes probably even lumped in with the 50s, 60s and 70s from the point of view of these kids.

My nephew who was born in 1997 always plays with his Nintendo GameCube.  My cousin and I (he's close to my age, he's 28) told my nephew that we used to play with the original Nintendo when we were kids back in the 80s.  So my nephew aks, "whas that the Nintendo 64?"  We're like uhhh, no waaaaaay before the 64.  We were playing with our 8 bit Nintendo back in circa 1986, only a couple of years after the Atari era ended.  This is just one of many experiences I've had.  But he's just a child.   When you go through something like that with an adult looking teenager or even someone in their early 20s, it can make you feel a lot more awkward about the passage of time.

Makes me feel over the hill! LOL!!!

I wonder what a kid from the 90's or 2000's would say if I told them I had an Atari 2600 or that I've used a Commodore 64..my guess it's 'what are they?'

I wonder what a kid from the 90's or 2000's would say if I told them I had an Atari 2600 or that I've used a Commodore 64..my guess it's 'what are they?'



No way, i'm '87 born and i've got a Commodore 64. Now a kid from the 2000's probably not.

I wonder what a kid from the 90's or 2000's would say if I told them I had an Atari 2600 or that I've used a Commodore 64..my guess it's 'what are they?'

I would say, "That's awesome! Can I play?" actually. I was born in 1989, so as if you couldn't guess I didn't experience much of the 80s, and I absolutely hate it. Not a day goes by that I don't wish that I was born 10 to 15 years earlier. Thanks to VH1's I Love the 80s I've become facinated. I love 80s music, movies, and even fashion(it would be awesome to be able pull off some of that stuff today). I'm actually starting to get nostalgic for my childhood, especially the topic of old school Nickelodeon(but I won't get started on that).  And back to the Atari, I'd love to play one. We have one somewhere buried in a closet but it's doubtful that it still works.

It's been awhile. I almost get nostalgic about the time when I used to post to this board. Nevermind that, point is: we're all stuck on "time frames". I'll admit it, I'm trying to get over my obsession with my early childhood years. Really, how many of us actually remember the eighties? I'm talking to all the twentiesomething guys and girls(I'm 22 turning 23) who are going to college, getting jobs, getting married, and having kids. Right now WE are the generation.



I think you'd have to be a bare mininium of age 24, maybey even 25 to have some kind of decent 80s memories that were of substance.  People your age, in the early 20s, would not remember anything of significance at all,....beyond a He-Man cartoon or episode of Full House that you probably watched in 1990.  Born in 1980, sure OK, but not people born in 1983 or '84 (and beyond obviously).   The current early 20s crowd was never really there in my opinion, and many of you probably don't want to be anyway.  And yes it is weird that you guys are adults now, getting married and starting families. 

I would say, "That's awesome! Can I play?" actually. I was born in 1989, so as if you couldn't guess I didn't experience much of the 80s, and I absolutely hate it. Not a day goes by that I don't wish that I was born 10 to 15 years earlier. Thanks to VH1's I Love the 80s I've become facinated. I love 80s music, movies, and even fashion(it would be awesome to be able pull off some of that stuff today). I'm actually starting to get nostalgic for my childhood, especially the topic of old school Nickelodeon(but I won't get started on that).  And back to the Atari, I'd love to play one. We have one somewhere buried in a closet but it's doubtful that it still works.


I've always felt that way too. I was born in 1981 and, when I was 16 or 17, I really missed when I was 8 or 10, etc. Both for personal experiences as well as pop culture. :)

With me, '80s nostalgia is partly missing what I remember, while part of it is wishing I'd been around for more of it -- especially the first half of the decade. There's always been a certain "mystique" in that era, just 'cause my memory starts around 1985, and not perfect until late 1986/early '87.

I think you'd have to be a bare mininium of age 24, maybey even 25 to have some kind of decent 80s memories that were of substance.  People your age, in the early 20s, would not remember anything of significance at all,....beyond a He-Man cartoon or episode of Full House that you probably watched in 1990.  Born in 1980, sure OK, but not people born in 1983 or '84 (and beyond obviously).   The current early 20s crowd was never really there in my opinion, and many of you probably don't want to be anyway.  And yes it is weird that you guys are adults now, getting married and starting families. 


On average, I think the age of being able to significantly remember things is around 6. Perhaps because that's when you start school (well, I was in kindergarden an extra year, so I didn't start first grade till I was 7).

1987 and maybe '88 too, were the last "truly substantial '80s pop culture" years (well, there was a late '80s runoff for awhile, but 1989-91 was sort of this, Blah, we're just waiting for the '90s because the '80s was pretty silly era).

So, maybe if you were 6 in, say 1990, sure, you'd maybe remember hearing a Paula Abdul song or something, but in general, the '80s were passe. I wonder if that has anything to do with it?

With me, '80s nostalgia is partly missing what I remember, while part of it is wishing I'd been around for more of it -- especially the first half of the decade. There's always been a certain "mystique" in that era, just 'cause my memory starts around 1985, and not perfect until late 1986/early '87.



Yeah, for me the beginning of the 90's is kind of the cut off point. I cant remember the 80's at all except for a little of 1989 so I've always wished I was around for more and so that 1987-1989 era has always had a certian "mystique" to it as well because I was there but cant remember. 1990+ is where I begin to get nostalgic for the experinces of those times.

I think you'd have to be a bare mininium of age 24, maybey even 25 to have some kind of decent 80s memories that were of substance.  People your age, in the early 20s, would not remember anything of significance at all,....beyond a He-Man cartoon or episode of Full House that you probably watched in 1990.  Born in 1980, sure OK, but not people born in 1983 or '84 (and beyond obviously).   The current early 20s crowd was never really there in my opinion, and many of you probably don't want to be anyway.  And yes it is weird that you guys are adults now, getting married and starting families. 


I think for any decade, you'd have to be born in the 19-20x2 year at the very latest to truly have been around then.

Not that a 1984er can't remember 1988 or '89, but they wouldn't be around for the bulk of the decade, so their "time" would not really include the 1980s the way a 1980er, 1981er, or 1982er would know the late '80s just fine.

^ Yeah. I think for most decades, it's kinda like that. If you were born in the 0-2 years, and perhaps "3" too, you could have a decent memory of it. Ironically, it's often those born in the 4-7 year span that think it's silly later on. The 7 or 8-9 born's could go either way (i.e. some 1989ers love the '80s, while I'm sure some think they're silly/old, etc).

I think for any decade, you'd have to be born in the 19-20x2 year at the very latest to truly have been around then.

Not that a 1984er can't remember 1988 or '89, but they wouldn't be around for the bulk of the decade, so their "time" would not really include the 1980s the way a 1980er, 1981er, or 1982er would know the late '80s just fine.



Yeah, my brother who was born in '91 can remember the late 90's like yeasterday but my cousin born in '95 cant really remember the decade at all. Someone born in that 1980-1982 period should remember the late 80's very well.

^ Yeah. I think for most decades, it's kinda like that. If you were born in the 0-2 years, and perhaps "3" too, you could have a decent memory of it. Ironically, it's often those born in the 4-7 year span that think it's silly later on. The 7 or 8-9 born's could go either way (i.e. some 1989ers love the '80s, while I'm sure some think they're silly/old, etc).


I also think people that are fully around for a decade, such as I'm fully around for the '00s being a 1990er, are more easy to hate on a decade than those who were little in another decade, since they'd know all the ugly stuff about it.  For instance, a 1970er may hate the '80s because they were old enough to remember all the BS that happened then, but weren't old enough to party.

I also think that 1987-1990ers tend to like the '80s because they are upon the fringe of their existence.

I also think people that are fully around for a decade, such as I'm fully around for the '00s being a 1990er, are more easy to hate on a decade than those who were little in another decade, since they'd know all the ugly stuff about it.  For instance, a 1970er may hate the '80s because they were old enough to remember all the BS that happened then, but weren't old enough to party.



Yeah, once everybody gets nostalgic for a decade those guys that were around for a whole decade are the ones that usually say "ahh.. it wasn't that special".

I also think people that are fully around for a decade, such as I'm fully around for the '00s being a 1990er, are more easy to hate on a decade than those who were little in another decade, since they'd know all the ugly stuff about it.  For instance, a 1970er may hate the '80s because they were old enough to remember all the BS that happened then, but weren't old enough to party.


I guess you could say that's like me with the '90s (although I've always openly liked quite a bit of it). I mean, I was still only 13 and 14 in 1995, so it's not like I could actually do anything that a 1974er or even a 1977er could at the time. Not that I'm jealous, but alot of people would've been.

Yeah, once everybody gets nostalgic for a decade those guys that were around for a whole decade are the ones that usually say "ahh.. it wasn't that special".


Totally.

Even for the '90s, I know it wasn't all rainbows and butterflys.  There was tons of fuss about violence in the '90s, and the television of the latter '90s really reflected this.  

I guess you could say that's like me with the '90s (although I've always openly liked quite a bit of it). I mean, I was still only 13 and 14 in 1995, so it's not like I could actually do anything that a 1974er or even a 1977er could at the time. Not that I'm jealous, but alot of people would've been.


Yeah, I'm definitely that way about the '00s.

I mean, I like plenty of things from the '00s, but I'm not fond of the decade simply because it's the '00s (yet anyway).  Even my movie Donnie Darko came out in 2001.  ;)

Totally.

Even for the '90s, I know it wasn't all rainbows and butterflys.  There was tons of fuss about violence in the '90s, and the television of the latter '90s really reflected this.  



Not to mention the Oklahoma City bombing, the Olympic park boming in '96,etc. The 90's were pretty violent.

Not to mention the Oklahoma City bombing, the Olympic park boming in '96,etc. The 90's were pretty violent.


I kind of think the '90s in general, including in this sense, were created by the backlash of the Cold War (which is also why they didn't really begin until 1992ish).
The media always has to instill fear in people, and when that fear could no longer be crazy Russians it became domestic terrorists, angry nerds and deadbeat dads.

I kind of think the '90s in general, including in this sense, were created by the backlash of the Cold War (which is also why they didn't really begin until 1992ish).
The media always has to instill fear in people, and when that fear could no longer be crazy Russians it became domestic terrorists, angry nerds and deadbeat dads.



Yeah, it does seem like when the cultural 80's and the cold war ended in 1991 that the media started to focus more on crime, domestic terrorism, and the such.

Yeah, it does seem like when the cultural 80's and the cold war ended in 1991 that the media started to focus more on crime, domestic terrorism, and the such.


The '90s seemed like a very bloodsoaked decade in general, even though it was probably about equally crime-ridden with the '70s and '80s.  Blood and guts just seemed everywhere in that decade.

Alot of people born in say 1973 rejected the '80s for the '90s, since they were a bit too young to be bratpacker '80s teens in 1985 or so, and embraced alot of aspects of early-mid '90s culture (The Simpsons, grunge, alt rock) that they felt completed what they felt was missing from the '80s. Like, with 1982ers, they're definitely "'90s people", from the 1982ers I've met, but they're a bit fluxy with the '00s and the '80s and tend to see the reality of the whole thing a bit more...alot of the really loyal "'90s teens" were born in the last half of the '70s to about 1980 or so...this goes along with what you're saying in that people who remembered the whole decade but were a bit too young during the peak of it to fully experience it are a bit more aware of the realities of the decade as a whole. I don't really remember the early '90s, but I get a very good sense of and I'm comfortable with the mid-90s and especially the late 90s very well. Like, if I look at an album cover or TV show from the mid-90s or something from 1993 on, really, it doesn't look before my time even in the slightest bit, since I was a pretty observant child. But I'll still be too young when the '00s is over to have actually done anything as an '00s young adult like a 1986er or 1987er would, so maybe 1990ers will end up a bit more cynical about the decade after all.

I agree with what you're saying about the '90s being a cold war backlash, and in that way everything associated vaguely with the Reagan times. The '70s were probably the most violent decade, IMO, followed by the '90s shortly.

I agree with what you're saying about the '90s being a cold war backlash, and in that way everything associated vaguely with the Reagan times. The '70s were probably the most violent decade, IMO, followed by the '90s shortly.

I actually hate the '70s.  Also, I think the violent nature of the '90s partly stems from the '70s.

I agree with what you're saying about the '90s being a cold war backlash, and in that way everything associated vaguely with the Reagan times. The '70s were probably the most violent decade, IMO, followed by the '90s shortly.



Yeah the 70's have been the most violent decade in recent history even more than the 60's or 90's IMO.

Yeah the 70's have been the most violent decade in recent history even more than the 60's or 90's IMO.


I also think they're the ugliest decade.  Ever seen Sanford and Son?  :P

I'd actually say also, that the '70s were probably more "troublesome" than the '80s - for instance, smoking weed was typically perceived as a social/cool thing to do (i.e. an outgrowth of the '60s) whereas in the '80s, it really kinda reverted to a more innocent/preppy attitude. Drugs and even alcohol were looked at as kind of "loser" things to do.

I also think they're the ugliest decade.  Ever seen Sanford and Son?  :P



How about Archie Bunker? ;D

I'd actually say also, that the '70s were probably more "troublesome" than the '80s - for instance, smoking weed was typically perceived as a social/cool thing to do (i.e. an outgrowth of the '60s) whereas in the '80s, it really kinda reverted to a more innocent/preppy attitude. Drugs and even alcohol were looked at as kind of "loser" things to do.



Yeah it does seem like the overall attitudes of 80's teens are pretty different form 70's teens. Also the 80's were way more conservative than the 70's.

How about Archie Bunker? ;D


;D


I'd actually say also, that the '70s were probably more "troublesome" than the '80s - for instance, smoking weed was typically perceived as a social/cool thing to do (i.e. an outgrowth of the '60s) whereas in the '80s, it really kinda reverted to a more innocent/preppy attitude. Drugs and even alcohol were looked at as kind of "loser" things to do.


Yeah, that's true.  The '70s, like the '90s had redeeming qualities.

Yeah it does seem like the overall attitudes of 80's teens are pretty different form 70's teens. Also the 80's were way more conservative than the 70's.


That's true. Oddly though, it seems alot of '70s kids/teens still liked what was popular in the '80s. I know MTV had a young fanbase, but there were 30 year olds who dug it in the early days, too.

Certainly, it doesn't seem as different as, say someone born in 1968 who tends to hate the '90s.

That's true. Oddly though, it seems alot of '70s kids/teens still liked what was popular in the '80s. I know MTV had a young fanbase, but there were 30 year olds who dug it in the early days, too.

Certainly, it doesn't seem as different as, say someone born in 1968 who tends to hate the '90s.



Yeah, I'd agree but it would be alot easier for a 70's teen to transition to the 80's than an average 80's teen into the 90's.

That's true. Oddly though, it seems alot of '70s kids/teens still liked what was popular in the '80s. I know MTV had a young fanbase, but there were 30 year olds who dug it in the early days, too.

Certainly, it doesn't seem as different as, say someone born in 1968 who tends to hate the '90s.


I kind of think of the '70s as a transitional phase between the psychedelic '60s and new wave '80s, even if they were despised in the '80s the Disco thing very much pointed to the '80s, even if it was purely '70s.

That's true. Oddly though, it seems alot of '70s kids/teens still liked what was popular in the '80s. I know MTV had a young fanbase, but there were 30 year olds who dug it in the early days, too.

Certainly, it doesn't seem as different as, say someone born in 1968 who tends to hate the '90s.


Yeah, my parents are both early '70s teenagers and mid-late '80s young adults who were in their late twenties in the Thriller-era peak of early MTV, and they watched it all the time through the early '90s. Definitely, though, the remaining weed and pseudo-hippie crowd of the '70s utterly despised the '80s; the disco and coke crowd loved the '80s if they were successful enough in business. Teenagers did alot of drugs in the '70s, not just marijuana, but stuff like cocaine (later in the '70s), LSD and other hallucinogens (much more popular then, actually, my mom's HS boyfriend died of an LSD overdose)...

I think the '90s were very liberal as far as teen drug use goes, alot less people seem to actually be "potheads" in a suburban teen setting. Most of the really heavy drug use is among rich urban prep schools. There's some cocaine use, but I get the sense there was more non-pot use in the '90s at my school. Now, people are so focused on getting ahead all they do is get drunk. In the '80s, pot was seen as "so '70s" and people seemed to just go to parties and get pretty drunk...this comes from John Hughes movies and '80s teens I know, BTW.

On average, I think the age of being able to significantly remember things is around 6. Perhaps because that's when you start school (well, I was in kindergarden an extra year, so I didn't start first grade till I was 7).

1987 and maybe '88 too, were the last "truly substantial '80s pop culture" years (well, there was a late '80s runoff for awhile, but 1989-91 was sort of this, Blah, we're just waiting for the '90s because the '80s was pretty silly era).

So, maybe if you were 6 in, say 1990, sure, you'd maybe remember hearing a Paula Abdul song or something, but in general, the '80s were passe. I wonder if that has anything to do with it?


Are you kidding me, the early nineties were very "EIGHTIES". I've said this before, but look at the fashion, tv shows, and music that defined the early nineties. Look at an old yearbook. Right now, I have in front of me my yearbook from 93-94 when I was in fourth grade. Browsing through it, it's obvious in every page that ALOT of people were still sporting the distinctly cheesy clothes and haircuts  leftover from the 1980s. Glasses with HUGE frames, shirts and dresses with colorful OVERTHETOP patterns, flannel and jean jackets were definetely an eighties/early90s thing, etc. And how about all the popular shows from the eighties that made it into the early nineties: Cheers, Cosby Show, Alf, Golden Girls, Empty Nest, Perfect Strangers, Full House, Night Court, Doogie Howser, Saved by the Bell, just to name a few. The original nintendo was still selling systems and coming out with new games. Computers were still VERY basic. VHS and cassete tapes were still mainstream, popular, and unnopposed (cds were very new and Laserdiscs.... well I don't remember why they never took off). Hey, even the grunge music and classic Gangsta rap that set the tone for the 90s had it's roots in the late 80s.

And yes, I do have significant memories of the Eighties (besides episodes of Full House). I wish I remembered more, but what I do have is very close to my heart. Most of these early childhood memories involve telivision shows, toys, video games, music, movies, commercials, and various family things. I won't get into all of them here, because I've already covered it indepth in previous threads and posts of mine.

BTW, the early nineties are much more significant to me. Most of my earliest memories, at least the fully fleshed out ones, are from the very unique TRANSITION period between the the eighties and nineties.

Also a REPEAT of something I've said before: Sitcoms and cartoons weren't the only things that carried over into the early nineties. I have at least a few tapes of shows and movies I recorded off the tube in the early half of the nineties. Watching them now, it's funny how cheesy, amateur, and out of date alot of the special effects are. NOT IN THE MOVIES, movies have budgets in the millions of dollars. Just the general picture quality, production quality, sound quality, background music and sound effects, everything pretty much still reeked of the eighties. It was a whole LOOK that we haven't seen in a long time and we'll never see again VERY UNFORTUNATELY.  And it wasn't just local telivision stations; nationally aired commercials, popular music videos, and quite a few smaller budget videos had the LOOK.

Other eighties holdovers: Hiphop and rap was still fun, innocent, and cheesy. Alot of the early 90s dance groups (like C+C Music Factory) sound like they'd fit in very well in the the 80s. And last but not least artists like Wilson Phillips, Milli Vanilli, Michael Jackson (Dangerous was his last huge selling album), New Kids on the Block, Mc Hammer, Gloria Estefan, and Paula Abdul made it into the early 90s before dying off for good.

I find it very hard to talk about things as they were in the 1980's.  A lot of things happened in that decade, and It is simply hard to explain to kids today what all happened.

The first time I realized that there were things that people younger then me had not experienced was when I took my late fiancee to see Forest Gump.  She was 8 years younger then me, and I realized that a lot of things I had experienced happened before she was born (or before she could remember).

She had no memories of Viet Nam, Apollo 11, Disco, George Wallace, LBJ's scar, Ping-Pong Diplomacy, Watergate, or even Studio 54.  To her they were all things they heard about from others.

And it is really impossible to try and explain that era to kids.  They have grown up in an era of Grunge Rock, Backstreet Boys, and Hip-Hop.  In the 80's, we had a wide variety of music, often from the same people.  To me, all the newer stuff sounds about the same.  And nobody is doing "slow music".  I just can't understand how you can go out dancing, and not enjoy slow songs.

And how can you ever hope to explain Cold War tensions?  We were the last generation of children to grow up under the fear that it could all end tomorrow in a radioactive cloud.  Today we live in an era of global terrorism, but it still does not have the fearful paranoia of the Cold War era.

I guess that while I was not looking, I became an old fart.