I think the difference between the super-campy and cheesy '80s and '00s is that the '90s were more relaxed and fun (if occasionally very, very ridiculous), rather than cheesy. Alot of the ridiculous things are more purely fun and sort of subtle than the really aggressive camp of the '80s and '00s. It's breezy in a sort of neo-'70s way.

COLOR COLOR COLOR!!!!!!!!!!!!! ;D

I've always considered blue to be the color of the '90s. Most of the time, neon blue. It was cool!

I've always considered blue to be the color of the '90s. Most of the time, neon blue. It was cool!


1990 - Brown
1991 - Yellow
1992 - Purple
1993 - Burnt Orange
1994 - Navy Blue
1995 - Gold
1996 - Forest Green
1997 - Aqua Blue
1998 - Burgundy
1999 - Silver

Those are my colors to describe the 90s. 8)

I think the '90s were classy as opposed to cheesy, with some rebellious exceptions (body art, Celebrity Deathmatch, Beavis and Butt-head, Jerry Springer).

I think the '90s were classy as opposed to cheesy, with some rebellious exceptions (body art, Celebrity Deathmatch, Beavis and Butt-head, Jerry Springer).


They were either classy or sort of silly, in a toned-down way. But there were definitely some silly aspects, like backwards clothing and super-baggy pants and blonde spiked hair, to the '90s.

They were either classy or sort of silly, in a toned-down way. But there were definitely some silly aspects, like backwards clothing and super-baggy pants and blonde spiked hair, to the '90s.


And also, the entire 1997-1999 period.

And also, the entire 1997-1999 period.


But there wasn't the sense of high cheese of say ABC or Paris Hilton that predominated in the '80s and '00s...it was more breezy, laid-back silliness.

The early 90's in particular were extremely cheesy.  1990-1992 had plenty of ridiculous fashion trends.  I think that once you get to 1993, things begin to have more of a "normal" feel.  Some elements of 1992 can be lumped into this, but keep in mind this is the same year Kriss-Kross came out along with "Baby Got Back" and "I'm Too Sexy".

The early 90's in particular were extremely cheesy.  1990-1992 had plenty of ridiculous fashion trends.  I think that once you get to 1993, things begin to have more of a "normal" feel.  Some elements of 1992 can be lumped into this, but keep in mind this is the same year Kriss-Kross came out along with "Baby Got Back" and "I'm Too Sexy".


It was more of a fun, light cheese, albeit alot of it, though, not the high cheese of the mid-'80s. But there were definitely some cheesy-ass elements to the 1990-1992 period: the ridiculous fashion trends as sonikuu mentioned, the graphic design, alot of the hip-hop and radio rock, etc.

The early 90's were a little cheesy but mostly as an extension of the late 80's but overall the 90's were a more laid back fun decade.

The early 90's in particular were extremely cheesy.  1990-1992 had plenty of ridiculous fashion trends.  I think that once you get to 1993, things begin to have more of a "normal" feel.  Some elements of 1992 can be lumped into this, but keep in mind this is the same year Kriss-Kross came out along with "Baby Got Back" and "I'm Too Sexy".


Yes.  The early '90s are really their own animal.  I'm talking the 1990-1992 period here, I guess you also throw in 1989.  They're a hodgepodge of 1980s leftovers, the beginnings of "real" 1990s trends, and campy things specifically unto the early '90s.  This confusion leads to a very, VERY campy atmosphere.  Mid '90s are ultra-normal, late '90s is ultra-normal in look but very, very campy pop culturally.

Yes.  The early '90s are really their own animal.  I'm talking the 1990-1992 period here, I guess you also throw in 1989.  They're a hodgepodge of 1980s leftovers, the beginnings of "real" 1990s trends, and campy things specifically unto the early '90s.  This confusion leads to a very, VERY campy atmosphere.  Mid '90s are ultra-normal, late '90s is ultra-normal in look but very, very campy pop culturally.


It's campy, but not in that Dynasty/Miami Vice 1984 way. What specific things would you say are campy? I would say the "Gumby" haircuts, shiny sports jackets and baggy pants, crazy hair ornaments, huge sunglasses, bright neon colors, "Don't Have a Cow Man" t-shirts and Bart Simpson rap songs, MC Hammer and Vanilla Ice, are all very campy specific 1991ish things. Also, the "Rocko's Modern Life" and "Rugrats"-ish looking graphic design, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, baggy "shapely" look, bald haircuts,  and Macaulay Culkin are pretty campy early '90s things. But there's something more '90s than '80s about it still for some reason, if primitive '90s. The '80s leftovers like hair metal and Paula Abdul made it even more so.

The difference between the camp of the '90s and the camp of the '00s and '80s is that it's much breezier, "whatever", and relaxed without the total hard, uniform, intense camp of the '00s and '80s...it's hard to define, but you probably know what I mean.

It's campy, but not in that Dynasty/Miami Vice 1984 way. What specific things would you say are campy? I would say the "Gumby" haircuts, shiny sports jackets and baggy pants, crazy hair ornaments, huge sunglasses, bright neon colors, "Don't Have a Cow Man" t-shirts and Bart Simpson rap songs, MC Hammer and Vanilla Ice, are all very campy specific 1991ish things. Also, the "Rocko's Modern Life" and "Rugrats"-ish looking graphic design, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, baggy "shapely" look, bald haircuts,  and Macaulay Culkin are pretty campy early '90s things. But there's something more '90s than '80s about it still for some reason, if primitive '90s. The '80s leftovers like hair metal and Paula Abdul made it even more so.

The difference between the camp of the '90s and the camp of the '00s and '80s is that it's much breezier, "whatever", and relaxed without the total hard, uniform, intense camp of the '00s and '80s...it's hard to define, but you probably know what I mean.


All of those things are campy.

Out of what you listed:

'80s holdovers:

Gumby cut
shiny jackets
hair ornaments
big sunglasses
neon
MC Hammer (borderline '80s/'90s)
Ninja Turtles

Primitive '90s things:

Baggy pants
Rocko/Rugrats look
Culkin
Bald head
Simpsons (again, borderline '80s/'90s)

All of those things are campy.

Out of what you listed:

'80s holdovers:

Gumby cut
shiny jackets
hair ornaments
big sunglasses
neon
MC Hammer (borderline '80s/'90s)
Ninja Turtles

Primitive '90s things:

Baggy pants
Rocko/Rugrats look
Culkin
Bald head
Simpsons (again, borderline '80s/'90s)




Most of the '80s things are sort of borderline, or very updated, '90s-like '80s things...like 2001-2002 were to the '00s.

All of those things are campy.

Out of what you listed:

'80s holdovers:

Gumby cut
shiny jackets
hair ornaments
big sunglasses
neon
MC Hammer (borderline '80s/'90s)
Ninja Turtles

Primitive '90s things:

Baggy pants
Rocko/Rugrats look
Culkin
Bald head
Simpsons (again, borderline '80s/'90s)




The neon sticks out big time. One thing I remember from the early '90s very well is the abundance of neon colors. I had a neon jacket myself when I was around 4 or so.

Yeah, all the old toddler and little kid pictures of me have me in these mini-neon jackets that looked like M.C. Hammer could've worn :)

I used to love the Home Alone movies too. I remember getting one of them Talkboy things at the toy store.

Most of the '80s things are sort of borderline, or very updated, '90s-like '80s things...like 2001-2002 were to the '00s.


They're not 1984ish, that's for sure.  But for instance, I'd say 1990 is more like 1986 than 1994.

They're not 1984ish, that's for sure.  But for instance, I'd say 1990 is more like 1986 than 1994.


ya probably. 1992 and 1994 are even a lot different for being only 2 years apart.

They're not 1984ish, that's for sure.  But for instance, I'd say 1990 is more like 1986 than 1994.


Yeah, definitely.

They're not 1984ish, that's for sure.  But for instance, I'd say 1990 is more like 1986 than 1994.


Yeah, I think the entertainment of 1990 still has that style to it - John Hughes was still actively writing movies, Hair Metal was on the charts (even if in its cheesy power ballad/Warrant phase), etc.

However, I have always felt there was a subtle change in attitude, starting around 1986/87. Oh sure, many many things from c. 1990 Full House or In Living Color are dated, but in a way, the way people act or talk kinda feels more modern and applicable to today than, say something from 1982 would.

I think the '90s were classy as opposed to cheesy, with some rebellious exceptions (body art, Celebrity Deathmatch, Beavis and Butt-head, Jerry Springer).


True. Many people have said the '80s were way more innocent than the '90s. In a way, I think that's true, but on the other end, the '90s were more serious/classy too (i.e. the AIDS epidemic put a stop to the "sex and party"/hair band lifestyle of the '80s).

Even with the more rebellious pop culture, the fun kind of lay in the rebellion itself, if you know what I mean. In other words, I always got the impression Beavis and Butthead was never trying to actually be outrageous on purpose (even the more destructive phase they were depicted as early on), just poking fun at people like that in a humorous way. Even in a roundabout sense, putting some serious social commentary on things.

the 90s are most definitely cheesy, even though they were fun. I'm especially talking about the early 90s. The fashion was cheesy-striped shirts, denim that was either too tight or too loose, fanny packs, neon clothes.

Yeah, I think the entertainment of 1990 still has that style to it - John Hughes was still actively writing movies, Hair Metal was on the charts (even if in its cheesy power ballad/Warrant phase), etc.

However, I have always felt there was a subtle change in attitude, starting around 1986/87. Oh sure, many many things from c. 1990 Full House or In Living Color are dated, but in a way, the way people act or talk kinda feels more modern and applicable to today than, say something from 1982 would.


About John Hughes...I insist that Home Alone is an '80s movie.  I don't care if the hand-over-face thing is an utterly '90s thing, Home Alone is an '80s movie in every way, except for the fact that it was released in 1990.  It's directed by John Hughes, even takes place in the Chicago suburbs, is based on something that happened in Uncle Buck, and could have been released in the fall of 1989 if circumstances allowed.


True. Many people have said the '80s were way more innocent than the '90s. In a way, I think that's true, but on the other end, the '90s were more serious/classy too (i.e. the AIDS epidemic put a stop to the "sex and party"/hair band lifestyle of the '80s).

Even with the more rebellious pop culture, the fun kind of lay in the rebellion itself, if you know what I mean. In other words, I always got the impression Beavis and Butthead was never trying to actually be outrageous on purpose (even the more destructive phase they were depicted as early on), just poking fun at people like that in a humorous way. Even in a roundabout sense, putting some serious social commentary on things.


I agree. I kind of think the violence, etc. that the '90s is known for is actually a backlash to political correctness.  For instance, in the '80s you could make death threats in school and maybe get sent to the principal's office.  Today, someone might call 9-11.  

Do you Beavis and Butt-head is sort of innocent, in a way?  Compared to South Park or Family Guy, it's really not that bad.

About John Hughes...I insist that Home Alone is an '80s movie.  I don't care if the hand-over-face thing is an utterly '90s thing, Home Alone is an '80s movie in every way, except for the fact that it was released in 1990.  It's directed by John Hughes, even takes place in the Chicago suburbs, is based on something that happened in Uncle Buck, and could have been released in the fall of 1989 if circumstances allowed.

Oh definitely, it's an "80s" movie in practically every way. Even the concept is a bit cartoonish/far out in an '80s adventure-type way -- a kid accidentally gets left alone, stays undetected for a week or so (i.e. in real life, the cop wouldn't have just knocked a few times and left, saying "The parents oughta count their kids again!" ;D ), and fends off two robbers with tons of booby traps. NONE of that stuff has almost any likelyhood of happening in real life.

So it's definitely more 1987 in feeling than it is, even like late 1991. But, in its own way, I think it's quite more modern (again, that "suburban pizza delivery" era) than a 1983 movie.

I agree. I kind of think the violence, etc. that the '90s is known for is actually a backlash to political correctness.  For instance, in the '80s you could make death threats in school and maybe get sent to the principal's office.  Today, someone might call 9-11.  

Do you Beavis and Butt-head is sort of innocent, in a way?  Compared to South Park or Family Guy, it's really not that bad.


Yeah, you'd definitely still get in trouble in, say 1984 for that, but it would probably be perceived as a "far out" threat just because someone was angry. It hadn't yet been (tragically) proven that school shootings and such could easily happen, like they did circa 1998, and ever since 9/11, stuff like that is even more sensitive (although somewhat understandably).

You know, even at the time, I never considered Beavis and Butthead offensive, and there's definitely an air of innocence about them today. If you think about it, they're really not "bad" people at all (even if they were kinda destructive in the first year or so), they just want entertainment basically. Sure, they think school s*cks, and they want to score, watch TV or see stuff blowing up, but it's not like they'd intentionally hurt anybody or do anything massively bad on purpose. They might laugh at that sort of thing ("huh huh, that was cool"), but just because they're too stupid to really know the difference, ya know?

Whereas South Park seems more intentionally gritty, although even that isn't quite as bad as its sometimes perceived to be. I bet in 2025, people will be going, "Hey, doesn't that I Killed Kenny stuff seem so innocent now?"

Yeah, I think the entertainment of 1990 still has that style to it - John Hughes was still actively writing movies, Hair Metal was on the charts (even if in its cheesy power ballad/Warrant phase), etc.

However, I have always felt there was a subtle change in attitude, starting around 1986/87. Oh sure, many many things from c. 1990 Full House or In Living Color are dated, but in a way, the way people act or talk kinda feels more modern and applicable to today than, say something from 1982 would.


I think it was the introduction of all this technology like computers, calculators, VCRs, and CD players that became somewhat ubiquitous around 1986/1987, resulting in a much more modern attitude, and maybe the AIDS epidemic starting, and rap becoming bigger in the mainstream eye. There was another subtle change when things started moving towards the '90s in 1989...alot of things like the cheesy, In Living Color and neon stylings and TMNT and early Simpsons are really more '90sish things in concept, though alot of music then was done more in the '80s style, and in a way, they seem more like '80sish versions of things that would later become big at the peak of the '90s. Like the neon colors survived through the late '90s in graphic design and clothing to a degree, as the pastels of the '80s went out. And most of the baggy hip-hop styles are really more '90sish than '80sish, but they still sort of have an '80s glow to them by proximity. Also, the alt rock of the period sounds VERY '90s and looks VERY '90s, in design...and I associate this mainstream rap getting big more as an omen of the '90s.

HA always struck me as a 1990ish, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, "suburban pizza delivery" era movie, as Marty McFly said. It continued to be very popular through the '90s, up to mid-2002, maybe, but it has elements of both the '80s and '90s in it that somebody from both decades could appreciate.

I don't think something (a TV show, trend.etc) is really cheesy unless it takes itself seriously...if it can laugh at itself, and take the piss out of its own silliness (i.e. be self de-preciating in a good-humoured way) it is not 'real cheese' (rather 'manufactured cheese'  ;)). A good slice of the 90s pop-culture pie would fall into this category. Looking back on cartoons such as 'Cow and Chicken', 'Johnny Bravo' (the Hanna Barbara cartoons of the 90s) and of course 'Dexters', it is obvious these shows were ridiculous for their own sake. Shows like 'Futurama' actually take themselves more seriously.

Yeah, I think the entertainment of 1990 still has that style to it - John Hughes was still actively writing movies, Hair Metal was on the charts (even if in its cheesy power ballad/Warrant phase), etc.

However, I have always felt there was a subtle change in attitude, starting around 1986/87. Oh sure, many many things from c. 1990 Full House or In Living Color are dated, but in a way, the way people act or talk kinda feels more modern and applicable to today than, say something from 1982 would.



I agree. There was a slight change it attitude in about 1986. The 1987-1991/1992 era or the "late 80's/early 90's era" always felt different to me than the mid or early 80's era. For example an episode of Full House from 1990 feels much more modern than an episode of any sitcom that aired in 1982. It wasn't a huge change in '86 but it was still a pretty big one.

I've never been quite sure what caused that 1986ish change, maybe it was the confluence of tech, rap, modern marketing styles, and yuppieism reaching critical points at the same time.

'80s holdovers:

Gumby cut
shiny jackets
hair ornaments
big sunglasses
neon
MC Hammer (borderline '80s/'90s)
Ninja Turtles

Out of these, I would say the hair ornaments are definitely sort of both...having hair ornaments like the scrunchy and the butterfly clips was big through 2001, actually. Shiny jackets are sort of both, too, those were still around through the '90s. And neon is more '90s than '80s, probably...

Whereas South Park seems more intentionally gritty, although even that isn't quite as bad as its sometimes perceived to be. I bet in 2025, people will be going, "Hey, doesn't that I Killed Kenny stuff seem so innocent now?"


I sure hope not  ;D

Although actually, in a way, as gross as his deaths are, they're not really particulary offensive.  Perhaps because they're so unrealistic, and for the fact that he comes back almost every time. I see the "killed Kenny" thing as one of the things about South Park that is very '90s, even though I generally think of SP as a 1999/into the early '00s sort of show.


Oh definitely, it's an "80s" movie in practically every way. Even the concept is a bit cartoonish/far out in an '80s adventure-type way -- a kid accidentally gets left alone, stays undetected for a week or so (i.e. in real life, the cop wouldn't have just knocked a few times and left, saying "The parents oughta count their kids again!" ;D ), and fends off two robbers with tons of booby traps. NONE of that stuff has almost any likelyhood of happening in real life.


I remember, even c. 1997 thinking the HA scene in the store looked rather dated, compared to now.  The house in HA reminds me of the house in Sixteen Candles too; for instance the scene where he's shooting the cut-out people.

Columbine and 9/11 were definitely two huge knocks to our innocence as a race.  As tragic as they were on their own, perhaps what makes them so "big" more than anything else is the fact that they caused paradigm shifts about the way people think about security.  In a sense, they together sent us into an era of end times.

The world's getting smaller and more paranoid; about everything. We're running around too much and don't take as much time out as we did in the 90s.

I sure hope not  ;D

Although actually, in a way, as gross as his deaths are, they're not really particulary offensive.  Perhaps because they're so unrealistic, and for the fact that he comes back almost every time. I see the "killed Kenny" thing as one of the things about South Park that is very '90s, even though I generally think of SP as a 1999/into the early '00s sort of show.

I remember, even c. 1997 thinking the HA scene in the store looked rather dated, compared to now.  The house in HA reminds me of the house in Sixteen Candles too; for instance the scene where he's shooting the cut-out people.

Columbine and 9/11 were definitely two huge knocks to our innocence as a race.  As tragic as they were on their own, perhaps what makes them so "big" more than anything else is the fact that they caused paradigm shifts about the way people think about security.  In a sense, they together sent us into an era of end times.



I think of SP as fitting in very well with the real height of the late '90s around 1999, going into 2001 maybe. For some reason, with its extreme but unrealistic violence and vulgarity, it fits in with almost everything that was popular then-nu metal and goth music, nu punk like Blink 182, piercings...Now, the thing seems to be overly delicate and sophisticated, after 9/11 and the Iraq War showed us real tragedy on a national scale.

I think of SP as fitting in very well with the real height of the late '90s around 1999, going into 2001 maybe. For some reason, with its extreme but unrealistic violence and vulgarity, it fits in with almost everything that was popular then-nu metal and goth music, nu punk like Blink 182, piercings...Now, the thing seems to be overly delicate and sophisticated, after 9/11 and the Iraq War showed us real tragedy on a national scale.


SP is really a very 2000-ish sort of show.  It made perfect sense in the TRL, Eminem, Celebrity Deathmatch era.  Today it survives because it has a huge fan base that's been there since the beginning.

South Park's main fain-base were 13-14 year old boys (I should know because I was that age when it peaked in 99-2000), I guess they've just grown up now. A small percentage still follow it, the others just think it's juvenile.

SP is really a very 2000-ish sort of show.  It made perfect sense in the TRL, Eminem, Celebrity Deathmatch era.  Today it survives because it has a huge fan base that's been there since the beginning.


I agree with this...it'll die out totally once the 1986-1990 set who loved it c. 2000 and are still a loyal fan base get too old for it. It never would've become popular today, when the culture is alot less violent.