The feminist thread in the 2000s section got me thinking about this. Looking back, I think that's one reason I really like the Nineties (1991 to '97 or so) in retrospect.

Even though stuff like swearing and violence became more acceptable in the media, I think in general it was less "in your face" sexual than the surrounding decades. For instance, it was very feminist-oriented, and girls/young women tended to come across as casual and sexy, but in a classy way. Like "one of the guys" but still somewhat feminine (Sheryl Crow, Ricki Lake and Elaine from Seinfeld are perfect examples). In other words, it wasn't slutty.

The rock music reflected this change too, as it moved away from hair metal (i.e. usually anthems about partying and sex) and into grunge, which tended to be more serious and dark. That alternative sound and attitude influenced alot of the pop stuff too. Events like Lilith Fair are a good example of the laid back feminist attitude, and that seemed to decline after Britney came out.

Uh, what about rap videos like Sir Mix-a-Lot's "Baby Got Back", Snoop Dogg,  and Jay Z. Not to mention Madonna and the later 1990's era pop princesses like Britney Spears & Spice Girls.

the 90s were very violent just from what i remember. think about it, bands like nirvana, primus, mr. bungle, plus it seemed like movie violence became very darkly realistic, with movies like reservoir dogs, pulp fiction, natural born killers, etc. all fine films, dont get me wrong. i'm just saying the trend was toward this really hardcore violence in movies... the 80s were sorta goofier and more happy-go-lucky, it seemed like, there were a lot more teen comedies and stuff like that. the early 90s you saw panama, the gulf war, recession, and stuff just got all around kinda uglier.

in retrospect i think the 90s largely sucked. not necessarily for me personally but in terms of current events and pop art. it took a truly colossally abysmal decade like the 00s to make them seem sufferable. :P

I learned about sex in the 90s.  The best porn came from the 80s though, which was what I checked out in the 90s.  I didn't get to actually sex until the 00s though.

I learned about sex in the 90s.  The best porn came from the 80s though, which was what I checked out in the 90s.  I didn't get to actually sex until the 00s though.
tis true, the late 70s-mid-80s were the Golden Age of Porn.

Plus then you had Married With Children, where Bud and/or Kelly were always trying to have sex with someone and Al kept putting Peggy off for his Big-Uns magazines.  I recall lots of the secks in sitcoms, and in movies. 

The 90s were when Nina Hartley and a lot of the awesome 80s porn stars got old :(

Not that I watch porn all that much.  Just in the 90s.

Uh, what about rap videos like Sir Mix-a-Lot's "Baby Got Back", Snoop Dogg,  and Jay Z. Not to mention Madonna and the later 1990's era pop princesses like Britney Spears & Spice Girls.




Exactly.  I think it's going to depend on the person and how old they were at the time.  If I were pre-pubescent in the 90's I would probably think the same.

Exactly.  I think it's going to depend on the person and how old they were at the time.  If I were pre-pubescent in the 90's I would probably think the same.


I was going to say what about Samantha Fox :Touch Me...but that was 1986 so how about the Divinyls I Touch Myself... that was 1990.

I think it's disgusting for anyone to glorify watching porn (just because it's legal doesn't mean it's classy or respectful either), but that's another story...


Yeah, that's true about hip hop videos. I do think the culture and the media was more laid back and let more be shows on TV or the radio (compared to the '80s or even up to 1990ish), but people in general didn't seem as sexual - at least not more than normal, lol. Maybe it was because of AIDS scaring people off from "casual sex". Girls and younger women didn't dress or come across as slutty, and like I said, it just seemed more feminist-oriented in general.

I think when Britney came out in 1999, that was the end of the traditional '90s in alot of ways, so I don't count that, lol.

Yes, and for two reasons that have yet to be cited:

1) AIDS.  Compared to gonorrhea, syphillis, and the other bacterial or parasitic diseases (minor symptoms, all curable with antibiotics or basic hygiene) and herpes (viral, incurable, but the worst symptoms were merely an infrequent inconvenience), we had the first STD that wasn't just incurable, it was fatal!  Congratulations on getting lucky at that party in college, now look forward to your long slow death.  If you've only settled down in the past five years, you've probably only killed your spouse!  How'd you get it in the first place?    Air-transmitted?  Holding hands?  Kissing?  What proportion of the population carries the disease?  If you have to have actual sex to get it, is every sexual encounter with a carrier a guaranteed death sentence (a transmission rate comparable to that of french-kissing someone with the flu), or is the transmission rate low (more like the odds of getting herpes from a toilet seat)? 

At the time, epidemiologists were pretty sure that it was difficult to contract, but "let's have sex, scientists are mosty sure you won't die right away" is a huge change from "hey doc, had a great weekend, but I think I'm gonna need a shot".

2) Political correctness.  After Clarence Thomas, the 90s became the decade when workplaces considered Andrea Dworkin as a moderate.  It was a more productive workplace than the one in which the boss was always dipping his pen in the company inkwell (and by "inkwell", I mean "secretarial pool"), but in the 90s, neither males nor females had quite figured out where common sense entered the picture. 

Companies were so terrified of lawsuits that they'd fire male employees on accusation, even without proof.  A small (microscopic, but bad publicity travels fast) minority of women took advantage of the situation to eliminate potential career rivals.  The result was an office of males so terrified of false harassment allegations that they wouldn't even acknowledge their female co-workers in the hallway.  (I was young and reckless -- I'd nod my head, but would never smile, nor would I talk to them about anything other than work.  My neurosis was that I wouldn't permit myself to be behind closed office doors with a female, with the exception being of females who outranked me and who had asked that the door be closed.)

Those days are over.  AIDS'll still kill you dead (it just takes longer and costs more), but we've learned that it's a pretty easy risk to control.  And Monica Lewinsky gave both men and women the excuse we needed to sign a long-overdue office truce and start acting like professionals again.  If the President of the United States can fool around with his intern and still have the National Organization of Women come out swinging in his defense, then two co-workers (or even, Dworkin forbid, a manager and a subordinate) can discuss work behind closed doors like professionals without having to worry about career-ending false accusations.

tis true, the late 70s-mid-80s were the Golden Age of Porn.

Now you can buy all the equipment you need at Wal-Mart, shoot it yourself, and upload it to the 'net!  Hooray!  Hooray!
8-P

Sexual saturation has been building since the 1960s.  I thought times couldn't get any more smutty 15 years ago.  Then came the Internet and 14-year-old girls in thongs and 14-year-old girls in thongs on the Internet!
:o

I didn't notice any sex in the 90s....in tv/movies...

the 80s was soaked in it (ew!)

I didn't notice any sex in the 90s....in tv/movies...

the 80s was soaked in it (ew!)


I guess you missed American Pie....okay it was 1999 but still it made the guys from Porky's blush

Interestingly, I think there was more TALKING about sex (i.e. Seinfeld) but actual sex didn't seem to be glorified as much! Seinfeld is actually a perfect time capsule of the grunge era, with its casual, laid back attitude about things (including sex, but other stuff too).

I guess you missed American Pie....okay it was 1999 but still it made the guys from Porky's blush


I don't count 1999 with the "real 90s". Like I said, I think when Britney and American Pie came out, that was the end of that era. That stuff is dated now, but it's still more like today than it is like Beavis and Butthead, Seinfeld, Friends and Wayne's World!

I think AP sort of jumpstarted the "gross out frat house comedy" trend, though.

I think it's like Maxwell said...we've been pushing the envelope since the 60s.  every year the line is pushed further and further.  I think if you watch some of the 80s films and look at what was considered risque then would make you laugh now...but that's because we didn't know yet just how far we could go...


How about Madonna's Truth or Dare or her Sex book.... those were considered very sexual then but now we look back and laugh.

True. Some pushing the envelope is good, otherwise we'd never advance...but I really think it's gotten as far as it possibly can now, certainly in the mainstream. For instance, you couldn't have a show that's edgier than South Park without it being cancelled right away.

True. Some pushing the envelope is good, otherwise we'd never advance...but I really think it's gotten as far as it possibly can now, certainly in the mainstream. For instance, you couldn't have a show that's edgier than South Park without it being cancelled right away.


unfortunately I disagree...I think we can and will go farther... the more that becomes acceptable the more you get away with....

Case in point, It used to be you could never curse on TV..... when it happened a bleep would be put in but really cursing on tv was totally frowned upon...

Now on reality TV they curse left and right. They get bleeped but the truth is 5 or 10 years ago they would only get one bleep in (they'd edit around the rest) 

Soon they will no longer bleep and everyone will be cursing on TV...

at least two of George Carlins original 7 words you can never say on TV are allowed now....maybe even three...


sheesh (allowed in moderation)
Piss (allowed)
f***
C***
MF
CS
tits (probably allowed)

True, I do agree people's attitudes about cussing have really laxed. I mean, I remember kids at school used to get timeouts for saying "crap" in the early '90s. Nowadays, I bet they wouldn't even care!

However, I do think if you look at the mainstream, there was a slow buildup of things that were more controversial from the 1950s through the late '90s. That's why you always had things in pop culture that caused an outcry among people, since they were so shocked. I think a higher percentage of people are turned off by the way things have been since the early 2000s or so (i.e. the slutty influence being all over culture), but since it's the rule instead of the exception, it no longer stands out as much.

Really though, how much worse can you get than a show like South Park, or with mild cuss words already on TV? The mainstream really maxed out around 1999.

tis true, the late 70s-mid-80s were the Golden Age of Porn.


In full agreement. Kay Parker and Honey Wilder were my favourite actresses.

In full agreement. Kay Parker and Honey Wilder were my favourite actresses.


Stop glorifying porn! :D

Were the 90s less sexual? For me they weren't. http://www.inthe00s.com/smile/07/naughty.gif

I think it's disgusting for anyone to glorify watching porn (just because it's legal doesn't mean it's classy or respectful either), but that's another story...i'm not sure porn ever aspired to being classy and respectful (lol) but i also think there's a distinct relationship between sexual repression and the expression of said sexual energy through violence. trying to eliminate vice is like trying to play a game of whackamole, and i for one would much rather see the measured expression of sexual fantasy than the carefree expression of violent fantasy, which is what we have now.

which is different from saying that porn is okay as it is today. the way they make it today it's pretty much the worst of both worlds -- clinical without being arousing, and very violent. great. but porn has a long and often illustrious history. the marquis de sade, venus in furs, a lot of forbidden victorian fiction, books like nabokov's lolita, movies like cafe flesh... all pretty interesting stuff and much of it quite metaphysical. after all, we're talking about the basic act of creating life as well as, if freud is to be believed, one of the two basic instincts that govern everything we do. repress the one, you get the other.

which is different from saying that porn is okay as it is today. the way they make it today it's pretty much the worst of both worlds -- clinical without being arousing, and very violent. great. but porn has a long and often illustrious history. the marquis de sade, venus in furs, a lot of forbidden victorian fiction, books like nabokov's lolita, movies like cafe flesh... all pretty interesting stuff and much of it quite metaphysical. after all, we're talking about the basic act of creating life as well as, if freud is to be believed, one of the two basic instincts that govern everything we do. repress the one, you get the other.


The bible has some great sexual overtones to it. None of which come to mind right now, but they are there.

The bible has some great sexual overtones to it. None of which come to mind right now, but they are there.
yeah the bible's got loads of sex and also plenty of beheadings.  :o

yeah the bible's got loads of sex and also plenty of beheadings.  :o


Song of Solomon has some pretty hot passages in it.

The cussing now is just stupid. In the 2000s, i see women do it as much or more than men (i think this is part of the "slutty" 00s culture). I find it classless from anyone, but I don't see women cussing as being a feminist statement, it just makes them as much pigs as men are. I think men should act more like women, not women act more like men.

The cussing now is just stupid. In the 2000s, i see women do it as much or more than men (i think this is part of the "slutty" 00s culture). I find it classless from anyone, but I don't see women cussing as being a feminist statement, it just makes them as much pigs as men are. I think men should act more like women, not women act more like men.


Guess I should shave my beard and mustache then.

^^although cussing in general doesn't bother me that much, after a certain point it does show a bit of a lack of imagination, i agree. i'll never forget getting on the london subway one time and a bunch of 11-year-old girls get on like at the next stop and i think oh how cute -- and then they just LET LOOSE with the most abysmal string of obscenities! i'm saying not even just the F word and the S word but also intriguing permutations of the C-word and elaborate, detailed descriptions of sexual intercourse used as a metaphor for every other thing you could possibly imagine, replete with hand gestures.

it wasn't as funny as you'd think. i was sorta like that by the time i was 14 or 15 but seriously, when i was these girls' ages i still skipped when i went down the street and saved up my allowance to buy comic books. i think i knew the clnical details of sex but i just didn't care; spaceships were cooler. :D whatever happened to make kids the way they are nowadays, it's pretty freaky and is probably the result of a government conspiracy.


Song of Solomon has some pretty hot passages in it.
my copy is quite heavily redacted. lots of magic marker and photos with blacked out eyes.

^^in one play or another shakespeare uses "beard" as a metaphor for the female genitals. exactly how confused WAS shakespeare, anyway?

^^although cussing in general doesn't bother me that much, after a certain point it does show a bit of a lack of imagination, i agree. i'll never forget getting on the london subway one time and a bunch of 11-year-old girls get on like at the next stop and i think oh how cute -- and then they just LET LOOSE with the most abysmal string of obscenities! i'm saying not even just the F word and the S word but also intriguing permutations of the C-word and elaborate, detailed descriptions of sexual intercourse used as a metaphor for every other thing you could possibly imagine, replete with hand gestures.

it wasn't as funny as you'd think. i was sorta like that by the time i was 14 or 15 but seriously, when i was these girls' ages i still skipped when i went down the street and saved up my allowance to buy comic books. i think i knew the clnical details of sex but i just didn't care; spaceships were cooler. :D whatever happened to make kids the way they are nowadays, it's pretty freaky and is probably the result of a government conspiracy.
my copy is quite heavily redacted. lots of magic marker and photos with blacked out eyes.


When I was 11, I was scared because I started my period and didn't want to tell my mom because it was embarrassing. That's how innocent I was. Note the use of the word, "WAS".

I think I threw my bible away. Is that a "Go directly to Hell" offense?


^^in one play or another shakespeare uses "beard" as a metaphor for the female genitals. exactly how confused WAS shakespeare, anyway?


They talked about the bearded clam back then? Dang.
Shakespeare was probably a little bit gay. They all were back then.

Hmmm....that brings up an interesting question. Were the 1590's more sexual than the 1990's? ;D

http://www.danddexhaust.com/img/bikini-ctst.jpg

oh no!

actually, that was a point they kept making in class, shakespeare's time was actually pretty randy, they'd just had the enlightenment and everyone was casting off the yoke of oppressive religiosity. but then the victorians came around and wrapped that cross the knuckles with a cane right quick!

that's another thing about the 2000s... no respect for the helmet laws. >:(

oh no!

actually, that was a point they kept making in class, shakespeare's time was actually pretty randy, they'd just had the enlightenment and everyone was casting off the yoke of oppressive religiosity. but then the victorians came around and wrapped that cross the knuckles with a cane right quick!


Yeah, I know one of the French kings back then had syphilis or something.



that's another thing about the 2000s... no respect for the helmet laws. >:(


Oh man! Speaking of helmets, like five years back, someone on this board started a topic about Helmets vs. Anteaters. It was hysterical.

i think the anteaters are coming back. slicin' and dicin' is out of vogue. tends to go with how religious everybody is. which is, you know, how weird is that? we believe in the bible, therefore we must wack your pud when youre born.

humans are weird.

i think the anteaters are coming back. slicin' and dicin' is out of vogue. tends to go with how religious everybody is. which is, you know, how weird is that? we believe in the bible, therefore we must wack your pud when youre born.

humans are weird.


"Wack your pud" made me spit out my water. ;D

Yeah, we didn't go that route with Jason. It just seems like it sucks and is painful. :P

"Wack your pud" made me spit out my water. ;D

Yeah, we didn't go that route with Jason. It just seems like it sucks and is painful. :P
you should hear the christopher hitchens stories about it. it'll put you off your din-din for a week. 8-P

you should hear the christopher hitchens stories about it. it'll put you off your din-din for a week. 8-P


Eek. I think I'll pass, especially 'cos I'm making Mexican food tonight. :P

^^in one play or another shakespeare uses "beard" as a metaphor for the female genitals. exactly how confused WAS shakespeare, anyway?


Not very.  By definition, his selection of pr0n would have had to have been pre-1990...

Now there's an awkward moment for an English teacher of the 2010s.  How to explain that reference to an audience whose viewing experience would have been made up entirely of post-2000 pr0n?

(The problem is solved by recognizing that by the 2010s, no English teacher will ever be teaching Shakespeare.  Too European, not culturally relevant to most of the students, and because the teachers can no longer read it themselves.  Sorta like Chaucer was in the 80s.)

Not very.  By definition, his selection of pr0n would have had to have been pre-1990...

Now there's an awkward moment for an English teacher of the 2010s.  How to explain that reference to an audience whose viewing experience would have been made up entirely of post-2000 pr0n?

(The problem is solved by recognizing that by the 2010s, no English teacher will ever be teaching Shakespeare.  Too European, not culturally relevant to most of the students, and because the teachers can no longer read it themselves.  Sorta like Chaucer was in the 80s.)
i understand that PC is a problem, but this is an astonishing exaggeration. it will be a long, long time before they stop teaching english in shakespeare classes. sorry, just plain dont buy it.

The cussing now is just stupid. In the 2000s, i see women do it as much or more than men (i think this is part of the "slutty" 00s culture). I find it classless from anyone, but I don't see women cussing as being a feminist statement, it just makes them as much pigs as men are. I think men should act more like women, not women act more like men.


Well, let's get off the porn subject....I agree with this post. It seems like cussing was more moderately accepted in the '90s and I did notice women using it a bit more, but alot of them tend to overdo it now. Maybe because it's so immersed into mainstream culture and lost its shock value, so people don't even think twice about it anymore. Even up as late as the 1980s it was considered "unladylike" to swear, for instance. I would say it's about equal among the genders now.

I'm not suggesting we should go back to "damn" being taboo or bleeped on TV (some freedom is good), but it does seem low class to the extent that people use them now. I think that's especially true for insults against minorities or gays. For instance, the N word or calling gays "f*gs", I think is really offensive. Heck it's almost WORSE when people use them casually, because it almost sanitizes their original meaning or how harmful they can be.

Every decade has a greater acceptance towards sex and cussing than the last decade did.  So, naturally, the 90s were less sexual and less accepting of cussing (though cussing was still very prominent) than today.  Let's not fall into the belief that the 90s were such an innocent time though.  Yes, cussing was less acceptable in the 90s, but this was also the decade of Gangsta Rap and South Park (although South Park seems more Y2K-ish).

As far as once controversial topics, such as sex, now being the norm, I would agree with this.  A lot of it has to do with the infusion of Rap music into our culture, which is currently promoting the values of sex, money, materialism, etc.  In a way, its the perfect music style for the decade as it seems to sum up all that most Americans care about now.  On the whole though, I would agree that controversy is way down this decade, but it isn't completely gone.  There was some controversy in the early 00s about Eminem, Harry Potter, and some Rap music (although the controversy over Rap has decreased now).  Passion of the Christ and the Da Vinci Code both garned religous controversy.  However, it seems like the only form of media that still regularly creates controversy is video games, which have by far garnered the most controversy this decade.  Interestingly enough, video games are also one of the few areas of the media still raking in massive profits (music sales and profit are down, movie attendance is down but they jack up ticket prices to make more money) so they must be doing something right.

Overall though, what was once controversial is now the norm and most people are okay with that.  Let's face it, we're in the minority.  For every one person who finds the decadent 00s lifestyle to be bad, there are twenty who aspire to live that lifestyle.  I've met people in their 20s, 30s, and 40s who are perfectly fine with the state of culture in America today.  Even if they're opposed to one aspect of it (say, Rap music), they will be embrace another aspect of it (such as the equally decadent reality tv).  This process will continue for years to come.  If you think the 00s are bad, just wait until the 2010s.  The decadence, the sex, the cussing, etc. will be even worse in that decade.  To expect things to go in the opposite direction would be foolish.

By the way, is it just me or does the 00s place way too much emphasis on clubs?  It seems like almost half of the songs in the Top 40 these days are made specifically for use in clubs.  I don't remember any decade placing so much emphasis on the decadent club lifestyle.  The club lifestyle has infected music and it will not disappear anytime soon.  Some may say the 2010s will be a reaction against the 00s and be less materialistic and decadent.  I expect the opposite.  If things turn out to be better than I expected, than thats great.  If they don't, then I won't be disappoined.

I think that's especially true for insults against minorities or gays. For instance, the N word or calling gays "f*gs", I think is really offensive. Heck it's almost WORSE when people use them casually, because it almost sanitizes their original meaning or how harmful they can be.


That's not cussing. That's discrimination. I cuss like a sailor, and I DON'T even venture into those waters because they're derogatory and obscene. I think you've got cussing and being a total douchebag confused.

why are you being douchebagist?

the new thing is getting rid of the word "retard" and the word "midget." jesus, can't these people leave me anything?

there was this funny thing in a meeting the other day about how if the book "the old man and the sea" came out today, it would have to be called "mature person who fishes." "old" is ageist, "man" is sexist, and "sea" discriminates against landlocked people and people near freshwater lakes. ;D

personally i think "person" is bigoted against non-humans. it should be, "mature entity who, using one of a variety of methods, procures fish."

and never mind how the fish feel about it.

there. PC rant of the day.

why are you being douchebagist?

the new thing is getting rid of the word "retard" and the word "midget." jesus, can't these people leave me anything?

there was this funny thing in a meeting the other day about how if the book "the old man and the sea" came out today, it would have to be called "mature person who fishes." "old" is ageist, "man" is sexist, and "sea" discriminates against landlocked people and people near freshwater lakes. ;D

personally i think "person" is bigoted against non-humans. it should be, "mature entity who, using one of a variety of methods, procures fish."

and never mind how the fish feel about it.

there. PC rant of the day.


;D

why are you being douchebagist?

the new thing is getting rid of the word "retard" and the word "midget." jesus, can't these people leave me anything?

there was this funny thing in a meeting the other day about how if the book "the old man and the sea" came out today, it would have to be called "mature person who fishes." "old" is ageist, "man" is sexist, and "sea" discriminates against landlocked people and people near freshwater lakes. ;D

personally i think "person" is bigoted against non-humans. it should be, "mature entity who, using one of a variety of methods, procures fish."

and never mind how the fish feel about it.

there. PC rant of the day.


I bet the mature entity who uses one of many methods to procure fish also partakes in media portraying attractive nude females who may or may not procure fish.

I bet the mature entity who uses one of many methods to procure fish also partakes in media portraying attractive nude females who may or may not procure fish.
*cue wawa pedals* 8)

*cue wawa pedals* 8)




Boom chicka boom chicka bow wow.

That's not cussing. That's discrimination. I cuss like a sailor, and I DON'T even venture into those waters because they're derogatory and obscene. I think you've got cussing and being a total douchebag confused.


Thanks.  My favorite quote from a "diversity training" session involved a tangential discussion on naughty language, in which the "facilitator" (indoctrinator) made the mistake of asking us what our boundaries were.

"Bitch is a verb, not a noun.  For example, I don't bitch about called an arsehole.  When someone calls me an arsehole, that's not bitching, that's useful feedback, because as an arsehole, I really do want to know when I've crossed the line that separates being funny from being a douchebag.  Yeah, that line varies from person to person.  I try not to cross it because respect all y'all to tell me when I've crossed yours.  In return, I just want you to tell me when I've screwed up."

In ten seconds, the guy had basically stolen the facilitator's thunder, bullet point for bullet point (under my state's laws, there's a reasonable balance; everyone has the right for theirr personal limits to be respected -- but with that comes the responsibility to speak up when the line gets crossed, and it's only after you've spoken up and been ignored that you can bring on the lawyers with any hope of winning) on the final page of her PowerPoint handout, albeit with somewhat more florid language. 

I almost felt sorry for the facilitator who had to deal with an entire room of men and women all trying desperately to choke back their laughter at the pwnage.  I wasn't a big enough arsehole to come up with something like that myself... but I'm a big enough arsehole to say "Almost" here :)

Thanks.  My favorite quote from a "diversity training" session involved a tangential discussion on naughty language, in which the "facilitator" (indoctrinator) made the mistake of asking us what our boundaries were.

"Bitch is a verb, not a noun.  For example, I don't bitch about called an arsehole.  When someone calls me an arsehole, that's not bitching, that's useful feedback, because as an arsehole, I really do want to know when I've crossed the line that separates being funny from being a douchebag.  Yeah, that line varies from person to person.  I try not to cross it because respect all y'all to tell me when I've crossed yours.  In return, I just want you to tell me when I've screwed up."

In ten seconds, the guy had basically stolen the facilitator's thunder, bullet point for bullet point (under my state's laws, there's a reasonable balance; everyone has the right for theirr personal limits to be respected -- but with that comes the responsibility to speak up when the line gets crossed, and it's only after you've spoken up and been ignored that you can bring on the lawyers with any hope of winning) on the final page of her PowerPoint handout, albeit with somewhat more florid language. 

I almost felt sorry for the facilitator who had to deal with an entire room of men and women all trying desperately to choke back their laughter at the pwnage.  I wasn't a big enough arsehole to come up with something like that myself... but I'm a big enough arsehole to say "Almost" here :)


I like it.  It's almost like the time I told my rhetoric class that Jesus was black (I was about two years removed from reading the Autobiography of Malcolm X, very good book if you ask me) :)

I like it.  It's almost like the time I told my rhetoric class that Jesus was black (I was about two years removed from reading the Autobiography of Malcolm X, very good book if you ask me) :)


Ah, but he very likely was Black or had a Middle Eastern complexion.

Ah, but he very likely was Black or had a Middle Eastern complexion.


Indeed, but that makes white people uncomfortable.

Indeed, but that makes white people uncomfortable.


*shrug*

*shrug*


My class was full of the white folk :D

My class was full of the white folk :D


That's because Danville/San Ramon is like White people land. :D

Indeed, but that makes white people uncomfortable.


  But his IS a white guy.  I've seen his pictures..! heh...

That's because Danville/San Ramon is like White people land. :D


This was at Berkeley.  You'd think they'd be all progressive and tolerant but they looked at me like I was the Devil :D

   But his IS a white guy.  I've seen his pictures..! heh...


They used too much flash while taking it. :D


This was at Berkeley.  You'd think they'd be all progressive and tolerant but they looked at me like I was the Devil :D


No,

< is the devil. Ray Wise rules!

I like it.  It's almost like the time I told my rhetoric class that Jesus was black (I was about two years removed from reading the Autobiography of Malcolm X, very good book if you ask me) :)


Lol!  I'm simultaneously disappointed in my species (and yet nonetheless still amused!) that people are still actually freaked out by what should, upon a few seconds' reflection, be pretty much obvious.  It doesn't change the guy's message one bit -- just how we ought to imagine what the dude looked like. 

I remember my reaction the first time I heard that.  "Wait, huh?  He loo... oh, wait a minute, right!  They didn't have cameras back then, the guy did come from the middle east, so of course he looked like everyone else there!  Nobody carving those crucifixes or painting those cathedral walls in the Middle Ages had the vaguest idea what he looked like either, so they just drew whatever looked like what they knew!"

Talk about irony; in the 13.7 billion years since creation, we live in the little tiny sliver of history that consists of the people who were the most vocal about man being made in God's image... spending their lives trying to make God in man's image, and in so doing, they think they're actually returning the favor.

Depeche Mode was onto something.  If He exists, God's gotta have a sick sense of humor, and when I die, I expect (hope!) to find Him laughing.  Maybe death is what happens when God lets you in on the punchline, and the old legends about averting one's face from God's glory... have, as their kernel of truth, something akin to the Monty Python sketch about the world's deadliest joke. 

Depeche Mode was onto something.  If He exists, God's gotta have a sick sense of humor, and when I die, I expect (hope!) to find Him laughing.  Maybe death is what happens when God lets you in on the punchline, and the old legends about averting one's face from God's glory... have, as their kernel of truth, something akin to the Monty Python sketch about the world's deadliest joke.   


That is one of the best songs from Depeche Mode. And that line has always intrigued me.

And that skit is hysterical.

I like you. Your taste in music and comedy is impeccable. :D

Lol!  I'm simultaneously disappointed in my species (and yet nonetheless still amused!) that people are still actually freaked out by what should, upon a few seconds' reflection, be pretty much obvious.  It doesn't change the guy's message one bit -- just how we ought to imagine what the dude looked like.   

I remember my reaction the first time I heard that.  "Wait, huh?  He loo... oh, wait a minute, right!  They didn't have cameras back then, the guy did come from the middle east, so of course he looked like everyone else there!  Nobody carving those crucifixes or painting those cathedral walls in the Middle Ages had the vaguest idea what he looked like either, so they just drew whatever looked like what they knew!"

Talk about irony; in the 13.7 billion years since creation, we live in the little tiny sliver of history that consists of the people who were the most vocal about man being made in God's image... spending their lives trying to make God in man's image, and in so doing, they think they're actually returning the favor.

Depeche Mode was onto something.  If He exists, God's gotta have a sick sense of humor, and when I die, I expect (hope!) to find Him laughing.  Maybe death is what happens when God lets you in on the punchline, and the old legends about averting one's face from God's glory... have, as their kernel of truth, something akin to the Monty Python sketch about the world's deadliest joke.   


In the beginning Man created God;
and in the image of Man
created he him.

2 And Man gave unto God a multitude of
names,that he might be Lord of all
the earth when it was suited to Man

3 And on the seven millionth
day Man rested and did lean
heavily on his God and saw that
it was good.

4 And Man formed Aqualung of
the dust of the ground, and a
host of others likened unto his kind.

5 And these lesser men were cast into the
void; And some were burned, and some were
put apart from their kind.

6 And Man became the God that he had
created and with his miracles did
rule over all the earth.

7 But as all these things
came to pass, the Spirit that did
cause man to create his God
lived on within all men: even
within Aqualung.

8 And man saw it not.

9 But for Christ's sake he'd
better start looking.

                              ~from "Aqualung"

Um, to attempt to steer this thread back onto a serious note...


Every decade has a greater acceptance towards sex and cussing than the last decade did.  So, naturally, the 90s were less sexual and less accepting of cussing (though cussing was still very prominent) than today.  Let's not fall into the belief that the 90s were such an innocent time though.  Yes, cussing was less acceptable in the 90s, but this was also the decade of Gangsta Rap and South Park (although South Park seems more Y2K-ish).

As far as once controversial topics, such as sex, now being the norm, I would agree with this.  A lot of it has to do with the infusion of Rap music into our culture, which is currently promoting the values of sex, money, materialism, etc.  In a way, its the perfect music style for the decade as it seems to sum up all that most Americans care about now.  On the whole though, I would agree that controversy is way down this decade, but it isn't completely gone.  There was some controversy in the early 00s about Eminem, Harry Potter, and some Rap music (although the controversy over Rap has decreased now).  Passion of the Christ and the Da Vinci Code both garned religous controversy.  However, it seems like the only form of media that still regularly creates controversy is video games, which have by far garnered the most controversy this decade.  Interestingly enough, video games are also one of the few areas of the media still raking in massive profits (music sales and profit are down, movie attendance is down but they jack up ticket prices to make more money) so they must be doing something right.

Overall though, what was once controversial is now the norm and most people are okay with that.  Let's face it, we're in the minority.  For every one person who finds the decadent 00s lifestyle to be bad, there are twenty who aspire to live that lifestyle.  I've met people in their 20s, 30s, and 40s who are perfectly fine with the state of culture in America today.  Even if they're opposed to one aspect of it (say, Rap music), they will be embrace another aspect of it (such as the equally decadent reality tv).  This process will continue for years to come.  If you think the 00s are bad, just wait until the 2010s.  The decadence, the sex, the cussing, etc. will be even worse in that decade.  To expect things to go in the opposite direction would be foolish.

By the way, is it just me or does the 00s place way too much emphasis on clubs?  It seems like almost half of the songs in the Top 40 these days are made specifically for use in clubs.  I don't remember any decade placing so much emphasis on the decadent club lifestyle.  The club lifestyle has infected music and it will not disappear anytime soon.  Some may say the 2010s will be a reaction against the 00s and be less materialistic and decadent.  I expect the opposite.  If things turn out to be better than I expected, than thats great.  If they don't, then I won't be disappoined.


I pretty much agree with all that (your posts are really insightful).

I think if you compare the '80s to the '90s, it's actually sort of a half and half thing. Some things were definitely more acceptable and treated casually, such as cussing or what you could talk about or show on TV. Shows like Beavis and Butthead, or even certain topics on Seinfeld c. 1993 were where it became more lax. However, in some ways I believe the decade was just as much a regression to seriousness (albeit in a casual, fun and laid back way) after the materialism and partying of the '80s. One way in which the sexual attitude declined was probably the AIDS scare and the rising feminist/girl power movement probably made women a bit more conservative in that regard (not a bad thing per se, especially since I'm something of a feminist myself).

Yeah, the '00s are even more materalistic than the '80s. I do agree that hip hop has permeated almost every aspect of culture, even kiddie stuff. That's probably why not very much is taboo anymore in the mainstream.

Um, to attempt to steer this thread back onto a serious note...



*cue wawa pedals* 8)

Boom chicka boom chicka bow wow.


:D

Again, it's going to depend on the person.  I had more sex in the 90's and was exposed to more sexual references than say, the 80's.  Each decade seems to bring more and more to the forefront.  Seriously.

Um, to attempt to steer this thread back onto a serious note...

I pretty much agree with all that (your posts are really insightful).

I think if you compare the '80s to the '90s, it's actually sort of a half and half thing. Some things were definitely more acceptable and treated casually, such as cussing or what you could talk about or show on TV. Shows like Beavis and Butthead, or even certain topics on Seinfeld c. 1993 were where it became more lax. However, in some ways I believe the decade was just as much a regression to seriousness (albeit in a casual, fun and laid back way) after the materialism and partying of the '80s. One way in which the sexual attitude declined was probably the AIDS scare and the rising feminist/girl power movement probably made women a bit more conservative in that regard (not a bad thing per se, especially since I'm something of a feminist myself).

Yeah, the '00s are even more materalistic than the '80s. I do agree that hip hop has permeated almost every aspect of culture, even kiddie stuff. That's probably why not very much is taboo anymore in the mainstream.


Yeah, the 90s were a bit of a regression (or progression, depending on your point of view) from the "partying 80s".  It was also a regression that was much needed though as the 80s were a bit too decadent at times.  

I agree that women took themselves more seriously in the 90s, but they also had tons of great female role models.  Now, the type of women who get all over the celebrity news headlines are Paris Hilton, Britney Spears, Linday Lohan, etc.  Combine this with the portrayal of women in much of today's music (that whole "club-centric" thing I talked about in my last post) and you get a general degradation of feminism.

Materialism is worse than it was in the 80s and I blame this on technology.  Since technology changes so quickly, there is always a need to "keep up with the Joneses" and get the latest piece of technology.  This didn't occur in the 80s as technology was more primitive.  These days, it seems like many people, young and old, have become obsessed with technology.

I do think there is a chance that the 2010s may be an improvement and not be as materialistic and sexualized as the 00s, but I still doubt it.  It all depends on how the recession turns out.  One of the reasons I think the materialism was no longer as emphasized in the 90s (though it did exist, don't deny it) was because of the early 90s recession.  The recession of the late 00s-early 2010s may result in something similar as well, or it could result in greater materialism from people wishing for escapism (just like how Disco was an escape from the hard economic times of the 70s).  Even if people themselves aren't materialistic (can't afford material goods when you have no money in a recession!), the pop culture may still be because of the masses wishing for escapism and a sort of "wish fulfillment" ("Maybe one day I can have a nice car like this celebrity!").

Personally, I think the 2010s have a possibility to be a very dark and chaotic decade.  The 2010s will pay for the problems of the 00s.  As it stands right now, we have a constantly declining dollar, gas prices that will not go down ever (you're fooling yourself if you think they will), a Social Security crisis in the making when the Baby Boomers retire, the problem of Iraq, the extremely volatile economy, etc.  It is not a pretty situation and the 2010s may well be the decade that suffers from these problems getting even worse, at which point people will look at the 00s as being innocent and carefree.  Remember, every decade becomes viewed as innocent eventually!  

That said, I think "Gen Y" will really come into its own in the 2010s.  It seems like every gen attains its stereotypical identity during more chaotic times, such as the 60s for Baby Boomers (Vietnam War, Kennedy assasination, the sudden questioning of social norms and authority, etc.) and the early 90s "Grunge Era" for Gen X (recession, Gulf War, dissolution of the USSR, LA Riots, etc.  The period from 1990-1992 was surprisingly chaotic.).  The chaotic 2010s (at least the early 2010s, which the late 00s recession will probably carry over into) may well be the period when Gen Y finally stands up and makes itself heard to the world and attains a whole new identity.  Remember, the Baby Boomers were different in the 50s and the Gen Xers were different in the 80s.  Gen Y's identity will change as well.  Heck, you may be seeing the start of that now.  Barack Obama has resulted in the highest amount of youth voters in election primaries in decades, so that may be a hint of Gen Y's coming redefinition.

You know, I really need to start shortening my posts, yet I just can't figure out what to cut out.  I guess I haven't learned as much in my English classes as I thought I have.

Um, to attempt to steer this thread back onto a serious note...
good luck with that

tis true, the late 70s-mid-80s were the Golden Age of Porn.


Now It's on the internet.

And take my advice...never go to Encyclopedia Dramatica. It was created by some perverts that will never get laid.

You know, I really need to start shortening my posts, yet I just can't figure out what to cut out.  I guess I haven't learned as much in my English classes as I thought I have.



  Don't shorten your posts.  They're fine...

Now It's on the internet.

And take my advice...never go to Encyclopedia Dramatica. It was created by some perverts that will never get laid.
you know what i gotta do now, right? :P

  @ sonikuu & McFly...

  I'm currently reading an interesting book on the state of pop culture in the U.S., and when I'm able to get past the author's obvious hostility towards "boomers and millenials" I can see where he's going and agree, for the most part...

  The author claims that part of the problem with today's pop culture is that there's very little interest in anarchy, and it shows in music, music videos and other forms of pop culture.  There's no railing against "the man", but rather keeping the lock-step.  Clean, sanitized and agreeable, a departure from the "cultural revolution" of past decades.  The "message" of today's music, for instance, is not one of revolution but one of responding to every cue accordingly, obeying and following orders.  The purpose of music is merely to sell more of the same.  An advertisement for itself.  A cliché.  I think cliché is something people around my age tend to avoid...

  This author, brilliantly IMO, places the end of cultural subversiveness and anarchy with "Smells Like Teen Spirit" and the beginning of blind allegiance and bling-bling with "Baby One More Time"...

  So anyway, just sayin'...

   @ sonikuu & McFly...

   I'm currently reading an interesting book on the state of pop culture in the U.S., and when I'm able to get past the author's obvious hostility towards "boomers and millenials" I can see where he's going and agree, for the most part...

   The author claims that part of the problem with today's pop culture is that there's very little interest in anarchy, and it shows in music, music videos and other forms of pop culture.  There's no railing against "the man", but rather keeping the lock-step.  Clean, sanitized and agreeable, a departure from the "cultural revolution" of past decades.  The "message" of today's music, for instance, is not one of revolution but one of responding to every cue accordingly, obeying and following orders.  The purpose of music is merely to sell more of the same.  An advertisement for itself.  A cliché.  I think cliché is something people around my age tend to avoid...

   This author, brilliantly IMO, places the end of cultural subversiveness and anarchy with "Smells Like Teen Spirit" and the beginning of blind allegiance and bling-bling with "Baby One More Time"...

   So anyway, just sayin'...
Nirvana was a rebellious band. Ah, I think the Generation Yers just wanted their time as teens to be fun and lighthearted so thats why Britney Spears got big as opposed to the grunge and down to earth atomosphere of the early to mid 90's. The Generation Yers didn't want a Lilith Fair scene either like the late Xers before them did. You know I was thinking about this the other day and I think the core 00's(2003-early 2006) when Glam rap music was really huge was just a response or counter to the dark or more serious early to mid 90's culture/music.

I do think the 2010's will be a more serious decade as somebody posted above as opposed to the 00's. I think the excess of the 00's will be shreaded once 2012-2013 comes around.

As for the 00s being agreeable they are alot of 00's Glam Rap Haters who can't stand the genre but I will agree that the whole teen-pop era was agreeable except for Britney's whole sexy image thing.

  My post above is ridiculously off topic.  Maybe someone can move it to the Cultural Revolution thread...

  I'll quickly add, tv, that the gist of my post (and this author's sentiments) is pop culture that "plays by the rules" vs. the kind that doesn't.  The difference being more "culture" than "pop"... :)

  My post above is ridiculously off topic. 
porn!

porn!


  More porn, less prayin'..!  8)

Yeah, the 90s were a bit of a regression (or progression, depending on your point of view) from the "partying 80s".  It was also a regression that was much needed though as the 80s were a bit too decadent at times. 

I agree that women took themselves more seriously in the 90s, but they also had tons of great female role models.  Now, the type of women who get all over the celebrity news headlines are Paris Hilton, Britney Spears, Linday Lohan, etc.  Combine this with the portrayal of women in much of today's music (that whole "club-centric" thing I talked about in my last post) and you get a general degradation of feminism.

Materialism is worse than it was in the 80s and I blame this on technology.  Since technology changes so quickly, there is always a need to "keep up with the Joneses" and get the latest piece of technology.  This didn't occur in the 80s as technology was more primitive.  These days, it seems like many people, young and old, have become obsessed with technology.

I do think there is a chance that the 2010s may be an improvement and not be as materialistic and sexualized as the 00s, but I still doubt it.  It all depends on how the recession turns out.  One of the reasons I think the materialism was no longer as emphasized in the 90s (though it did exist, don't deny it) was because of the early 90s recession.  The recession of the late 00s-early 2010s may result in something similar as well, or it could result in greater materialism from people wishing for escapism (just like how Disco was an escape from the hard economic times of the 70s).  Even if people themselves aren't materialistic (can't afford material goods when you have no money in a recession!), the pop culture may still be because of the masses wishing for escapism and a sort of "wish fulfillment" ("Maybe one day I can have a nice car like this celebrity!").

Personally, I think the 2010s have a possibility to be a very dark and chaotic decade.  The 2010s will pay for the problems of the 00s.  As it stands right now, we have a constantly declining dollar, gas prices that will not go down ever (you're fooling yourself if you think they will), a Social Security crisis in the making when the Baby Boomers retire, the problem of Iraq, the extremely volatile economy, etc.  It is not a pretty situation and the 2010s may well be the decade that suffers from these problems getting even worse, at which point people will look at the 00s as being innocent and carefree.  Remember, every decade becomes viewed as innocent eventually! 

That said, I think "Gen Y" will really come into its own in the 2010s.  It seems like every gen attains its stereotypical identity during more chaotic times, such as the 60s for Baby Boomers (Vietnam War, Kennedy assasination, the sudden questioning of social norms and authority, etc.) and the early 90s "Grunge Era" for Gen X (recession, Gulf War, dissolution of the USSR, LA Riots, etc.  The period from 1990-1992 was surprisingly chaotic.).  The chaotic 2010s (at least the early 2010s, which the late 00s recession will probably carry over into) may well be the period when Gen Y finally stands up and makes itself heard to the world and attains a whole new identity.  Remember, the Baby Boomers were different in the 50s and the Gen Xers were different in the 80s.  Gen Y's identity will change as well.  Heck, you may be seeing the start of that now.  Barack Obama has resulted in the highest amount of youth voters in election primaries in decades, so that may be a hint of Gen Y's coming redefinition.

You know, I really need to start shortening my posts, yet I just can't figure out what to cut out.  I guess I haven't learned as much in my English classes as I thought I have.


That was a really excellent summary, and since we're nearing the end of the 2000s and "The Bush years" its something you can actually talk about with accuracy. And I think we're already seeing the beginning of what your describing.  Because of the prosperity of the time the 1980s were notorious for being the "greed" decade, exemplified by Reaganomics and Thaturism.  The period of time from 2003-2006 was definitely the "core" 00s, and was even more materialistic than the 80s were. And they are definitely far enough behind us now that we can consider them the "party years" of the 2000s.

2007/2008 marked a turning point though thanks to our souring economy and the progression of the decade into its "late 00s" years(the last couple years is always a transition for any decade) Now it seems all you ever hear in the news is talk of gas prices, Iraq,  the falling dollar and how the recession we're entering could be the worst since the 1970s or even the 40s. It seems to make sense that all this is poised to shape Generation Y itself as it reaches adulthood. Its also significant to note that Generation Y are the largest generation in sheer numbers since the Baby Boomers. The recession of the late 00s and early 10s as well as the other issues I mentioned cumulatively could create a profound impact on American culture. Due to Y'ers nostalgia for their childhood they imagine the 2000s being the decadent "new 80s" and talk about the 2010s being another socially conscious 90s, but the 10's could very well be the closest thing we've had in decades to the 1960s. Thats enough to shape not only Generation Y but the 21st century itself. 

   More porn, less prayin'..!  8)


There's a lot of praying in porn.

"Oh God, oh god, oh yes, sweet JESUS!!!!!!!!!!"

;D

That was a really excellent summary, and since we're nearing the end of the 2000s and "The Bush years" its something you can actually talk about with accuracy. And I think we're already seeing the beginning of what your describing.  Because of the prosperity of the time the 1980s were notorious for being the "greed" decade, exemplified by Reaganomics and Thaturism.  The period of time from 2003-2006 was definitely the "core" 00s, and was even more materialistic than the 80s were. And they are definitely far enough behind us now that we can consider them the "party years" of the 2000s.

2007/2008 marked a turning point though thanks to our souring economy and the progression of the decade into its "late 00s" years(the last couple years is always a transition for any decade) Now it seems all you ever hear in the news is talk of gas prices, Iraq,  the falling dollar and how the recession we're entering could be the worst since the 1970s or even the 40s. It seems to make sense that all this is poised to shape Generation Y itself as it reaches adulthood. Its also significant to note that Generation Y are the largest generation in sheer numbers since the Baby Boomers. The recession of the late 00s and early 10s as well as the other issues I mentioned cumulatively could create a profound impact on American culture. Due to Y'ers nostalgia for their childhood they imagine the 2000s being the decadent "new 80s" and talk about the 2010s being another socially conscious 90s, but the 10's could very well be the closest thing we've had in decades to the 1960s. Thats enough to shape not only Generation Y but the 21st century itself.   


Yeah, Gen Y's identity will definitely change in the 2010s.  Those of you hate who hate Gen Y must keep in mind that a gen's identity is not always set in stone.  The Baby Boomers identity changed several times (compare the early 60s Baby Boomer teen to the late 60s Baby Boomer college student and then compare that to the 80s Baby Boomer yuppie).  Gen X's stereotypical identity (along with its very name) didn't come along until the gen's "time" (generally the teens and early 20s) was half over  Gen Y will change too, and it is already changing as we speak, although the changes will not be complete until the 2010s.

I don't expect the new recession to be as bad as the 30s or 40s, but I think we're definitely in for a 70s-style mess.  This still isn't good because the 70s, whether you acknowledge this or not, was a chaotic decade of constant recession, gas shortages, stagflation, rising crime rates and poverty, the loss of Vietnam, etc.  I definitely think that the 2010s will be similar to this, at least for the early part of the decade.  If Hillary or McCain become president, they are a guaranteed one term president.  Obama may still get re-elected based purely on charisma, similar to how FDR was re-elected in 1936 despite the US still suffering from the Great Depression.

Back to Gen Y's identity change, I did some research and found out that the largest area of Gen Y are those born in the late 80s and early 90s (by way of comparision, the largest section of Gen X are those born in the mid 60s to the early 70s.  Birth rates decline significantly in 1972 and stay low until the early 80s).  Gen X didn't start defining itself until the largest section of it (mid 60s to early 70s) became pop culture icons of their own, which occurred in the early 90s, when this section had reached their 20s.  I think the same will occur with Gen Y.  The reason Gen Y hasn't had a real spokesman yet is because its largest section is still in high school or college.

In the early 90's everyone was afraid of AIDS. There were commercials promoting abstinence. 

These days, in mainstream (white) America, the threat of AIDS appears to be gone.  Everyone is very sexual. 

And take my advice...never go to ((( some site ))) It was created by some perverts that will never get laid.


Rules One and Two: You're Doing It Wrong.

ED's the easiest way to learn how to hover over the link and check the URL in the status bar before you click.  There are harder ways.  The Terrible Secret of Space... or at least, of the Internets, is that most of our memes come really do come from there.  Anonymous?  There.  The SPARTAAAAAAAAAAAANs?  Yep.  POOL'S CLOSED?  Yep.  And before that, even the LOLcats of Caturday came from that sewer of the Intarwebs.

Man the Harpoons!  For the glory of the Marcabian Confederacy!!!1one!1!!!!e1eventy!

Yeah, the 90s were a bit of a regression (or progression, depending on your point of view) from the "partying 80s".  It was also a regression that was much needed though as the 80s were a bit too decadent at times. 

I agree that women took themselves more seriously in the 90s, but they also had tons of great female role models.  Now, the type of women who get all over the celebrity news headlines are Paris Hilton, Britney Spears, Linday Lohan, etc.  Combine this with the portrayal of women in much of today's music (that whole "club-centric" thing I talked about in my last post) and you get a general degradation of feminism.

Materialism is worse than it was in the 80s and I blame this on technology.  Since technology changes so quickly, there is always a need to "keep up with the Joneses" and get the latest piece of technology.  This didn't occur in the 80s as technology was more primitive.  These days, it seems like many people, young and old, have become obsessed with technology.

I do think there is a chance that the 2010s may be an improvement and not be as materialistic and sexualized as the 00s, but I still doubt it.  It all depends on how the recession turns out.  One of the reasons I think the materialism was no longer as emphasized in the 90s (though it did exist, don't deny it) was because of the early 90s recession.  The recession of the late 00s-early 2010s may result in something similar as well, or it could result in greater materialism from people wishing for escapism (just like how Disco was an escape from the hard economic times of the 70s).  Even if people themselves aren't materialistic (can't afford material goods when you have no money in a recession!), the pop culture may still be because of the masses wishing for escapism and a sort of "wish fulfillment" ("Maybe one day I can have a nice car like this celebrity!").

Personally, I think the 2010s have a possibility to be a very dark and chaotic decade.  The 2010s will pay for the problems of the 00s.  As it stands right now, we have a constantly declining dollar, gas prices that will not go down ever (you're fooling yourself if you think they will), a Social Security crisis in the making when the Baby Boomers retire, the problem of Iraq, the extremely volatile economy, etc.  It is not a pretty situation and the 2010s may well be the decade that suffers from these problems getting even worse, at which point people will look at the 00s as being innocent and carefree.  Remember, every decade becomes viewed as innocent eventually! 

That said, I think "Gen Y" will really come into its own in the 2010s.  It seems like every gen attains its stereotypical identity during more chaotic times, such as the 60s for Baby Boomers (Vietnam War, Kennedy assasination, the sudden questioning of social norms and authority, etc.) and the early 90s "Grunge Era" for Gen X (recession, Gulf War, dissolution of the USSR, LA Riots, etc.  The period from 1990-1992 was surprisingly chaotic.).  The chaotic 2010s (at least the early 2010s, which the late 00s recession will probably carry over into) may well be the period when Gen Y finally stands up and makes itself heard to the world and attains a whole new identity.  Remember, the Baby Boomers were different in the 50s and the Gen Xers were different in the 80s.  Gen Y's identity will change as well.  Heck, you may be seeing the start of that now.  Barack Obama has resulted in the highest amount of youth voters in election primaries in decades, so that may be a hint of Gen Y's coming redefinition.

You know, I really need to start shortening my posts, yet I just can't figure out what to cut out.  I guess I haven't learned as much in my English classes as I thought I have.



Very well put and I agree with you. Because generations are so large, most of them have two halves. For example, Gen Xers born in the '60s were more defined by the '80s, and Gen Xers born in the '70s are more defined by the '90s.

I think the same thing is starting to happen with the later half of Generation Y now. The first half of Gen Y born in the '80s is more defined by the '00s, and the half born in the '90s will probably be defined more by the '10s. It's hard to say how different pop culture will be in the next decade, but I think it will be quite a bit different. That was a great observation about how chaotic the early '90s were, and I think the early '10s may be very similar. The economy will probably get worse before it gets better, and who knows what will wind up happening in the middle east in the next couple of years. If the 2010's do wind up being a more turbulent decade, then I think you could certainly expect the music to reflect that.

Also, it will be interesting to watch over the next decade as the first half of Gen Y reaches there 30s and begins to join Gen X as the "establishment", how they interact with the next generation as it starts coming of age over the next couple of decades. The transition between Gen X and Gen Y in the late '90s was fairly seamless. I think that could be different next time.