Opining about the 1990s is all the rage in the internet salons these days. If you haven’t been following the debate, it may come as some surprise that nostalgia for the final decade of he twentieth century is now a subject of controversy.
The disagreement arises between those who want to use political means to wind the cultural clock back to the 90s. Behind these types’ avowed Conservatism lies a sensualist consumer streak that makes them long for the material richness of bygone days.
Related: The High 90s
The picture above, which has become celebrated as something of a temporal icon, condenses and crystallizes the 199s’ profile in the zeitgeist. But were the 90s really the way nostalgia-poisoned Gen X-ers and Ys remember?
Well, since that decade took place after the advent of electronic recording media, we have ways of comparing our warm, fuzzy memories to the genuine article. Just yesterday, author David V. Stewart shared an archival home movie shot in the early 1990s. If you thrill to the thought of watching the 90s watch the 90s, the following video is for you:
Did you enjoy your nostalgia trip?
Here are my main takeaways from the video:
The reality is not the ideal
Those expecting a home furnished in minimalist style yet plastered in Star Wars, Mario, and Marvel Comics posters were no doubt disappointed. Instead of a then-contemporary movie set, the real 90s house was chock full of elements David and I have mentioned before. Yes, the brother had a Genesis, and an unplugged NES makes a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it cameo. But for the most part, it’s all leftover 1980s furniture and general decor—a far cry from the nostalgia shrine Gen Y misremembers.
Related: Nostalgia in Light of Generation Theory
Spiritual poverty; material wealth
That’s “wealth” in relative terms. The family in that home movie would have been considered low class by 1990s standards. And that’s not a dig; they’d be in the top 1 percent today, well above most Millennials’ aspirations. Yet nowhere did I see a crucifix, plain cross, or even a simple “Faith, Hope, Love” sampler on a wall. The sister makes a reference to Easter vacation, and there’s a dcommissioned Christmas tree in the garage, but neither the house nor its occupants show many signs of faith playing a central role in the home.
And while that house screams “Struggling HVAC business owner married to a part-time CNA,” the documented fact that a family of rather modest means could afford a split ranch of that square footage in the exurbs and four kids is mind-boggling today.
Speaking of which …
It shows what a functioning economy looks like
The footage itself speaks volumes about the postwar gravy train that was still chugging along in the 90s. So here are a few highlights:
- You could get a fast food meal for less than $2.00
- The Gen X videopgrapher owned a decent used car, which he probably could have afforded mowing lawns or delivering papers
- Every room shown on screen (except the bathroom) had a TV.
That last point is a red flag that the 90s weren’t as idyllic as most people think, because …
Kids were already addicted to mass media
And even back then, regime propagandists were already using TV to warp kids’ minds.
Related: The 1990s: Decade of Despair
The video gives proof of an even more disturbing social disease.
Gentlemen, it is with a heavy heart that I inform you that TikTok girls are not a new plague on civilization.
Because contrasting the boys’ behavior in that home movie with the girls’ yet again demonstrates the truth of this meme:
The next time you’re tempted to pine for the 90s, remember that even the sight of a clunky Marty McFly style camcorder was enough to make 1990s girls go full attention-seeker mode.
That video was shot in April of 1990. And it comes off as pretty much like now, but with less to do.
So it’s ironic that Back to the 90s bros, who are driven by a deep desire to consoom in the Current Year fashion, but next door to Christians, would be bored stiff if they did go back.
The human memory is designed to show us the “best of” the past. So what everybody forgets is how much more of the 90s consisted of waiting compared to now.
You got up and waited for the schoolbus.
Then you waited through stultifying clases for lunch.
After which you waited some more for the final bell.
Whereupon you went home and waited for your folks to get home.
Even on weekends, you spent hours waiting for friends to call back or for your favorite TV show to come on.
Fruit fly attention span digital citizens would have cracked up within an hour of going back.
Which is why, if watching the 90s watch the 90s has shown us anything, it’s that trying to go back is the height of folly.
The only way out is forward. You won’t find the 1990s there. But with hard prayer and serious effort, we may find a confessional Christian state. At lesat it will be richer spiritually. And under an intergralist system, a single wage-earner will be able to afford a house and feed a family of four.
Related: Pay a Living Wage—Challenge Impossible!
Now it’s your turn. What did you take away from watching the 90s watch the 90s?
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