While driving home a while back, I heard one of those non-commercial commercials on the NPR station for a private school. It said the theme of the school’s spring concert would be the ’90s.
I thought that sounded weird, having a ’90s-themed anything, but I remembered it’s 2012, meaning the ’90s were 20 years ago, meaning it’s time for a ’90s revival.
It was inevitable. Pop culture moves in 20-year cycles. In the 1970s, we had “Happy Days.” In the 1980s, the Monkees got back together (most of them, anyway). In the 1990s, there was “That ’70s Show.” In the naughties — the first decade of the 21st century — we had “I Love the ’80s.”
Today, 98 Degrees are getting back together, and elementary schools are teaching kids “MMMBop.” (How long ago were the ’90s? Zac, the youngest Hanson brother who looked like a girl, is married with 2 kids.)
I guess I’m OK with all this. I guess the ’90s weren’t so bad.
Sure, it wasn’t the best-looking decade (see the cast of “Saved by the Bell,” left), and, sure, there was plenty of bad music, like anything by Vanilla Ice, but the ’90s also gave us “Smells Like Teen Spirit.” (Note to the folks working on this year’s Beloit College Mindset List: Kurt Cobain shot himself 18 years ago, so, as far as the college class of 2016 is concerned, he’s always been dead.)
TV wasn’t awful in the ’90s, either. Prime time wasn’t choked with singing contests, makeover shows and reality shows, so smartly-written shows like “Seinfeld” and “The X-Files” could become hits.
You also had a bunch of smartly-written shows that weren’t hits, like “NewsRadio” and “Get a Life” and the mostly forgotten, really funny ”Ben Stiller Show” (see “P.S.” below).
If a decade has to make a comeback, I think we could do worse than the ’90s, but, remember:
Someday, say, around 2032, people will be nostalgic for “The Vampire Diaries” and Jay Leno. Consider this a warning.
P.S. Here’s a clip from “The Ben Stiller Show.” It’s a parody of “Lassie,” only instead of a dog, it’s Charles Manson.
Are they really teaching MMMMBop is schools? I think that’s awesome. But if Radley started singing it all the time, maybe I wouldn’t think it was so awesome.
*in schools
I don’t know for sure that they’re learning “MMMBop,” but when I was in high school, in the ’80s, the choir did a Beach Boys medley, and, as you know, the Beach Boys were from the 60s, so there’s that 20-year thing again. They also tried to form a little show choir with choreography. I remember they did Kool & the Gang’s “Celebration,” which is still one of the funniest things I’ve ever seen. God, it was awful.
I recall the 90s as the time I re-lived the 70s, which is about right. I just got to the office after listening to 70s music on the whole drive. I get the song reference from your post title, but I couldn’t identify that song if I were a contestant on the new version of “Name That Tune.” Great post, as usual!
Thanks, Hipster. You know, I’m not really big into oldies, oddly enough. I’m always trying to find new music, or, at least, music I haven’t heard a million times. For example, I liked Amy Winehouse the first time I heard her, so that led me back to classic soul, which, in turn, helped me find new music from the likes of Mayer Hawthorne and Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings. (Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings did that version of “This Land is Your Land” that played over the titles of the movie “Up in the Air,” if you remember that.)
Cobain shot himself 18 years ago? Wow. Was working on a suicide hotline back then. He didn’t call, but every one of his fans did. Oy.
I agree though. 20 years seems to be the cycle. Damn, I’m going to be 70 and my nurse is going ask me about Snookie.
Oh, yes, the surviving cast members of “Jersey Shore,” “The Hills,” “Real Housewives of [insert name of city]” will be with us forever. (Thing 1 saw Snookie for the first time the other day, on “Cake Boss.” Thing 1 goes, “She’s orange! Why is she orange?”)