Have we been in a Pop Culture Dark Age since the 90's ?

[Mikey]

Was watching a show not too long ago -- forgot what it was but it was pretty new.

They showed some fast (modern made) scenes from the past 5-ish decades.

50's had an American Graffiti/Happy Days vibe

60's had flower power stuff

70's was disco

80's had early rap and new wave (rooster hair etc)

Then when they got to the 90's it just had normal modern looking people (like today).

They didn't even bother doing 2000's and 2010's.

In the future, will the past 30-ish years be known as a pop culture black hole ?

[samurainoir]

90's is Grunge and Rave

[huedell]

The 90's was the beginning of self-aware generation groups that, not only understood what made pop-culture wardrobe/image distinctive, but this new mindset of the masses also embraced the Internet (with other media taking note and reporting in tandem) mocking and otherwise deriding the styles that previous generations wore proudly---this was a total "scarlet letter" game-changer as far as hip styles from then til now.

....so, from the 90's on you had the inoffensive flannel/blue-jeans grunge... the understated skinny-jean/Clark Kent glasses wearing hipsters... etc etc leading the style pack, and, yes, in many ways this was a "de-powering" if not dissolving new pop culture looks----

That said, there are smaller affectations in these newer cultures, and, even though (unless you have kids) you might not notice them, future generations will have SOME semblance of pop-culture image nostalgia, understated as it may be.

Me personally? I'll continue to wear clothes in the manner of Mr. Furley whenever I can---I love outrageous clothes---mocking be damned!

[palitoy]

90's is Grunge and Rave

And New Jack, everybody forgets New Jack dominated for a couple of years.

[cjefferys]

New Jack City!

[Rallygirl]

My niece graduated from high school last night: she and I had that same discussion a few weeks ago. It seems, while there are a few dominating fashion trends, such as leggings, for the most part, anything goes. With the loss of physically owning music, supergroups seem to have gone the way of the dinosaur. She wondered if her kids could ever have a "teens" day at school like I had a "hippie" day or "50s" day. I did say sometimes these things are easier seen in retrospective, but we still both agreed that the last fifteen year's trends were more technology and social media oriented rather than geared towards fashion and music like past generations.

For the last five years, I have kept a Word document in which I list news items, fashion trends, and social issues that are relevant today. The entire purpose of my list is in forty or fifty years to see how my list compares to society's views of what was important during this era. My list started as just that, a simple list with words like "Grumpy cat" and "mustaches". Currently, it tends to be more one or two sentence descriptions of world events with me stating an opinion. It was working with my Grandma on genealogy that led me to start my list. She was disappointed that lack of physical newpapers had caused me to end my scrap books of thirty five years. I still save computer files genealogy related "clippings", but Grams said I would regret not being able to see what was important to us at this time without seeing through the filters of the future. She may be old and only have an 8th grade education, but my Grandma is a wise woman.

[daz71]

there has been no new youth cults for the last 26 years,where music & fasion go hand in hand i'm glad that i'm not a teen now it would be so boring.

[Mikey]

I think we are long overdue for men's suits to change.

Seems about every 100 years men's suit change drastically --- see 1700's, 1800's, 1900's

All the old scifi shows lied to us -- we should all be wearing Dr Evil style suits by now.

[fallensaviour]

I think we are long overdue for men's suits to change.

Seems about every 100 years men's suit change drastically --- see 1700's, 1800's, 1900's

All the old scifi shows lied to us -- we should all be wearing Dr Evil style suits by now.

I'd like to see zuit suits back in style. But yes sci-fi has lied to us...lol

[Bantha5]

I wonder if Seinfeld looks old to younger people. Maybe it's just my age but nothing looks particularly dated on that show, except maybe lack of cell phone and the use of landlines.

[TomStrong]

I hated the 90's. Whew, had to get that off my chest. Having said that I was walking down the hall at school the other day and heard a student say how awful this movie was, so I asked her what movie she was talking about and she said "Casablanca, it was in black and white. Can you believe it Mr. Harris?" I said "yeah but that's a great movie, you didn't like it?" "No, it was boring and awful." I though it was both funny and sad at the same time. She couldn't see past the black and white and get into the story. I can't imagine that type of thought. So there are definite generation gaps looking back, Maybe we just can't see the defining moments of the 90's and 2000's yet.

[emeraldknight47]

I'd like to see zuit suits back in style. But yes sci-fi has lied to us...lol

Indeed it has. I'm STILL waiting for the flying cars we should have now as posited by many futurists back in the seventies (as well as by "BACK TO THE FUTURE)...

[Captain Big Trousers]

Video killed the radio star.

The Internet killed pop culture.

[Brazoo]

Big changes in culture are all about birthrates. 60s culture was more of a radical and noticeable departure because of the population explosion. In North America birthrates are lower, so people who grew up in the 70s, 80s and 90s have more influence over culture than older people did in the 20s, 40s and 60s.

[Brazoo]

When I think of Seinfeld I think of Jerry's terrible mullet-fro, collarless shirts and vests and Elaine's hair cloud and power shoulder-pads. Plus Kramer's vintage store look changed fashion in the 90s - all of a sudden dudes were all wearing 50s bowling shirts.