What Made the 90’s So Awesome?

I just read a brilliant essay about the 90’s by Freddie de Boer, and it got me thinking. What made the 90’s so great?

Here’s GPT’s answer:

Give a 90’s lover’s view of what made the 90’s awesome. Include everything from parenting, art, entertainment, games, childhood, movies, TV, news, culture, and other stuff. Make a bulleted list with 30 words max per bullets, organized by category, with 5 items per category. Write each bullet as a statement of how awesome it was.

Parenting:

Encouragement of creativity and self-expressionFocus on quality family timeEmphasis on good manners and respectEncouragement of independence and problem-solving skillsPromotion of outdoor play and exploration

Art:

The rise of alternative and grunge musicThe popularity of abstract and minimalist artThe emergence of hip hop and rap as mainstream genresThe explosion of street art and graffitiThe influence of technology on art and design

Entertainment:

The popularity of sitcoms like Friends and SeinfeldThe rise of reality TV shows like The Real WorldThe emergence of boy bands and girl groupsThe popularity of video game consoles like the PlayStation and Nintendo 64The success of blockbuster movies like Titanic and Jurassic Park

Childhood:

The popularity of toys like Beanie Babies and TamagotchiThe rise of children’s TV shows like Rugrats and Power RangersThe popularity of book series like Goosebumps and The Baby-Sitters ClubThe emergence of educational computer games like Oregon Trail and Math BlasterThe popularity of outdoor activities like rollerblading and skateboarding

Culture:

The rise of environmentalism and eco-consciousnessThe popularity of grunge and alternative fashionThe emergence of the internet and the beginning of the digital ageThe influence of hip hop culture on fashion and languageThe popularity of coffee culture and the rise of Starbucks

News:

The fall of the Berlin Wall and the end of the Cold WarThe rise of the internet and the beginning of the information ageThe impeachment of President Bill ClintonThe launch of the Hubble Space TelescopeThe first Gulf War and the rise of 24-hour news networks

Games:

The popularity of trading card games like Magic: The Gathering and PokemonThe emergence of first-person shooter games like Doom and GoldenEye 007The popularity of fighting games like Street Fighter and Mortal KombatThe rise of multiplayer online games like Ultima Online and EverQuestThe success of puzzle games like Myst and Tetris

Movies:

The success of animated films like The Lion King and Toy StoryThe popularity of action movies like The Matrix and Terminator 2The emergence of independent films like Pulp Fiction and The Big LebowskiThe success of romantic comedies like Pretty Woman and Sleepless in SeattleThe popularity of teen movies like Clueless and American Pie

TV:

The popularity of dramas like The X-Files and ERThe success of animated shows like The Simpsons and South ParkThe emergence of cable networks like HBO and their original programmingThe popularity of talk shows like The Oprah Winfrey Show and The Jerry Springer ShowThe success of sci-fi shows like Star Trek: The Next Generation and Babylon 5

Other Stuff:

The popularity of fitness trends like Tae Bo and step aerobicsThe emergence of extreme sports like snowboarding and BMXThe rise of home shopping networks like QVC and the Home Shopping NetworkThe popularity of infomercials and their products like the George Foreman Grill and the ThighMasterThe success of self-help books like The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People and Men Are from Mars, Women Are from Venus

Now tell me GPT doesn’t “understand” the 90’s.