Daniel Miessler

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What Made the 90’s So Awesome?

May 26, 2023

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-expression
  • Focus on quality family time
  • Emphasis on good manners and respect
  • Encouragement of independence and problem-solving skills
  • Promotion of outdoor play and exploration

Art:

  • The rise of alternative and grunge music
  • The popularity of abstract and minimalist art
  • The emergence of hip hop and rap as mainstream genres
  • The explosion of street art and graffiti
  • The influence of technology on art and design

Entertainment:

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

Childhood:

  • The popularity of toys like Beanie Babies and Tamagotchi
  • The rise of children’s TV shows like Rugrats and Power Rangers
  • The popularity of book series like Goosebumps and The Baby-Sitters Club
  • The emergence of educational computer games like Oregon Trail and Math Blaster
  • The popularity of outdoor activities like rollerblading and skateboarding

Culture:

  • The rise of environmentalism and eco-consciousness
  • The popularity of grunge and alternative fashion
  • The emergence of the internet and the beginning of the digital age
  • The influence of hip hop culture on fashion and language
  • The popularity of coffee culture and the rise of Starbucks

News:

  • The fall of the Berlin Wall and the end of the Cold War
  • The rise of the internet and the beginning of the information age
  • The impeachment of President Bill Clinton
  • The launch of the Hubble Space Telescope
  • The first Gulf War and the rise of 24-hour news networks

Games:

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

Movies:

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

TV:

  • The popularity of dramas like The X-Files and ER
  • The success of animated shows like The Simpsons and South Park
  • The emergence of cable networks like HBO and their original programming
  • The popularity of talk shows like The Oprah Winfrey Show and The Jerry Springer Show
  • The 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 aerobics
  • The emergence of extreme sports like snowboarding and BMX
  • The rise of home shopping networks like QVC and the Home Shopping Network
  • The popularity of infomercials and their products like the George Foreman Grill and the ThighMaster
  • The 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.