1990s culture?

Question

I'm writing a book based in the early 90s, what are some defining things about the 90s? Such as the way people dressed, hairstyles, trends, things people did for fun (can't remember before the internet...isn't that sad?) I can't rely on movies and my own memory.

Answer 1

hi cactuswolf, just put "1990's culture" in your search engine and you will get loads of 1990, retro info. i did this before recommending this to you. good luck on the book! :)
i hope this helped! :)

Answer 2

Wayne's World
Video tape watching with a Video Cassette Recorders
Super Nintendo
Sega Genesis
Windows 3.1
Pee Wee's Playhouse
Dave Matthews Band
Oasis
Third Eye Blind
Hootie and the Blowfish

Answer 3

Grunge, guitars, music from Seattle. On the other end of the scale: raves, ecstasy pills. That's all I remember for the moment. Berlin wall came down. Margaret Thatcher was finally taken off her throne! Cd's were just getting popular.

Answer 4

wow 90's i remember i played with pogs and marbles in elementary, i use to like watching real cartoons on sat. morning, and looney tunes, breakdancing was tight, nickelodeon was diff. so was cartoon network, good shows before, kids played more with toys and game boards now everything is digitilize, and pure electronics

Answer 5

The 1990s refers to the time period between the beginning of 1990 and the end of 1999. The 1990s were marked by rapid progression of globalization following the collapse of the Soviet Union and the end of the Cold War. Key forces shaping the decade were the recession of the '80s, and the advent of PCs in middle-class homes, resulting in the internet phenomenon. The Internet would go on to revolutionize modern culture, and has served as a major medium for the integration and the spread of popular culture; not only in America, but the entire world.

In the United States, Bill Clinton was president for much of the decade. Under Clinton, the United States was involved in few foreign wars and saw a resurgence of liberal movements, as well as a nearly uninterrupted period of rapid economic growth following the recession of the late 1980s. However, the end of the Cold War dramatically changed the political landscape of the world as the long-standing "Communism vs. Capitalism" conflict essentially came to an end. One result of this was the establishment of political allegiances between many developing countries, and concurrent changes within their own governments. Great strides were made towards Israeli-Palestinian peace in the early part of the decade, due to official PLO recognition of Israel in 1993. However, later in the decade, the peace process became derailed and eventually the conflict escalated once again, especially in the 2000s. Al Qaeda became visible as a terrorist threat against the U.S. after the bombing of the American embassies in Kenya and Tanzania in 1998.

Culturally, the 1990s are remembered for somewhat of a re-liberalization of pop culture and an increased awareness of social issues. TV sitcoms reached a peak in popularity, such as Seinfeld (1989–1998), Friends (1994–2004), Frasier (1993–2004), and the animated sitcom The Simpsons (1989–present). Animation also saw a revival in popularity, with more blockbuster Disneymovies garnering large audiences. Animation turned racier and more politically incorrect as the decade wore on, with shows such as South Park (1997–present) and Family Guy (1999–2002; 2005–present) emerging near the end of the decade. Grunge music, introduced quite early in the decade, most notably with Nirvana's album "Nevermind" taking hold of popular culture, along with other "grunge" bands who were the antithesis of the '80s glam-rock style.

Alongside the "grunge" movement were bands such as Boyz II Men, Tribe Called Quest, and the ubiquitous "boy bands" such as The Backstreet Boys and *NSYNC.

HIV awareness reached across the world in this decade, and many new drugs were developed to fight the spread of the disease.

Many countries, institutions, companies, and organizations experienced the 1990s as a prosperous time. Despite the recession that affected much the world in late 1980s, high income economies such as the United States, Canada, Ireland, Australia, and South Korea experienced steady economic growth for much of the decade.

The United Kingdom, after a recession in 1991–92 and its withdrawal from the European Exchange Rate Mechanism on Black Wednesday, experienced sustained economic growth that stretched into the new millennium. Germany reunified on 3 October 1990 and, after integrating the economic structure and provincial governments, focused on modernization of the former communist East. People who were brought up in a communist culture became integrated with those living in democratic western Germany.

In Japan, after three decades of economic growth put them in third place in the world's economies, the situation worsened after 1993. The recession went on into the early 2000s, bringing an end to the seemingly unlimited prosperity that the country had hitherto enjoyed. However, the rise of free market economics in China under more socialist regulation had not slowed that country's economic prosperity in the 1990s, and its economic growth continues.

Less affluent nations such as India, Malaysia and Vietnam also saw tremendous improvements in economic prosperity and quality of life during the 1990s. Optimism and hopes were high following the collapse of Communism, and restructuring following the end of the Cold War was beginning. However, there was also the continuation of terrorism in Third World regions that were once the "frontlines" for American and Soviet foreign politics, particularly in Asia.

In many countries, political stability and decreased militarization due to the winding down of the Cold War led to economic development and higher standards of living for many citizens. These trends were also fueled by inexpensive fossil energy, with low petroleum prices caused by a glut of oil. Oil and gas were discovered in many countries in the former Soviet bloc, leading to economic growth and wider adoption of trade between nations, but the 15 new nations of the old USSR, plus Russia, struggled to adjust to the new economic reality. Consequently, the decade ended in a painful recession.

The widespread adoption of personal computers and the Internet increased economic productivity, while high levels of private investment in equity markets increased personal wealth among many Americans and Europeans. The economic gains of the 1990s were unevenly distributed throughout society, widening the gap between the wealthiest and poorest citizens in some countries; critics of capitalism contend that this should not have been allowed to happen to the extent that it did.

Politically, the 1990s was an era of spreading democracy. The former countries of the Warsaw Pact moved from totalitarian regimes to democratically-elected governments. The same happened in other non-communist countries, such as Taiwan, Chile, South Africa, and Indonesia. Capitalism made great changes to the economies of communist countries like China and Vietnam, and even Cuba where old-school leader Fidel Castro continued to blast American corruption.

The improvement in relations between the countries of NATO and the former members of the Warsaw Pact ended the Cold War both in Europe and other parts of the world. In 1993, the Prime Minister of Israel, Yitzhak Rabin, and PLO leader Yasser Arafat shook hands in agreement for peace, at the conclusion of peace talks sponsored by US president Bill Clinton. The outcome of these talks, known as the Oslo Accords, was an agreement by Israel to allow Palestinian self-government.

Despite economic prosperity and democracy, there were problems in the 1990s that became more visible after the decade ended. In Africa a rapid increase in incidence of AIDS contributed to falling life expectancy and zero or negative growth rates. In the states of the former Soviet Union GDP decreased as their economies restructured to produce goods they needed and some capital flight occurred. Financial crises in the developing world after 1994 (i.e. the Asian economic crises of 1997) began to undermine some support for a global economy.

Conflicts like the Balkan Wars, the Rwandan genocide, the Battle of Mogadishu in Somalia and the first Gulf War, as well as the continuation of terrorism, led some to hypothesize a Clash of Civilizations, but the decade was also a time of peace in terror-ridden Northern Ireland when the IRA agreed to a truce in 1994. This marked the beginning of the end of 25 years of violence between the two sectarian groups, Protestant and Catholic, and the start of political negotiations.

Racial tensions, exacerbated by immigration and issues around multiculturalism, manifested in western Europe. In the United States the issue of race relations, brought into the public consciousness by the 1992 Los Angeles riots, the O.J. Simpson Murder Case in 1994–95, and the Million Man March in 1995, served to make Americans more concerned about racial equality than at any time since the 1960s.

Youth culture in the 1990s was characterized by environmentalism and entrepreneurship. Fashions were often individualistic, tattoos and body piercing gained popularity, and "retro" styles inspired by fashions of the 1960s and 1970s were also prevalent. Some young people became increasingly involved in outdoor activities that combined embracing athletics with the appreciation of nature (such as kayaking, rock climbing and snowboarding).