5 Coolest Things About the '90s

[Wonderlicious]

Righty ho (in no specific order)...

The Simpsons
Though it has probably lasted far longer than it should have into the new millennium, those 90s episodes are nearly all pieces of gold and were a major part of my formative years.

Disneyland Paris
It opened its gates to the world as Euro Disney, and immediately met financial problems (probably Disney's fault for building too many hotels and food/retail outlets when so many cheap hotels were near and the French on the whole are renowned for being ludicrously frugal). But I still stand by that this is Imagineering at its best, and that this magic kingdom is probably the loveliest.

Disney's revival
It had already started with Who Framed Roger Rabbit and The Little Mermaid in the 1980s, but it really got into the groove in this decade. Aladdin, Beauty and the Beast, The Lion King, Mulan and The Hunchback of Notre Dame (sans the gargoyle parts) are pure pieces of gold, as are Toy Story, Toy Story 2, A Bug's Life and The Nightmare Before Christmas. It's a shame that it didn't really last into the new millennium; there have been good films, but it's been pretty much heartache as far as Disney animation and its reception has gone.

Friends
Say what you like, but it really has endured as one of the classic TV sitcoms as much as Cheers or The Mary Tyler Moore Show.

DVD
Though the studios are trying to get us to switch over to Blu-Ray, let's not forget how important this medium has been. It allowed ordinary consumers to buy films in widescreen more than ever before, raised awareness of film production and will probably end up being more durable and longer lasting than VHS will be (of course, videotapes are of nostalgic value to me as well ).

[Widdi]

My 5 Biggest.

5. Sonic the Hedgehog

The first video game I ever played. Sonic 2 and 3 and Sonic and Knuckles still remain some of my favourite games of all time; though to be fair I don't play many games.

4. Pokémon

The Trading Card Game was really what got me into the series, but the show and original Red and Blue versions helped. My Pokémon fandom lives on to this day as I am still a huge fan of the Main Series of games (Black and White version comes out in Japan this month and I'm stoked).

3. Beanie Babies

This cute little creatures ate up 75% of my allowance between the years of 1998-2000. Though my collection of over 100 had dwindled to 8 in the past decade I still have fond memories of collecting and playing with them with my friends.

2. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

My first Fad. My grandpa bought me everything that had to do with this series. I wish I still had it all.

1. The Internet

It was just the coolest thing ever. I was always so giddy when my dial up modem stopped making noise! Now I just take it for granted.

[Lazario]

#1. Advances for Gay People / Characters in Television, Film, Music


Roseanne (the Leon Carp/e character started in the 3rd season, which ran 1990-1991, then of course there were the famous "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" and "December Bride" episodes) and The Nanny rocked the sitcom world first but almost none of the stars were openly gay. Then, Mtv's The Real World delt openly with many gay and lesbian people and people with AIDS. That historic 3rd season was so culturally relevant, that President Bill Clinton actually called the man, Pedro Zamora, before he died after the show aired. Then Ellen came out on her hit show. And then we have Will & Grace. In film, there was a wave of highly visible gay themed films directed by openly gay directors, some who continue to have careers today- Todd Haynes (Poison, Safe, Velvet Goldmine) and Gregg Araki (The Living End, The Doom Generation, Nowhere, Splendor). Kevin Williamson, writer of Scream, came out in 1999 and was a serious power player in Hollywood, creating Dawson's Creek, writing Scream 2 (another blockbuster), directing Teaching Mrs. Tingle, and producing / writing drafts for Halloween H20 and Scream 3. Melissa Etheridge's, the Indigo Girls', and K.D. Lang's coming out- which certainly inspired some TV stars (slowly but surely). Judas Priest's Rob Halford came out in 1998. The horror genre began to aknowledge gay characters with the 1990 U.S. release of Warlock, then with the first really positive character in Bride of Chucky, and an openly homoerotic themed film in 1999 with Voodoo Academy. The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert and Showgirls went on to become huge gay cult classics; the Doris Fish and Miss X-star vehicle 80's cross-dressing film Vegas in Space got a theatrical release in 1991 and 80's cross-dressing camp play Psycho Beach Party was written for a film and went into production in 1999. 70's cult filmmaker John Waters followed his 80's smash hit Hairpsray with the 1990 Johnny Depp starring Cry-Baby (which has also become a stage musical now), 1994 masterpiece Serial Mom starring Kathleen Turner, and 1998 indie hit Pecker starring Edward Furlong and Christina Ricci.


2. Björk goes solo, releases 3 of the most important albums of the 1990's


Everything she touched in the 1990's was just gold. From her duets with 808 State, to her singles with amazing B-sides and remixes from her masterpiece albums (1993's Debut, 1995's Post, and 1997's Homogenic), to her epic collection of ambitious, artistically sublime, bizarre, compelling, and ground-breaking music videos which created more than half the interest for her to become an actress in 2000's Dancer in the Dark (a role she received many prestigous honors for). Along with a handful of other musicians, Björk was one of the greatest features of the incredible 1990's musical landscape.


3. British Comedy

<img src="http://image.allmusic.com/00/adg/cov200 ... 4o1m0z.jpg" width="145" height="200" border="0"> <img src="http://image.allmusic.com/00/adg/cov200 ... 2qj5ra.jpg" width="145" height="200" border="0"> <img src="http://image.allmusic.com/00/adg/cov200 ... 2i6ndu.jpg" width="145" height="200" border="0"> <img src="http://image.allmusic.com/00/adg/cov200 ... 2mlzps.jpg" width="145" height="200" border="0"> <img src="http://image.allmusic.com/00/adg/cov200 ... 5wi1xr.jpg" width="145" height="200" border="0">
The shows, their high quality writing, memorable characters, and hilarious casts which made international stars out of the likes of Rowan Atkinson, Jennifer Saunders, Dawn French, and Patricia Routledge, among others, speak for themselves.



more later.