Bad things about the 90s?

[Sittinbythetree]

In my mind the early - mid 90s were pretty good, I don’t mean personally, but generally, just largely positive and a feeling that things were improving and the world was moving forward to a better future for most.
I’ve been listening to repeats of old comedy programs and the satire from the 90s seems so innocent and gentle. All about how boring John major was (little did we know about edwina) and late trains. And there were no phones or social media (sorry mn!)
What (lighthearted) reasons are there for not wanting to time travel back to the 90s?

@ GreeboIsMySpiritAnimal really?!
My goodness I really hoped we’d moved on from this. Dreadful.

Hey every time I go out even now my arse gets groped. Men still put their hands on me to move me to walk past in pubs. Only now I'm in my 40s I'm expected to appreciate it.

I don't know if it was particular to the 90s (I was a teenager then), or if 'twas ever thus, but what I remember then was so many things being HYPED UP to the point of absolute mania, many of which have already been mentioned:

• Diana's death.
• The total eclipse in 1999. I remember thinking how funny it would be if everyone waited, full of expectation... and it didn't happen! My primary school teacher mentioned it in 1989 - it seemed an eternity away, ten years before.
• The Millennium, and the "fear" of the BUG.
• That utterly wasteful Millennium Dome.
• Your mobile phone is killing you.

And Tony Blair: as others have said, he was the worst thing to happen to Britain, and probably to politics itself. He was number 1 in Channel 4's "100 worst Britons" (Thatcher was number 3), for a good reason. He awarded himself a 50% pay rise when he was re-elected in 2001. Before he was elected in 1997, we had Labour politicians visiting my school, promising total fairness, and the moon on a stick... and the very first thing his government did was introduce university tuition fees. He took his children on holiday in term-time, at the same time as his government was having a "crackdown" on parents who did this. He tried to price motorists off the road, while being chauffeur-driven everywhere himself. And yes @MrsHuntGeneNotJeremyObviously, he was the embodiment of politicians being unscrupulous liars and self-serving rogues. His crying wolf about weapons of mass destruction (and all the "massive hypes" listed above) is the reason I am not believing ANYTHING that comes from our Prime Minister's mouth right now; and as for the scientists, there's no doubt the government are actively silencing those who do not agree with their agenda. In the 90s, my dad explained to me about spin doctors, giving the example that if there was a foiled terrorist plot that the government wanted to hide, they would create headlines such as "Queen drops toffee paper in the Millennium Dome". And Dr David Kelly's death was no accident.

Having to wear combat trousers and vest tops whilst attempting to look cool and sexy rather than just dog rough. I give you All Saints, Natalie Imbruglia in her 'Torn' video and Sharleen Spiteri.

You had to be seriously beautiful to pull that off.

I am not.

Angel Islington T Shirts
MMR and autism links (and BLiar didn't help by refusing to confirm his children were vaccinated)
The death of the Polytechnic
The rise of organic - I'd swear the geezers selling £3 a head broccoli had once been behind stalls on North End Road Market
The grand National fiasco

Tony Blair
Smoke that made your eyes water and hair stink
A massive drinking culture thrust at you at uni with very cheap alcohol (loved it at the time but looking back on it it wasn’t great)
Sun-in

Pre nmw, tax credits and sure start, life was harder for almost everyone I knew. There are many reasons Labour's 1997 victory was as huge as it was and people can delude themselves all they like, but the Blair government did a lot of good. I actively protested against the war on Iraq and then later on ID Cards and the NIR but it appalls me to see the blithe dismissal of all they achieved.

Music was brilliant. I think for me music peaked in 1997 tbh. I love films and books and fashion from that time. I think we were better off in many ways before social media and constant connection became the norm.

In 1996 it was perfectly acceptable for the all male, all adult team in the kitchen of the restaurant I worked in to have a top volume and explicit discussion of my breasts and what shagging me would be like due to my still being young and tight; I honestly don't think many 15 year old girls would be expected to just deal with that now. I never once reported the groping, comments and threats that were common everywhere I went, it would have gone nowhere. I remember once complaining to my mum- my mum!- that I hated when men made comments about schoolgirls and uniforms being sexy and she said I was overreacting, no one had touched me so what was I so upset about?

Watching repeats of top of the pops and just remembered the very worst bit of the 90s

Jive Bunny

Im surprised at the Tony Blair hate. Have people forgotten how awful the stories were before them? Poll tax riots?

Genuinely think the 90s were one of the better decades. End of Thatcher, Britpop, generally feeling good to be British.

Yes, high interest but affordable houses. Can't recall any particular sexism and it certainly was better than the 80s. Pre digital so free as the wind with few consequences.

Oh I'd go back. Better than now definitely.

Isn't the music thing because our emotions as teens are heightened, therefore music we listen to then has more resonance? There's a decade between dh and me and we like pretty much the same music (although he was more Manchester than rock in the early 90s), but stuff from then that still gives me that rush now is mainly cos of the emotional connection.

Being forced to inhale second hand smoke no matter where you went.

@novemberR I loved that look! I had a few pairs of combats and used to wear them with a tight black t shirt, so comfy and I felt cool 😂

@unmarkedbythat Agree. I think people must be younger than me here. The 80s were AWFUL. Honestly, Blair and co was a breath of fresh air and many of the policies were SO much better than before.

Most of the negatives here are minor. And Iraq was later.

The 90s was the last time there was that sense of a better future as we looked to the new century

I think 2012 - 2016 was good, started off with the Olympics, everyone seemed unified and optimistic, out of the worst of the 2008 crash. Ended with Brexit and Trump

[quote PeckyOwl]@Tiktokersmiracle I can identify with what you describe. I hope you have made your own life, and that it is good now.[/quote]
I have yes. 2 wonderful DCs who I love without question. A DP who I love immensely and had to practically build me to the adult I am now.
I have his family too who are wonderful.
I was so lucky to get out as I know many children lost or let down by the social services system ended up running away and getting picked up by dodgy pimps and drug dealers.

We used to buy our combats from the army and navy stores or the market and were v sniffy about the fake ones they sold in shops.

Big mistake wearing winter weight combats on your night out dancing though.

Heroin chic and grunge.

@Fridainexile

@ GreeboIsMySpiritAnimal really?! My goodness I really hoped we’d moved on from this. Dreadful.

Very sad to read this too I thought our generation would be the last to put up with it

Some of the TV was shite.

Noel's house party shudders

Equally there's was some cracking programmes but they have dated so badly with the sexism etc.

Happy hardcore music. Dreadful, in every way.

The 90s for me marked the decade I got married and when my children were born. Also a lot of miscarriages and a lost child but my memories of the 90s are of baby heads and small limbs, kisses, cuddling, first words, first steps, first day at school. So very special. It was the decade of being in love and falling in love. No idea what the music was about or the fashion really. Blooming Marvellous and Formes resonate though

2 IRA bombs when I was working in Manchester weren't good :-(

Some of the TV was shite.

Wasn't it!! And yet people loved for Saturday night TV.

I mean WTAFUCK was Mr Blobby about?

Lad / ladette culture.

Trainspotting - the film
Oasis - the band