Open Thread: January 29, 1993

Welcome back to 1993, where we will revisit the greatest decade of the 20^th century in this Open Thread. I’m Rat Fink, veteran and survivor of the 90's. I will be your host today. The 90's was a wildly colorful decade. Gathered here is a collection of my favorite memories and relics from the 90's.

What are your favorite memories and/or relics from the 90's? If you’re too young to remember the greatest decade, feel free to talk about anything! 😎

Yes, I’m aware some things were around long before the 90's. They reached their peak popularity during the decade.

Tamagotchi

The stress of feeding and bathing your Tamagotchi during class is unbearable.

I was SO upset when I lost my beloved Tamagotchi.

Sony Walkman and Sony Discman

It’s embarrassing to ask your friends if they have any AA batteries.

I always carried extra batteries.

Things You Never Knew Existed...

The latest catalog arrives in the mail and your mom is offended by MEAN PEOPLE SUCK shirts.

My sister and I begged our dad to buy awesome shirts from that catalog all the time.

Lite-Brite

It’s fun and educational to write swear words on Lite-Brite when your parents aren’t around.

Lenticular Slap Bracelet

You feel like a total loser when your friends have one and you don’t.

K’nex

The pleasure when your grandparents call you an engineering genius.

Polaroid

Cool kids with Polaroids put you and your puny disposable camera to shame.

Believe it or not, disposable cameras are still around.

Micro Machines

It’s more fun to have color-changing Micro Machines in your mouth than to play with them.

I fell asleep with a color-changing P-38 Lightning in my mouth and I almost choked.

MTV

It takes weeks to months for your favorite song to show up on MTV in the form of a music video. Oh, only if you have cable, of course.

Although I saw Nirvana live several times, I felt honored to see the Smells Like Teen Spirit music video on MTV once.

Super Soaker

The ultimate weapon to shut your annoying little sister up indoors.

PDAs

You think you will be the first kid in your math class to use a PalmPilot as a calculator until...

Texas Instruments Ti-83 Graphing Calculator

...your teacher asks you to use a real graphing calculator.

Nickelodeon Gak

Getting the slime in your little sister’s hair is totally worth the trouble.

My sister accidentally got it in the carpet of our mom’s car. It was a bitch to get it out.

Play-Doh

The old, crusty, dirty, fuzzy Play-Doh that your classmates play with makes you want to eat it.

Nickeldeon Flash Screen

You take your first ever glow in the dark selfie with this Zapper.

I loved to blind my sister with the Zapper.

Nickeldeon TIme-Blaster Radio Alarm Clock

The deafening sound of your alarm screaming “NICK! NICK! NICK!” at the crack of dawn is a blessing.

My Time-Blaster still works today. It would be even cooler if my name was Nick.

TV Shows

The time and effort you put into circling the showtimes for the following TV shows in the TV Guide:

• Seinfeld
• The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air
• Slime Time
• CHiPs
• Power Rangers
• The Drew Carey Show
• Third Rock from the Sun
• Boy Meets World
• Saved by the Bell
• The X-Files
• Malcolm in the Middle
• Doogie Howser, M.D.
• Sliders
• Beyond Belief: Fact or Fiction
• Friends
• Family Matters
• Growing Pains
• ER
• Home Improvement
  

Cartoons

Oh, also the following cartoons:

• The Ren and Stimpy Show
• The Tick
• Doug
• Beavis and Butthead
• Captain Planet and the Planeteers
• Courage the Cowardly Dog
• South Park
• Earthworm Jim
• King of the Hill
• Cow and Chicken
• Powerpuff Girls
• Johnny Bravo
• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
• Oggy and the Cockroaches
• Animaniacs
• Rugrats
• Dexter’s Laboratory
• The Simpsons
  

Believe it or not, The Simspons is still around. It’s no longer funny and it needs to go.

Wild Planet

The go-to store to buy yourself band shirts, patches, and pins, music tapes, lighters, posters, and other junk.

Wild Planet was wildly popular in Southern California. I fucking miss that store!

Where’s Waldo?

You circle Waldo with a Sharpie in Where’s Waldo? from your school library.

Been there, done that. This happened during the 80's.

VHS Tape Rewinder

It is incredibly annoying when you have to rewind a movie rental before you can watch it.

I may be a hypocrite because I was one of those assholes. What was the harm in that?

Inflatable Chair

You have one of these in your bedroom.

I was so sad when my cat destroyed my 21-year-old see-through red inflatable chair two years ago.

Homes Run Kings

You go through your grandpa’s baseball card collection and never found a Mark McGwire rookie card.

Damn it, I knew McGwire was using steroids during the home run chase.

Oh, and his rookie cards are worthless now.

Electronic Mail

Every time a friend or loved one sends you an E-mail, you get really excited.

And now I get attacked by emails on a daily basis. Seriously, Facebook and Verizon, leave my inbox alone.

Beeper

“Page me, babe” is the 90's equivalent of “Text me, babe.”

Satirical Comic Books

You read so much Life in Hell and Calvin and Hobbes that you don’t think Polandball and Cyanide and Happiness are funny.

I got in trouble for reading Calvin and Hobbes during Sustained Silent Reading. I was reading after all. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Slinky

The slinky gets twisted and you have to spend hours straightening it.

Got Milk? Ad Campaign

Pillsbury Doughboy and celebrities ask you to take your daily dose of calcium.

And now a new study suggests that milk is bad for you. Eat an orange instead.

Rubik’s Cube

Your cousin catches you red handed with a disassembled Rubik’s Cube and tells everyone you’re a cheater.

And I couldn’t for the life of me reassemble it.

Silly Putty

Shaping the flesh-colored Silly Putty into different body parts is probably the only reason you like it.

That’s how I ended up in art school.

Moon Shoes

“Zero gravity” is all fun and games until you twist or break your ankle.

I lost my balance and destroyed a brand new ceramic floor lamp. This happened during the 80's.

Hacky Sack

Showing off your new footbag trick to your friends is the 90's equivalent of showing off your new iPhone.

My family and I play hacky sack when we have to wait. Not in restaurants, of course.

ZIP Disk

Everyone is jealous because you are in possession of a single floppy disk with the capacity of seventy 3.5" floppy disks.

I remember manually ejecting a 5¼-inch disk from Amiga 1000's Sidecar in school.

Damn, I feel old now.

America Online

There are more than enough AOL CDs to re-shingle your roof for free.

AOL CDs did a surprisingly good job of keeping my dad’s piano level.

Chained Leather Wallet

Cool kids at school call you a poser because you don’t have one of these.

I called them posers because my chain was longer.

Digital Camera

You wish you were the first kid at school to have a 0.3 megapixel digital camera.

Etch A Sketch

It’s fun to draw dicks and boobs on Etch A Sketch when your parents aren’t around.

Lowrider

The latest issue arrives in the mail and your mom is offended by bikini-clad women.

I love the look of gaudy lowriders. Metallic green malaise era cars with golden wheels, yo!

Beanie Babies

You question your faith in humanity after you read an article about a divorce couple splitting their Beanie Babies in court.

Yes, it’s a true story.

Go-Gurt

The sensitive subject of the best Go-Gurt flavor can trigger an argument between you and your friends.

The answer is always Berry Blue Blast.

Lego

A 2x2 brick with “Lego” printed on one of its sides will make you the most popular kid in your kindergarten class.

Video Game Consoles

The frustration when you realize video game consoles from the 90's are cheaper and better than your fancy PlayStation 4, Wii U, and XBOX One.

My PlayStation that I bought new in 1996 for a mere $129.99 is still going strong. How’s your XBOX 360?

Oh, it RROD’d after only two years? My deepest condolences.

Video Games

Oh, also video games from the 90's are cheaper, simpler, funner, and better than your overly realistic, dark, depressing PS4, Wii U, and XBOX One games.

I remember the days when newly released (original) PlayStation games cost $19.99.

Gameshark

Gameshark makes you the best player among your friends.

I have a PlayStation GameShark Pro that plugs into the parallel port on the back of the console. Yep, it still works.

Rollerblades

Roller skates are for sissies; cool kids ride rollerblades to and from school.

Posters of 90's Supercars

One of these posters is on your bedroom wall.

I had both posters in my dorm.

Gateway Computers

Gateway makes the “best computers in the world” and you beg your parents to buy one.

My dad bought a Gateway FX510 on his own accord in mid 2000's. It was the worst decision he made.

Holstein cow markings boxes were pretty cool, though.

Music Tapes

A No. 2 pencil is essential when you lug a carrying case of music tapes to school.

You’re not a true 90's kid if you don’t know what a pencil was used for.

Real Live Music

Kurt Cobain wants you to sing with him on the stage.

People watch live music through the camera on their phones and musicians lip sync and flail to prerecorded songs.

Yes, that’s why I stopped going to concerts.

Bop-It

A kid is screaming “BOP IT! TWIST IT! PULL IT!” and you just want to scream at him to shut up.

Frosted Tips

The coolest kid at school is you until all other boys start copying you.

Thank goodness that stupid trend is long dead.

Apple iMac G3

You’re so jealous of your friend’s new iMac G3 that you spend hours playing Nanosaur on it.

That’s how I switched to Mac. I never looked back.

Lava Lamp

The lava lamp is on the top of your hot tube TV and you stupidly turn it on.

Yes, I was that idiot. The oil and glass shards were everywhere.

CGI Movies

You think the laughably bad CGI in Escape from L.A. and Twister are awesome.

Escape from L.A. was so bad that I fell asleep at the drive-in theater. Oh, speaking of drive-in theaters...

Drive-In Theaters

Enjoying a movie from the comfort of your own car was a blessing.

I miss the peace of drive-in theaters. There was no one to annoy me. Damn it, bring back drive-in theaters!

Spin Jammer

Spinning a frisbee on your finger is oh so hard that you get one with a center cone.

Mad Libs

Since _(noun) is in two weeks, let’s _(verb) Mad Libs!

Dear _{(proper noun)},

You are the most _(adjective) person I have ever met. I especially think you are _(adjective) when you wear your _{(article of clothing)}. My favorite thing about you is _(quality). A nice _(noun) with _(noun) and _(noun). Some _(noun) would be nice too! Celebrating another _(noun) of _(adjective) together.

Your Valentine,
_{(proper noun)}

Lazer Tag

The game between you and your opponent is over the instant your dad changes the channel with the remote control.

I always armed myself with my lazer gun and every available remote control in the house.

Black Lights

The black light bulb is so hot that you for some reason want to apply toothpaste to it.

The toothpaste bursts into flames and the bulb shatters. Ask me how I know.

At least my room smelt minty.

Pay Phone

Calling someone and asking for someone by their name that is a pun or double entendre is done with the pleasure of anonymity.

I made prank calls to my parents’ nightclub all the time. The fun lasted until they got a caller ID.

Creepy Crawlers

The sweet smell of hot Plastigoop is the only reason you like Creepy Crawlers.

That’s exactly why I liked Creepy Crawlers.

VCR Player

You have two VCR players to make duplicates of movie rentals with ease.

Goosebumps

You always jump to the front of your class on the way to the library so that you will get your hands on the latest Goosebumps book.

I still have my complete collection of original Goosebumps books.

Cybiko

You and your cousin use Cybikos to talk to each other in the same room.

That’s how my cousin and I talked to each other for days after we got our Cybikos for Christmas.

Koosh Ball

The pain of getting your mom’s hair out of your Koosh Ball is unimaginable.

CompUSA

The smell of plastic and plasma is the only reason you like to stand in the store.

Speaking of electronics stores, do you remember when Best Buy was an off-price retailer like Montgomery Ward?

Easy Bake Oven

You play with your little sister’s Easy Bake Oven so often that your parents realize you’re probably gay.

That’s how my parents found out. This happened during the 80's.

Stretch Armstrong

The pain when your little sister pulls and releases your Stretch Armstrong into your face is indescribable.

“Bitchslap”?

Light-up Sneakers

When the lights in your shoes stop working in two weeks, you immediately throw them away.

Transparent Phones

Only a see-through phone with a neon light in it will make your room complete.

I had one with coral (pink orange) neon light that flashed when the phone rang. I loved that phone.

Furby

Furby dissection is your #1 science project idea.

My sister was one of a very few girls who thought Furbies were stupid.

Marbles

There are dusty jars of see-through marbles because you don’t know what to do with them.

I still have those awesome see-through marbles. I just don’t want to lose my marbles, you know?

Wherehouse Music

The go-to store to buy your music tapes and audio equipment or rent your movie or game.

I miss digging through bargain bins at the store.

Tacky Cell Phone Accessories

You personalize your Nokia 5110 with different button lights, flashing antennas, and covers every few weeks.

I wish I could personalize my iPhone like that. Second screen on the back, flashing Apple logo, light-up band...

Lincoln Logs

Smashing your little sister’s cabin into pieces is more entertaining than building them.

Getting in trouble and picking up the pieces? Not so much.

Pokémon Trading Cards

Tens of dollars are put into many tins of Pokémon cards and you find only one Holo card.

Kids like this in stores were traumatizing.

Troll Dolls

The hair bleach you use to frost your hair can be used to frost your little sister’s Troll Dolls’ hair.

“Whoa, they look phat!” my sister said gleefully. I used real bleach, though. Speaking of “phat”...

Cool Kid Slangs

You use the following slangs and phrases:

• Cha-ching!
• Sissy!
• Oh snap!
• Duh!
• Going Postal!
• Hang loose!
• Bones!
• Let’s bounce!
• Fart knocker!
• Phat!
• Smell you later!
• Eat my shorts!

Pogs

Slammers can be used to hit your opponents in the eye and take off with their In-N-Out and Power Rangers pogs.

I still have hundreds of pogs and dozens of slammers. My family and I play pogs from time to time.

Yo-Yo

Showing off your new yo-yo trick to your friends is the 90's equivalent of showing off your new iPad.

I was a yo-yo expert until I gave myself a black eye.

Pogo Ball

Pogo sticks are for sissies; cool kids hop around on pogo balls.

Talkboy Voice Recorder

After watching Home Alone 2: Lost in New York, you want one of these to record your dad singing in the shower.

Computer Games

You play the following games on your MS-DOS computer for hours:

• Duke Nukem 3D
• Revenge of the Toys
• Doom II: Hell on Earth
• Wolfenstein 3D
• Quake
• StarCraft
• Shadow Warrior
• Epic Pinball
• Minesweeper
• SimCity 2000
• Commander Keen: Keen Dreams
• Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade: The Graphic Adventure
• Star Wars: TIE Fighter
• Math Blaster
• Nanosaur
• Carmageddon

I miss the 90's. There, I said it. 😞

from Lifehacker http://ift.tt/1nsJ3hx

Related Items