My name is Shakira, and I’m from Golden Grove High School. I was very happy to be at Tea Tree Gully Library this week (for work experience) and am grateful to all of the employees for their assistance.  You heard it here first.

For some people, (me), the nineties are just as historical and ancient as the Bronze Age. For others, the time period was filled with childhood memories, clunky technology, and the leftovers of eighties’ hairstyles.

This week, a Ninetiespalooza was being held at the library, in honour of history month. Staff members have graciously bought along pictures of their past (see below).

Who can you recognise?

Dated arcade games have also been put out for the public’s enjoyment, but don’t be fooled by their simple pixel screens. They’re really, really hard.

 

So, in honour of this event, we’ll go through some of the highs and lows of the nineties.

First off, is fashion. The 1990s truly were one of fashion’s worst decades – simply because all of the clothes seemed to be designed for cosiness rather than stylishness. A very natural look was encouraged, with minimal makeup and natural hair being very popular. Now in the 21^st century, flat irons and hair dye are used all around – and of course in the eighties, hairspray and curlers was the thing. Compared to all that, the nineties were very free-spirited. What a disaster! Everybody knows that comfort does not equal style.

Now, something that even the 1990s couldn’t mess up: movies. Oh, the movies. If Titanic, The Lion King, Home Alone, Fight Club, Jurassic Park, Pretty Woman, and/or The Matrix didn’t inspire you, tug on your heartstrings, open your eyes, or make you feel something… then you clearly haven’t seen them. Nineties movies were the greatest, ya’ll.

Much like people’s fashion sense, the cars of the 1990s were much the same; bland, boring, and even down right ugly in some cases. It’s amazing how even a $13k car could look like a low-grade manufacture. That’s right, this decade messed up sports cars.

Just look at the comparison.

Here is a regular, middle class car. One your parents might get you for your sixteenth.

Here is a Dodge Stealth TT, looking more or less as bad as the first car. Some car critics may argue “But it’s a classy, attractive car! Look at it – it’s closer to the ground! Rounder!”

These people are clearly living by the standards that old cars are good cars. No. Nineties cars were awful, and they age worse with every year.

And what was with those lights?

While the music would be generic at best by today’s standards, something about those old-school tunes really excites this generation. Masses will forever awe at Mariah Carey’s vocal range, and Britney Spears’ toxic singing is boundless. The Spice Girls didn’t need anyone to tell them what they wanted, and let’s not forget Barbie Girl, which was at the top of the charts for three weeks in ’97.

So, that’s the nineties basically. Don’t quote me on that.

Thanks Shakira. Tea Tree Gully Library has plenty to offer in the way of 90s nostalgia: books, CDs, DVDs and more. Come in and browse or take a look at our online catalogue