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gen x nostalgia

Humor

Brilliant video argues for 5 iconic Gen X words that are poised for a cultural comeback

You totally want to see this happen.

Canva

An 80s woman holds up a boom box. A 90s woman break dances.

As a proud Gen X-er, I'm probably a little biased as to how totally sick our dope slang was. A person is considered part of the X generation if they're born between 1965 and around 1980, so we have words and phrases that were big in both the 80s and 90s. In the 80s, it was stuff inspired by Californians, (particularly those who lived in the Valley) like "rad," :stoked," "tubular," and "grody to the max." The 90s Gen X-er elevated to more intelligent-sounding terms like "dope," "wiggity whack," and "illin'."

- YouTube, RUN DMC, Certified www.youtube.com

Luckily, we have movies like Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure and Fast Times at Ridgemont High, plus bands like Run DMC, the Beastie Boys, and Kris Kross to keep these words forever in our vernacular. But most, if not all, of them deserve to make a true comeback.

Joe Boyd (@deconstructedpastor on TikTok) shares what he believes are the top five Gen X slang terms of all time. In the number five slot, he lists, "Psych," which he explains is the odd concept we had of saying one thing and then immediately admitting it was a joke. Like, for example, this Gen X slang article was published in a Harvard science journal. Psych!

@deconstructedpastor
Top 5 gen x slang words of all time. #genx #genxtiktokers #genxcrew #genxkid #awesome

At number four, Joe tells us it's "Duh" and any variation on it. "No Duh!" Or "No Der." Or "Der." Or "Doy!" In very typical Gen X fashion, he explains this term by just using it. "It just means, ya know, DUH."

Number three on the list is "Totally." Again, easiest to explain it by using it in a random sentence. "Things are just, totally. It just meant obviously, yes we agree." I'll add to that "totally" was used as an intensifier for an adjective. "Totally rad. Totally gross. Totally whack."

Number two, he says with authority, is "Dude." To put it in younger generational terms, he clarifies that "Dude was our 'Bruh.'" He explains you can use it many ways like "What's going on? Or dude. Or THAT dude. Or THIS dude. Lots of dudes."

Sean Penn, Fast Times at Ridgemont High, Awesome, Gen X Sean Penn as Spicoli says "Awesome." Giphy Sean Penn GIF

Coming in at number one on his list is hard to argue against: "Awesome." Now that's one of those Gen X words that never really went away, because how else would you describe a sunset or a sandwich? In fact, it's noted in the comments that both "awesome" and "dude" are still used daily.

On the subreddit r/GenX, a person posted, "Curious to know what Gen X slang everyone used or still uses?" This question resonated because over 400 people chimed in and came up with a few even I had forgotten.

Many people echo Joe's sentiment about the word "dude," though one points out the magical hybridization of the words "dude" and "man," which is now just "dude-man."

Another claims they came up with an entire phrase: "My husband swears he invented the phrase 'cool beans.' It’s an ongoing argument in our household." Another Redditor adds, "I've uttered cool beans in front of my kids. They looked at me like I had grown a second head."

To that end, lots of Gen X parents and teachers get a kick out of making younger generations guess the meaning of our slang. In this fun TikTok, @ghostmama tries to teach her daughter the meaning of a handful of terms.

@ghostmama
She cracks me up #genz #genx #mothersanddaughters #slang #SpotlightAPI #fypシ #80sbaby #80sslang

Her daughter gets a couple of them right (like "Big Time" and "Bodacious"), but adorably fails on "Space Cadet." (She asks, "That's a profession, right?")

Her most inventive answer involves the word "DINK," which means "Dual income, no kids." She's told it's an acronym and guesses "Don't invent Nutella Kids," which is a perfectly rad and awesome guess. She's all that and a back of chips, you might say.

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gen x nostalgia

Pop Culture

Boomers and Gen Xers wish young people could experience these 7 things they grew up with

"The satisfaction that comes with slamming down a landline phone receiver."

Photo credit: Canva

kids playing in the woods

Those of us who grew up in the age before the internet have memories that today's young people will likely never have. Boomer and Gen X childhoods were simpler in many ways, not having access to endless entertainment or the pitfalls of the online world to contend with on a daily basis.

The internet has arguably made human life better in many ways, but it has also fundamentally changed what growing up looks like. Where the older generations had a handful of TV shows at set times on limited channels, younger folks can binge watch streaming shows and YouTube channels 24/7. Boomers used manual typewriters while millennials had laptops. Gen X carried Walkmans while Gen Z carries smartphones.

And that's just technology. The world has changed in other ways, too, including greater safety awareness that's changed the way people parent and kids having less access to untouched nature. Change isn't inherently good or bad, but there are definitely some nostalgic elements of boomer and Gen X upbringings that those older generations wish today's young people could enjoy.

Here are some top answers to the question, "What is something you grew up with that you wish younger generations to experience?" from people born before 1980 on Reddit.

Being unreachable

80s kids, 80s nostalgia, gen x, gen x kids, nostalgia, boomers, boomers vs gen x, generational differences Two young boys leaving homePhoto credit: Canva

"The freedom to be unreachable and unaware of what everyone on earth is doing at any given time, meaning ... life pre-iphone and pre-social media."

"Pre CELL phone. Pre pager. (I mean, I know early cell phones were around but virtually no one had them pre-1993 and certainly no one expected or even considered them except high paid business folk)."

"Yes, I came here to say anonymity but being unreachable was so nice."

"I remember leaving my phone home and not thinking anything of it. Now it’s not even ‘optional’. Phone is firmly a part of the ‘keys, wallet’ checklist before leaving the house."

"Yes, having people be able to reach out to you 24/7 is not a good thing."

Unrestricted, unsupervised outside exploration

80s kids, 80s nostalgia, gen x, gen x kids, nostalgia, boomers, boomers vs gen x, generational differences Kids exploring in the woodsPhoto credit: Canva

"Running wild outside in the country for entire day without even considering anything that could go wrong."

"We used to just run around the woods by my friends house, and had tree forts and rode bikes around to the neighborhood kids houses. No concept of time outside of sunset. I think that might get lost in the shuffle more today."

"This would be mine as well. Hop on your bike with a friend or two and head out. Maybe to the creek or the woods or the dime store downtown. Just an amazing aimless wandering with no fear of being accosted by anyone. A quick ten cent phone call home to let mom know where you were. Just be home for dinner. Our era had the best childhood ever."

"This is true. I would wander for miles. But the thing is, looking back I can now see more than a handful of incidents that I was very lucky to escape by the skin of my teeth. I’m talking about hitchhiking or telling my parents I was sleeping over someone’s house, them telling their parents they were sleeping at mine and then staying out all night. Stuff like that. It was fun- good times but when I think of MY kid or grandkids doing the same thing I want to throw up."

The joy of wonder without answers

80s kids, 80s nostalgia, gen x, gen x kids, nostalgia, boomers, boomers vs gen x, generational differences A child wonderingPhoto credit: Canva

"Wonder. Sometimes we would just wonder about something. Watching a movie with friends. Someone says 'I wonder if William Holden is still alive?' Everybody would shrug and say 'I don’t know' and you go on with your lives."

"Something humbling and wonderful about not knowing. Now with so much knowledge literally in our hands, we have this anxious 'need to know' everything. And everyone has become a Tik Tok expert."

"Or allowing mysterious, wondrous stuff exist without explanations that are instantly available to remove the sense of awe about how odd, crazy, wonderful, talented, insane, or whatever our world can be."

"The world was more of a mystery back then. That has both its upsides and downsides, but I can't help but feel that some of the wonder has dissipated."

The gift of boredom

80s kids, 80s nostalgia, gen x, gen x kids, nostalgia, boomers, boomers vs gen x, generational differences A bored little boyPhoto credit: Canva

"Boredom. Boredom breeds creativity. Boredom has been removed from their lives."

"The skills you gain from the experience of being bored, every now and then. Principally, how you can develop that inner voice, which has been my friend on many occasions and saved my bacon many more. If you always rely on external sources for information or support you’ll surely get stuck when things go wrong or you have to make a decision quickly."

"Boredom leads to reading plus learning to play instruments."

"While I’m happy my kids made friends online the desperation of boredom and creating your own things was really important for me."

"Boredom. The number of times I whined to my parents I was bored and their answer was just 'then go find something to do' led to all kinds of fun."

The freedom to make mistakes

80s kids, 80s nostalgia, gen x, gen x kids, nostalgia, boomers, boomers vs gen x, generational differences A young girl embarrassedPhoto credit: Canva

"Being able to make a mistake without it going viral online."

"Experiencing awkward coming of age scenarios without being documented in a server farm somewhere with world wide access."

"I'm sorry kids don't have the chance to make mistakes and correct them without it being memorialized online to follow them forever."

"Being able to break things and make mistakes... the cost is way too high now."

Tactile pleasures

80s kids, 80s nostalgia, gen x, gen x kids, nostalgia, boomers, boomers vs gen x, generational differences A little girl readingPhoto credit: Canva

"The satisfaction that comes with slamming down a landline phone receiver."

"Encyclopedias."

"Paper maps. I’d love to see someone in this day and age successfully use (and fold back to its original form) a paper map."

"Reading a book instead of playing video games (most useless invention possible). I'm actually old enough to remember no TV in the house and no radio either (my parents read newspapers and magazines instead for their news but it's a much slower feed and more local)."

"The thrill of buying a vinyl album. I know you can still do that, but it just doesn't seem the same. Back in the '60s and '70s they were absolute TREASURES."

"Sleeping on sheets that had been dried out on a clothesline in spring. The scent on those sheets was intoxicating."

Travel feeling more adventurous

80s kids, 80s nostalgia, gen x, gen x kids, nostalgia, boomers, boomers vs gen x, generational differences Friends going on a road tripPhoto credit: Canva

"Going on a road trip with your friends to somewhere you've never been, navigating your way there with a road atlas, and then exploring it without consulting any online reviews or suggestions from Google Maps."

"Experience world travel the way it used to be. There was a time when traveling to another country was a big deal and it was adventurous.

Now, we can buy a last minute ticket on a flash sale, read about the destination on the way to the airport, watch Hollywood movies on the plane, rent a car from a familiar brand, stay at a known hotel chain, eat familiar food and use your GPS to guide you around while you chat in real time with your friends.

Travel is still fun but the magic and romance are mostly gone. That feeling of being far away and completely submerged in a strange culture almost doesn't exist anymore. It's too easy and homogenized now."

"So true. Even back in the early 2000s I remember being on a bus in South America with an American 19 year old who was really captivated by the idea that I travelled in the 1970s "before email." You had to wait two weeks to receive any kind of letter at the General Delivery post office of whatever country you were in. There was so much freedom in that, and a real submersion into the local culture, an ability to let go of your cultural touchstones and become someone new."

"The old way of traveling meant there was a lot of serendipity happening. You’d head to some town you knew nothing about and get chatting with someone on the bus who would then invite you to stay at their house. They would feed you and show you around, help you navigate whatever you needed to head on your way. A lovely way to meet people and learn about nearby treasures to see that you knew nothing about. Now , everything can be researched and plotted out beforehand. I still travel in an unplanned way, with no agenda, no lodgings figured out, but when I mention it, other people shudder and say their anxiety wouldn’t allow it. Did we not have anxiety in the old days? Yes, we did, but it was all part of taking risks in life."

There's a lot that's better, easier, faster and more convenient about life in the 21st century, but there really was something special about growing up in the pre-internet days, wasn't there?

This article originally appeared last year.

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generational differences

Joy

Gen X woman describes what Halloween was like in the 80s with perfect accuracy

"Every single member of Gen X can smell this photo."

Photo credit: ~ tOkKa/Flickr, Canva

Halloween costumes in the 80s were terrifyingly terrible.

Halloween has come a long way since the 70s and 80s, when Gen X kids donned the worst mass-produced costumes known to man to go out and ask strangers for candy that we were sure was laced with poison or razor blades. Those sure were good times, though, weren't they? Social media creator Kelly Manno shared a video describing what Halloween was like for kids who grew up in "the forgotten generation," and holy moly is it accurate.

First, Manno showed a photo of someone dressed in an "80s costume" for Halloween, with neon colors and legwarmers and big hair, and said, "Absolutely nobody looked like that in the 80s, especially on Halloween. We looked like this."

Then she showed a grainy photo of kids in the plastic masks and poorly printed costumes that were the hallmark of the age.

See on Instagram

"Every single member of Gen X can smell this photo," she said. "It's like a vinyl, like plasticky paint smell."

Manno explained that our parents only took a few photos of us per year, and Halloween was always one of them.

"You knew, before you went out trick-or-treating, that you had to line up with your cousins in front of the fireplace, in your highly flammable costumes, with your mom chain-smoking Virginia Slims.'"

Oh, those masks were the worst inventions ever. The eyeholes never lined up properly, so you were constantly trying to adjust them to be able to see even a little bit.

media4.giphy.com

"We would push our tongue through the slit in the mask. It would cut our tongue, but then we'd keep doing it again because we were eaten up with OCD and ADD and nobody cared."

Then Manno described the "garbage bag costumes" we had, which were basically trash bags printed with whatever character it was supposed to be. So janky. So sweaty. So crinkly when we walked. But somehow still socially preferable to your mom making your costume from scratch.

"Look at us, we were terrifying," Manno concludes. "No wonder people tried to poison us."

media1.giphy.com

Her descriptions of what it felt like to trick-or-treat in those costumes and haul our own bodyweight in candy are spot on, and people who lived it are feeling the nostalgia.

"So much truth in one video! 😂 I just saw, heard, and smelled my childhood."

"You are literally making me laugh so damn hard, cause you described it exactly as it was, but my mom smoked Winston's!"

"It was always freezing on Halloween that the vinyl/plastic suit would crack and tear halfway through the night."

"Or the rubber band breaking at the second house and you had to hold it up on your face at the door the rest of the night. 😂 Good times."

"The tongue thing is on point. I can still feel it. 😂"

"I can totally smell that picture lol. I remember the steam from inside the mask would have your lashes and eyebrows covered in dew then after a couple streets of running house to house the crotch would tear out. We would stay out until everybody turned their lights off and the pillow case was full."

"Yes!!!! And we used a pillow case for our candy. And no adult supervision."

"My mom made me really nice homemade costumes, but I remember begging for the plastic Strawberry Shortcake garbage bag one. So, she bought it for me one year. That was a terrible, sweaty experience. 😂"

"Let’s not forget having to inspect every piece of candy for razor blades. I swear I lost half my haul to my father in that clean up. 🍬 🍫 😢"

Kids these days have no idea, with their official city trick-or-treat hours and their parents walking around with them and their costumes that actually look like the thing they're trying to be. The 70s and 80s were a wild time, and as funny as it is to reminisce about those Halloweens of old, most of us would agree that the experience has been much improved for our own kids.

media.giphy.com

Pillowcases still make the best trick-or-treat bags, though. Some things do not change.

This article originally appeared last year.

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gen x

Pop Culture

16 of the Gen X time capsules that make zero sense to any other generation

Who remembers Columbia House collect notices?

Tumblr

The car DJ is a sacred job.

Let’s hear it for the lost generation—the slackers and middle children who brought us apathy personified and grunge music. Sure, Gen Xers might not be as loud as the boomers, millennials, or even the Gen Zers of this world, but that’s only because, if we’re honest, they’re too busy taking care of things themselves to have time to complain.

And you know, for being the forgotten generation, the world can’t seem to stop talking about it. From Gen X pop culture classics re-emerging into the mainstream, to making headline-worthy spikes in wealth over the past couple of years, this group is (finally) in the spotlight.

Recently u/Ruffffian asked the Reddit community to share what they consider to be “THE most Gen X” thing. As a certified millennial, I have absolutely no idea what half of them are (seriously, what is a “Garbage Pail Kid” and why are they terrifying?). But I guess that’s why only you latchkey kids can proudly claim them.

Much of what people shared harkens back to an experience, rather than an actual object, but one thing’s for sure—only Gen Xers can fully understand, let alone appreciate, this list. Dare I say, no other generation has this flavor combination of edgy and wholesome.

1. “Columbia House collect notices.”

– @additional-Olive-405

Not gonna lie, I had to look up what this meant. Fellow millennials, think old Netflix, but for music. There, translated.

2. "Never getting mentioned in the news. It always goes from gen z to millennials to boomers.”

– @My_eternals

3. “Video arcade. Before Gen-X, graphics weren’t good enough, and after Gen-X, you’d play the games on your own home console. No other generation claimed them like we did.”

via GIPHY

– @Masonsknob

4. “Parachute pants..the noise was deafening in the halls between classes!!”

– @GboyFlex

5. “Claiming shotgun in the car so you had access to the binder and could play DJ for the night.”

via GIPHY

– @TikTokTinMan

So like…no Spotify playlist? Such dark times.

6. "Sun-In for hair. Feathered bangs. Blue eyeliner. Love's Baby Soft. Jellies."

– @star-67

7. “Hair crimper, riding bikes with no helmets, buying smokes for my dad at the shop. Putting baby oil on and sunbaking (cause we were literally baking ourselves haha) doing whatever I wanted for one to two hours after school by myself cause parents were still working. Being allowed to roam the streets until almost dark.”

via GIPHY

– @Master-Cricket9906

8. “I said-a hip, hop, the hippie, the hippie To the hip hip hop-a you don't stop the rock it to the bang-bang boogie, say up jump the boogie To the rhythm of the boogie, the beat…”

– @labretirementhome

9. “Being the last unreachable generation. There were hours where no one knew where we were and our parents had zero way to contact us.”

– @Nakedreader_ga

10. “Calling your out-of-town friend collect from a payphone to another payphone to avoid long distance charges.“

via GIPHY

– @Advancedbullshit (who "successfully did this with a boyfriend too")

11. "Always having a pencil in the car for cassettes."

– @sillyputtygizmo

12. "Being the last generation to have to walk across the room to change the TV channel. Being able to fix the TV by pounding on it the right way. Getting the brown box for the TV and there only being three stations."

– @ok_micologist_5569

13. "Watching MTV's Headbangers Ball on Saturday morning, ready to record on the VHS when my favorite bands came on."

via GIPHY

– @hyenaatemyface

14. "What defined Gen X growing up was living under the constant threat of nuclear war. If you wonder why Gen X is defined as 'whatever,' it's because we believed that at some point in our future, we'd end up living, or dying, in a nuclear winter."

– @ruatrollorruserious

15. "Beepers. It felt so important to have one, even cooler if you paid extra for the voicemail service."

– @nousername56789

And finally...

16. "Being old enough to remember (and appreciate) life before the internet and cellphones but being young enough to transition into that world without a hitch."

– @TikTokTinMan

This article originally appeared three years ago.

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nostalgia

Joy

People are sharing all the random things they 'haven't thought about since grade school'

"The flavor of the wooden spoon haunts me to this day."

via X (formerly Twitter)

Did you do any of these?

Everyone's childhood is different. But there are common objects, sights, sounds, smells, and memories from elementary school that most Gen Xers and Millennials share.

Personally, when i think back to being in elementary school in the '80s, I remember the taste of the chocolate chip cookie we got on Fridays (with the pizza), the humiliation of getting nailed in the back during nation ball, and the grumbling, grinding sound that happened when you slipped a disk into the drive on an Apple IIe computer.

Nowadays, in a world where most kids would have no idea how to even turn on an Apple IIe or have never felt the sting of a rubber nation ball hitting them square between the shoulders, I get a bittersweet feeling when I think back to my elementary school days.

Mel Madara stirred the nostalgia pot on X (formerly Twitter) one week in 2020 when she posted a series of photos of things she remembers from elementary school that anyone from age 55 down to age 30 probably recollect, too.

Apple lle Computer Ah, the good old days. via Daniel Bagel / Flickr

She started up with a series of objects and experiences you may have forgotten that were a daily part of elementary school life.

bringing back weird memories from elementary school: A THREAD pic.twitter.com/t3hJlWyl9V
— melina ¨̮ (@melmadara) March 3, 2020

resting your head on the cold window just hit different pic.twitter.com/OFhMIeokc5
— melina ¨̮ (@melmadara) March 3, 2020

when this would hit your ankles .. ow pic.twitter.com/TRc3vvGNcK
— melina ¨̮ (@melmadara) March 3, 2020

the original smart board pic.twitter.com/Bg166jAmmA
— melina ¨̮ (@melmadara) March 3, 2020

the flavor of the wooden spoon haunts me to this day pic.twitter.com/8ZRdMy9LE4
— melina ¨̮ (@melmadara) March 3, 2020

these!!! i can still smell them pic.twitter.com/exxYZclPX8
— melina ¨̮ (@melmadara) March 3, 2020

i didn't trust people who did this pic.twitter.com/HGmhDh6AiS
— melina ¨̮ (@melmadara) March 3, 2020

if you had these you were COOL pic.twitter.com/DctrpTXu8s
— melina ¨̮ (@melmadara) March 3, 2020

the static that came from these ... pic.twitter.com/92xsIZcKge
— melina ¨̮ (@melmadara) March 3, 2020

and let's not forget pic.twitter.com/x2nHozoFRP
— melina ¨̮ (@melmadara) March 3, 2020

scholastic. book. fair. pic.twitter.com/LPDgw8iuC1
— melina ¨̮ (@melmadara) March 4, 2020

She inspired countless followers to share the things they remember from elementary school in the '80s and '90s.

Remember Heads-up 7-up? Can Remember the anxiety as someone walked slowly though the room and you hoped and prayed they touched your thumb?

pic.twitter.com/ZWOzFkSpBW
— Danny Staley (@Elmo69er) March 3, 2020

That clock you can wind up from behind.

pic.twitter.com/qAsBv5BfR3
— Wings 2020! (@let346312) March 3, 2020

Do you remember dying on Oregon trail repeatedly?

Free time on the computer... pic.twitter.com/SdViGfFDnX
— El Negrito (@tedminust) March 3, 2020

M.A.S.H.! Did you wind up in a mansion, apartment, shack, or a house? What kind of job did you get? Who did you marry? What kind of car do you drive?

pic.twitter.com/fZuUY8bbCE
— bloob🍭 (@bloob3rry_) March 4, 2020

Before Michelle Obama it was acceptable to feed a kid a taquito filled with pizza.

Everyone's favorite day was pizza stick day pic.twitter.com/xFqHQWBUvO
— Jonathan lopez (@JLo_2424) March 4, 2020

The stool that helped you grab that Judy Blume book just out of reach. It was also a great place to sit and read if the tables were filled up or you just wanted some privacy.

Library Stools pic.twitter.com/bAyMGwCNWm
— Wings 2020! (@let346312) March 3, 2020

My skin is peeling off!

pic.twitter.com/olDf1s9uPt
— Jason Kizer (@jason_kizer) March 3, 2020

Ah, childhood! So weird, so wonderful.

This article originally appeared five years ago.

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elementary school nostalgia

Culture

Gen Xers explain that weird moment in the late '90s when everyone got into swing music

It was money and we didn't even know it.

via Children of the Nineties/Blogspot

The Gap brought swing to the mainstream with its "Khakis Swing" commercial.

Every Gen Xer remembers a small moment in time when swing music was extremely popular in the late '90s. Swing went from nonexistent to an alt-rock radio mainstay from 1996 to 1998 and then, it was gone in a flash.

During that time, young people rushed to their nearest dance studios to learn the Lindy Hop and bought up old-school, retro suits and fedoras. Swing clubs started popping up all over the country and MTV played swing-inspired videos such as "Hell" by Squirrel Nut Zippers, "Jump Jive an' Wail" by Brian Setzer Orchestra and "You and Me (and the Bottle Makes Three)" by Big Bad Voodoo Daddy.

Film editor Simone Smith asked Gen X to explain what the hell was going on in the late '90s that led to swing music making a huge comeback.

Can a Gen X please explain why y\u2019all got really into swing music for like 2 years in the 90\u2019s?
— Simone Smith (@Simone Smith) 1636776916

As a member of Gen X, I am touched that anyone asked us anything.
— Michael A. Sampson (@MichaelASamps10) November 14, 2021

It's always hard to figure out how specific trends crop up, but according to Kenneth Partridge from Billboard, it began with the formation of Royal Crown Revue in 1989 by two members of the seminal L.A. punk band Youth Brigade. Royal Crown Revue's old-school '40s tough-guy aesthetic was something punks could relate to while also bringing back the danceable '40s sound.

The band had a Wednesday night residency at L.A.'s The Derby before turning it over to Big bad Voodoo Daddy, who were featured in John Favreau's 1996 surprise hit "Swingers."

"Swingers" was probably the most important moment in the swing revival. The film centered around friends who roam L.A. like a modern-day Rat Pack to a soundtrack featuring Dean Martin, Count Basie and Big Bad Voodoo Daddy.

Others attribute swing's rise in popularity to "A League of their Own," (1992) "Swing Kids" (1993) and "The Mask" (1994).

In 1998, The Gap brought swing to the mainstream with its "Khakis Swing" commercial, featuring good-looking young people Lindy-hopping to the sounds of Louis Prima.

I remember this 90s GAP ad. The 90s had a little bit of everything. It was a good time. pic.twitter.com/JfDyG39qBu
— Neil (@neilbelieves) November 14, 2021

On a psychological level, the swing craze seemed to be a pivot from the dreariness of grunge rock that began to fade from the public consciousness by around 1996. Some also think that the upbeat, fun music was a response to the return to the prosperity of Clinton-era America.

Once the Seattle grunge scene was over, we got into anything that wasn't "mainstream" for 15 minutes. Swing, sure. Celtic, give it a listen. Latin, por que no? Mambo, dig it. Scat, sure, why not. The late 90's were a directionless musical genre blender, and it was glorious
— Bill Cassidy (@offstageleft) November 14, 2021

At the same time, rave culture, which was also centered around dancing and had an upbeat aesthetic, was becoming popular as well.

Some Gen Xers did their best to explain the phenomenon that felt like it came out of nowhere.

We were basically a generation that was raised by wolves. So, when we hit young adulthood, we looked WAY past the Boomers for models of correct adult behavior: swing dancing, cocktails, more formal clothes, etc. All processed through a punk rock lens.
— Dean Hacker (@dhacker615) November 14, 2021

Because it's 150% awesome and Gen Xers have better taste in music/ dance/ culture than any other generation and we dgaf what anybody thinks of us
— Leah Hampton (@pludger) November 14, 2021

It wasn't just the music.
You kids wouldn't have your espresso martinis and craft cocktails without us picking this torch back up. pic.twitter.com/XPtZpGUA43
— Lucy Anda (@malfunctiongirl) November 14, 2021

Swing music? it could have been worse.

Wait until you learn about our Ska phase pic.twitter.com/KvRSR4dM6X
— McNeil (@Reflog_18) November 14, 2021

Two more things: 1. The 90s had a broader affection for 40s/late 30s fashion, kind of like the 80s had for the 50s, and 2. The boomers would never shut up about how the 60s were the one true youth culture, which made it extra appealing to embrace their parents’ music over theirs.
— Jane Yager (@Jane_Yager) November 14, 2021

Smith may be confused that there was a big swing craze in the '90s, but she should also know that it wasn't the only strange musical comeback of the era. What in the world was the whole Gregorian chant craze about?

That's not even the strangest musical revival craze of the 90's.pic.twitter.com/URrQVU8f0B
— ASKEsq (@ASKEsq) 1636871201

This article originally appeared four years ago.

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gen x nostalgia

Culture

17 things we all used in the year 2000 but never do today

When was the last time you used your Blockbuster card?

via notionscapital/Flickr and Hades2k/Flickr

Blockbuster video sign and pagers.

In “Back to the Future,” teenager Marty McFly goes back in time 30 years, from 1985 to 1955. But what if the film were made today and he went back from 2021 to 1991? I think the culture shock of a modern teenager going from a post-to-pre internet world would be much greater than the one that Marty experienced in the original film.

Would a kid from today be able to dial a payphone? Read a clock with actual hands? Look up directions on a Thomas Guide map?

A lot has changed since the dawn of the new millennium so a group of Redditors marked the changes in a post entitled: “What is something that was used heavily in the year 2000, but it's almost never used today?”

Here are 17 of the best posts.

1.

"Geocities, neopets, livejournal, kazaa," — PapaWeir

GeoCities is definitely one of those things that was everywhere and then suddenly disappeared. At its peak, GeoCities hosted millions of websites, but its popularity declined after it was purchased by Yahoo and web hosting became cheaper.

2.

"If you had a big screen TV it was probably a ridiculously thick rear projection TV," — ParoxysmAttack

Before plasma TVs came around, if you had a big screen it was also a seriously deep-screen TV.

3.

"Re-writable CDs. I used to burn so many mix cds after downloading from napster, bearshare, limewire, frostwire," — Shittinwithmykitten

Napster created a music revolution overnight, but where were we going to save all of that new, stolen music? Rewriteable CDs were all the rage before the iPod came along and put 'em in the palm of your hand.

4.

"Payphones. (Yes I know payphones still exist. Also, I am now very aware payphones are free in Australia, thank you for informing me.)" — Adreeisadyno

Kids these days have never had to walk five blocks to make a phone call.

5.

"Dial-Up.

weeeeeeeee WOOOOOO_OOOOOO_
E E E E E E E EEEEEeeeeee
eee
eee URRRRRRRRRBEDULUDOLEDULUDOLEEPEEPEEP
R R R R R R R R R R R R RUMMMMMMMMMMMM," — Martini_Man_

Those of us who lived in the dial-up era will never, ever forget the whizzing, belching sound that we had to sit through to experience the World Wide Web.

Who had this dial up modem tone as their phone\u2019s ringtone at least once?\n\n\u201cYou\u2019ve got mail!\u201d Was heard 35 million times a day.\n\nElwood Edwards, the voice to the @AOL \nhttps://youtu.be/cv1B9sPPOXo\u00a0https://twitter.com/JonErlichman/status/1428141025986502665\u00a0\u2026
— \u261c Art (\ud83d\udcf1,\ud83d\udcf2) (@\u261c Art (\ud83d\udcf1,\ud83d\udcf2)) 1629394603

7.

"Indoor smoking. My young-ish kids marvel at the fact that people used to sit in restaurants and smoke," — TurdFergDSF

People used to smoke on airplanes, in hospitals, at restaurants ... pretty much everywhere.

8.

"Blockbuster card," — larrythetarry

It wasn't Friday night in the '90s without a two-liter of Pepsi, a large pizza and a stack of VHS tapes from Blockbuster video.

9.

"VCRs," — Murtamatt

Want to feel old? In 2016, Funai, which manufacturers the VCRs in China for Sanyo, announced it would produce its final VHS player, making it the last one ever produced.

10.

"AOL," — PacMan8112

"Welcome!" "You've got mail!" AOL was the leading internet provider in the late '90s but soon lost its relevance after merging with Time Warner, Inc. in 2000.

11.

"Calculators; teachers kept saying 'you won’t have one with you all the time,' look who’s stupid now?! Both of us…" — elika007

A calculator was a luxury item in the '80s. In the '90s, a Texas Instruments graphing calculator could cost you $90. Now, it's all on your phone along with a million other apps.

12.

"A/S/L" — Smart_North_3374

Anyone who's a proud member of Gen X knows the "age/sex/location" question. It's the first thing you asked in an AOL chatroom when people used to try to hook up online. Of course, nobody answered it honestly, but that was half the fun.

13.

"JNCO jeans," — ccherry124

In the 2000s everyone wore skinny jeans. But in the 1990s, people wore the baggiest jeans possible. The award for baggiest jeans goes to JNCO, the manufacturers of raver pants that fit two legs and a few kilos worth of MDMA.

14.

"Pagers," — skaote

The pager was one of the most popular status symbols of the '90s. Nothing said "cool" like having a pager that was constantly blowing up. (Does anyone under the age of 40 know what it means for a pager to "blow up"?)

15.

"'Wanna Cyber?'" God . We were awful," — icanbeafrick

Back in the AOL days, the closest you could come to getting it on while online was through cyber sex. There were no pictures or video so you just exchanged dirty messages until the other person logged off. The typical cyber session began with, "What are you wearing?"

16.

"Limp Bizkit," — Timmah_1984

Unfortunately, they're back.

17.

"Travel agencies. Now I can do everything on my phone," — whatdoineedaname4

If you can belive it, before there was Priceline, there was a person sitting at a desk with a rotary phone who booked your seven-day trip to Europe.

This article originally appeared on 12.28.21

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When was the last time you used your Blockbuster card?

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