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Due to the OVERWHELMING response (one comment, Thanks B!, and my response) to this past Thursday’s post X: 24 of 26, I have decided with my insurmountable wit that today’s theme for the 20 Questions Tuesday extravaganza will be about Gen X and the Go-Go 90’s.
Thanks this week go to: ACW (most likely sad that Poison was ousted by Nirvana), Lord Pithy (felt the public embrace of the B-52’s for Love Shack and Roam was too little, too late), Bomber (a closet Bon Jovi fan if I have ever seen one), Peefer (for some reason Depeche Mode comes to mind as one of “your” bands of the 90’s), and JW (too cool for mainstream music. Prolly listened to Los Straightjackets back in 94 when they pressed their first album).
On to the Questions:
1. What were you doing on the "day that the music died"? (4/5/94)
I had class that day, I believe I had Differential Equations II and Cartography I and Cartography Lab that day. I was sad, but not surprised. One of my friends was absolutely shaken by this event. Still wears a Cobain shirt occasionally. Cobain was a tortured morose soul.
2. How did the Northridge earthquake get covered out here in the Midwest (1/17/94)?
I am at a bit of an advantage for this one, so my results are a bit skewed. In the aforementioned Cartography I class the professor’s primary research was in mapping natural disasters. She was like a kid in a candy store collecting research on this one. She subsequently imparted much of her research on the students in her classes.
3. What's up with that OJ guy? Did he ever find the killer he was going to search for?
I think the killer must have been a caddie… Anyway, I was incensed that the OJ trial was called the “Trial of the Century.” How quickly people forget about Nuremburg.
4. Did you "party likes it’s 1999?"
In 1995 I was all about partying like it was 1999, however I had calmed down considerably by December 31, 1998.
5. Screw Gen X, I'm from the Me Generation, so why can't I ask a question about Me? Why do most Gen X-ers feel superior to Me?
No one cares about the Me Generation except, ironically, the Me Generation. You can ask a question, but no one will really care. I would imagine that Gen X-ers feel superior to you not because of your generation label, but because of you.
6. What is the absolute oldest I could be and still be part of Gen X?
Honestly, I think it is around 35-36 years old. So I would go with 36.
7. How about Jem X, would she still be Totally Outrageous?
Like, OUTRAGEOUS TIMES 10!
8. GenX / jinx – coincidence?
I have found in labeling there are very few coincidences.
9. So let's hear your thoughts on the "slacker" label given to Gen X-ers...if you're not too indifferent to respond!
I think Gen-X-ers saw the adults in the 80’s working themselves to the bone in the professional rat race and not getting much for their above and beyond efforts. We collectively looked around and determined that enough is really enough and extra effort was not really necessary. Why work your ass off for an "A" when a "B" is all that is required?
10. When Gen X-ers are in their 60’s and pieces are written about their generation, what will be touted as the greatest contribution of this generation?
Mediocrity (actually the Internet)
11. Can you explain WHY Boyz II Men's craptastic song "End of the Road" broke records in the 90s as the single to remain at the #1 position for the longest stretch of time?
I do not understand this phenomenon at all. While there was a dearth of popular true R&B in the mid to late 90’s, I can’t think that there was enough of a fanbase to make that #1 for so long. All I can come up with is that they timed its release just in time for the song to become every Class of 94’s “Class Song.”
12. Chris Farley, Tim Meadows, Chris Rock, Adam Sandler, Rob Schneider and Julia Sweeney joined Saturday Night Live in the year 1990. Do you have a favorite cast from SNL?
Hmmmm…. I would have to go with the early years after Chevy Chase left or the Carvey, Hartman, Meyers years.
13. Please help me and summarize what happened in the 90's. I have Absolutely no recollection.
Ummm… If you really need a primer on the 1990’s, I would suggest looking somewhere else on the Internet. This weblog would be a woeful source of real information.
14. Did the world get better or worse, or did it stay EXACTLY the same?
With the advent of the Internet, I would say that the world only got better for porn.
15. Are the 90's the decade in which The Beatles finally started losing popularity? If so, please explain why.
The people who popularized the Beatles were parents of teenagers and pre-teens in the 90’s. Because nothing parents do is cool, the Beatles became un-cool.
16. What on earth did people do with their lives prior to reality TV?
Must See TV on Thursday nights on NBC.
17. Why is there such an emphasis on naming each generation? (X, Y, Me, Boomers, etc)
The media wants labels to address collective attributes of like aged people.
18. What are some of the 90's articles of clothing that Little Man will make fun of you for wearing in old photos?
Only time will tell, but most likely jeans shorts.
19. Did you think people REALLY liked the Grunge scene, or just went along with it because MTV said it was cool?
Grunge was a nice alternative to the girls, booze, and fun of the 80’s hairbands. Grunge was a different sound (mainly due to the minor chords) and the market was ripe for a new sound. I don’t think MTV created the movement as much as it rode the movement.
20. WHY?
Why Ask Why? Drink Bud Dry
To Recap:
I don’t have much to recap today
There were things that I could have linked for today’s post, but I am feeling all 90’s apathetic*
Would have linked:
X: 24 of 26
Poison
Nirvana
B-52’s
Bon Jovi (via wikipedia)
Peefer
Depeche Mode
JW
Los Straightjackets
Kurt Cobain (via wikipedia)
‘94 Northridge Earthquake (via wikipedia)
“Trial of the Century” (via wikipedia)
Nuremburg Trials (via wikipedia)
Jem
Boyz II Men
Chevy Chase
Dana Carvey
Phil Hartman
Mike Meyers
the Beatles
And “Must See TV” (via wikipedia)
"Drink Bud Dry" (via wikipedia)
The end
*All hyperlinks in this post were made by the person submitting the questions, not the author of the answers as per usual.
Thanks this week go to: ACW (most likely sad that Poison was ousted by Nirvana), Lord Pithy (felt the public embrace of the B-52’s for Love Shack and Roam was too little, too late), Bomber (a closet Bon Jovi fan if I have ever seen one), Peefer (for some reason Depeche Mode comes to mind as one of “your” bands of the 90’s), and JW (too cool for mainstream music. Prolly listened to Los Straightjackets back in 94 when they pressed their first album).
On to the Questions:
1. What were you doing on the "day that the music died"? (4/5/94)
I had class that day, I believe I had Differential Equations II and Cartography I and Cartography Lab that day. I was sad, but not surprised. One of my friends was absolutely shaken by this event. Still wears a Cobain shirt occasionally. Cobain was a tortured morose soul.
2. How did the Northridge earthquake get covered out here in the Midwest (1/17/94)?
I am at a bit of an advantage for this one, so my results are a bit skewed. In the aforementioned Cartography I class the professor’s primary research was in mapping natural disasters. She was like a kid in a candy store collecting research on this one. She subsequently imparted much of her research on the students in her classes.
3. What's up with that OJ guy? Did he ever find the killer he was going to search for?
I think the killer must have been a caddie… Anyway, I was incensed that the OJ trial was called the “Trial of the Century.” How quickly people forget about Nuremburg.
4. Did you "party likes it’s 1999?"
In 1995 I was all about partying like it was 1999, however I had calmed down considerably by December 31, 1998.
5. Screw Gen X, I'm from the Me Generation, so why can't I ask a question about Me? Why do most Gen X-ers feel superior to Me?
No one cares about the Me Generation except, ironically, the Me Generation. You can ask a question, but no one will really care. I would imagine that Gen X-ers feel superior to you not because of your generation label, but because of you.
6. What is the absolute oldest I could be and still be part of Gen X?
Honestly, I think it is around 35-36 years old. So I would go with 36.
7. How about Jem X, would she still be Totally Outrageous?
Like, OUTRAGEOUS TIMES 10!
8. GenX / jinx – coincidence?
I have found in labeling there are very few coincidences.
9. So let's hear your thoughts on the "slacker" label given to Gen X-ers...if you're not too indifferent to respond!
I think Gen-X-ers saw the adults in the 80’s working themselves to the bone in the professional rat race and not getting much for their above and beyond efforts. We collectively looked around and determined that enough is really enough and extra effort was not really necessary. Why work your ass off for an "A" when a "B" is all that is required?
10. When Gen X-ers are in their 60’s and pieces are written about their generation, what will be touted as the greatest contribution of this generation?
Mediocrity (actually the Internet)
11. Can you explain WHY Boyz II Men's craptastic song "End of the Road" broke records in the 90s as the single to remain at the #1 position for the longest stretch of time?
I do not understand this phenomenon at all. While there was a dearth of popular true R&B in the mid to late 90’s, I can’t think that there was enough of a fanbase to make that #1 for so long. All I can come up with is that they timed its release just in time for the song to become every Class of 94’s “Class Song.”
12. Chris Farley, Tim Meadows, Chris Rock, Adam Sandler, Rob Schneider and Julia Sweeney joined Saturday Night Live in the year 1990. Do you have a favorite cast from SNL?
Hmmmm…. I would have to go with the early years after Chevy Chase left or the Carvey, Hartman, Meyers years.
13. Please help me and summarize what happened in the 90's. I have Absolutely no recollection.
Ummm… If you really need a primer on the 1990’s, I would suggest looking somewhere else on the Internet. This weblog would be a woeful source of real information.
14. Did the world get better or worse, or did it stay EXACTLY the same?
With the advent of the Internet, I would say that the world only got better for porn.
15. Are the 90's the decade in which The Beatles finally started losing popularity? If so, please explain why.
The people who popularized the Beatles were parents of teenagers and pre-teens in the 90’s. Because nothing parents do is cool, the Beatles became un-cool.
16. What on earth did people do with their lives prior to reality TV?
Must See TV on Thursday nights on NBC.
17. Why is there such an emphasis on naming each generation? (X, Y, Me, Boomers, etc)
The media wants labels to address collective attributes of like aged people.
18. What are some of the 90's articles of clothing that Little Man will make fun of you for wearing in old photos?
Only time will tell, but most likely jeans shorts.
19. Did you think people REALLY liked the Grunge scene, or just went along with it because MTV said it was cool?
Grunge was a nice alternative to the girls, booze, and fun of the 80’s hairbands. Grunge was a different sound (mainly due to the minor chords) and the market was ripe for a new sound. I don’t think MTV created the movement as much as it rode the movement.
20. WHY?
Why Ask Why? Drink Bud Dry
To Recap:
I don’t have much to recap today
There were things that I could have linked for today’s post, but I am feeling all 90’s apathetic*
Would have linked:
X: 24 of 26
Poison
Nirvana
B-52’s
Bon Jovi (via wikipedia)
Peefer
Depeche Mode
JW
Los Straightjackets
Kurt Cobain (via wikipedia)
‘94 Northridge Earthquake (via wikipedia)
“Trial of the Century” (via wikipedia)
Nuremburg Trials (via wikipedia)
Jem
Boyz II Men
Chevy Chase
Dana Carvey
Phil Hartman
Mike Meyers
the Beatles
And “Must See TV” (via wikipedia)
"Drink Bud Dry" (via wikipedia)
The end
*All hyperlinks in this post were made by the person submitting the questions, not the author of the answers as per usual.
Labels: 20 Questions
10 Comments:
I married in '91 and started having kids immediately, so that whole decade is pretty much just a sleepless blur. Missed the whole grunge thing, as I was listening to Cheb Mami, Miriam Makeba, Sheila Chandra, Soweto Never Sleeps, Ashwin Batish. Northern Exposure and Twin Peaks. I look happy in the pictures, with my curly perm and all.
Atmikha
Jeans shorts aren't cool?
Atmikha:
I think kids stop time for most people. I know I am still considered the height of fashion in 2003. No really....
Lord Pithy:
Especially cut off jeans shorts that the wearer has rolled the cuff up to look like they were hemmed. Oh and the shorts you tend to wear. Those are definitely passe.
the day the music died...
i started singin'
"bye-bye, miss american pie."
Kim:
Why? Oh, Why? did Madonna feel the need to cover this?
6. What is the absolute oldest I could be and still be part of Gen X?
Honestly, I think it is around 35-36 years old. So I would go with 36.
I turned 37 in May. Thanks for completely uprooting my sense of belonging in my culture.
I also think that as we worked ourselves into early graves during the dot-com boom, we should have been released from the "slacker" reputation. We handed over the 40-hour work week, got nothing in return that outlasted the bubble, and couldn't even redeem our rep o' sloth.
B:
That was my take on it. I went with the earliest group of folk to graduate in 1990. So I guess I should have included 37 in the mix as well, but those 38 year olds aren't part of my group, damnit!
Had the dot com bubble not burst(or most of the dot coms been based on something more than ideation), this generation would have been known as the Entrepenuers (only spelled correctly).
The day the music died, I wondered, "Who's Kurt Cobain?", and then I realized I sort of knew a couple of his songs. Because I like music, not musicians.
You're wrong about Depeche Mode. I was a Bon Jovi kind of guy. Again, for the music, not the musicians.
Peefer:
Bon Jovi? Really? Wow, I would not have picked that, but then again, "[You're] a cowboy. On a steel horse [you] ride. 'Cause [you're] wanted... wanted, dead or alive. Dead or alive."
Take our profile and see what generational you really eblong to.
http://www.generationalprofiles.com/myprofile/
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