Today’s Rant No. 35: 1990s Edition

Summary

The author reflects on the 1990s, recalling personal milestones, cultural phenomena, and influential events, while drawing connections to their current life and career.

Abstract

In "Today’s Rant No. 35: 1990s Edition," the author takes a nostalgic journey through the 1990s, a decade that shaped much of their childhood and early adulthood. They reminisce about the era's fads, such as POGs and CDs, and share fond memories of television shows like "Seinfeld" and "Murder One," which almost inspired a career change. The author also touches on the impact of celebrity deaths, including Brandon Lee and Chris Farley, and expresses admiration for sports figures like Michael Jordan. The '90s are credited with influencing the author's current writing style, as seen in their "Today’s Rant" series on Medium. The article is a blend of personal anecdotes and cultural commentary, highlighting the author's lasting connection to the decade.

Opinions

The author considers themselves still young despite nearing 40, with a clear recollection of '90s trends.
They express a sense of loss over the fleeting popularity of POGs and the shift from CDs to digital media, reminiscing about now-defunct stores like Tower Records and Borders.
The author holds a strong appreciation for '90s television, particularly the show "Murder One," which almost led them to pursue a career in law instead of writing.
They reflect on the value of life, deeply affected by the deaths of notable figures in the '90s, such as Brandon Lee, Tupac Shakur, Princess Diana, and Chris Farley.
Michael Jordan is praised as the greatest basketball player of all time (GOAT), with the author owning a Bulls jersey despite being a Warriors fan.
"Space Jam" is declared the author's favorite '90s film, with "Heat" recognized as the most underrated film of the decade.
The author has a particular fondness for '90s boy bands, especially LFO, whose song "Summer Girls" inspired their writing style for the "Today’s Rant" series.
There's a hint of humor and self-deprecation as the author contemplates retirement at 40, joking about using their dusty POG collection.

Today’s Rant No. 35: 1990s Edition

Photo by NFT CAR GIRL on Unsplash

Although I was born in the 1980s, the majority of my childhood happened in the 1990s. Attended my first concert. Graduated from junior high school. Purchased my first DVD. All in the ‘90s. Although my 40th birthday is quickly approaching, I still consider myself to be young. Okay, maybe not that young. But, still young enough to recall a lot of cool things that had happened in the ‘90s.

For example, I remember when POGs had been popular. Commercially branded after a juice that contained passion fruit, orange, and guava (hence, the letters P-O-G), they were actually circular cardboard milk caps. The caps were intended to be used in a game in which players stacked them and then took turns dropping a thicker cap called a “slammer” on the stack. This process was supposed to be repeated and the player at the end with the most caps that had landed face up won. But the popularity of Pogs sadly lasted only slightly longer than Dennis Rodman’s marriage to Carmen Electra.

I also remember when CDs had been popular. I felt like the world’s luckiest kid one Christmas when I received a radio with a built-in CD player as a gift. I even made my mom drive me to Tower Records so I could stock up on my favorite CDs (fairly certain every Gen Z-er reading this article is Googling “Tower Records” at this moment). I could be cruel and also talk about purchasing books at Borders, but then Google might really implode (“hey, Google, what is Borders?”)

“Seinfeld,” “Ally McBeal,” and “Party of Five” were some of my favorite television shows in the ‘90s. But it was a short-lived legal drama named “Murder One” that nearly changed my life. Most folks might not remember this show, but it was about a brilliant defense attorney (played by Daniel Benzali) and his legal team who were tasked with representing a bad-boy actor (Jason Gedrick) accused of murder. I had grown up wanting to become a newspaper reporter, but this program almost convinced me to become a lawyer. Although I would have been a better attorney than wanna-be Kim Kardashian, I am happy with how my professional writing career has turned out and have no qualms about non-existent law career.

The deaths of actor Brandon Lee, rapper Tupac Shakur, and Princess Diana in the ‘90s taught me the value of life. While Lee’s passing was particularly difficult as he was my favorite actor at the time, I also found the loss of comedian Chris Farley to be quite devastating. He was not only a rare talent but had also starred on my favorite comedic show at the time, “Saturday Night Live.” He had a larger-than-life personality and a spirit that seemed unvanquishable — but then he was gone at the young age of 33. He could have easily become one of the greatest comedians of all time had he lived even 10 years longer.

Despite being a life-long fan of the Golden State Warriors, I had owned a Michael Jordan Chicago Bulls jersey like every kid in the ‘90s. I admired him because he had overcome so many obstacles to become a winner, earning six NBA titles along the way. The murder of his father. A short-lived stint as a professional baseball player. Even a gambling problem, all of which threatened to derail his illustrious basketball career. Although Stephen Curry has since surpassed Jordan as my favorite basketball player, Jordan is undoubtedly the league’s GOAT (greatest of all time). Stick it, LeBron!

Speaking of Jordan, “Space Jam” is my favorite ‘90s film. Of course, we all enjoyed that other movie where Kate Winslet turns Leonardo DiCaprio into a popsicle and Celine Dion sings about her heart going somewhere. Yet, “Heat” has to be the most underrated film of the decade. It not only boasts an all-star cast (Val Kilmer, Ashley Judd, Jon Voight, Natalie Portman, and more), but also features legendary actors Robert De Niro and Al Pacino going head-to-head in a gun battle at the end. How could anyone not enjoy that?

Boy bands were popular in the ‘90s. Backstreet Boys. ‘N Sync. Even O-Town (I had watched every episode of their reality television show, “Making the Band”). But LFO might be my favorite one. In fact, the group’s 1999 hit song “Summer Girls” had partially inspired my “Today’s Rant” humor series on Medium. “Summer Girls” is essentially a catchy tune that discusses random topics — from Larry Bird to Macauley Culkin to “The Wizard of Oz” — in a playful, almost ad-libbed sort of way. I try to write my “Rants” with a similar mindset where I allow my mind to run wild and let my fingers work their magic my computer keyboard.

Anyway, I had better get back to writing more “Rants” so I can retire soon. “Retire?” Of course. Yours truly is nearing 40 and I hope to ride off into the sunset once my birthday arrives. After all, my POGs are collecting dust in the garage and retirement would give me plenty of time to put them to good use.