06-09-2020, 12:31 PM
(This post was last modified: 06-09-2020, 12:37 PM by Eric the Green.)
(06-09-2020, 04:23 AM)Blazkovitz Wrote: How do you view the decade? I have seen it characterised in both ways.
Cynical side:
-popularity of dark subcultures: goths, punks, metalhead
-high crime rates all over the Western world
-sinister movies like the Matrix
Optimistic side:
-the "smiley face" trend
-upbeat pop music like the Spice Girls
It seems the cynicism was more prevalent in the early to mid 90s, and the optimism in late 90s. It might represent a transition from Xer to Xennial culture.
I agree, both trends occurred. The quality of pop music continued its overall decline.
The return of Democrats to power, although only the somewhat-neo-liberal "new" Democrats, was an optimistic trend. The president does have an effect on the mood of the times. The early 1990s were optimistic because of the end of the Cold War. Pessimism returned later, as the possibilities of real change were squelched by scandal and right-wing resistance. But the dot com boom brought back some optimism toward the end of the decade.
The Matrix wasn't all that cynical; it was an epic hero's journey story.
NCLB = no child left behind. Not a big mood factor; just one of the many Bush failed policies after the year 2000. Overall, the 21st century remains a non-starter.