Today for #tbt, we're throwing it waaayyyy back to the good old days of 1997, when Prince Michael Junior, Netflix, Dolly the cloned sheep, and I were born. I did a bunch of research on the old one-double-nine-seven using reliable sources like Wikipedia and inthe90s.com, and that made me realize that other than being born during it, I really have no claim on the year 1997. I really had no idea what was going on at the time whatsoever. So, using all the interesting stuff I found out, I tried to recreate it so I could live it all again.
What was fresh:
First: ambience. Spice Girls and Boyz II Men, both of whom enjoyed time on the top charts while I was enjoying my first year of life. Go ahead and give them a listen to get the full 1997 experience if you're feeling nostalgic.
Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think an accurate picture of 1997 would include also some dudes with frosted tips and sagging pants, chilling in their crib and trying to form a boy band. Right? Ish?
About six months later, when said boy band had formed, the would tell each other that they were "King of the world," per Leonardo DiCaprio in The Titanic, which they had paid $4.98 to see when it came out in theaters that year.
Girls might still be wearing overalls, and their moms would be running to the hairdresser for "The Rachel" - Friends was super popular, as were ER and Seinfeld. Their kids would be clamoring for a Tamagotchi or a Beanie Baby or Pokemon (which were, by the way, the bomb) gear instead of a cellphone . . . probably because they still looked kind of like this:
.jpg)
In fact, people who were my age in 1997 probably still talked on the phone a lot. They'd pick up after a ring or two with a smooth, "Wasssuuuuuuup?" and dip when it was time to go to bed.
Died: Mother Teresa; Princess Di; Members of the Heaven's Gate Cult
Mother Teresa suffered a heart attack in Calcutta; Princess Di died tragically in a car accident in Paris; Heaven's Gate Cult members tried to catch the Hale-Bopp comet and, presumably, didn't.
In the doghouse: Mike Tyson; OJ Simpson; Carlos the Jackal
Mike Tyson was suspended for biting, O.J. was found guilty, Carlos, once a most-wanted terrorist, was convicted in France.
Winning at life and otherwise: Detroit Red Wings; Switzerland; Microsoft; anyone with a car; The Simpsons
The Detroit Red Wings defeated the Philadelphia Flyers for the Stanley Cup, Switzerland made the first plan for payments to Holocaust survivors; Microsoft became the world's most valuable company; gas cost $1.22/gallon, Homer and friends become the longest-lived animated characters on prime time.
Fast forward a few years - we're still blogging every day in July with Juliette, Allie, and Faith!
What was fresh:
First: ambience. Spice Girls and Boyz II Men, both of whom enjoyed time on the top charts while I was enjoying my first year of life. Go ahead and give them a listen to get the full 1997 experience if you're feeling nostalgic.
Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think an accurate picture of 1997 would include also some dudes with frosted tips and sagging pants, chilling in their crib and trying to form a boy band. Right? Ish?
 |
| Oh, Justin Timberlake. The years were good to you. |
About six months later, when said boy band had formed, the would tell each other that they were "King of the world," per Leonardo DiCaprio in The Titanic, which they had paid $4.98 to see when it came out in theaters that year.
Girls might still be wearing overalls, and their moms would be running to the hairdresser for "The Rachel" - Friends was super popular, as were ER and Seinfeld. Their kids would be clamoring for a Tamagotchi or a Beanie Baby or Pokemon (which were, by the way, the bomb) gear instead of a cellphone . . . probably because they still looked kind of like this:
In fact, people who were my age in 1997 probably still talked on the phone a lot. They'd pick up after a ring or two with a smooth, "Wasssuuuuuuup?" and dip when it was time to go to bed.
Died: Mother Teresa; Princess Di; Members of the Heaven's Gate Cult
Mother Teresa suffered a heart attack in Calcutta; Princess Di died tragically in a car accident in Paris; Heaven's Gate Cult members tried to catch the Hale-Bopp comet and, presumably, didn't.
In the doghouse: Mike Tyson; OJ Simpson; Carlos the Jackal
Mike Tyson was suspended for biting, O.J. was found guilty, Carlos, once a most-wanted terrorist, was convicted in France.
Winning at life and otherwise: Detroit Red Wings; Switzerland; Microsoft; anyone with a car; The Simpsons
The Detroit Red Wings defeated the Philadelphia Flyers for the Stanley Cup, Switzerland made the first plan for payments to Holocaust survivors; Microsoft became the world's most valuable company; gas cost $1.22/gallon, Homer and friends become the longest-lived animated characters on prime time.
Fast forward a few years - we're still blogging every day in July with Juliette, Allie, and Faith!
Love,
Allie
This post made me feel VERY old. Because I was 7 when all of this happened. haha
ReplyDeleteHaha, that's not thaaaat old ;) The fact that you can remember this stuff happening probably made it more fun to read, right?
DeleteAwww Lady Di...I remember when she died. It was on every channel and I cried like a baby.
ReplyDeleteI was talking to my mom about it, and I know I would have been so upset, too. So many people loved her!
DeleteOh wow, I now feel officially old. I was in 9 years old in '97. Those were the good 'ol days. :)
ReplyDeleteI'm kinda jealous that you got to live it ... I never got to be obsessed with N'SYNC or Beanie Babies ... wanna trade?
Delete1997 I was 13 years old and officially obsessed with Spice Girls, Boys II Men and N'Sync . . . I saw Titanic in theaters 8 times and bawled like a baby each.and.every.time ... "come back. come back" ... I also remember watching the OJ chase, and the news of Diana's death... omgoodness... memorieeeees. :)
ReplyDeleteYou totally embraced the nineties - I love it! I'm pretty sure I would have been right with ya for number of times seeing the Titanic in theaters. I would get so into it!
DeleteYou totally embraced the nineties - I love it! I'm pretty sure I would have been right with ya for number of times seeing the Titanic in theaters. I would get so into it!
ReplyDelete