I asked AI to talk about why the 90’s were awesome, and it kind of nailed it
I just read a brilliant essay about the 90’s by Freddie de Boer, and it got me thinking. What made the 90’s so great?
Here’s GPT’s answer:
Give a 90’s lover’s view of what made the 90’s awesome. Include everything from parenting, art, entertainment, games, childhood, movies, TV, news, culture, and other stuff. Make a bulleted list with 30 words max per bullets, organized by category, with 5 items per category. Write each bullet as a statement of how awesome it was.
Parenting:
- Encouragement of creativity and self-expression
- Focus on quality family time
- Emphasis on good manners and respect
- Encouragement of independence and problem-solving skills
- Promotion of outdoor play and exploration
Art:
- The rise of alternative and grunge music
- The popularity of abstract and minimalist art
- The emergence of hip hop and rap as mainstream genres
- The explosion of street art and graffiti
- The influence of technology on art and design
Entertainment:
- The popularity of sitcoms like Friends and Seinfeld
- The rise of reality TV shows like The Real World
- The emergence of boy bands and girl groups
- The popularity of video game consoles like the PlayStation and Nintendo 64
- The success of blockbuster movies like Titanic and Jurassic Park
Childhood:
- The popularity of toys like Beanie Babies and Tamagotchi
- The rise of children’s TV shows like Rugrats and Power Rangers
- The popularity of book series like Goosebumps and The Baby-Sitters Club
- The emergence of educational computer games like Oregon Trail and Math Blaster
- The popularity of outdoor activities like rollerblading and skateboarding
Culture:
- The rise of environmentalism and eco-consciousness
- The popularity of grunge and alternative fashion
- The emergence of the internet and the beginning of the digital age
- The influence of hip hop culture on fashion and language
- The popularity of coffee culture and the rise of Starbucks
News:
- The fall of the Berlin Wall and the end of the Cold War
- The rise of the internet and the beginning of the information age
- The impeachment of President Bill Clinton
- The launch of the Hubble Space Telescope
- The first Gulf War and the rise of 24-hour news networks
Games:
- The popularity of trading card games like Magic: The Gathering and Pokemon
- The emergence of first-person shooter games like Doom and GoldenEye 007
- The popularity of fighting games like Street Fighter and Mortal Kombat
- The rise of multiplayer online games like Ultima Online and EverQuest
- The success of puzzle games like Myst and Tetris
Movies:
- The success of animated films like The Lion King and Toy Story
- The popularity of action movies like The Matrix and Terminator 2
- The emergence of independent films like Pulp Fiction and The Big Lebowski
- The success of romantic comedies like Pretty Woman and Sleepless in Seattle
- The popularity of teen movies like Clueless and American Pie
TV:
- The popularity of dramas like The X-Files and ER
- The success of animated shows like The Simpsons and South Park
- The emergence of cable networks like HBO and their original programming
- The popularity of talk shows like The Oprah Winfrey Show and The Jerry Springer Show
- The success of sci-fi shows like Star Trek: The Next Generation and Babylon 5
Other Stuff:
- The popularity of fitness trends like Tae Bo and step aerobics
- The emergence of extreme sports like snowboarding and BMX
- The rise of home shopping networks like QVC and the Home Shopping Network
- The popularity of infomercials and their products like the George Foreman Grill and the ThighMaster
- The success of self-help books like The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People and Men Are from Mars, Women Are from Venus
Now tell me GPT doesn’t “understand” the 90’s.