I Love the '90s

Students reminisce early '90s favorites

With addictive trashy television creeping its way through the cable channels, VH1 hits a note of nostalgia with its "I Love the '80s" and "I Love the '80s Strikes Back" series. The show finds and interviews once pseudo-famous actors, comedians and personalities about their memorable films, television shows, toys, music and — of course — fashion mishaps.

The problem with the "I Love the '80s" series is that no one who currently is a traditional undergraduate student remembers where they were when JR was shot on '80s hit soap "Dallas," but they do remember where they were when the last episode of "Beverly Hills 90210" aired. So, here is JMU's account of the decade or so of "Full House"-watching that shaped us into the student body at JMU today — one that survived the Hypercolor T-shirts and slap bracelets of the '90s.

The quirky television characters of the time gave students — then grade-school age — role models. "'Saved by the Bell' was the highlight of my entire week because I got to see Mark-Paul Gosselaar, whom I had a big crush on," senior Alysha Akbar said. "[The show] also made high school look like so much fun."

"Saved by the Bell" apparently doesn't get old. Even after 15 years of new episodes and later syndication, TBS Superstation still airs back-to-back episodes of the wholesome sitcom at 7 a.m. and noon daily.

Dating back a couple of years earlier — before days with the Bayside High crew — were four reptiles-turned-superheroes — the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.

"I watched the show whenever it was on, saw the movies, had all of [the action figures]," said sophomore Pete Anoia, who confessed to dressing as Leonardo one Halloween. "They had the 'ydude' talk and that was big for the '90s. They were the kids' actions hero."

Fashions dictate every decade, and the '90s were no exception. "I loved the '90s and really I feel like it can be summed up in two words — Hammer pants," junior Jon Altizer said. "But being from backwoods Virginia, I didn't own a pair."

Senior Tim Legendre said his favorite childhood memory was "definitely the pump sneaker by Reebok. I felt like a big shot pumping my shoes up before basketball games."

Along with fashion, music is a telltale sign of the times. While the children of the new millennium have *NSYNC and the Backstreet Boys, the true children of the '80s had pop music producer Lou Pearlman's first prodigy — New Kids on the Block. "The New Kids on the Block is definitely a fave," sophomore Lauren Rosenhaft said. "I had crushes on like, all of them."

Altizer said he recently witnessed seniors Larissa Harkonen and Sara Ross watch all the New Kids on the Block videos and said they "still remembered every word to every song. I think that really shows [New Kids on the Block's music] is going to be around a very, very long time, unfortunately … even if they're not active as a group," he said.

While members Jordan Knight and Joey MacEntire have had flourishing solo careers as musicians, they always will be tied to their Boston-fivesome roots in New Kids on the Block.

"The music of the '90s was great because, no matter how horrible it was, it was from artists who loved what they did," Altizer said. "The musicians weren't just trying to sell an image like they do now."

Senior Bill Williams said, "I'd have to say the best thing about the '90s was the music. It is a decade forgotten in the shadow of Bon Jovi and '80s metal. It's the music of our childhoods —Ace of Base, MC Hammer, the Real McCoy and Green Day — that really make us who we are. And, of course, we can't forget about slap bracelets."