I was born smack dab in the middle of the ’90s and was too young to really enjoy or remember the era. For the most part I don’t identify with the “You know you’re a ’90s kid when” posts that circulate my millennial Facebook and I don’t remember the iconic rise and fall of grunge.
Admittedly, the only part of ’90s culture I took part in during the decade was being 5-years-old and jamming to the decline of the Backstreet Boys as they entered the 2000s.
Shout out to Nick Carter, who was my first crush.
It’s true there’s not much tying me to the ’90s other than my birth certificate. Nothing much, that is, but Nick at Nite, which runs episodes of classic ’90s sitcoms. Few can look away from the hypnotizing parade of “The Nanny,” “Full House,” “Family Matters,” and, of course, “The Fresh Prince of Bel Air.” I’ve spent an embarrassing number of nights tuned into early mornings with the television on its lowest volume, listening to muffled laugh tracks and eying outrageous fashion trends.
I remember the ’90s mostly through that filtered lens of sitcom reruns, and it’s easy to be nostalgic for what seems like a simpler time. The jokes were always funny, the morals always clear, and a strong sense of family was always present.
But more than just nostalgia, the true power of these shows is not the jokes which, while funny, sometimes feel foreign to millennials, who don’t know the historical influences of the decade. Instead, it’s the heartfelt moments that stand most powerfully against the test of time. Inside most ’90s shows there seems to be a thread running through the episodes linking lighter moments with more serious issues, encouraging racial equality, feminism, and acceptance.
The most iconic scene from ”The Fresh Prince,” outside of the beloved opening song, is the heartbreaking conversation between Will and Uncle Phil about Will’s deadbeat father. It’s not easy to turn off that scene because suddenly the pleasant hum of a canned laugh track fades and the moment turns real. These moments speak of fear, loneliness, rejection, and the uncertain future.
These are the moments so many of us unexpectedly found late at night as we flipped channels to alleviate our boredom and comfort us. It’s not that current shows like “Parks and Recreation” and “Modern Family” haven’t continued to champion the themes of family, friendship, and acceptance while commenting on social issues; It’s that these ‘90s shows were the ones I came across when I was looking for late night company, rather the just a laugh. Making ‘90s sitcoms something a little more serious than just their laugh track.
Reach writer Emma Bueren at arts@dailyuw.com. Twitter: @EmBueren
See what other writers think of '90s nostalgia
Haylee Millikan — http://www.dailyuw.com/arts_and_leisure/article_c7e6b7dc-6b1f-11e5-8186-a79d33eb0381.html
Rebecca Gross —http://www.dailyuw.com/arts_and_leisure/article_ca6a248a-6b1f-11e5-a8e9-c74b281e1a52.html
Thomas Crowe — http://www.dailyuw.com/arts_and_leisure/article_cb4532fa-6b1f-11e5-a3cd-3fb93f8f9cc9.html
Yasmeen Busse — http://www.dailyuw.com/arts_and_leisure/article_c9995698-6b1f-11e5-a4ce-d7d23e111199.html
