Flannel and boots not of the lumberjack persuasion.

Now, we all know the 90's flew by in a whirl of flannel, grunge, and TV sitcoms.  But there are several identifying patterns in most 90's-produced television shows.

1. Boys using ladders to visit female friends.
Zack did it, Sam did it, you wish you could have too. I'm talking about 90's TV directors' penchant for having male characters arrive in female friends' rooms via ladder. Mostly bedecked in flannel (a staple of the average 90's teenager) they came to deliver poignant advice or words of comfort. Zack Morris only entered best friend Jessie Spano's room by her door once in the entire run of the series. He usually climbed in through the window, although whether or not he actually used a ladder is still a discrepancy. With Sam on the other hand, Clarissa's neighbor from Clarissa Explains It All, we always saw the very tip of the ladder enter the window-frame followed by the telltale few-bar musical interlude. Sam also entered Clarissa's room only once through the door, which prompted a discussion between the two about how weird it was and how it never happened.

2. Flannel. 
Now, I assume most boys of the 90's aspired to be something like Kirk Cameron's character in Growing Pains. Nowadays however, he's a religious zealot who preaches about the coming Apocalypse. Nobody actually wants to be like Kooky Kirk anymore, but a little more than a decade ago we all did. He lived in the garage, wore flannel button-ups, and listened to the ever-popular-but-now-isn't-actually-around-anymore grunge genre. Flannel wasn't just limited to boys though; both DJ Tanner and Blossom rocked out some edgy green lumberjack-wear. Flannel was a staple of wardrobes all across the nation, as was air-guitaring after school to Smashing Pumpkins. Ahhh, the good old days.

3. Construction Boots.
I had them, I know you did too. Those yellow slightly-soft-when-you-first-get-them boots with the brown and yellow woven laces. They go particularly well with skirts with spandex shorts under them for female characters, and match beautifully with Wranglers and a flannel shirt over a tee with a left-breast pocket, usually red.  Socks bunched over the top, matching the skirt, like a mountainous climb could happen at any moment. I mean, I realize the hills of San Francisco are steep...but construction boots? Seems a bit overkill.

4. Family sitcoms in general are a sad idea of the past. 
Who doesn't need a good lesson in family after a hard day at school? It's also a good way for creepy stalkers to watch their objects of desire grow up. That aside, one does truly miss watching Cory and Eric get into some type of shenanigans with Mr. Feeny's prize garden. Reruns are still good, but different once one is older than the characters. Sitcoms were successful because they had a character for every age group to identify with, and thus making it a show the entire family liked to watch. They also had ballin' laughtracks, and who doesn't like to be told when to laugh and feel connected with families all over the land?

5. Hairstyles.  
Uncle Jesse brought out the inner bad boy in everyone from the age of 8-45 with his studly leather jacket and rock 'n' roll mullet.  He also renewed interest in Elvis impersonators.  Shawn Hunter's shaggy brown locks made the girls' knees go weak.  Also characteristic of sitcoms were long sideburns, so girls could run their fingers through something before puberty brought boys beards and other forms of facial hair.  Really, the 90's hair was the same as 80's hair, just deflated.  Friends especially- Jennifer Aniston's hair ("The Rachel") was one of the most epic of the era.



Well, I personally enjoyed that blast from the past.  It also gave me an excuse to talk about everything I think about on a normal basis, and provide some sort of filing system for my mind to refer back to. Anyway, hope everyone has a good day and is continuing to save up for adult space camp.

Peace and Gypsy-Wishes,
Ginge