Life
13 Little Annoyances Of The '90s
These days, admittedly, I flip out when we lose Internet for more than 45 seconds. Shameful, I know — but probably not as shameful as the little annoyances of the '90s, when I was a kid and had little to no responsibility. And weren't we just so dramatic, throwing a tantrum when our parents cut us off from the Buffy marathon on TV because they decided at eight hours that enough was enough? I like to compare today's complicated life to that of the '90s, when the biggest question plaguing my mind was whether or not I could wear socks with my Doc Marten sandals. Tough gig.
I do have to say that today's annoyances seem so much more inconvenient. We live online. Work online. Have relationships online. Shop online. We store some of our most personal and sensitive information in the space of the Internet. So when there is even the most minor of glitches, we panic. But it didn't used to be this way.
Think back a couple decades ago (feel old yet? I do!) when life was simpler, phones had cords, and the Spice Girls were of utmost importance. (They still are.) Remember when these tiny things drove you just a little bit crazy?
1. When You Lost A Piece From Your Pop-A-Point Pencil
Was this some evil ploy to get us to buy more — a pencil rendered totally useless the instant you misplaced one of the minuscule pieces?
2. When Your Sky Dancer Doll Wouldn't Fly
Sometimes it would just tip over and destroy your childhood completely.
3. When Assigned Seating Didn't Put You Next To Your Crush
There was always that annoying teacher who would seat you alphabetically. Your last named started with a B. Your crush's started with a T. Life: ruined.
4. When You Lost One Of Your Stick-On Earrings
Then you'd have to go and peel off a whole new pair. I mean, what the heck?
5. Animal Crackers That Weren't Barnum's Animals
What was the point of eating animal crackers if you couldn't carry them around in a little circus train shaped-purse?
6. When Your Sibling Left An Empty Box Of Zebra Cakes In The Cabinet
If there was anything that made you want to give your sibling a swirly...
7. When The Spice Girls Dolls Looked Nothing Like the Real Spice Girls
I can't be the only one who thought those dolls were scary. And not in the spicy kind of way.
8. When Your White Keds Got Dirty
Which was basically all the time.
9. When You Lost The Little Balls From Your Crossfire Game
I still don't understand the point of this game, but those balls were so darn tiny.
10. When Your Mom Picked You Up Early From A Sleepover
Sometimes she'd wait outside and honk the horn. If she felt like embarrassing you, she'd ring the doorbell and actually come inside. Monster.
11. When Your Discman Would Skip
It happened so much that you actually re-memorized your favorite songs with half of the lyrics chopped out.
12. When The Telephone Cord Lost Its Curl
Sometimes, it would get all weird and crimpy. And while we're on the subject...
13. When The Telephone Cord Wouldn't Reach To Your Favorite Sitting Spot
And you had to sit on the counter when you really wanted to sit at the table, and life was just so hard.
For Bustle conversations on everything from '90s nostalgia to being a woman online, check out our podcast, The Chat Room. You can find more on our Soundcloud page.
