Life
20 Creepy Things You Were Totally Obsessed With In The ‘90s
Given that I was so obsessed with creepy things in the ‘90s, it’s perhaps unsurprising that I am equally obsessed by creepy things now. Morbidity in childhood lends itself to morbidity in adulthood, I guess. But at the same time, the ‘90s really were an era full of deliciously creepy things — the ones that gave you just enough of a thrill to satisfy your psychological need for danger, while still keeping you (mostly) safe. So maybe the kind of creepy that ‘90s kids dig is a special kind of creepy: Less visceral and more psychological.
Our obsession with these weirdo, freaky things always emerged in its strongest form during two incredibly particular times: At sleepovers, and around Halloween. What do these two things have in common? Easy: The festivities associated with them happen at night — that is, in the dark. And we always fear what we can’t see: The things lurking just out of sight, hidden by the shadows. Scientifically speaking, it’s an evolutionary advantage; it protects us from falling prey to the things we can’t see coming by raising our hackles and putting us on hyper alert. However, that doesn’t mean that we can’t still put it to good use as a way to get our blood pumping for a little fun, too.
That’s what these creepy ‘90s things did — and why we were so obsessed with them. So hey, why not make a night of it? There’s always room for some spookiness, especially with a dash of nostalgia. Come on and take a stroll down a dark and foggy memory lane with me.
Scary Stories To Tell In The Dark
Mostly because of the book covers and illustrations. They were so horrifying… and yet we couldn’t look away.
Playing “Light As A Feather, Stiff As A Board”
Particularly during sleepovers, ideally right after having watched The Craft.
Your Ouija Board
…Or maybe that was just me.
Pee-wee’s Playhouse
I can’t be the only person who found Pee-wee’s Playhouse utterly terrifying, right?
Anjelica Huston’s True Form In 'The Witches'
This one ranks highly on my list of Things That Traumatized Me In The ‘90s.
Don’t Wake Daddy
Big Daddy is watching.
Any And All Robotic Toys
They didn’t necessarily have to fall into the uncanny valley, either, although plenty of them certainly did (hi there, terrifying talking dolls of my childhood); pretty much any toy that was capable of talking or moving on its own qualifies here. But seriously: Why were we so obsessed with these things? Did we not know that we were simply playing into the hands of the imminent robotic uprising?
Goosebumps
The books. The television show. The computer games. The whole nine yards.
Are You Afraid Of The Dark?
An obsession that also involved books, a television show, and computer games. Funny how that works, right?
Bananas In Pajamas
Giant, anthropomorphic fruit wearing striped PJs? Totally creepy. But also weirdly fascinating.
Every Game On Newgrounds
While it’s true that Newgrounds these days is less about the games, once upon a time, that’s all it was known for: Off-color, browser-based ways to waste some time. We perhaps should have consumed our media a little more thoughtfully; in retrospect, a lot of it was really, really unsettling.
This Chumbawamba Album Cover
What even is that.
Ren and Stimpy
I still marvel that this show was originally featured on a children’s network.
The Mystery Of Who Killed Laura Palmer
Admittedly I didn’t come to this one until a little later in life — I was only 5 years old when the first episode of Twin Peaks aired, which meant I was… shall we say, not exactly in the show's target demographic at the time — but by the time I was in high school, I was obsessed. And I know I’m not the only one. Its cult status and imminent return are proof.
Everything On Snopes
These days, Snopes is great for debunking a wide variety of things, many of which aren’t actually creepy — think internet hoaxes, email scams, “news” stories that aren’t actually news at all, and more. But although its section on urban legends is still pretty robust, back in the day, it was clear that debunking these age-old stories is where the site really shone. I mean, come on — who didn’t spend a stupid amount of time reading Snopes’ entire urban legend archive in the ‘90s?
Silent Hill
Heck, I’m still obsessed with Silent Hill. I mean, I realize that the gameplay of the early entries in the series is kind of clunky, and the voice acting is horrific compared to modern games… but I mean, just tell me that you don’t get a shiver leading Harry Mason into the Otherworld for the first time during a fresh, new save. (Also, raise your hand if you're still sad about P.T. Sigh.)
‘90s Slasher Movies
The ‘90s really were a new age for the slasher flick: Between the first self-aware horror movie characters of Scream and the endlessly entertaining gimmicks of franchises like Urban Legend and I Know What You Did Last Summer, we had plenty to keep us awake at night.
Chain Letters
Did we really think the Smith Sisters were going to steal our souls if we didn't pass along their dang letter? Not exactly... but that didn't stop us from making sure we sent it to everyone we knew anyway.
MTV's 'Fear'
MTV's relatively short-lived Fear remains my favorite reality television show of all time. Yes, the background stories of the locations each episode was shot in were often totally fabricated — but if anything, it's a testament of the power of suggestion, and that's pretty wild.
Living Dolls
I think we can blame the Child's Play series for this one.
