My best friend came up to visit/look after me while I was healing post surgery; we usually always end up reflecting back on our friendship and our youth; we get all sappy and nostalgic. Since I am laid up on the couch, with lots of time on my hands and I am procrastinating about school work I fell down the rabbit hole while Googling stuff from my childhood. And of course, it’s easy to get distracted by (and to be frank, a little insulted by) Instagram reels and TikToks that point out the fact that some of my beloved pop culture items and icons are turning 20 years old or older; insert scared face here!
At this stage in my life right now, many of things I loved are coming back into fashion. As they always say; “what is old is new again.”
Tamagotchi
For those of you unfamiliar with this addictive toy, they are, “a small alien species that deposit an egg on Earth to see what life was like, and it is up to the player to raise the egg into an adult creature. The creature goes through several stages of growth, and will develop differently depending on the care the player provides, with better care it results in an adult creature that is smarter, happier, and requires less attention.” This was a status symbol among my peers in grade 6; I wanted one so badly, I begged my parents relentlessly. I played with it long after it was no longer “cool.” These devices ended up being banned at my elementary school because they were so distracting –much like phones are today! Having lived through the hype of this, I don’t think any phone app could ever replace this classic egg shaped, key ring pet simulator.
Skip It
Time Magazine actually includes the Skip It on their “100 Greatest Toys Ever” list and it persisted until 2009; however, I had outgrown it well before that time. My Skip It was pink and had the counter; which was pretty advanced because in its original form it looked more like a Wiffle ball attached to rope with an ankle ring. I got mine from my older cousins as a hand-me -down; most of their hand-me-downs were as the kids back in the 90’s would say, “lame,” but this…this Skip It was GLORIOUS in my eyes! I spent hours playing with this thing; it was better than traditional jump-rope. I can still hear the sound of it spinning on the concrete pad in the backyard.
Blockbuster Video Trips
I LOVED going to Blockbuster video to rent movies; first VHS and then DVD. As awesome as Netflix and Amazon Prime are, there was just something about heading off with my friends to pick out a movie or two for a sleepover. You ended up discovering some really great movies (some by total fluke and other by HUMAN recommendations). Blockbuster had snacks as well! I enjoyed slapping down my very own Blockbuster card on the counter each and every time (I don’t know why this was so satisfying, but it was). Renting movies was a cheap alternative to going to a movie theater (you could rent sometimes several movies for less than 5$).
Playdium
My cousins and I spent a lot of time at this massive entertainment center at the mall. It was and is owned by Cineplex. Some locations are still open but our local haunt was closed down. Basically, this was an enormous arcade; it kind of reminds me of a casino but for youth and teens. You used a “credit card” which was pre-loaded with a set amount or time allotment. You could also pig out on food and even have your birthday party there! I spent hours playing air hockey (and having my butt kicked by my cousins), racing cars, playing pinball, shooting ducks and of course honing my horrendous Dance Dance Revolution skills. It was an epic time!
Corduroy
Affectionately referred to as “Cords.” This almost velvety fabric makes me happy; I love the way it feels and I still fondly remember the sound it would make as I walked down the hallway to class. It makes my heart happy to see this coming back in the form of dresses, jackets, accessories like hats and even shoes. As HerWorld says, “corduroy is the new denim.”
Butterfly Clips
These were such a big part of my hair styling repertoire (rows, never scattered) that I can’t help but miss it. You saw these clips on all the big name celebrities from Sarah Michelle Gellar to JLO to Jennifer Aniston; who of course we all know was a major hair influencer –everyone had to have the iconic layered “Rachel” hair cut. The clips came in every colour and some were sparkly and some were not. These sometimes tacky clips bring me back to Friday nights with my junior high school friends getting ready for dances.
Now Music CDs
Officially called: Now That’s What I Call Music! is a series of various artists compilation albums released worldwide; for us in Canada the height was 1996-2009; but the first version dates back to 1988. The number of albums vary country to country and edition to edition; for example in Canada the “Current Series” is at 28, there is also a 2 album “Then” series, the “Country Series” features 11 albums. There are 16 albums included in the “Special Editions” series covering a variety of genres and the “Dance Series” has 5 albums. We blasted these tunes ALL the time and sang along heartily! I always got a NOW! CD in my stocking at Christmas.
Rainforest Cafe
This jungle themed restaurant which served delicious food from seafood, beef, and chicken to pastas and pizzas. It opened in 1998 and sadly closed in 2001. There still are some locations open today. I used to love going to have lunch with my friends here; it made us feel grown up. The restaurant is created to look like a tropical rainforest complete with flora and fauna, there was mist and water features, like waterfalls and “pools,” also part of the ambience was the soundscape. You really felt like you were immersed in a rainforest. What would a tropical rainforest themed restaurant be without animals… The animatronics were incredible; there were elephants, gorillas, tigers, leopards, crocodiles, frogs, iguanas, butterflies, and tropical birds, fish! My least favourite of course, were the snakes.
Cartoons
Oh the hours I spent watching: Rugrats, Animaniacs, DuckTales, Doug, Chip & Dale Rescue Rangers, Tiny Toons Adventures, Dexter’s Laboratory, Pinky & the Brain, TailSpin, Magic School Bus, Darkwing Duck, Sailor Moon, Goof Troop and Captain Planet… I can still relive these online via YouTube or other streaming services like Amazon Prime, Netflix, Hulu and Disney+ BUT there was something about sitting cross-legged in front of the TV on Saturday mornings!
“Primitive” Forms of Communication
I truly treasure my childhood because I was free from the chains of a phone. If you wanted to communicate with your friends you called them on the landline, sought them out at recess or lunch time, you passed notes in class. Now, I see so many kids addicted to their phones; their lives literally revolve around them and heaven forbid the battle you have to fight when you make them put it away or confiscate it during class. Many are not communicating with anyone; they are mindlessly playing games or scrolling on social media. Worse yet, they are sitting right next to someone and texting them. In a time of such technological connection we are so disconnected and isolated from each other –it is truly scary.
What popular culture items & icons do you miss the most?
What ones do you wish made a comeback?