MSP131 [] The 90s: Smells Like Digital Spirit

MSP says a fond farewell to Jeff Sandhu by celebrating the decade that shaped him. Mobile phones, PCs, the Web 1.0 and a sea of plaid, acid washed jeans and boho-chic.

Hosts: Matt Armitage & Jeff Sandhu

Produced: Jeff Sandhu for BFM89.9

Episode Sources:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/bbcthree/article/91603cc1-f159-4c89-9462-443a078945ca

https://www.history.com/news/1990s-the-good-decade

EPISODE EXCERPT

A couple of weeks ago we were talking about the 80s and MSP’s Matt Armitage came to the conclusion that the 80s has overstayed its cultural welcome and should go away and leave us all alone. What will fill the gap? Does that mean we’re all set for a 90s revival?

[you want to ad lib something about it being your last episode?]

Do we need another revival?

• I don’t think we do.
• One of the conclusions we reached on that previous show was pretty much to that effect.
• Hopefully by throwing all the Gen X and Gen Y contaminated stuff out of the window, it will leave the Gen A and Bs space to create something that doesn’t reference Star Wars as its starting point.
• So, no, I don’t think we’ll see a full-on 90s revival.
• We’ve seen a mini-spike over the last couple of years in terms of TV revivals.
• Friends has been one of the most streamed shows of the past couple of years.
• We’ve seen shows like the short-lived Roseanne reboot, Will & Grace, Sabrina the Teenage Witch, 90210. New Jumanji movies.
• Plenty of music.
• The 90s is alive and well.

So, what’s it doing here, today?

• Well, as I think we mentioned on that 80s show…
• The 90s for me was a kind of proto-digital decade.
• It laid the framework for the digital world we’re enjoying twenty years later.
• Yet, when we look back at the 90s the two things people kind of pick out are Grunge - Nirvana - obviously and Friends.
• So, as it’s your last appearance on the show, I thought we’d do your defining decade, the 90s.
• For those of you who are wondering, Jeff is relocating to one of Kulturpop’s retirement communities where he can keep fit with some light, hands-on cobalt mining classes during the day and use the clear mountain air to clear his Black Lung at night.
• So, the 90s is a bit of a going away present to him.
• Jeff, what did the 90s mean to you?

[we can probably ad lib back and forth on this for a couple of minutes]

I’ll ask you favourite music, TV, gadgets, clothes etc.

[Back to Matt]

• I think one of the weird things is that we don’t have a firm grasp of what the 90s was, beyond those stereotypes we discussed.
• When you picture the 60s you have the kind of groovy, James Bond, mini skirts, Beatles and paisley image.
• With a backdrop of civil rights, protests and hippies.
• The 70s is long hair and flares. Economic decline and strikes.
• The 80s was that material greed decade. Fall of the Berlin Wall. Triumph of capitalism and bright, shiny pop culture.
• all of those are unrealistic encapsulations, of course.