Every generation has had something new that caused widespread worry among parents, teachers, and authority figures. Whether it was music, fashion, or games, certain trends were blamed for corrupting youth or threatening society.
These mall staples turned every weekend trip into a mini adventure during the ’90s.
The 1990s were a wild time for advertising, where shock value often won over sensitivity or common sense. Many commercials aired without a second thought that would cause outrage or instant backlash if shown today.
Vintage advertising can be fascinating to look back on, but some of it feels downright disturbing by today’s standards. Whether it is the messaging, imagery, or cultural tone, a few old ads raise more eyebrows now than they ever did back then.
Teen magazines of the past offered more than quizzes and celebrity gossip — they came packed with ads that targeted teens in over-the-top ways. Looking back now, some of those ads are more uncomfortable than cool.
Long before streaming and autoplay, TV idents filled the gaps between shows with their own strange kind of magic. These brief clips were sometimes more memorable than the shows they introduced.