inthe00s
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Subject: Describe the “vibe” of each decade

Written By: goodbants on 09/22/19 at 9:46 pm

I’m young (20) so I’ve only lived through 2 decades, the first of which I don’t remember fully. I’m just really interested in how each decade has its own specific pop culture and vibe. Could you older people describe each decade that you remember and how it felt like to live through it? It would be much appreciated, thanks.

Subject: Re: Describe the “vibe” of each decade

Written By: Mat1991 on 09/26/19 at 12:18 am

I've lived through three decades ('90s, '00s, and '10s), but since I was a little kid in the '90s, I can't comment on the vibe of the decade.

The general vibe of the '00s was one of paranoia but also patriotism because of the September 11th attacks. In 2001, radio stations began playing Christmas music early to cheer people up after the attacks, and I remember bumper stickers that read things like, "You can bend us, but you can't break us." There was also a general sense of fatigue against the government, against then-President Bush (I specifically remember novelty calendars being sold in stores counting down the days until the end of Bush's presidency), and also against the so-called War Against Terrorism. By the end of Bush's presidency, his approval rating was around 20%.

Obama's election in 2008 sparked hope and optimism among the public, but also a right-wing backlash that spawned the Tea Party in 2009. Following Obama's election, there was a lot of talk about universal healthcare that Obamacare was supposed to accomplish, and whether or not that was socialism.  ::)

The vibe of the '10s was political and social turmoil. People just seemed angry. Many felt like they were reliving the 1960s.

Subject: Re: Describe the “vibe” of each decade

Written By: rapplepop on 09/26/19 at 5:02 am

the 50s - conservative in many ways, but progressive when it came to science. "Normcore" type clothing, in a lot of ways the fashion then was similar to today's fashion but without the alternative stuff.
the 60s - largely a continuation of the 50s for the first few years in many ways, but 1964-69 was all about breaking new ground, and was colorful.
the 70s - One word: funky. Also kind of depressing, lots of "foresty" type colors and woodgrain.
the 80s - Lots of bright colors and sharp edges. The decade was definitely colored by the violence of the time as well, it was darker than people give it credit for with things like the Satanic Panic. Lots of cocaine.
the 90s - Black and red were common colors, like the 80s the decade has a darker vibe than it's given credit for, though there was a light side as well. Definitely an "end of history" vibe, bits of everything.
the 00s - Lots of white and beige.
the 10s - Lots of white and beige, but hipsters.

Subject: Re: Describe the “vibe” of each decade

Written By: Philip Eno on 09/26/19 at 5:17 am

It depends how a decade is defined, for a decade is a period of ten years which can start on any year, not just ending with a zero.

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