Why are we so obsessed with the 90s and 00s right now?-Asyia Iftikhar-Entertainment – Metro

Why does our cultural future look awfully like the past? (Picture: REX /BBC)

It may be 2024 but if the influx of reunions, reboots and trips down memory lane are anything to go by it feels like we’ve entered a time machine set firmly to the past.

But why can’t we get enough of the 90s and 00s right now, and why is the world gripped by this frenzy of nostalgia?

There is a seemingly never-ending cycle of cultural output focused solely on recreating the golden era at the turn of the millennium when music, film and TV could put no foot wrong. We call them the Good Old Days (even though they’re not really that old…)

And once you start noticing the slow creep of marketable sentimentality, it’s everywhere. Oasis reunion? You’ve got it! That niche CBBC show from the mid-2000s that has cultivated an oddly devoted fanbase? Let’s bring it back!

Forget new-age comedies, what about a second helping of 00s classic Freaky Friday? Who cares about up-and-coming talent when thousands can crowd at the foot of a 90s icon and relive their glory days?

Twister 2, Linkin Park 2.0, a Fraiser revival, a Gavin and Stacey Christmas special, Bridget Jones 4, a Peter Jackson-helmed Lord of the Rings film, a Harry Potter reboot, even the new Labour government has entered the nostalgia Olympics.

…Need I go on?

A Freaky Friday sequel just wrapped filming… 21 years later (Picture: Ron Batzdorff/Walt Disney/Kobal/Shutterstock)

And a Twister reboot just smashed the summer box office (Picture: AP)

But when we take a step back and understand why there is such an intense longing to recreate this time, things start to add up.

The public is going through an uncertain time. The UK has been plunged into a cost-of-living crisis and a post-pandemic existence plagued by the difficulties of 21st-century living.

For those in their 30s and 40s carrying the brunt of this pressure, it’s no surprise that their ‘carefree’ youth serves as a powerful form of escapism.

‘For those who came of age in the 90s, that decade’s cultural output is laced with irreplaceable sentimental significance. The stories, voices, and aesthetics became inscribed into our formative years’ identities,’ clinical psychologist Daniel Glazer told Metro.co.uk about the retrograde phenomenon.

‘So even as artistic landscapes continually evolve, there’s a timeless relatability to the raw humanity captured in iconic 90s media. An innate appeal that keeps those works feeling startlingly relevant and emotionally resonant decades later.’

Fuelled by ‘the rise of social media and streaming platforms’, it’s never been easier to tap into these memories.

Childhood series Balamory just announced its return after two decades (Picture: BBC)

‘The current socio-political climate may contribute to this nostalgic longing. People often seek comfort in the familiar during times of uncertainty, and the late 90s and early 00s represent a time that many perceive as less complicated.

‘The cultural artifacts from that period, including the music of Oasis, serve as a reminder of a different, perhaps more carefree time, allowing people to reconnect with their past and find solace in shared cultural experiences,’ psychologist Manpreet Dhuffar-Pottiwal posed.

Elsewhere, the co-founder of The Chelsea Psychology Clinic, Dr Elena Touroni, added that because the 90s were ‘a pre-digital era’ for some the ‘memories of that time feel more “real” and tangible compared to the digital experiences of today.’

According to research provided to the Metro, there has been a simultaneous spike in nostalgia within the hospitality industry with searches for 90s-themed events (everything from disco nights to bottomless brunches) increasing by 115% in the first six months of 2024 compared to 2023.

Avril Lavigne just played to a sold-out crowd at Glastonbury with hit classics such as Girlfriend and sk8r boi (Picture: EPA)

And how could we forget the music news of the summer – the Oasis reunion (Picture: Simon Emmett/Fear PR/PA Wire)

‘There have been brunches tailored to cult TV series like Buffy the Vampire Slayer and girl band phenomenon Spice Girls,’ DesignMyNight’s Marketing Manager Leighanne Bent said.

‘There are dedicated quizzes with specially curated playlists and drag entertainment, alongside events dedicated specifically to the nighties and noughties where millennials were the ones in front making the rules.’

According to writer Michael Cragg – author of the award-winning book Reach For The Stars 1996–2006: Fame, Fallout and Pop’s Final Party – society tends to fall into a 20-year nostalgia loop making the 90s and 00s a prime target – just look at the current Gen Z fashion, which has very strong whiffs of the 90s.

‘For people who lived through that era it’s a comfort to return to a place they now view with rose-tinted glasses, and for people who didn’t grow up then it’s a peep into an unknown era that still has enough similarities to where we are now,’ he explained.

‘The 90s had Britpop and Cool Britannia and the Spice Girls and Labour getting into power and so from a distance it seems exciting because that distance doesn’t concern itself with details.’

And it is helped by the fact that, according to Michael, the cultural content could be argued as ‘the best of any decade’.

Gavin and Stacey, which ran from 2007 to 2010, is coming back for a Christmas special (Picture: Baby Cow)

Even if the environment was not the best when it come to misogyny, homophobia, and racism – all of which are treated miles better in this day and age.

Now the 90s and 00s are everywhere in ‘contemporary culture’, as brand and culture expert Nick Ede neatly laid out.

‘Whether that’s jukebox musicals like And Juliet with Max Martin’s Greatest Hits or [the appetite] for mega reunions like Blur, Take That, Spice Girls and now Oasis. Grunge, hip hop, brit pop, and pop songs from the 90s still appear in films and tv and music on a daily basis now,’ he shared.

But is this hyperfixation preventing the cultural industry from looking toward a fresh, innovative future?

It’s not an unfounded fear with new TV shows constantly cancelled, comeback tours dominating venues and the arts harder to break into than ever. Could we be spelling our own doom?

Even huge 00s franchise Harry Potter is returning for a TV reboot (Picture: Alamy Stock Photo)

While 90s rock band Linkin Park are also heralding in a new era (Picture: James-Minchin-III)

Michael thinks there is a risk, especially within the British music scene in an already oversaturated industry.

‘We’ve already seen how hard it is to break new British acts, and that so few of the big-selling albums each year are from new artists. Streaming means older albums, specifically compilations, hang around for a long time, clogging up space.

‘Venues are now full of artists on comeback tours. Labels can earn money from artist catalogues rather than spending money on breaking new acts, which is obviously riskier. That element of risk-taking is in danger of being swallowed up by nostalgia for sure,’ he reflected.

Dr Elena agreed with this warning, added: ‘While nostalgia can be comforting, it’s important to strike a balance.

‘A strong focus on reviving the past can sometimes overshadow the creation of new ideas and innovations.

‘It’s crucial to celebrate and appreciate the creativity of the present, ensuring that nostalgia for the past doesn’t hinder the development of fresh, original content.’

Although it’s not all bleak. Daniel believes there could be a more positive outlook on our time-travelling tendencies.

‘It was a transitional era bridging revered creative traditions with progressive, genre-blurring innovations. The music, shows, and movies managed to feel both comfortingly familiar yet deliciously novel,’ he praised about this time.

He continued: ‘The best path forward may be leaning into that yen for nostalgic soul-searching as the inspirational fuel for brilliant, uncompromising originality.’

There’s no doubt that paying homage to the past is a valuable part of our cultural make-up, and there’s nothing more exciting than an unexpected comeback to spark some yonder-day joy.

But perhaps for now it is best to remain wary, lest the novelty wears off sooner than the high.

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