The Millennial Generation.

For those of us who were born in the mid-late 80s and grew up in the 1990s.

I'm sitting here, at my computer wondering 'What the hell happened to me?'

A long time ago, there was a thing called a "Video Home System" cassette. On this cassette, there was a movie of whatever sort the product description described there was on said cassette. These devices would go into a videocassette recorder, or, as it is better known, a VCR. You'd press play and watch your movie, when it was all over, if you wanted to watch it again, you'd have to reverse, or, rewind the tape to the beginning.

Does anyone out there remember the slogan 'Be kind, rewind?' You are not alone.

I remember, long ago, sitting in front of my TV for hours, watching movies like 'The Brave Little Toaster,' and 'All Dogs Go To Heaven.' When the movie was over, I'd have my Dad come in the family room and rewind the movies so I could watch them again and again. Eventually I learned how to use the VCR, and by then, I was watching big kids' movies like "Who Framed Roger Rabbit," and my favorite 'The Super Mario Bros Movie."

"Coming to home VIDEO on (insert date here)." Remember that?

But Video Home System cassettes and videocassette recorders are not all that made the 1990s great, not by a long shot. They are just a drop in the water to the greatness that the 90s held. For instance, TV was much more entertaining in the 1990s, channels like Cartoon Network and Nickelodeon were actually fun to watch, because they aired funny cartoons. I'm talking about cartoons like (for Cartoon Network) Bugs Bunny and all the Loony Tunes and (for Nickelodeon) shows like "Rocco's Modern Life" and "Doug." Yeah! Remember Doug? He was the kid who everybody could relate to. What happened to Doug when the year 2000 hit? He disappeared. Shows like "Tiny Toon Adventures," and "Muppet Babies!" Sure, most days they were just reruns, but we watched them anyway, because that's the way we were. Back in the 90s, music only came on CD for the upper class people who had a lot of money, most people, myself included had to listen to music on a Walk Man, which played an audio cassette, and if you wanted to hear the same song you just heard, you had to rewind it to just the right point. If you didn't, you either came in halfway through the song, or towards the end of the other song before the one you wanted to listen to. But that's okay! That's the way we liked it! Many stores and businesses hadn't gone out of business yet, does anyone around here remember a little place called 'Hess's?' I'll give you a hint, it's called "The Bon-Ton" now. The awesome thing about Hess's was that it served as something more than just women's clothing. Hess's had electronics, they had tools and do it yourself repair equipment and they even had a whole restaurant in the one I grew up near! There was a little place called 'The Wall," which sold music, videos and more, it's now known as 'F.Y.E.' Heck still remember a little place called 'Kids R' Us,' there sure as heck aren't any more of those anywhere. The 90s also was home to the grunge generation - Generation X, even though I'm Generation Y, I can still appreciate Generation X, for being different and sticking out in a crowd, saying "I am my own person, and if you try and take that away from me we're gonna fight."

The 90s were the time I felt the most alive. I was a kid yet, full of energy and potential.

Now, I just sit here, working a dead end job, coming home and reading blogs, wondering:

Where does all the time go?

Comments

Gosh, I remember begging my dad to take me to the theaters nearly every day to see the "Star Wars" special editions. Now when I watch them on Spike TV, I cringe. I cannot believe I used to think that tampering with classics by adding crappy SFX was cool.

i miss those days.
ahh! real monsters!
VR Troopers (power rangers rip-off)
etc...

waiting in line for the remake of the starwars movies was the best though

Yeah, I remember that old slogan. I never really got what the huge deal was, though. I also remember "Kids R' Us", as well. Personally, I miss the Atari Jaguar, the N64, and other systems. And I was born in '93; kids born in the 1980s aren't the only ones with memory of the 90's, like an above poster stated.

Oh man...you read my *mind*, dude.

I had a Kids R Us store in my neighborhood that closed just a couple of years ago.

Dude, I was born in '91 and I relate with everything you said! So give early 90's born kids some respect too!

word! those were the days

I think both VHS and DVD have good things about them -DVDs last longer and you don't have to rewind them, for example. And VHS's are much easier to tape stuff from TV on (I still do!) and it's easier to copy a videotape. But you are right about the nostalgia of VHS. I am lucky enough to own a machine that has both a VCR and a DVD player in that one machine, so I still get to watch my wondersful videos from my childhood. I go to garage sales and thrift shops to find all the tapes I can of 80s and 90s kids shows such as Muppet Babies, Care Bears, The Berenstain Bears, and Nick Jr. shows I used to love watching on my days home from school. Love live VHS!

I think about stuff like that every day dude....I remember having to put in a VHS movie and then spend like half an hour pressing that freakin' tracking button which helped balance out the static or whatever it was just so the movie looked half way decent. I don't think I ever rewound or fast forwarded anything, If you wanted to get to the good stuff in a film, it was just easier to watch the whole thing then to spend time having to find the exact spot you wanted.

I totally agree and second - dude did you readmy mind _

I was born in 1993. does that count???

Wow, I go away for 3 days and I get more of these wonderful comments! Thank you all so much!

Dude...did you read my mind or something? >_

i feel exactly the same!!! time just traveled way to fast in the 90's. **sigh**

Oh my gosh! I remember all of that! I miss the 90's. :-( I was born in 1988, so I am definitely a 90's child. Since the millennium happened, almost everything's been going downhill. Oh well, what can we do? Let's keep the 90's alive and kicking! :-)

I often use eBay to get my VHS fix. I'm acquiring all the 80s titles I can, knowing that these titles may eventually fade from existence. Someone needs to keep these films' memories alive. I also (although not that often) visit mom-and-pop video stores and pick up some of their titles. I'll keep the decade alive, and so I'll always be rewinding.

I was born in 1975 and so I wholeheartedly agree with you that the VCR was the most wonderfull thing in the world. Why? Because the way it worked up until I was about 10 years old was that you would see a movie once or maybe twice in the theater and then you might see it a year later on HBO if you were lucky. The whole idea of having seen the same movie twenty something times was just absurd.

Also the interesting thing about VHS tape were the that you popped the tape in maybe got to watch a few previews the watched the movie and two hours later you were done and ready to resume the real business of life. DVD's on the other hand, are an all day event. Not only to you get the movie, but you get the theatrical trailors the tv trailors, the directors comentary, actors comentary, alternate endings, deleted scenes and a million other things you'd never miss if you didn't know any better. Not only have I wasted hours of my life getting sucked in by these so called "special" features but I've also aquired millons in late fees trying to take it all in.

The funniest thing of all it that I've actually rented DVD's from Blockbuster that had the "Be kind, rewind" slogan on them. WTF is up with that?!!!! Being the old codger that I am, back when DVD's were new and I didn't understand that new-fangled technology I also wasted hours of my life trying to figure out just how that was to be acomplished.

Well anyway, long story short I agree that Video Cassette Recorders were a wonderfull thing.

Oops, disregard that, you said it on your article.

I could of sworn people born in the mid-late 80s are from Generation Y and not Gen X.

I thought this was going to be a reflection on the 00s and how much it sucks. Oh well, I remember VHS tapes, hell i box full of them of recorded tv shows from the 80s and 90s.

Thank you all so much for the wonderful comments!

really disappointed with this article. I don't know why, maybe it was the lack of pictures or the misleading thumb nail for this article. But I honestly thought you were gonna talk about Video Cassette players and how they're now obsolete, simply because from within the first 2 paragraphs you clearly outlined that you were gonna talk about VHS tapes, cartoons, or perhaps a video collection, television of the 90s or "a trip to the video store". Instead you started rambling about stores that were around in the 90s and Generation X, topics that had no connection to your article, other then existing in the 90s.

"The 90s were the time I felt the most alive. I was a kid yet, full of energy and potential."yet you haven't explained why.

I don't mean to be harsh in my criticism but I know you can do a better job on this, simply because from the first 2 paragraphs it seemed like you were on the right track.

I don't see why they can't still say "home video." I mean just because it's on DVD doesn't mean they HAVE to say "Coming to DVD." It's still at home and it's still a video.

It might have been a bit better if there were pictures in this article but it's a good article just the same. Nice work.

Ah, the "Be Kind, Pleas Rewind" stickers. I have them on some of my videos in my little collection (which is growing thanks to eBay, lol) because my dad had a friend who worked at the video store down the block from my house. She got them for me at discounts after they were new releases and sort of "retired" and they only kept one copy. Too bad that rental store shut down years ago!

you don't have pictures. but then, this article doesn't really need pictures. pretty good job. yes, bb has gone to all dvds. had to buy my grandmother a dvd player just so she could see fifty first dates. sucks how they pulled that over. buut.. i bet the people who bought beta back in the 70's were mad when they phased those out. and records for that matter. yeah, i'mma goa be pissed when they phase dvds out.

But with DVDs now, it's amusing to watch the Blockbuster employee when you return a video and exclaim "Oh crap! I forgot to rewind!"

yeah man the 90's were some good times, gooood times, I just wonder what this generation of little tykes is going to have left to reminice about when DVD is fazed out and replaced with the next great phenomenon its gonna be funny as hell to see what comes next. ya'lls truely cartoonfreak.

Nice work. I'm 17 and I remember just about everything you mentioned. I have nothing against DVD, but VHS and VCRs have more of a special feel than DVDs. And yes, I remember renting VHS tapes that said "Be Kind Please Rewind".

Did you know Blockbuster has now completely done away with VHS? It's all DVD there now. That's why I prefer going to the Video Review. I call it "The Retro Video Center".

Yea, "Coming to DVD" just doesn't have the same ring to it as "Coming to home video."

Now that you mention it, it's been awhile since I've seen a Kids R Us. We still have Toys and Babies R Us, but not Kids.

it sucks they charge you for the rewind crap, so good for dvd's now

Yah man "be kind rewind" lmao, and the thing about audio cassette rewinding coming in half way through the song or at the end of the other song true. Very true. Good memories man good memories....