The Nineties: A Book

In the Introduction to The Nineties, Klosterman challenges conventional notions of when decades begin and end, arguing that cultural perception, rather than strict chronology, defines these eras. He illustrates this concept by providing examples of how various decades, from the 1950s to the 1980s, culturally began and ended at times that did not align with calendar years.

Klosterman then focuses on the unique characteristics of the 1990s, emphasizing that memory itself is central to understanding this decade. He describes the prevalent portrayal of the ’90s as a “low-risk grunge cartoon,” acknowledging that while this depiction is imperfect, it is not entirely inaccurate (1). The author notes that the ’90s were heavily mediated and self-conscious but not yet influenced by the internet and social media to the extent that later decades would be.

A significant aspect of ’90s culture, according to Klosterman, was the abundance of video recordings capturing both meaningful and trivial moments. However, he points out that despite this wealth of information, accessing specific content remained challenging. Using the example of the popular TV show Seinfeld, Klosterman illustrates how missed episodes were difficult to recover, contrasting this with the ease of access to media in later years.