1990s-+Prosperity


 * TV SHOWS/MOVIES:**

Some of the movies from the 90’s include Toy Story 1 and 2, Fly Away Home, Babe, Mrs. Doubtfire, Aladdin, A Bug’s Life, and Tarzan. Many of us know these movies today because movies were very affordable back then. Therefore going to the movies was a very popular thing to do. In the 90s the cost of going to the movies was about $4.00. With it being a popular and affordable activity it really helped the economy in its procession.

Another thing that showed the economy of the 90s in relation to movies/TV shows is how cheerful they were. TV shows like Hey Arnold, Doug, and Friends were very upbeat and comical which represented the economy’s procession. Sitcoms were very popular in the 90s because of their ability to make people laugh. The 90s was a very happy and prosperous time period, which was well represented through the TV shows and movies made

Music: The music of the 90s reflected the economy very well. Because of the increasing economy over the period of the 90s you see that the music gets more and more positive. The decade started out with hip-hop, and then moved on to rock. Rock is a notoriously depressing style of music. However, the next step in music was a very big one and represent how well the economy was doing very well. People were getting tired of this depressing music, so the next most popular genre of music was actually, “happy rock”. And by the end of the decade the new style of music on the scene was bubble gum pop a very upbeat style of music.

Obviously there is a correlation between the economy and the genres of music that are popular. As the economy increased through the 90s, then peaked in the later 90s. In fact, a study has shown that tougher times make for more depressing music and vise versa. Also, it may be possible that the music industry profits from a good economy. In the case of the 90s the music industry was thriving through the 90s.

Controversies and Crises:

The 1990s were a time of growth and prosperity for America. There were controversies and crises that occurred. For one, the Savings and Loan crises happened in the late eighties to early nineties. However, in the early nineties, the problem began to subside and the industry began to get back to normal. This issue began when President Bush announced a program to help the savings and loan industry but would raise taxes. There had been various problems and controversies with the industry since it roots. Another controversial topic in relation to the economy was globalization and extending global trade. It had both positive and negative effects. However, there were people who were strongly against globalization and had large protests. This also relates to the creation of NAFTA. (WTO stands for World Trade Organization, which had to do with globalization).

**Family Life & Housing**

The 1990s brought a change to family values. Instead of mothers taking the role of housewife, many began to leave the home and take up part time jobs. Men were no longer the sole breadwinners. Although the economy was prosperous, women took jobs to liberate themselves and break the stereotype of typical housewives as their mothers had been. But because families saw each other less and less, erosion began to deteriorate simple family values, such as eating dinners together and spending time together.

During the 1990s, the economy experienced a huge housing boom. Big houses started going up quickly and in large numbers. Many families upgraded to larger homes because they were now more affordable. The economy, being in such a good state, aided the boom as well. Expendable income allowed for families to take out loans to build brand new homes. This time, often referred to as the housing bubble, make an extreme impact on the economy when it finally began to decline in the early 2000s.




 * Sports**

The economics of the 1990s were of prosperity and progression. As Americans start to pour their money in every which way, sports is one of the happy takers of this large bounty. From 1991 to 2000 the top four professional sports ( NFL, MLB, NHL, NBA) average ticket prices increased 80% according to revenue reviews by Sports Illustrated. Attendance of these four sports also increased. This is a show of how the economic prosperity of the 1990s transpired into a surging sports era.

In the 1990s twelve major league baseball teams built new stadiums. Of all these teams all twelve reported an influx of attendance, revenue, and payrolls. This is a clear depiction of economics in America during this time period. The teams stretched from all parts of the country. Showing that the economic prosperity was not a regional matter.


 * Inventions**

The 1990s was a very prosperous time in America. Due to a prosperous economic time people were buying more products. As far as coming along with new inventions, people had more money to invest in their ideas. America as a whole always wants the newest and best products that come out.

Some popular items that came out in the 90s were satellite television, MP3 player, Play station, and the DVD. However the most influential thing that came out in the 90s was the Internet. The Internet has changed our way of life forever. This started a whole new era of technology.

Art & Written Expression in the 1990s

1990s Written Expression: The 1990s were some of the most innovative years for arts and literature. On the subject of written expression, reading online became more popular due to the fact that books were easier accessed and less expensive. It did not hurt that Oprah Winfrey, a popular talk show host began to promote a book of the month club. Oprah introduced the world to new books / authors and by the late 90s there were 500,000 book clubs in the United States alone (nearly double than existed in 1994.) Children’s books were gaining momentum with the creations of, J. K. Rowling’s “Harry Potter”, as well as R. L. Stine’s “Goosebumps” series.



1990s Art: “ As the decade mellowed under the lulling influence of the dot-com boom and the end of the Cold War, the art of the mid-1990s reflected both the newly global situation and the increasingly blurred line between the real and the virtual” (Source: [|Art and Photography: 1990s–Present | Thematic Essay | Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History | The Metropolitan Museum of Art] .) On the architectural side of art, Robert Venture and Richard Meyer were popular architects, creating the design of the restaurant chain “Planet Hollywood” and large scale casinos. Photography was popular in the 90s, and an example of this would be Annie Liebovitz, who took famous pictures for the early years of the “Rolling Stone” magazine. Virtual art was a big hit during the nineties, and Bill Viola was at the head of video art with his pieces “The Quintet Series”, “An Ocean Without a Shore”, “Observance” and more. One of the most memorable pieces of art is located in Washington D.C. which is the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, which was designed by Maya Lin.



== During the 90s a lot of new fashions and fads came out, most likely because we were in a time of prosperity. New styles such as track suits, polo shirts, spandex tights worn with oversized sweatshirts, and leather jackets, pants and bags became popular. A lot of girls got their hair cut to look like Rachel from the show //Friends// and most guys had either the bowl cut or the buzz cut. Another thing that a lot of teens and young adults spent their money on in the 90s was body piercings; belly buttons piercings in particular. ==

==A style that a majority of teens in the 1990s wore was the grunge look. Grunge was a look that consisted of flannel, outdoor clothing, whites, blacks, greens, and browns. It was available in pretty much any thrift store. Because of the economic situation at the time, this look was cheap and inexpensive. It was popular throughout the entire decade and slowly started to decrease toward the beginning of the 21st century.==



Jobs and Salaries

The 1990s were happy times. From 1990, to 2000, the economy was up, and unemployment was at a low percentage. The unemployment peak was recorded in 6/1/1992 at 7.2%, and the lowest point was recorded in 12/1/1992. The average salary in the 1990s was $13.37/hr. That was $8.22 more than the average minimum wage, which was $5.15/hr. So obviously the economy was doing very well. Things were doing very well; banks, the stock market. Most people had jobs. Jobs, with a good salary that gave them money. But they didn’t spend that money wisely. Which is why the economic roller coast went down hill as it entered the 2000s.

Daniel Hunter (Politics and Reform) The 1900s showed how the economy can be very prosperous in one decade but than go into an economic downspin in a matter of just a couple years. Bill Clinton took office on January 20th, 1993. When he entered office the economy was doing well Clinton, influenced by his wife, installed many policies that bettered the economy. One of Clinton’s key installations was composing and signing the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) in 1994. This allowed free trade between Canada, Mexico, and the United States. Also, in his first term, he raised taxes in effort for the government to gain money. He targeted people above the “poverty line” and encouraged others to apply for welfare. In Clinton’s second term he became aware of the fact that a government dictator, Saddam Hessian, was in search of nuclear weapons. Getting involved in this war started the recession of the economy.