Early 1980s vs. 1990s
- Thread starter Allanon
- Start date
Buba
A total creep
Well, it's just that the 1990s never ended.
While standing in line at a supermarket a magazine had on its front page something like "The 1990s- the era that never ended."
A number of other people have mentioned this.
I know someone who left America in the late 1990s and lived in SE Asia, only returning several years ago- and he pointed out that it is as if the 1990s were still happening except more so- the trends started in the 1990s are just more extreme today. This includes "wokism," which is just 1990s political correctness on steroids. Even what you see with people (e.g. crazy tattoos) started in the 1990s, possibly from a magazine called "Modern Primitives."
I'm just wondering if instead of this the first half of the 1980s had continued on. What would things be like now? As life is a dystopia now I'm guessing it would be better, at least society would not hate me outright.
While standing in line at a supermarket a magazine had on its front page something like "The 1990s- the era that never ended."
A number of other people have mentioned this.
I know someone who left America in the late 1990s and lived in SE Asia, only returning several years ago- and he pointed out that it is as if the 1990s were still happening except more so- the trends started in the 1990s are just more extreme today. This includes "wokism," which is just 1990s political correctness on steroids. Even what you see with people (e.g. crazy tattoos) started in the 1990s, possibly from a magazine called "Modern Primitives."
I'm just wondering if instead of this the first half of the 1980s had continued on. What would things be like now? As life is a dystopia now I'm guessing it would be better, at least society would not hate me outright.
Bassoe
Well-known member
Crom's Black Blade
Well-known member
I would imagine the world, aesthetic wise, would have a more Cassette Futurism look, used grungy future look optional, that we see in Alien and similar late 70's, 80's sci-fi movies. Big, bulk CRTs built into consoles, monochromatic computers operating off of text commands without any GUI interface, data storage is done either via floppy disks or for big files huge, honking cartridge like hard drives you slot in the computer like 60's Star Trek.
Geopolitics-wise, if I was world building I'd actually try to avoid the eternal USSR trope. Likely have Gorbachev overthrowned by hardliners but an analogue to the 89 Revolution still occurs so the Soviet Union is reduced to a partial rump state. Rather I think it would be more fun to have the Cold War be between the US and Japan as almost a mirror conflict where America is standing in opposition to the "rampant Capitalism" of the Japanese trying to use economic warfare to buy up the world.
Geopolitics-wise, if I was world building I'd actually try to avoid the eternal USSR trope. Likely have Gorbachev overthrowned by hardliners but an analogue to the 89 Revolution still occurs so the Soviet Union is reduced to a partial rump state. Rather I think it would be more fun to have the Cold War be between the US and Japan as almost a mirror conflict where America is standing in opposition to the "rampant Capitalism" of the Japanese trying to use economic warfare to buy up the world.
Agent23
Ни шагу назад!
So basically your standard Cyberpunk/Blade Runner aesthetic.
Crom's Black Blade
Well-known member
Pretty much. Megacorps and transhuman cybernetics optional.
Wishing Whale
Active member
I'm confused I'm not sure if you mean technology or aesthetics.
Let's go with something like both then and why.
Xerox Palo Research Center the Xerox company didn't realize what they had or exactly what to do with it, so they turned their prototype and all their equipment and research over to the US government.
A new government ran program hires the best and the brightest they can find.
Which means nationalizing these two guys named Steve with an idea about how their fruit company was gonna beat the US government.
And because of course it's run by the government, it lags everything behind.
Now then without the computer revolution of the 80s new wave music is delayed a decade until it can exist.
Alanis Morissette is still popular here, but only actually during the 90s.
Isn't it ironic, well not here it isn't because.
(And here that word never changes meaning because she never releases that song)
Let's go with something like both then and why.
Xerox Palo Research Center the Xerox company didn't realize what they had or exactly what to do with it, so they turned their prototype and all their equipment and research over to the US government.
A new government ran program hires the best and the brightest they can find.
Which means nationalizing these two guys named Steve with an idea about how their fruit company was gonna beat the US government.
And because of course it's run by the government, it lags everything behind.
Now then without the computer revolution of the 80s new wave music is delayed a decade until it can exist.
Alanis Morissette is still popular here, but only actually during the 90s.
Isn't it ironic, well not here it isn't because.
(And here that word never changes meaning because she never releases that song)
Wishing Whale
Active member
I guess part two is.
2023.
Computers remain mostly for college campuses, research facilities, military bases.
It's really believed, why would the average person want a computer.
For a while the PC is delayed, something like it exist during the 90s but they're tools, they're not cool and you don't want one.
Society has never had a marketing team make you think you do.
There's no movies like Weird Science or the Hacker at home ones with weird 90s Internet graphics, never any commercials like this.
If you want a computer and access to the Intranet you better have a damn good reason, porn you can forget it. Well unless you're right person working in the right place with the right clearance.
Technology does advance in the private sector ish, but with everything going much slower.
Televisions are thin and can hang on the wall, but they get hot and that's dangerous.
The US government does everything is can to control it's monopoly on the microchip and not have them become a scattered whilly nilly plaything to get mass produced in China.
So it isn't unusual to see a rotary phone in their 2023, phone boots, cable companies, video rentals.
It's kinda nice.
2023.
Computers remain mostly for college campuses, research facilities, military bases.
It's really believed, why would the average person want a computer.
For a while the PC is delayed, something like it exist during the 90s but they're tools, they're not cool and you don't want one.
Society has never had a marketing team make you think you do.
There's no movies like Weird Science or the Hacker at home ones with weird 90s Internet graphics, never any commercials like this.
If you want a computer and access to the Intranet you better have a damn good reason, porn you can forget it. Well unless you're right person working in the right place with the right clearance.
Technology does advance in the private sector ish, but with everything going much slower.
Televisions are thin and can hang on the wall, but they get hot and that's dangerous.
The US government does everything is can to control it's monopoly on the microchip and not have them become a scattered whilly nilly plaything to get mass produced in China.
So it isn't unusual to see a rotary phone in their 2023, phone boots, cable companies, video rentals.
It's kinda nice.