Who doesn’t remember the 90’s and all the entertaining television that came out of that decade? From Saturday morning cartoons, Disney channel movies, and Nick at Night, television in the 90’s was free from reality shows and laden with childhood memories. 90’s shows were entertaining but they also had plenty of lessons to be learned from them; I have decided to pick out a few of the classics, and see what lessons would still be applicable today.
1. Sister, Sister
(All photos from Google Images)
This WB hit, featured Tia and Tamera Mowry; two twin sisters separated and birth who later find each other and move in together with their single parents. Like with any siblings, there was fighting over boys, school, clothes…but in the end, the sisters always worked it out. The plot seems simple enough, but in the 90’s, this show really showed us that siblings could also be our best friends.
Whether it is your real sister, sorority sisterhood, or best friends, having strong females in your life that you love and love you for who you are is incredibly valuable. Being able to have a second set of ears for advice, or a shoulder to cry on is something that guy friends just can’t provide on the same level as your girlfriends.
So Tia and Tamera, thank you for endless hours of terrible 90’s fashion and showing us that regardless of the bickering and disagreements, sisters and friends are important relationships for women regardless of age.
2. The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air
This comedy featuring a young Will Smith, was a fan favorite in the 90’s…I mean come on, who doesn’t know the theme song by heart? This story of a twist turned upside down life that Will has after he has to move to Bel-Air to live with this aunty and uncle offered us plenty of laughs but some important insight too.
Whether it was Will on his own, or Carlton as well, they were always getting into some kind of trouble. I’m not saying that I think we should all go out and pull pranks like they did, but I think that incorporating some element of carefree living is essential to a happy life.
Whether its telling jokes like Will, or dancing like Carlton, setting aside some time to just be silly and have a good time can be liberating even as we get older.
3. Boy Meets World
This show followed the life of Cory Matthews as he grew up and had to face all of the challenges that come along with adulthood. This show chronicled Cory, Shawn, Topanga and the gang from middle school, high school, college, and even Cory and Topanga getting married.
I think that what I took most from this show was lessons on relationships- mainly Cory and Topanga. Though I will never understand why she had such a weird name, the two of them showed us how a healthy relationship should look. Although they had their disagreements, Cory and Topanga represent two best friends who end up falling for each other.
The story sounds classic enough, but I think that sometimes we can get caught up in the pop culture idea of love, and start to allow our relationships to be clouded with issues that are not really important. I think that when times get rough in the dating scene, thinking back to Cory and Topanga and the lighthearted nature of their relationship can be beneficial to relieve tension that can often build in a relationship.
For most of our readers, the 90’s were our childhood decade; the time when we were carefree kids, who loved our television shows. Whether Sister, Sister, Fresh Prince, or Boy Meets World was your favorite, each show had its own important message.
Obviously when we were watching as kids, it was for entertainment pleasure, but there are some messages embedded in these shows that can still be useful today. They have taught us everything from advice about friendships, living a light-hearted life, and relationships, all of which are topics that are still relative to us today.