GluFactory

spangley:

inthesaddle:

ohgrowup:

unicornfandance:

brianvan:
1994
see here is the diff. between the fuckers that are coming of age now and the fuckers who were coming of age in the mid to late nineties. winona was the every girl, jeanine was her quirky side kick, steve zahn was her best gay pal and she had a witty reparte with ethan hawke. yeah they fought about money and winona mooched off her dad (via his gas card) but we knew that was shameful. we didn’t flash it around like a goddamn black amex card and go “I DONT EVEN KNOW WHO PAYS THIS BILL!! LOVE ME! I AM SO AWESOME!!”
granted these were college grads and not high school kids but i would LOVE to see any of the fuckers i just saw parading back and forth on my HD TV (IT WAS A PRESENT FOR QUITTING MY OLD JOB!) grow up to be a tenth as well adjusted as these folks.

i mean- they are not real. but reality bites anyway.
(see what i did there?!?!?!?!)

Ignoring the very good point that they’re not real, I add:
I disagree that Winona is the every-woman…or that these characters are types to which everyone can relate. I grew up not wanting for anything, having summer jobs and that’s it, with parents who helped me out through and post college when I decided I wanted to be a — gasp! — musician. I valued everything my parents gave me and everything they did for me. And yes, I grew up a bit spoiled, but well-adjusted and appreciative.
BUT, and this is the point of my writing, these characters (based on real stereotypes, I’m sure) would have looked at me and immediately called me a princess. It’s happened to me all my life. No matter how nice, grounded or hard-working I really am…based on my appearance and where I come from, I’ve almost always been treated (at least initially) with a bit of disdain by folks like Lelaina.
I remember being kind of angry at this movie when I saw it first that they made so much fun of Michael. That his very being—despite the fact that he was a totally nice and decent guy—was so hatable because he was corporate and a little dorky and just kind of…well, normal. They hated him off the bat. When I think about it now, I realize that they were the 90s hipsters…cooler-than-thou, mooching off my dad but I’m still cooler than other people who do the same thing, funky clothes and haircuts…hipsters.
Now, don’t get me wrong…I like this movie. Especially watching it now with early 20s nostalgia. And I like all the characters and now more than ever relate to them and their dreams and struggles. But I always felt a little shut out by it. I wasn’t in the Michael category, but I wasn’t with Lelaina et.al. either. Again…I know it’s fictional (fictitious?)…but I had to speak up on the every-woman thing.
Granted, I would indeed take shut out over being nauseated by the youth of today. Absolutely. But in certain ways, RB characters are no better or worse or any less confused…

well written, alison. i would also like to point out that EVERY generation looks at the one (or after, or after) and says “these kids, they have it so good. they’re so spoiled, yadda yadda yadda. it’s inevitable.
that being said: i love reality bites. and the reality bites soundtrack.

I figured this would be more about how these movie stars had their own breasts, cheekbones, noses, chins, and love handles.
I think we can make the argument that we had it better (kate moss nonwithstanding) in terms of body image in alt-pop culture.

inthesaddle:

ohgrowup:

unicornfandance:

brianvan:

1994

see here is the diff. between the fuckers that are coming of age now and the fuckers who were coming of age in the mid to late nineties. winona was the every girl, jeanine was her quirky side kick, steve zahn was her best gay pal and she had a witty reparte with ethan hawke. yeah they fought about money and winona mooched off her dad (via his gas card) but we knew that was shameful. we didn’t flash it around like a goddamn black amex card and go “I DONT EVEN KNOW WHO PAYS THIS BILL!! LOVE ME! I AM SO AWESOME!!”

granted these were college grads and not high school kids but i would LOVE to see any of the fuckers i just saw parading back and forth on my HD TV (IT WAS A PRESENT FOR QUITTING MY OLD JOB!) grow up to be a tenth as well adjusted as these folks.

i mean- they are not real. but reality bites anyway.

(see what i did there?!?!?!?!)

Ignoring the very good point that they’re not real, I add:

I disagree that Winona is the every-woman…or that these characters are types to which everyone can relate. I grew up not wanting for anything, having summer jobs and that’s it, with parents who helped me out through and post college when I decided I wanted to be a — gasp! — musician. I valued everything my parents gave me and everything they did for me. And yes, I grew up a bit spoiled, but well-adjusted and appreciative.

BUT, and this is the point of my writing, these characters (based on real stereotypes, I’m sure) would have looked at me and immediately called me a princess. It’s happened to me all my life. No matter how nice, grounded or hard-working I really am…based on my appearance and where I come from, I’ve almost always been treated (at least initially) with a bit of disdain by folks like Lelaina.

I remember being kind of angry at this movie when I saw it first that they made so much fun of Michael. That his very being—despite the fact that he was a totally nice and decent guy—was so hatable because he was corporate and a little dorky and just kind of…well, normal. They hated him off the bat. When I think about it now, I realize that they were the 90s hipsters…cooler-than-thou, mooching off my dad but I’m still cooler than other people who do the same thing, funky clothes and haircuts…hipsters.

Now, don’t get me wrong…I like this movie. Especially watching it now with early 20s nostalgia. And I like all the characters and now more than ever relate to them and their dreams and struggles. But I always felt a little shut out by it. I wasn’t in the Michael category, but I wasn’t with Lelaina et.al. either. Again…I know it’s fictional (fictitious?)…but I had to speak up on the every-woman thing.

Granted, I would indeed take shut out over being nauseated by the youth of today. Absolutely. But in certain ways, RB characters are no better or worse or any less confused…

well written, alison. i would also like to point out that EVERY generation looks at the one (or after, or after) and says “these kids, they have it so good. they’re so spoiled, yadda yadda yadda. it’s inevitable.

that being said: i love reality bites. and the reality bites soundtrack.