The Nineties: A Book

Chapter 5 explores the transformative impact of video cassette recorders (VCRs) and video rental stores on film culture during the ’90s. Klosterman begins by tracing the rise of VCR ownership in American households, noting that by 1990, the majority of homes had at least one VCR. This technological shift allowed for unprecedented access to a wide variety of films, including foreign and independent productions that may not have been screened in local theaters.

The author highlights how video stores fundamentally altered the way people consumed and understood cinema. The rental model made it economically feasible for individuals to watch a diverse range of films, fostering a new breed of film enthusiasts. Klosterman argues that this democratization of film access led to the emergence of directors like Kevin Smith and Quentin Tarantino, who built their cinematic knowledge through extensive video store experiences.

Klosterman devotes significant attention to Tarantino’s influence on ’90s cinema. He discusses Tarantino’s early scripts, including True Romance and Natural Born Killers, before focusing on his directorial debut, Reservoir Dogs. The author analyzes how Tarantino’s style, characterized by non-linear storytelling and pop-culture-infused dialogue, reflected the video store culture that shaped his cinematic education.

The chapter then examines the contrasting reception of Oliver Stone’s Natural Born Killers and Tarantino’s Pulp Fiction, both released in 1994. Klosterman notes that while critics and audiences eagerly anticipated Stone’s film, it was ultimately overshadowed by the success and cultural impact of Pulp Fiction. He explores how Tarantino’s unconventional narrative structure and blend of violence and humor resonated with viewers, despite initial mixed reviews from critics.

Klosterman argues that the ’90s saw a proliferation of auteur-driven, unconventional films that challenged traditional storytelling norms. He cites examples such as Danny Boyle’s Trainspotting, Paul Thomas Anderson’s Boogie Nights, and David Fincher’s work, suggesting that this period was marked by directors creating self-contained cinematic universes that demanded to be viewed on their own terms.

The author concludes by reflecting on how this era of filmmaking was relatively short-lived. He observes that by the 2015, there was a shift away from viewing films as separate from real-life morality and contemporary politics. Klosterman suggests that the possibility of a movie being solely about itself has diminished, coinciding with the decline of video stores and the cinematic culture they fostered.

In the final section of the chapter, Klosterman pivots to discuss the evolution of college football’s championship system in the ’90s. He explains how the sport resisted implementing a playoff system for determining a national champion, instead relying on a complex bowl game structure and voting polls. The author details the controversies and shared championships that resulted from this system, highlighting the tension between tradition and the desire for a clear, undisputed champion.

Klosterman describes the eventual implementation of the Bowl Championship Series in 1998, which aimed to ensure that the top two teams would always play for the national title. He reflects on how this change, while making the sport more logical, may have diminished some of the unique qualities that made college football compelling. The author suggests that the previous system’s ambiguity allowed for multiple interpretations of success and maintained an illusion of amateurism in an increasingly professionalized sport.

The chapter concludes by pondering whether the move toward a more definitive championship system in college football reflects a broader cultural shift away from embracing uncertainty and toward demanding clear-cut answers in all aspects of life.

This chapter explores the profound impact of the internet on society during the ’90s. Klosterman begins by describing the distinctive sounds of dial-up internet connections, which became a ubiquitous part of daily life for millions of Americans. He then traces the evolution of the internet from an obscure technology to a transformative force that reshaped communication, commerce, and culture.

Klosterman examines how different generations experienced this technological shift. He categorizes people into three groups: those born before World War II who could largely ignore the internet, those born after 1985 who grew up with it as a constant presence, and the middle group who had to adapt to this new reality in adulthood. This middle group, consisting of Baby Boomers and Generation X, became the only people to fully experience life both before and after the internet’s rise.

The author delves into the early development of the internet, discussing key innovations like the creation of the World Wide Web and the emergence of search engines. He highlights the optimism and utopian thinking that surrounded the internet’s early days, with many believing that it would democratize information and flatten social hierarchies. However, Klosterman also notes the challenges and anxieties that arose as people grappled with this new technology, including concerns about privacy and information overload.

The chapter explores how the internet transformed various industries and cultural practices. Klosterman pays particular attention to the music industry, describing how file-sharing services like Napster upended traditional business models and changed people’s relationship with music. He discusses the ethical debates surrounding file sharing and how it altered perceptions of music’s value.

Klosterman also examines the internet’s impact on memory and knowledge. He argues that the internet has changed how people remember events and access information, creating a vast repository of data that can be instantly recalled but may lack context or nuance. This shift, he suggests, has profound implications for how people understand their own experiences and the world around them.

The author touches on the rise of conspiracy theories and fringe beliefs in the internet age. He contrasts the pre-internet era, when such ideas were often isolated and marginalized, with the current landscape where conspiracy theories can quickly gain traction and visibility online.

Throughout the chapter, Klosterman grapples with the paradox of the internet’s centrality to ’90s culture. While it was undoubtedly a transformative technology, he notes that its importance is often overestimated in retrospect. Many people’s daily lives in the ’90s were not yet dominated by the internet, and other technologies like fax machines remained crucial for businesses well into the decade.

Klosterman concludes by reflecting on how the internet has shaped the understanding of the past, including the ’90s themselves. He suggests that the internet’s pervasiveness in contemporary life has led to a “telescoping of memory,” in which current understandings of technology are projected onto earlier time periods (159). This phenomenon, he argues, makes it difficult to accurately recall or understand life before the internet became ubiquitous.