Ah, the ’90s and the ’00s—a time of dial-up internet, chunky cellphones, and the undeniable charm of simpler times. As we journey further into the 21st century, it’s remarkable how rapidly our perception of “normal” has shifted. Everyday things we took for granted back then now seem like relics of a bygone era, replaced by sleeker, more advanced alternatives. In this age of constant technological advancement, it’s not uncommon to find ourselves reminiscing about the luxuries we once enjoyed without a second thought. In this recent r/AskReddit post, a user asked people to share things that were normal in the ’90s and ’00s, but are considered a luxury today. Here are some of the best answers. 1. “New furniture made out of real wood.” – u/Juls7243 2.  “Owning the software you purchased.” – u/FinnofLocke 3. “Paying no more than 30% of your income in rent.” – u/newsaggregateftw 4. “Not being expected to be reachable 24/7.” – u/Siukslinis_acc 5. “Concert ticket prices.” – u/Quality_Street_1 6. “Single-income families buying a home.” – u/THESSIS 7. “Good-quality fabric in clothing. I have clothes from the ’90s (and ’80s from my mother) that still hold up today. These days, I’m lucky if my shirt isn’t saggy and misshapen within a year.” – u/TheMadLaboratorian 8. “Being able to afford going out every Friday after work.” – u/M-the-music-guy 9. “Items not requiring a subscription each month.” – u/few29er 10. “Household products that don’t break within the first few years of use. My grandma had the same fridge from 1993 before deciding to switch to a newer, bigger one two years ago. My mom’s wedding cookware is still going strong 25 years later, but whenever she needs new pans, they start flaking Teflon into the food within a few months.” – u/parangolecomuna 11. “Legroom on an airplane.” – u/anachronistika 12.  “Family vacations. I remember going on road trips regularly as a kid and even flying once or twice. Now that I have kids, I cannot afford a weeklong trip to the Badlands, Grand Canyon, Disney/Universal Studios, etc. The best I can do is a day trip to the Wisconsin Dells maybe once a year.” – u/M5606 13. “Free driver’s education classes taught in all high schools.” – u/Working-Finger3500 14. “Apartments. I could get a one-bedroom apartment in Wisconsin back in 1997 for under $500. Now that same apartment is at least $2,000.” – u/Icy-Supermarket-6932 15.  “Meals on domestic flights.” – u/Acceptable_Stop2361 16. “Affordable healthcare.” – u/RNGezzus 17. “People making friends with one another purely because they enjoy their companionship and not because of networking.” —u/butthenhor 18. “Drinking water from the tap without filters and softeners.” – u/Kuzkuladaemon 19. “Clothing and shoes that last more than a year with regular wear.” – u/SpacePirateFromEarth 20. “Being able to dance and have a good time without having the risk that it will end up being recorded and put on social media.” – u/allbright1111 The post People Are Sharing Things That Were Normal In The ’90s And ’00s But Are Considered A Luxury Now appeared first on Pleated Jeans.

Which of these tunes gives you the biggest holiday headache?

For many Gen Xers, Christmas at the mall created memories that still feel vivid today. Holiday shopping was an experience filled with lights, decorations, and excitement. The season came alive the moment families stepped into a bustling department store. This feeling shaped the strong Christmas nostalgia many people carry into adulthood. The 1980s mall offered more than gifts. It offered a full holiday atmosphere that mixed fun, tradition, and community. Gen Xers often describe these visits as the true start of Christmas. The sounds, colors, and crowds created a charm that stores rarely capture now, deepening today’s sense of Christmas nostalgia. How Malls Created Holiday Magic             View this post on Instagram                         A post shared by 80s Deennice (@80s.deennice)   According to Upworthy, shoppers in the 1980s remember malls packed with energy. Every store stayed open. Kiosks filled the center halls, and big department stores decorated every corner with trees, garlands, and ornaments. Families often spent entire afternoons shopping, eating, and catching a movie. These moments helped shape the deep Christmas nostalgia Gen Xers still talk about. Old School Eddie/X Stores also added small, thoughtful touches. Many boxed gifts with tissue paper at no extra cost. Simple gestures like these created a warm and memorable holiday experience. People looked forward to these trips because they made Christmas feel special. Those memories continue to fuel powerful Christmas nostalgia today. Why Gen Xers Still Miss the Holiday Experience Old School Eddie/X Crowds played a big part in the fun. Parking lots filled up, food courts overflowed, and stores stayed busy until closing time. Many shoppers recall shoulder-to-shoulder crowds and long lines for food or last-minute gifts. Although hectic, these scenes created a joyful rush that now feeds their Christmas nostalgia. LandOfThe80s/X Even with the convenience of online shopping, many Gen Xers still miss the sights and sounds of a lively mall. Decorations, window displays, and holiday music created an atmosphere that felt magical. Those experiences left a mark that digital shopping cannot replace. For many, the memories remain a strong source of Christmas nostalgia, reminding them of a holiday season full of warmth and excitement. Next up: Lee Greenwood Reflects On His Iconic Patriotic Anthem In Rare Interview The post Gen Xers Remember The Magic Of Malls During Christmastime In The ’80s appeared first on DoYouRemember? - The Home of Nostalgia. Author, Ruth A

  In 1990, Cammie Toloui was working at the Lusty Lady Theatre, San Francisco’s women-owned strip club. The job was meant to pay her way through San Francisco State University, where she was pursuing a degree in photojournalism. “So, after talking to a few friends who worked there, I got up the nerve to audition and before I knew it, I was a stripper a few nights a week.” For $5 punters got 3 minutes to watch and direct her. Toloui turned the camera on her customers inside the ‘Private Pleasures’ booth, creating an extraordinary series of portraits and journal entries collected in the new book 5 Dollars for 3 Minutes.     The Lusty Lady was a unique place to work. Part of the theater is a peep-show, where customers sit in a private booth and feed money into a machine, then watch as a panel slides up to reveal a mirrored room full of nearly-naked women, dancing, slinking and pressing their sweet parts to the glass for the customer to ogle. There is no physical contact, and the dancers got paid an hourly rate via paycheck with taxes taken out and everything, just like most people do. The other part of the theater’s live show is called the Private Pleasures booth. The customer is enticed into a small booth adjacent to a windowed-booth wherein sits a lovely Lusty Lady. Once in, he (or she) can see the dancer through a large window. Curtains and doors to the outside world are shut, leaving customer and dancer alone. – Cammi Toloui     I wasn’t sure how I was going to document my job, but eventually I got up the nerve to bring my camera into the Private Pleasures booth one evening. I was so sure that none of my customers would allow me to photograph them, that I had asked a friend to come in and stand on the other side of the glass so I could take a picture of the booth. Luckily, he never showed up, because it forced me to take a chance, and the first customer I asked said yes. I couldn’t believe it. Even more unbelievable, he came back a few days later and asked me to take his picture again. A few customers later, I was getting the hang of offering a free dildo show in exchange for a picture or two (a ten dollar value!) and to my surprise, people were saying yes! – Cammie Toloui     “The truth is, I found being a stripper liberating. Who would have thought it?! It allowed me to shed sexual inhibitions; it gave me a huge pool of strong female friends who were intelligent, radical, open and great fun; it empowered me with a decent income that allowed me to be independent, supported me through my university degree and offered a tremendous creative opportunity that has resulted in a lifetime of positive artistic recognition and eventually this very book.” – Cammie Toloui     The Lusty Lady At its beginning in 1976, The Lusty Lady on Kearney Street in San Francisco showing 16mm peep show films. In 1983, the place began to host live nude dancers, known as Lusties, on the main stage and in one-on-one booths. The main stage featured several nude women dancing, separated by glass windows from the customers who each stood in their own booth, paying by the minute. The dancers were also available for more explicit private shows in the VIP and Private Pleasures booths. These were also glass-separated private booths where customers could give direction to the show and tipping was possible. In 2003, the place was bought out by the strippers working there and began to be managed as a worker cooperative. The San Francisco branch had already entered the news in 1997 when it became the first successfully unionised sex business in the U.S. The Lusty Lady closed on September 2, 2013, on Labor Day.       You can buy Cammie’s work at her site here. There you can also buy the book of here work, 5 Dollars for 3 Minutes. The post 5 Dollars for 3 Minutes: Watching At San Francisco’s Lusty Lady Strip Club appeared first on Flashbak.

The now-forgotten show aired 40 years ago.