17 of 20

Write now Article Tools

Page 4 of 4

the shows impact on fashion had become quite significant, and I felt the pangs of approval myself. While I did not pattern my life after the show, it is easy to look back and see the influence that the show had over me at the time from a material standpoint. Geographical location played an interesting role in regard to this as well. When I was in Houston, I found myself caring considerably less about those sorts of things, and spending markedly less money on obtaining them. It was definitely easier to see the impact of 90210 on its home turf than it was almost 1,000 miles away, although the show was still quite popular and influential in the southeastern corner of Texas as well. Apparently I am not alone in these feelings; as E. Graham McKinley states in her book "Beverly Hills 90210: Television, Gender, and Identity" that while watching the show with some subjects she used for her book, "the first things viewers did was to cheer or jeer a character's appearance in particular, a female character's hairstyle or clothing" (McKinley 68). Obviously the fashion of the show was important to many viewers and fans of the series.

As the 1990s wore on and the show changed with the ages of its cast, so did the ideologies and themes of the show. Partying and education took a back seat to starting families and finding career paths. What was once a show that spoke to teens of the time was now shaping the way these young twenty-somethiings would go out into the workforce and function in society. Many of the characters struggled with finding what was right for them in the long-term, and I think this was a positive reinforcement on me, as I was pretty confused about my future as well. Knowing that not everyone had a clear vision of their future in mind was reassuring to me, and probably many others in my situation. While some of the careers that the cast fell into were a bit unrealistic, it was at least a quasi-accurate representation of the many different opportunities that were out there for people my age.

As the show limped through its final season after the turn of the millennium in 2000, I was particularly disheartened to see that chapter of my life coming to a close. These television "friends" that I had come to know so well over the past decade were moving on with their fantasy lives, and I guess it was time for me to move on with my real one. The media and cultural phenomenon that was Beverly Hills 90210 will probably never be seen again in my lifetime, at least not for me personally, and I cherish the knowledge that I appreciated it every step of the way. While some of my peers look back at 90210 and deny their affection for the show, or its importance, I feel blessed having been touched so deeply by something that a lot of people incorrectly disregard as trivial and unimportant. The ideas and values that 90210 presented, as well as the fashion, music, clothes, and attitudes, were, and still are, a big part of who I am as an adult. The effects of being a fan of something so large still linger with me today, in principal and in action, and I am sure that I am not alone. Even if I am though, just the fact that the show touched one person so deeply should be a testimonial to its historical relevance and generational importance.

Learn more about this author, Marq Mosier.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.

• << previous page
• 1
• 2
• 3
• 4

Add your voice

Know something about 1990s television series?
We want to hear your view. Write now!