"The Naughty Nineties" by David Friend - Book Review
Summary
"A sexual history of the 1990s when the Baby Boomers took over Washington, Hollywood, and Madison Avenue. A definitive look at the captains of the culture wars -- and an indispensable road map for understanding how we got to the Trump Teens.
The Naughty Nineties: The Triumph of the American Libido examines the scandal-strafed decade when our public and private lives began to blur due to the rise of the web, reality television, and the wholesale tabloidization of pop culture.
In this comprehensive and often hilarious time capsule, David Friend combines detailed reporting with first-person accounts from many of the decade's singular personalities, from Anita Hill to Monica Lewinsky, Lorena Bobbitt to Heidi Fleiss, Alan Cumming to Joan Rivers, Jesse Jackson to key members of the Clinton, Dole, and Bush teams.
The Naughty Nineties also uncovers unsung sexual pioneers, from the enterprising sisters who dreamed up the Brazilian bikini wax to the scientists who, quite by accident, discovered Viagra."
Review
I recently read an article in The Atlantic about the zeitgeist of the 90s, which recommended this particular book. Although I am not American, I have a deep interest in U.S. history and cultural movements. This book offers a sober, unbiased, and fascinating analysis of the sexual revolution of the 90s, examining the roles played by media, society, and politics in bringing sex to the forefront of the new millennium.
It explores how the tabloidisation and sensationalism of our current world can be traced back to trends established in the 90s, including the rise of Viagra, plastic surgery, Clinton's affairs, and the distribution of pornography through VHS tapes. It also captures how the early development of the Internet was crucial in catalysing these trends and promoting virality as a powerful political force.
In summary, it is an excellent and well-written book that immerses you in a captivating decade, almost like stepping into an engrossing time capsule.
Key Takeaways
- The sensationalist landscape we live in is an exaggeration of trends established in the 1990s
- Sex has always been a powerful force in culture, history, and morals, revealing a great deal about a society's values.
- The book offers a compelling view of a fascinating decade that is now fading into memory
Who Should Read This
Individuals who grew up in the 90s and seek to understand the rapid cultural changes that occurred, as well as readers interested in modern cultural analysis.
Favourite Quotes
"Writer Ariel Levy would contend that Clinton became “a walking Rorschach test for our feelings about infidelity.”"
"It might be called Tech’s First Law of Sex (borrowing from Sir Isaac Newton—and the Book of Genesis). With each novel technology in communications or entertainment, the first app to fall from the tree is the Sex App."
"“I think we do live in a Clintonized culture,” said Arkansas journalist Paul Greenberg, as Clinton was making his second run for the White House. “Just turn on your television set, or read your newspaper, or try to find out what the latest spin is, and you can see what counts is the right sentimental expression, the right style, rather than anything below the surface.”"
"Demi Moore’s law, then, suggests two corollaries. First, arousal overload can douse arousal, requiring even greater or more focused (or fetishized) stimuli to arouse. Second, all of the sexual cues and teases and come-ons in social interaction, in ads and pop culture, in media and fashion serve to inspire new behaviors and manners and preoccupations: in dating and mating; in society’s sexual tastes and boundaries; in how we express ourselves as sensual creatures; and in the ways the human body is portrayed in high and low culture."
Rating
⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4/5 stars)