What was life like before blue M&M's?

I was 15 in 1995. There are two main things about my childhood (in America, in a middle class family) that are so different from the world today that it's hard for me to make sense of my own memories sometimes. The first is the Cold War. The USSR formally dissolved in 1991. read more

Life was more enjoyable. The blue M&M represents a turning point where American product design became a popularity contest instead of an appeal to aesthetics. Look at what's happened to the ultra-classic Five Flavor pack of Lifesavers. Wholesome citrus flavors have been replaced with Jolly Rancher-style industrial waste. read more

Before the internet, whatever Cronkite and Rather said was true, that was it. Maybe the NY Times would weigh in but we didn't get that so my local paper was just a rahash of AP stuff and local interest. I can't imagine what it would be like today if we didn't have the internet and a very select few controlling information. read more