Nate Armbruster
A recent AskReddit thread invited people to share their favorite things that don’t exist anymore but should and some of them are pretty great. Things change so fast nowadays and sometimes it’s good to look back for the sake of nostalgia.
Most things I wish still existed are food-related but I really do miss going to rent a movie. Every kid should grow up having felt disappointed that the movie they wanted was all out at least once, right? Then you have to go down one of the center aisles and find something you haven’t seen. But the rush when there’s just one copy left and you get it was so worth it. Ah, memories.
1. I’m for it!
“The Office of Technology Assessment in the US Congress. Its job was to keep Congress up to date with developing science and technology. It was defunded in 1995.
Considering Congress’s general tech illiteracy, it seems like something that needs to come back.”
2. Maybe I’m biased but cartoons aren’t what they used to be.
“Saturday morning cartoons. Fox Kids, 1 Saturday Morning, Kids WB, BKN…
I remember watching the CW4Kids block after it replaced Kids WB when I was in my early 20s, and I knew the writing was on the wall.
It became Vortexx for a bit, and even that ended by 2014.”
3. Home ec was the best.
“Home economics classes.
Preach! It is shocking how many people leave school with no idea how to take care of themselves.
Not just basic cooking either, cleaning, making beds, laundry, not-letting-your-room-get-so-stale-that-it-makes-the-entire-hall-smell-like-a-wet-dog’s-arse. We need to teach future students this shit!”
4. I miss Mythbusters.
“Old school Discovery channel. The one that you could actually learn something from.”
5. I’d fly on a Concorde even during a pandemic.
“Supersonic travel.
You could fly New York to London in 3 hours in the 70’s but not today.
I realize there’s plenty of financial and engineering reasons this doesn’t exist but it just seems so backwards if you don’t look at it too closely.”
6. Built to last.
“Actual quality products. And I’m not talking about cheap Walmart brand crap being nicer. I fully believe you get what you pay for.
Like there’s things that I wish I could buy, and I would pay the commensurate high price, that are just high-quality and would last.
For a lot of things that option literally doesn’t exist anymore.”
7. Vine came and went in 6 seconds.
“Vine.
I don’t know whether this is a cringy opinion to have, but I believe a unique art form was lost when Vine died. That 6-second limit forced people to use creative ways to rapidly tell a story and a lot of hilarious stuff came out of it.
There are a few videos on TikTok that sort of recapture the Vine feel, but I still feel like I’m watching a hollow ghost of something once-great when I watch TikToks.
I’m just glad that people managed to save a ton of the classic Vines in youtube format.
Sad that we won’t be seeing any new ones unless a ‘Vine 2’ launches, and even then, I’m not sure it’s going to feel the same.”
8. This is an idea.
“Honest government.
The modern political climate really started to shift after Reagan won the presidency.
Not saying that Reagan is the basis of all our problems, but the parties got really polarized from then on, and it’s just a cluster fuck now.”
9. Give us a heads up, first.
“The guillotine.
Last used in 1977 in France.”
10. Agreed.
“Robin Williams and Steve Irwin.”
11. iPhones could last forever.
“Products lasting a long time.
Old refrigerators and cars were built to last. Then corporations realized they could rig stuff to degrade over time forcing you to buy another. Now iPhones will start having problems after two years.
Fuck you Apple, I’m keeping my iPhone 4S even if the home button doesn’t work.”
12. This would be nuts.
“Political debates settled by duel.”
13. Sounds like a good idea.
Glass bottles and recycling programs for those bottles.
14. Truth.
“IPod Classic. Especially if they added Bluetooth, wireless charging, WiFi (to download podcasts and sync music), external speaker, water proofed, and a camera (plus microphone).
I was going to say I like it’s simplicity, but I think I it’s really that it’s a dedicated device for listening to music and podcasts. We need a break from social media and news notifications that drive up our blood pressure. Bring back the iPod classic.
Also, the current Apple Music interface is just bad. So the old music library interface as well. Cover flow and all.”
15. Let’s be nice to each other! This is an easy adjustment.
“As a younger member of society (age<20), I am often annoyed by the way the majority of society seems to not do basic things, such as holding doors open for others (especially their elders), saying good morning/good evening to someone they may pass on the street, thanking shop keepers etc.”
16. Social Distancing could make this a reality. Let’s do it.
“Drive in theaters”
17. Woah, I completely forgot about these!
“Altoids Sours”
18. I’m for this.
XXL Grilled Stuffed Burritos.
Went to crappy State school. Got 1300 dollars credit in Meal Plan for Dining Hall (8.99 All you could eat) or Pizza Hut, Taco Bell, Chicken Place or Sandwhich joint. We always chose Taco Bell.
We ate XXL Grilled Stuffed Burritos everyday for 2 semesters, our boys dorm wreaked of fucking taco hell. GLorious times.
19. This is a big one for me.
“Technically Blockbuster still has ONE remaining store open somewhere in Alaska I think, but, I miss Blockbuster. Like back when it was poppin.
I miss strolling on over there on Friday, renting a game or two and a movie, get some popcorn and candy. It was always a good experience. I still have my blockbuster card in my wallet tbh. No joke. They demolished the building our local one was in last year finally and built a Walgreens in its place.”
20. I’d start buying cereal if they started doing this again.
Toys in breakfast cereal. Rather than an online code for a chance to win a contest if you download their shitty game app.
21. Especially when you gotta pee.
Intermissions during really long movies.
22. A classic.
Chappelle’s Show
23. This is a great one.
“A solid wall of separation between church and state.”
More:
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