A '90s Cool Guy Versus A Modern Cool Guy

In a short period of time, what makes a cool guy has changed immensely. Cool guys in the '90s are nearly unrecognizable from cool guys now, which makes me want to build a time machine and take some cool guy back to the '90s and see what teen me has to say. If I had to guess I think it would be "Ew, he's nothing like Encino Man-era Brendan Fraser". If I have to be honest, I think '90s cool guys are probably still cooler than cool guys now, but maybe that's because I'm old and I don't understand Justin Bieber or what Snapchat is. I do, however, still swoon for a pubescent Leonardo DiCaprio Romeo sauntering to Radiohead while wearing a crazy Hawaiian shirt. Cool guys just can't pull that off any more.

I don't know when cool guys became less cool to me, but they're still cool to the young people who think they're cool, so good for them. All I know is they're very, very different sorts of guys, and the things they do that are considered "cool" are way different to the things that are cool now. I blame technology, and as I've already mentioned, that damn Snap Chats *old woman shakes fist at "the cloud"*. Here's some of the differences between '90s cool guys and modern cool guys.

1. Their Hair

Back in the '90s, cool guys had floppy hair that often fell seductively into their eyes. Sometimes it was tipped blonde. Cool guys now have man buns, which I guess just means they stopped getting hair cuts since the '90s.

2. Their Job

The '90s were a simpler time. Cool guys worked in record stores. Being cool wasn't about your resume at all. Now, cool guys have impressive jobs at tech start ups or run their own businesses. One thing hasn't changed: they all play guitar recreationally.

3. Their Pants

Cool guys, unfortunately, have never worn cool pants. Not in the '90s and not now. In the '90s their pants were floppy, sometimes ripped. Think Kurt Cobain's jeans. Now their pants are tight and often ankle grazing (still with rips though). Can't we find a happy medium, cool guys?

4. Their Tattoos

Cool guys in the '90s sometimes had tattoos, but it wasn't a prerequisite of being cool. They certainly were never really covered in tattoos. Now, cool guys are tattooed up as a sign of their coolness. No cool guy worth is salt would be caught without a tattoo in the modern era.

5. Their Smoking Status

Unfortunately, it was still kind of cool to smoke in the '90s. It is definitely not cool to smoke now. It's actually super gross. Where we used to go weak at the knees for a cool guy with a cigarette between his lips in the '90s, we'd now be more likely to put that guy on a "Never going to kiss" list. Smoking is not cool any more.

6. Their Level Of Brood

In order to be cool, you need to have a certain moodiness about you. Whereas in the '90s that was brooding, and by brooding I mean super introspective and a little existential, now that's been exchanged for "swagger" and a little mischievousness.

7. The Amount Of Books They Read

Perhaps going hand in hand with the pseudo-intellectualism of their broodiness, cool guys in the '90s read books. Mostly On The Road, but hey, they read! Cool guys today read Twitter and Snapchats (as I already mentioned above). I'm not saying '90s cool guys weren't pretentious, but at least they made reading books and not just social media cool!

8. Who They Date

Back in the '90s, cool guys (at least the heterosexual ones) dated what we called "alterna girls". Think Drew Barrymore or Winona Ryder. Now their modern day counterparts date supermodels. Think Gigi Hadid or Kendall Jenner.

Images: Buena Vista Pictures; Giphy (8)