Life

11 Types Of Heartbreak You Endured In The '90s

by Kaitlyn Wylde

For many of us, the '90s were a particularly heightened time, because we were at the peak of our adolescence. We were like the most electric versions of ourselves. Hormones were raging, feelings were bursting — both of which were propelling enthusiasm toward any and every extreme. When I look back to the '90s, I see it as a state of perpetual heartbreak.

Whether it was because a celebrity that I was in love with got married, or because an actress grew out of a Disney show, or my favorite Beanie Baby was out of stock, there was always something to be heartbroken about. Like, let's not even talk about the feels that occurred when Full House got cancelled. (I was mostly concerned about what would happen with Comet and I've just had to become OK with not knowing.)

I have my journal to prove it. There are hundreds of pages dedicated to the many heartbreaks of the '90s. A lot of them had to do with Jonathan Taylor Thomas (obvz) and having my Giga Pet taken away for cursing, but nonetheless, heartbreak was abound. If you were an emotional young thing in the '90s, these are probably some of the heartbreaks you journaled about, too:

When Scar Killed Mufasa

It didn't matter how many times we watched The Lion King — even knowing it was coming, it was still a massive heartbreak. I mean, how could Scar just push him off like that? They're family. And Simba discovering his dead father? Double heartbreak.

When You Got Booted Offline

If you were talking to your crush online, in the middle of an epic back-and-forth, and your modem cut-out, you were devastated. There was nothing you could do. You could reset it, you could count to 30 or you could pray. But even if you did get back online, your crush would most likely be gone by the time you were there.

When Your Temporary Tattoos Fell Apart

After a super cool birthday party, we'd all be rocking temporary tattoos. They'd look great for a few days, but then they'd start to fade and flake off. So for the next week or so it would just look dirty, and there was no way to get it off that didn't hurt or sting.

Thomas J's Glasses

In the adorably heart-wrenching film My Girl, a pair of best friends are separated when one of them dies. When Veda goes up to Thomas J's casket to say goodbye, she cries that he can't see without his glasses on. If you saw it in theaters, you experienced the entire room erupting in sobs.

"Never Let Go"

In Titanic, when Rose says to Jack "I'll never let go" after he freezes to death in the ocean post crash, our hearts collectively exploded. First of all, why is Leo always getting killed off, and second of all, she did let go! Unforgivable.

My Best Friend's Wedding

The whole time you're gunning for Julianne to end up with Michael. They're meant to be, right? But when Michael goes for Kimberly, you're so disappointed. Throughout the whole film, you're sure they'll pull it together and fall in love in the end. But they never do. It's the most unsatisfying ending there is.

The Postal Service

Ben Gibbard is a emo mastermind. Anything he sings resonates with our souls. There was always a Postal Service song to help us get in touch with ourselves, or open up old wounds. If it was playing at a party, someone was crying.

Jewel's "Foolish Games"

Jewel had a way of crooning the most emotional lyrics in a way that literally just made you bawl. And this song came out at a time that seemed like we were all going through a break up with someone who wasn't being good to our hearts. She gave us the lyrics for our woes and we went to town on them at karaoke.

Johnny & Winona Break Up

Celebrity couple break ups hit their fans more than it did them, it seems. Johnny and Winona (Forever) were the most laid-back, fashionable couple in the '90s. Once he got a tattoo of her name on his arm, we thought they'd really be together forever. Their break up was a huge shocker and tear jerker.

Joey & Dawson Break Up

They weren't even a real couple, and yet when they didn't end up together we mourned them like they were our closest friend. They felt like they were — we spent so much time "getting to know them" on Dawson's Creek.

Finding Out What Gelatin Is

I used to eat Jell-O all the time. It was my favorite after school snack. It wasn't until I had been eating it for over a decade that I earned what gelatin actually is. Avoiding it was impossibly sad. Gummy bears, fruit snacks, poof. No longer as innocent as I had thought. Massive snack heartbreak.

Images: ABC Family, Giphy