25 Totally Tubular Gen X Nostalgia Memes That Only True 80s Girls Will Understand (May 20, 2025)

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Ely Bulnes • Writer and Editor
May 20, 2025 6:00 PM EDT

Part of what defines a Gen Xer is that they got to experience the 80s during their youth – that could mean anywhere from early childhood for the youngest Gen Xers to adolesence for the older ones. Naturally, the generation has become exclusively associated with the 80s – which was arguably the best decade to be alive! However, plenty of people from the Gen X generation also got to experience much of the 70s, and every single last one of them was still very much a youth in the 90s – the second best decade to be alive! 

And of course, every Gen X lady feasting their eyes on this collection of memes had to live through whatever weird cultural shifts have been going on since the 2000s. Certainly you'd all know best that nothing has ever quite measured up to the 80s. It's not just childhood nostalgia, either. Honestly, it's probably measurable in some scientific way. Since I am no scientist, all I have to offer are the totally tubular and nostalgic memes that will send you on a trip down memory lane! 

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  • 01
    When you went to a music store in the 80s and had to wait for them to take this thing off your cassette WWWSTED THE PERFORMED BY HOWARD INTREAST ORY
    via @genxhumor
  • 02
    I'm this old COOL A/C ON WARM HEAT 4 MIX ESTO OFF OFF MAX NORM VENT FLOOR
    via @genxhumor
  • 03
    Remember when this in your hair made you feel fancy
    via @genxhumor
  • 04
    The greatest pickup line of our generation... What's No happenin', hot stuff? X
    via @genxhumor
  • 05
    If you didn't gulp lukewarm mystery-temp water from this water fountain while dodging a nose or eye splash and the faint scent of metal, did you even go to school in the 80s? ELKAY
    via @genxhumor
  • 06
    REMEMBER BELIEVING YOUR FACE COULD GET STUCK LIKE THIS FOREVER?
    via @genxhumor
  • 07
    Things I thought I would have to deal with a lot as an adult: 1. Bermuda Triangle 2. Quicksand 3. Catching myself on fire. Things I actually have to deal with: 1. People Unfortunately, I cannot "Stop, Drop, and Roll" my way out of dealing with humanity
    via @genxhumor

  • I was totally convinced that we all had to pass through the Bermuda Triangle to fly anywhere. 

  • 08
    SHARE IF YOU REMEMBER цит 2508 JORN SALE HAVING TO TAKE A BANKBOOK TO THE BANK
    via @genxhumor
  • 09
    ++ Share if you remember vent car windows...
    via @genxhumor
  • 10
    Unlike y'all I only get my news from reliable sources ZOLTAR best deals EAKS S
    via @genxhumor
  • 11
    REMEMBER K-MART BLUE LIGHT SPECIALS?
    via @genxhumor
  • 12
    It's sad that kids today will never feel the joy of the greatest school supply of all time. Trapper Keeper NOTEBOOK
    via @genxhumor
  • 13
    FIDGET SPINNER DE 68 CLASSIC EDITION
    via @genxhumor
  • 14
    I'M OLD ENOUGH TO REMEMBER WHEN PAPER BAGS WERE BEING BLAMED FOR THE DESTRUCTION OF TREES-AND PLASTIC BAGS WERE THE SOLUTION!
    via @genxhumor
  • 15
    SOMETIMES WHEN I LOOK BACK AT MY LIFE AND I'M SERIOUSLY IMPRESSED THAT I'M STILL ALIVE
    via @genxhumor
  • 16
    WHO REMEMBERS HAVING ONE OF THESE?
    via @genxhumor
  • 17
    I'm "melting your eyeliner pencil tip with a Bic lighter so it goes on blacker" years old. MAYBELLIN NEW YO MAYBELLIN NEW YO
    via @genxhumor

  • I am forever thankful for the tattoo eyeliner pens of the modern age! U can really get a fine tip with those. 

  • 18
    REMEMBER THE TURNING BUCKET?
    via @genxhumor
  • 19
    If you're over 40, you might recognize these curtains
    via @genxhumor
  • 20
    I CAN LITERALLY SMELL THIS PICTURE!
    via @genxhumor
  • 21
    In the '70s, I grew up in a house where we wheeled the dishwasher and hooked it up to the faucet! wwwwww IMPERIAL
    via @genxhumor
  • 22
    A 10 Microsoft Windows98 You may be old but are you this old?
    via @genxhumor
  • 23
    KIDS TODAY WALK AROUND WITH AIRPODS AND UNLIMITED MUSIC WHILE WE HAD 12 SONGS MAX & HAD TO WALK CAREFULLY OR THE CD WOULD SKIP Discman GAVCD CD COMPACT PLAYER D-145 HOLD PUSH CLOSE TRACK STEP/MIN SEC SONY COMPACT disc DIGITAL AUDIO PLAY REPEAT/ MODE ENTER
    via @genxhumor
  • 24
    Monty Python Horseshoes 299 59
    via @genxhumor
  • 25
    WHO REMEMBERS SMURE THE OLD TV TRAYS?
    via @genxhumor

Tags

1990s throwback elder millennial 90s memes childhood nostalgia Nostalgia Overload nostalgic 80s 80s memes gen x 90s kids 90s memory lane nostalgia memes gen x memes 1980s
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