Party Like It's 1999

As the decade comes to a close, I chose to look to Prince for some guidance. In his 1982 smash hit "1999", the artist suggested that we party as such. Keeping this in mind, I felt it was only necessary to provide a post dedicated solely to the block-rocking beats of the year. Music in 1999 was nothing short of amazing. As grade schoolers, we noticed the impact of this revolution first hand. Classmates (every girl plus maybe that one awkward kid) roamed the hallways with *NSYNC and Backstreet Boys tour shirts on a weekly basis. As we began to approach junior high, music became a much more relevant medium for us to use and be aware of. One could no longer get by socially with just the assistance of cartoons or your performance in the game the night before. At this point in time, we were all old enough to start appreciating music and possibly even watching MTV on a regular basis (TRL with Carson Daly anyone?). Whatever the case may be, music has played a pivotal role in all of our lives up to this point. I thought it would be appropriate, with graduation looming and the end of our era at Bradley, to display this by posting several videos. Hope you all enjoy!

Chicago Icons

Its goes without saying that the city of Chicago lost two of the most infamous characters in the history of their respective sports in 1998. Michael Jordan would play his last game as a Chicago Bull, but also win the team their 6th NBA championship of the decade. Jordan lead the league in scoring during the 97-98 season with 28.7 points per game and would go on to win his 5th league MVP award. Due to head coach Phil Jackson's expiring contract, Scottie Pippen's intent to be traded, and bad boy Dennis Rodman's looming departure from the team, Jordan decided to hang up the sneakers for the second time in his storied career.

Michael Jordan's final shot as a member of the Bulls

Chicago also lost another icon in this year. Known as a fan's broadcaster above all, Harry Caray's life came to a tragic end in February of 1998. Harry Caray is remembered predominantly for his work with the Chicago Cubs but also did broadcast work for both the Cardinals and White Sox. Caray was an interesting character in the booth in the sense that most of his partners admitted that they despised working with him. He often openly rooted for the Cubbies while swinging his microphone and slurring players' names. Easily the most recognizable frames in the game, Harry's glasses where a staple of his character and have made somewhat of a comeback in recent years. Although health was an issue in his later years, WGN allowed Caray to continue broadcasting past their required retirement age which showed how truly popular he was. "The Mayor of Rush Street", as he was affectionately named for his love of Budweiser, will always be remembered as the voice of the Cubs. Holy Cow!

1997 Through Our Eyes

Actually taking my inspiration from something Heidi said in class yesterday for this week's post. She brought up the concept of visual learning when she showed us a graph pertaining to social media buying concerning sites like Groupon and Living Social. The idea of looking at something and putting the pieces together was ridiculously prevalent for all of us during this period. Most of us were learning to read and write as well as beginning to add and subtract. Our minds were developing at a phenomenal rate due to the impact of images and our ability to make associations with what was being presented to us. My post this week is essentially a group of pictures/videos that will not only relay the significant events of the time frame, but also shed some light on how relevant concepts stay in our minds.

A gallon of gas was $1.22

   

                                                        The average price of a movie ticket was $4.59

Princess Diana killed in a car crash in Paris

Mother Teresa dies in Calcutta

Notorious B.I.G. killed in a drive-by shooting

El Nino forms in the oceans between Austrailia

Mike Tyson bites off Evander Holyfield's ear during a bout and suspended from boxing

Tiger Woods becomes youngest golfer(21) to ever win the Masters

 

Microsoft becomes the world's most valuable company valued at $261 billion

                          

China regains Hong Kong from British rule

Pop Culture

'96 Movie Trivia

Plenty of cinema that would either wow or completely bore viewers came into play during this year. I thought it would be interesting to test everyone's knowledge by posting some trivia. Here are ten questions that will prove whether or not you are a "true" 90s kid.

1.       Which movie did not feature Woody Harrelson?

a.       The People Vs. Larry Flynt

b.      Spin City

c.       Fargo

d.      Kingpin

2.       What is the name of Professor Sherman Klump’s alter-ego in the film The Nutty Professor?

a.       Bobby Light

b.      Buddy Love

c.       Reggie Warrington

3.       What is Tom Cruise’s infamous catchphrase as sports agent Jerry Maguire?

4.        Cruise starred in another blockbuster in 1996. What was it?

a.       Escape from L.A.

b.      Last Man Standing

c.       Mission: Impossible

d.      Eraser

5.       Name the prison in which actors Sean Connery and Nicolas Cage break into in the cinema classic The Rock.

6.       What was the highest grossing film in 1996?

a.       Trainspotting

b.      Matilda

c.       Independence Day

d.      Scream

7.       The Looney Toons and Michael Jordan made a splash with the movie Space Jam. Name the opposing team the Toon Squad played against.

8.       Who played Chubbs Peterson in the movie Happy Gilmore?

a.       Bob Barker

b.      Kevin Nealon

c.       Lee Trevino

d.      Carl Weathers

9.       In a Time to Kill, Matthew McConaughey plays what role?

a.       Judge

b.      Juror

c.       Lawyer

d.      Defendant

10.   Name Jim Carrey’s worst film by far.

Where Are They Now?

I finally got to take a break last night from what had ended up being one of the most stressful few days of my college career. Apparently all of our professors had a meeting and decided this week would be the one to pile all the tests and assignments in. But enough with the sob story. As I was scrolling through channels trying to find something to watch, I came across a late 90s instant classic. Can't Hardly Wait is a quintessential tale about a group of high school graduates and their trials and tribulations the night of graduation. My favorite aspect of the movie is the fact that the entire graduating class is partying in a single living room. After watching the film I began to think of some ideas for this week's posting. After some pondering I noticed that I had never really seen most of the cast in any other films or TV shows (with the exception of Seth Green and Jennifer Love Hewitt). This gave me an idea to compile a list of  some characters who have somewhat disappeared in recent years after early success in the 90s.

Jonathan Taylor Thomas (Randy Taylor)- Home Improvement
Thomas had a great deal of success during the 90s. Not only did he star in television, but also found stardom in movie roles. He voiced Simba in Disney's "The Lion King" and starred in "Wild America" in 1997.

After becoming a teen heartthrob, Thomas fled the acting scene for several years. Although he has made a few guest appearances here and there, Thomas put more effort into education in recent years and attended Columbia University.

Michael Fishman (DJ Conner)- Roseanne
Michael played the youngest of Roseanne's children DJ during the series. As a youngster he got picked on severely by his sisters but as the program developed he began to become somewhat of a troublemaker himself. My older sister and I have a tendency to compare one of my cousins to Fishman because they both had the same haircut as young guns.

Fishman's career since has virtually ended in terms of acting. However he did receive a 2007 Emmy nomination for production design/art direction to celebrate his work  for "Sports Science".

Larisa Oleynik (Alex Mack)- The Secret World of Alex Mack
The premise of this show was pretty creative. Alex Mack gained super powers from a chemical spill and was able to morph into liquid and shoot electricity from her fingertips. For some who never had the privilege of viewing the show, you might recognize Oleynik from her role in 1999's "10 Things I Hate About You".

Oleynik took a bit of time off from the scene but ha made some recent noise on "Hawaii Five-0" and "Mad Men".

Dave Coulier (Joey)- Full House

Coulier's character on the series lived in the Tanner basement in an attempt to help his friend Danny take care of his three daughters. The character Joey started off as a stand up comedian that eventually moved into  advertising. In the early part of the decade, Dave was romantically involved with Alanis Morissette. 

As of now, Coulier's acting career in acting has hit somewhat of a standstill. He has done voice overs for programs such as Robot Chicken, but still continues to engage in stand up comedy.

Danny Tamberelli (Little Pete Wrigley)- The Adventures of Pete and Pete

Danny played the younger brother on this program and sported a tattoo named Petunia on his arm. Always thought it was hilarious that a 12 year old was rocking a tattoo that he made dance.

Tamberelli now has entered the music scene. He performs in both a rock and pop/folk band. 

If The Gloves Don't Fit You Must Acquit

Quite a year in terms of breaking news in the court room. O.J. Simpson was found innocent on two counts of murder involving his wife Nicole and her friend Ronald Goldman in October of 1995. Simpson's ordeal was considered to be the "trial of the century" by most in the media due to the massive publicity endured. Perhaps the most memorable piece of the trial was the leather glove O.J. was asked to try on. When it became obvious that the glove didn't fit, Simpson's defense attorney Johnny Cochran coined the phrase "if it doesn't fit you must acquit." Essentially Cochran was able to convince the jury that there was reasonable doubt in terms of the DNA evidence as well as misconduct in regards to handling the Juice's celebrity status.

1995 also marked the Oklahoma City Bombing incident. Timothy McVeigh and his accomplice Terry Nichols killed 168 people in all after they chose to bomb the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in OKC. At this point in American history, the Oklahoma City Bombing became the biggest criminal investigation ever. McVeigh had various issues with the federal government and ended up driving an explosive filled Ryder truck into the building to show his displeasure.

I remember my kitchen table being loaded with tabloids concerning these two key issues. Anything from the Sun Times to the National Enquirer telling each one of their compelling stories. I also think this is really the first time I watched the news on a regular basis. My parents both followed each of these cases so I suppose as an attempt to act old for my age i tried to follow suit. Although I probably didn't understand the ramifications of either situation, I'm surprised that I took interest in the subject matter. Whatever the case may be, there is no question that both of these incidents will forever hold a place in American history.

90 Fo

Music lost one of the generation's greatest talents when Kurt Cobain decided to end his life in April of 1994. Cobain is arguably one of the best singers and guitarists of all time. The Nirvana front man propelled the "grunge" movement from Washington to the rest of the United States. He is also considered the spokesman for his generation. Cobain struggled with drug addiction as well as identity issues, which inevitably caused him to commit suicide with the use of a shotgun. I feel that it was certainly a huge loss for the industry, but also for alternative music as well.

1994 was an interesting year in sports as well both in the historical and unimaginable sense.

• The NHL locked out players over salary issues
• Major League Baseball players strike
• U.S. figure skater Nancy Kerrigan attacked

The lockout and strike of 1994 are just two examples of the ramifications and seriousness present in the sporting world. We all saw examples this past year in both the NFL and NBA. The Nancy Kerrigan attack is one of the craziest things I have ever heard of. Essentially Kerrigan's rival Tonya Harding had her boyfriend attack Kerrigan before the Olympics to try to gain an advantage. The attack backfired entirely on Harding because she didn't even medal at the games with her terrible performance. I just thought this story was important to look at because I found it amazing to see what extent people will go to in order to win even if they sacrifice their morals or reputation in the process. I also find it hilarious that Tonya Harding would later compete in "Celebrity Boxing" to try to keep her bad girl image in tact.