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. 

Spring Break

Every time I have logged on to a social networking site this week there are either new countdowns or lists of things needed to get done posted by people in anticipation for Spring Break. This has given me a bit of inspiration into looking back to a time where Spring Break became a staple in a college student's curriculum: the 90s.

A bit of general history shows that the decade brought a change to the norm of the traditional Spring Break. A shift from vacationing solely in Ft. Lauderdale and Daytona allowed college students the chance to venture to current hit locations like South Padre and Panama City Beach. 1995 brought the creation of www.springbreak.com which helped spark a revolution in planning the week. For the first time, people were using the internet to assist in planning their Spring Break.

From what I can remember, Spring Break during this time was about one thing: MTV. Celebrities like Tia Carrere (Wayne's World) and Pauly Shore (Biodome) brought music to the biggest "hotspot" that particular year. Live performances as well as interactive challenges/games for their fans really pushed MTV into the position of premiere catalyst for a succesful week. I would always catch a a portion of these festivities from watching MTV. I can honestly say that my perception of Spring Break was shaped by the network and generally held true when I participated years later.

 I'm taking my talents to Chicago this year and missing out on all the hype for the first time in three years. It's definitely time to concede the reigns to this new generation of young guns. With that being said, I am excited to hear the ridiculous tales they return with as well as having the opportunity to preserve my liver and more importantly my bank account.

My Top 5

I wanted to go a little bit off pace this week and kind of follow what the rest of the class was doing in terms of their blogs. I saw a bunch of lists so I decided to craft one of my own. As I have stated before, I feel like 90s television is unmatched in comparison to any other decade. With this in mind I have selected my five favorite characters from the decade. This was certainly a formidable task and to be quite honest, I left some real winners off of the list.

5. Cosmo Kramer (Seinfeld)
Definitely could argue putting him higher on the list. Jerry's outrageous neighbor who ate all his food and consistently wedged himself through the tightest of doorways will go down as one of the most memorable characters of all time. The only reason I have him so low on my list is because I believe that most of us were far too young to actually appreciate the humor of his character.

4. Steve Urkel (Family Matters)
"Did I do that?" You knew he would make the list based solely on his catchphrase. Urkel is one of the most lovable characters of the decade. All of his battles with Carl Winslow and constant wooing of Laura made him a fan favorite.

3. Homer Simpson (The Simpsons)
Undoubtedly the most recognized cartoon figure of modern time. Homer Simpson is the epitome of slapstick comedy. As a kid you didn't have to understand some of the subtle and coy references put in by the writers to enjoy Homer getting drunk, eating doughnuts, or inflicting hilarious pain on himself.

2. Zack Morris (Saved by the Bell)
Possibly who all men aspired to be in high school. Got away with murder basically and still landed the best looking girl in the class. I found the best part of his character was the fact that he could talk himself out of anything and talk his crew into anything. Definitely an interesting dynamic but consistent with our image of the trouble maker. You also gotta love the fact that he was friends with Screech.

1. Cory Matthews (Boy Meets World)
If you grew up in the 90s, you grew up with Cory Sean and Topanga. Boy Meets World was kind of the teenage version of Friends to a degree. Similar issues but downgraded for kids. Perhaps Mr. Feeney made his character even better, but Cory Matthews truly lasted throughout the decade. We as an audience were able to see him grow from grade school to high school to college. Being able to share the same issues Cory was going through made a stronger connection and for me gained my #1 ranking of the decade.

A Year of Confusion

1993 was certainly an odd year for anyone who was closely engaged with pop culture or had a life in general. I think it can certainly be argued that it was a very strange time to most due to the fact that many established figures decided that it was a year to "call it quits".

One of the most pivotal sports figures of our generation stepped away from the game in 1993. Michael Jordan chose to retire from the game of basketball and pursue a career in baseball. Most would attribute this to the murder of Jordan's father as well as the superstar's gambling issues. Although Jordan signed a minor league deal with a Chicago team (White Sox), any fan of basketball and Jordan alike appreciated his return to the Bulls as well as the team's second 3-peat of the decade. Still to this day, Jordan remains the greatest player of all time. Although his 1st retirement somewhat tatters his prolific career, I can understand why he left. Sometimes people want to hide right in public.

The famous television show Cheers also had its last episode in 1993. I'll admit I have never been a fan of the show but the song is a different story. Even though the bar finally "closed", the anthem of that show is still prevalent in society today. Perhaps that will change over the next few years, but that is the type of cultural impact Cheers had.

New Kids on the Block said no more this year as well. After being together for seven years, the boys cited being burned out from touring as the primary reason for their demise. I'm pretty sure me and my older sister actually had NKOTB sweatshirts. I have no idea why I just admitted that, but I can't hide from the truth. This to me was the very first "boy band" that our generation would recognize. I'm not talking about their makeup, but of their success. These guys paved the way for the more successful groups later in the decade but were the original teen heartthrobs. It was actually refreshing to see the group make a little comeback over the past couple of years. 

1992

I'm gonna be like cream and go half and half on this one. 1992 was a pretty big year for all of America. I'm not a huge political buff or fan for that matter, but the 1992 presidential election was an important one. Bill Clinton took the reigns as leader of the greatest nation after defeating George H.W. Bush (important distinction) and this guy.

Not to pick on Ross Perot, but he can hear the crowd. He has satellites for ears. I remember this being the one of the consistent jokes that comedians would make about him even when he ran again in 1996. I never really understood why candidates tried to run for president from an unconventional platform. Ross Perot appeared as an Independent on various ballots when statistically the leaders of this country have been either Republican or Democrat. Surprisingly enough Perot actually did well in the election but fell to the first Democrat since Jimmy Carter was in the White House in Bill Clinton. Clinton was most certainly a pivotal character in our lives. He served our country until we were almost out of elementary school. Perhaps his reputation was later scorned, but lets face it, things were much easier with Clinton at the helm than they are now. 

Just some other events to consider from '92:

• John Gotti sentenced to life in prison (mob boss for those who don't know) 
• Mall of America was built in Minnesota (still really want to go there, its like over 70 acres)
• Rodney King incident (
• NAFTA signed by U.S. Mexico and Canada (everybody borrows something from their neighbors)
• European Union founded (UN but for our buddies across the pond)
• Olympics held in Spain 

The Dream Team

Easily the greatest combination of athletes ever. This team competed in Spain and literally put other countries to shame. They won their games by an average of almost 44 points. The closet game played was against Croatia in the gold medal match. The Dream Team won by 32 points. These 12 guys were quite frankly unstoppable. Cuba's coach might have put it best when he said, "you can't cover the sun with your finger." This was an important step in terms of the Olympic games because it was the first year that professional players were used to compete. Until this time college players had to try and contend for a gold medal. The Dream Team was a pop culture icon. Like Beatles big. This team was unlike any ever created and even with the caliber of players we have today, like Lebron James and Derrick Rose, no team will ever have the same success. Did I mention Michael Jordan was on the team.....#winning 

Toys and TMNT

Some of our fondest memories from childhood revolve around toys. Many of my early interactions with toys however are quite forgettable. Anytime I played with one of my action figures (any guy in class will agree this is what they are called they are most certainly NOT dolls) one of the arms or legs popped off or I would lose my favorite due to my sisters flushing them down the toilet. Easily the best idea I ever had was holding one on a lamp light in my basement. I have no idea what I was trying to simulate but at three or four years old it seemed like an innovation. Without going into extremely detail melted plastic hurts and I suggest refraining from it. Let's face it though, the toys of the 90s are by far the greatest ever created. My parents can have the Easy Bake Oven and G.I. Joe. I'm totally fine with these:

Nerf Guns were pretty awesome. If you didn't have one you missed out. I used to fire these at my sisters and their friends any chance I got. Really the only drawback was the darts. Once either of my sisters got a hold of them they would rip the tails off or just crush them rendering useless. Just a side note I think the kid featured in this commercial is in the movie "Little Giants"

I feel like for a while this stuff really competed with Play-Doh. It had the weirdest texture ever and was just impossible to get out of carpets. My mom thoroughly regretted this purchase maybe 8 minutes after I opened the container. Oh remember how your hands smelled after you played with it? 

Easily took over my childhood. Without question one of my favorite piece of nostalgia from the decade. I really can't describe why but I just took to the turtles. Lot of good memories. I can still recite lines from the first movie. I get a craving for pizza every time I hear the theme song from the cartoon, which is also on my iPod. And in case anyone forgot, just go ahead a take a listen to the intro....

 

'91

Television exploded in year two of the decade. And by explode, I mean literally defined the 90s. There were smash hits coming from every angle. Some of us watched Tim "The Tool Man" Taylor electrocute himself for the first time or maybe JT Lambert fail a chemistry test on Step By Step. But hands down, no one did it better in the 90s than the home for cartoons, Nickelodeon. Nickelodeon might as well have written all of our parents a letter saying "hey we are going to take over your television set now and we aren't taking no for an answer." The station was hitting on all cylinders when they came out with these gems. 

I'm not even kidding when I say this, I used to define people in high school based off what Doug character they resembled most. Don't act like you didn't either. I mean how could you not find a Beebe Bluff or Roger Klotz in the lunchroom. Rugrats was just a staple in my household as well. You knew the gang was going to get in trouble but you watched to see how they got out no matter what. Ren and Stimpy was kind of the show Nickelodeon got away with, and inevitably the show our parents let us get away with as well. These shows just had that much of an impact on my young mind. These were real Saturday morning cartoons. You know the ones kids actually got up for. However I would argue that Are You Afraid of the Dark? is head above the rest. I mean just watch the intro.

If you were anything like me, you used to watch the crew put the fire out with sand because you made it to the end of the episode. I always loved how I could get scared to death at 2pm. I was always fond of this program as well because it was the only show my older sister would let me watch with her. It became our half hour of bonding time and then she would continue to pummel me with random toys scattered around the house. Nickelodeon will forever hold a special place in the heart of a true 90s kid. And no matter what anyone else says or thinks, we will always have the best Saturday morning lineup.

Year One (Nineteen and 90)

I've always hated when watching a movie a really awesome oldie comes on and you think to yourself "man I know I've heard this a thousand times" but you can't put your finger on what the song is called or who it's even by. I don't know about anyone else but there are times where I'll just sit there and not pay attention to any of the dialogue that is going on and concentrate solely on the track that just played. Not really sure if I would consider it a pet peeve, but it becomes an annoyance when I have it on the tip of my tongue. I was watching Space Jam (classic film, should have gotten an Oscar or 7) over this past weekend and this problem occurred. During the opening credits of the film, the song "Pump Up The Jam" plays. It wasn't very difficult to figure out the title of the song due to the fact that the chorus says it like 300 different times but I had absolutely no idea who it was by. I was so bugged by this fact that I skipped all the way to the end of the movie just to see the song list. TECHNOTRONIC.....and now i know haha. In all honesty though, the Space Jam soundtrack was the first CD I ever bought so this one kind of hit home for me. You can't tell me that you wouldn't purchase a compact disk of this caliber. I mean Bugs and Jordan on the same cover...done deal.

I also watched Bridesmaids this past weekend. I know weird combination of film choice, but I love comedies. And guys this is not a chick flick. Its extremely funny and if you haven't seen it I suggest you take a look. Melissa McCarthy who plays the character Megan is hysterical and she is also from Illinois. But getting back on track, this movie unleashes one of 1990s super groups...yes Wilson Phillips had skills. I just found it somewhat amazing that after 21 years of its original release, the song "Hold On" made it into one of last year's biggest hits. I guess it goes to show that music really is timeless. After seeing the movie I will admit that I most certainly Youtube'd the music video and found it to be absolutely hilarious. Ladies, if we ever cross paths and you smell like the mountains wearing one of these get-ups, I might drop down on one knee and pop the question.

I wouldn't leave anyone hanging........

Oh Hello

Welcome to my 90s based blog. I want this to be sort of a hodge-podge of elements we all know and love from the decade. Anything from music to toys will be included. I've even considered sharing significant events that shocked the world over the years. My goal is to cover the entire 10 year span but to also have a great time doing so. So grab your Tamagotchis and Koosh balls so you can enjoy the ride.