April 9: Sandlot, Steamed Hams, In Living Color
Plus Napster, All-4-One, and more
The Retro by 11 Points
Modern perspectives on ‘80s and ‘90s nostalgia
April 9, 2021 • Issue 42
This week in nostalgic history
April 9th
28 years ago, on April 9th, 1993 - The Sandlot hit theaters.
The Sandlot sometimes feels over-represented in the halls of modern nostalgia when contrasted to its contemporaneous success (middling reviews calling out the fairly by-the-numbers underdog sports and coming-of-age stories, and even more middling box office). Of course, The Sandlot was an exercise in nostalgia in and of itself; a movie released in 1993 set in 1962, evoking ghosts of the sepia-toned “hey yous guys wanna play stickbawl” era when baseball still laid credible claim to the title of America’s pastime.
So why is The Sandlot so beloved today by an entire generation of ‘90s kids? I’ll speculate on a few reasons. One, The Sandlot has a somewhat timeless quality, an almost A Christmas Story-esque evergreen-ness, so even people who weren’t alive in the ‘60s take on a deep feeling of nostalgia by osmosis. Sure, ‘90s kids aren’t sentimental for the ‘60s, but they can associate with the brain patterns of those who are. And two, as I’ve said in this newsletter before, never doubt the impact of the vanishing underdog sports movie. Movies like The Sandlot simply aren’t made today. Sports movies die on the vine in crucial overseas markets and, frankly, don’t play all that well domestically either. There’s little room in the modern landscape for the $7 million budget/$34 million box office non-prestige film — and an underdog kids-playing-sports movies is exactly that. The Sandlot has taken on an outsized importance in large part because it’s always been denied a worthy successor.
Also on April 9th: Terms of Endearment won Best Picture at the 56th Oscars (1984)… Patrick Duffy’s return to Dallas was announced, even though his character was killed off (1986)… Billy Idol’s single Cradle of Love was released (1990)… Indecent Proposal hit theaters (1993)… Soundgarden broke up (1997)… Never Been Kissed and Go both hit theaters (1999)
April 10th
34 years ago, on April 10th, 1987 - The Secret of My Success hit theaters.
The Secret of My Success is one of those movies where you’ve seen it even if you haven’t seen it. Michael J. Fox, a low-level mail room employee at a mismanaged multinational corporation, poses as a fake executive and ultimately winds up (spoiler alert) as the CEO after all bad people are exposed and served due comeuppance. It’s also a sex farce in some measure, maybe because the business stuff felt too cookie cutter.
In fact, there are only two surprising aspects of The Secret of My Success.
One, the movie was unbelievably successful, most likely due to Michael J. Fox’s mega star appeal at the time. It was the sixth highest grossing movie of 1987, beating out movies like Lethal Weapon, Predator, Crocodile Dundee, RoboCop, and Dirty Dancing.
And two, if you were to bring up this movie to someone out of the blue, odds are they’d reference its use of the song Oh Yeah by Yello in the movie (that’s the song that goes “day bow bow, chic-a-chica”). Ready for the twist: Apparently the producers didn’t realize that song would be so pivotal, as it’s not even on the soundtrack.
Also on April 10th: Sam Kinison was killed in a car accident (1992)… Newsies hit theaters (1992)… SWV’s single Weak was released (1993)… Monica’s single Don’t Take It Personal and Boyz II Men’s single Water Runs Dry were released (1995)… City of Angles and My Giant both hit theaters (1998)
April 11th
35 years ago, on April 11th, 1986 - Kellogg’s stopped giving factory tours due to suspicion of serial cereal spies.
Kellogg’s is a company with unusual roots. It came to exist after John Harvey Kellogg wanted to create the blandest anti-aphrodisiac possible to help curb people’s sexual urges at his sanitarium in Battle Creek, Michigan, and came up with Corn Flakes. Then his brother stole the recipe, formed a company around selling it as a cereal and not a means to curb self-gratification, and Kellogg’s was born.
So even as Kellogg’s, over the course of a century, became a multinational, multibillion-dollar conglomerate, there was a cornerstone in its permanent foundation that drew from its notorious roots.
That back story helps put into perspective what was, at the time, viewed as a case of hyperbolic corporate paranoia. Kellogg’s, giving tens of thousands of tours a week, decided to stop the tours on this day in 1986 out of fear of competitors using the tours to gain company secrets. In a statement, they even referenced a group of engineers from a rival company taking the tour nearly two dozen times before setting up their manufacturing processes.
Did that really happen? Who knows. But Kellogg’s certainly bought into it enough that, when coupled with its own roots of espionage, was enough to end the 74-year tradition of factory tours. To this day, the tours have never returned; in the late ‘90s, Kellogg’s opened a museum in Battle Creek called Cereal City to try to re-bridge the gap, but it was shuttered in 2007.
Also on April 11th: R.E.M.’s debut album Murmur was released (1983)… Gandhi won Best Picture at the 55th Oscars (1983)… The Last Emperor won Best Picture at the 60th Oscars (1988)… Anaconda and Grosse Point Blank both his theaters (1997)… Savage Garden’s self-titled debut album was released (1997)
April 12th
27 years ago, on April 12th, 1994 - All-4-One’s self-titled debut album was released.
So what really was the deal with All-4-One? They certainly seemed like one of the many harmonizing dude groups which sprouted up like soulful weeds in the wake of Boyz II Men; however, unlike so many others, they managed to get themselves pretty solidly on the map before seemingly vanishing into the doo wop ether.
It turns out they weren’t manufactured, per se, but they also weren’t four childhood friends who figured out they could knock out a restaurant quality four-party harmony either. Two of the guys were high school friends in Antelope Valley, California; they found the third when they were singing in a recording studio, and the fourth at a karaoke contest. They landed a recording contract during an obscure record label’s open casting call; as they were recording their album, that obscure company got a distribution deal with Atlantic Records, so suddenly All-4-One had a major label debut.
Their first single off the album, So Much in Love, was a solid hit. But their second single, I Swear, a cover of John Michael Montgomery’s concurrent country hit with only a few lyrical tweaks (the country “when there’s silver in your hair” became the R&B “when the two of us are there”), was a song-of-the-year level success. It was number one on the Billboard chart for 11 weeks, won a Grammy, and was the top selling single of 1994 (neck-and-neck with Ace of Base’s The Sign and, fittingly, Boyz II Men’s I’ll Make Love to You).
That wouldn’t be the end of All-4-One, but they’d never get anywhere near that summit again. Their next album produced a number five single in I Can Love You Like That but little else notable. No subsequent album would have a charting hit. And yes, there were multiple subsequent albums — even as recently as 2015. Because, in fact, the four original members of All-4-One are still together today, making music, touring, and staying together, even as there’s silver in their hair.
Also on April 12th: Mad Max hit theaters (1979)… 21 Jump Street premiered (1987)… Sonny Bono was elected mayor of Palm Springs, Calif. (1988)… Garth Brooks’ self-titled debut album was released (1989)… the children’s game show Fun House aired its series finale (1991)… Disneyland Paris aka Euro Disney opened (1992)… Hole’s album Live Through This was released (1994)… Drew Barrymore flashed David Letterman during an interview (1995)… the L.A. Rams received permission to move to St. Louis (1995)… Fear hit theaters when the movie Fear hit theaters (get it?!?!) (1996)… James and the Giant Peach hit theaters (1996)… the Backstreet Boys single I Want It That Way was released (1999)
April 13th
21 years ago, on April 13th, 2000 - Metallica sued Napster for copyright infringement.
mp3 sharing existed before Napster. There were file sharing websites. There were FTP sites with upload/download ratios. There was Scour, which tracked down mp3s on shared networks. There were various P2P sharing sites in the pre-torrent days of the late ‘90s.
But those all shared one major characteristic: They weren’t easy. You had to know where to look to find them, have various levels of technical savviness (or, at least, not tech-phobia) to use them, or both. You also needed patience, as downloads were often glacial and many files were low quality.
Napster blew the lid off mp3 sharing because it made things way, way too easy. Now, anyone could download a simple piece of software, type a song title into its search bar, and have a high-quality version of the song on their computer in (usually) 60 seconds or less. There’s a reason Napster became synonymous with mp3 sharing; it was a seismic event. And it was the one that finally forced the music industry’s hand.
Metallica took the lead for the music industry, suing Napster on this day in the first-ever lawsuit against a peer-to-peer file sharing company. While it wasn’t very rock and roll of Metallica to do so — it’s hard to imagine being more establishment than this — they had the industry heft plus the desire, so they grabbed the mantle.
The lawsuit was, essentially, the end of Napster. Metallica succeeded in getting an injunction; then many other artists filed their own lawsuits. Napster went under within roughly a year.
The door to P2P file sharing never really shut but, in perhaps a surprising development, its mainstream appeal was not here to stay. So as the music industry (finally) adjusted to digital sales and then streaming, illegal file sharing receded into the less mainstream realm again, this time in the form of torrenting.
Also on April 13th: We Are the World hit number one on the Billboard charts (1985)… The Pat Sajak Show aired its series finale (1990)… the Bingoboys one hit, How to Dance, peaked at number 25 (1991)… Crystal Pepsi hit test markets (1992)… Tiger Woods won his first major, the Masters, at age 21 (1997)… Dolly the cloned sheep gave birth (1998)… Brandy’s single Almost Doesn’t Count was released (1999)
April 14th
25 years ago, on April 14th, 1996 - The Simpsons episode “22 Short Films About Springfield” premiered.
It’s not really possible to name the most enduring Simpsons moment, but the modern popularity of one of the segments in “22 Short Films About Springfield” has become a modern day contender. This episode, which dipped in and out of Pulp Fiction parody as it zoomed around the Simpsons’ hometown, spotlighting many side characters in quick vignettes, featured a segment called “Steamed Hams.” And the steamed hams segment has taken on a meme life of its own (and countless parodies) in recent years.
“Steamed Hams” is a short, Abbott and Costello-style scene where Principal Skinner tells bumbling, escalating lies as he hosts Superintendent Chalmers for dinner. Skinner, having ruined the roast he was cooking, tries to pass off fast food Krusty Burgers as his own cooking, and tells one lie after another to cover his tracks. (“I thought we were having steamed clams.” “Oh no, I said ‘steamed hams.’ That’s what I call hamburgers … it’s a regional dialect.” “What region?” “Upstate New York.” “Really. Well I’m from Utica and I never heard anyone use the phrase, ‘steamed hams.’” “Oh, not in Utica, no, it’s an Albany expression.”)
Steamed Hams caught on as a meme a few years back. It hasn’t been used in a poignant way, per se; no one is really using Steamed Hams as, say, a parable for the chronic lying we see from prominent people today. It’s more that people appreciate the comedic mastery of the scene — it’s The Simpsons at their Bo Jackson in Tecmo Super Bowl peak — and the meme just snowballed from there.
Also on April 14th: Iron Maiden’s self-titled debut album was released (1980)… Kramer vs. Kramer won Best Picture at the 52nd Oscars (1980)… Say Anything hit theaters (1989)… Tom Petty’s first solo album was released (1989)… a guy in gold shoes hit a full court shot to win a contest at a Chicago Bulls game (1993)… Jury Duty and Stuart Saves His Family hit theaters (1995)… Greg Norman famously blew a lead at the Masters (1996)… Tal Bachman’s single She’s So High was released (1999)
April 15th
31 years ago, on April 15th, 1990 - In Living Color premiered on FOX.
In the early days of the FOX network, there was a focus on proving just how much of an alternative it was (or aimed to be) in contrast to the stodgier established broadcast networks. In Living Color was one of the crown jewels of the movement. Saturday Night Live, though featuring a talented group at the time, had lost virtually all of the edge it used to make its name in its early years. In Living Color set out to be the opposite; In Living Color wasn’t SNL-lite, SNL was In Living Color-lite. In Living Color was an edgier, raunchier, and hipper sketch comedy show. It also featured a cast that was mostly Black — a direct contrast to SNL’s majority white cast — and made a point not to water down its material for the sake of attracting a white audience. The theory was: Sure, The Cosby Show does well. But if we keep this show authentic in its humor, the people will watch it on its own merits.
And that’s exactly what happened. The show was a phenomenon. It won the Emmy for Outstanding Variety, Music, or Comedy Series in its debut season. In Living Color got so popular it even aired a special during the halftime show of the Super Bowl in 1991; that special did so well the NFL changed its approach to the Super Bowl halftime show to what we know it as today, a high-budget spectacle featuring gigantic, headlining stars instead of assorted marching bands or children’s choirs.
Of course, In Living Color got a lot of things right besides just keeping things as raw as network TV would allow. They did a tremendous job casting, giving big breaks to talents like David Alan Grier, Jim Carrey, Tommy Davidson, and (later in the run) Jamie Foxx. The show cast 700 Wayans family members, but also generally did a pretty good job recognizing the talent continuum there and casting accordingly. In the Jackson 5 of the Wayans family, Damon was Michael. In Living Color was unafraid to parody anyone and anything and never shied away from, for better or worse, mining comedy from stereotypes. And they kept the show cool, booking a mix of top and up-and-coming hip-hop acts and featuring their dance group The Fly Girls as they went in and out of commercial breaks.
The show burned so bright so fast, however, it couldn’t last. FOX started getting more and more involved and clashed with Keenan Ivory Wayans to the point where he wound up leaving the show after the third season. Damon Wayans also left at that time for his movie career. Without Keenan steering the ship (and keeping FOX at bay) and without Damon as the go-to Wayans for sketches, the show rapidly lost its magic. FOX was also working on changing its image; now that it had the NFL and more legitimacy as a network than ever, it wasn’t looking for raw and boundary pushing entertainment anymore. It wanted to go mainstream. In Living Color wasn’t a part of that move.
The series finale aired on May 19th, 1994, after just five seasons. The less edgy MadTV would hermit crab into the FOX sketch comedy slot about a year-and-a-half later. It ran for three times as long as In Living Color but never managed to come close to the buzz its predecessor garnered at its peak.
Also on April 15th: Flashdance hit theaters (1983)… Tokyo Disneyland opened (1983)… Sprockets debuted on Saturday Night Live (1989)… Space Ghost premiered (1994)… the World Trade Organization was established (1994)… No Doubt’s single Don’t Speak was released (1996)… Jackie Robinson’s number 42 was retired across baseball (1997)… Hanson’s single Mmmbop was released (1997)
Everything old is new again
A look at the reboots, revivals, throwbacks, retro insights, and nostalgia in the news.
The totally ‘90s website from the original Space Jam has famously remained online for the past 25 years. But with LeBron’s new Space Jam coming out and taking over the domain, fans thought the original site finally disappeared. Fortunately, the Warner Bros. powers that be kept it online, albeit under a new URL.
A sealed copy of Super Mario Bros. sold at auction for $660,000 last Friday, the all-time record for a video game. Also, a copy of Mega Man sold for $144,000 and one of Mike Tyson’s Punch-Out!! sold for $102,000.
The Friends reunion that’s been delayed 17 times or so because of COVID has reportedly begun filming.
A new trailer has come out for a PS5 horror game set in the world of Seinfeld. Yes, it’s real. But is it spectacular?
The trailer has come out for a new documentary on Sesame Street called Street Gang: How We Got to Sesame Street.
The Saturday morning cartoon Gargoyles is coming back as a new board game.
Kevin Bacon says the director of Footloose gave him half a Valium to calm him down before the scene where he took a stand for dancing.
The MacGyver reboot has been canceled after five seasons on CBS.
Don Johnson says he’s working on a Nash Bridges revival.
Atari is getting in on the whole NFT thing and selling NFTs of 3D models of various games.
Throwbacks and recommendations
NPR listeners put down their monocles to vote on the 25 best muppets (which included anyone from any Muppet property, including Sesame Street). Even with the broad array of characters from which to choose, classic Muppets still dominate the top of the list.
Bill Murray did an interview where he says, among other things, he was deceived into doing Ghostbusters 2.
There’s a new Nirvana song… created entirely with artificial intelligence.
There was a viral debate on Twitter this week over whether Alien is a horror film.
A 1991 Soviet Union TV version of Lord of the Rings has surfaced on YouTube. It’s low budget, to say the least.
Thanks for reading!
-Sam