Feb 4 - MC Skat Kat, Kris Kross, Halley's Comet
Plus: How do we put the troubling Ace Ventura content into a modern context?
The Retro
by 11 Points
Modern perspectives on ‘80s and ‘90s nostalgia
February 4th, 2022 • Issue 85
This week in nostalgic history
February 4th
28 years ago, on February 4th, 1994 - Ace Ventura: Pet Detective hit theaters.
Ace Ventura: Pet Detective is one of the trickiest ‘90s movies to fit into a modern context.
On one hand, it was a slapstick master class and an unexpectedly well-structured laugh-out-loud comedic mystery. On the other hand… in 2022, it’s just not possible to overlook the transphobia that comes in the later parts of the movie. Ace Ventura literally and non-consensually ripping the clothes off Lieutenant Einhorn in front of a crowd of men to prove she’s transgender — then having all of those men who once were intimate with her exaggeratedly dry heave in revulsion — might be one of the top scenes in all movie history that holds up the worst today.
So what do we do, then, with Ace Ventura — a movie my high school friends and I loved so much we wore through the VHS tape watching it over and over? Do we scrub it from history, pretending it never existed, like Disney did with Song of the South or cable networks have done with The Cosby Show? Does it warrant a pre-movie disclaimer like Dumbo or like WWE does with archived events featuring Chris Benoit?
Or do we continue with what seems to be the current approach: just having it out there, floating from streaming service to streaming service, airing without disclaimer nor anything else, putting the onus on the viewer to recognize it being reflective of (unfortunately) socially-acceptable discriminatory humor at its time?
Ultimately, we probably have to hope/wish society is ready to handle that last option; after all, Ace Ventura is egregious but just one of many, many older movies and shows that reflected antiquated societal norms and if all of them have disclaimers, then none of them have disclaimers. Is society ready to handle that? I guess we have to hope so.
Also on February 4th: Studio 54 held its grand closing party on its final night in business (1980)… Karen Carpenter died as a result of anorexia (1983)… Culture Club’s single Karma Chameleon hit number one (1984)… Sheriff’s single When I’m With You hit number one (1989)… Pete Rose was banned for life from the Baseball Hall of Fame for gambling on games (1991)… Alex Trebek became the first game show host with three simultaneous shows on TV in Jeopardy!, Classic Concentration, and To Tell the Truth (1991)… 4PM’s single Sukiyaki hit number eight (1995)… a jury found O.J. Simpson liable in the deaths of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman… Belgian writer Noel Godin hit Bill Gates in the face with a pie (1998)... The Sims was released on PC (2000)… Scream 3 hit theaters (2000)
February 5th
31 years ago, on February 5th, 1991 - The Big East football conference was formed.
The major NCAA conferences have experienced a high volume of flux in the past few decades. It’s possible the Big East has been through the most.
The conference was founded in 1979 as (in terms of the college “money sports”) a basketball conference. But on this day in 1991, the Big East wanted its piece of the increasingly lucrative D-I football pie and brought in a bunch of new schools — all of which had football programs, and some of which were pretty high profile.
However, the majority of conference members were still big schools without Division I-A football programs (think Georgetown, Villanova, and the like). Despite the conference’s success in football during the ‘90s — largely Miami-driven during its peak “The U” years — there was a permanent schism between the Big East’s football schools and non-football schools. Eventually, the big name football schools decided they didn’t need the grief — and did need to be part of more the football-focused conferences that were starting to sign billion-dollar football TV deals.
By 2013, the basketball-only schools more or less kicked out the football stragglers. Those schools are now part of the non-“power 5” AAC conference, which just landed its first-ever football playoff team in the University of Cincinnati.
Also on February 5th: Africa by Toto hit number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart (1983)… Prince’s single Kiss was released (1986)… Andre the Giant defeated Hulk Hogan on a WWF special on NBC (1988)… Larry Bird retired and Magic Johnson surprised him by wearing a Celtics t-shirt (1993)… the cartoon Where on Earth Is Carmen Sandiego premiered on FOX (1994)… Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman announced their separation (2001)… Kelly Ripa was announced as Regis Philbin’s new co-host (2001)
February 6th
30 years ago, on February 6th, 1992 - Kris Kross’s debut single, Jump, was released.
Jump was one of the early ‘90s hip-hop number one songs and, like most of the chart-topping hip-hop of that era, it was genetically engineered for mass appeal. Kris Kross were young (12/13 years old) childhood friends. A then-unknown 19-year-old Jermaine Dupri, who was hustling to try to break into the music business, discovered Kris Kross performing at a mall in Atlanta.
Their debut single Jump, showcasing a mix of rap talent ahead of their years and plenty of catchy lyrical and melodic hooks, was a fast radio hit. Pair the catchy song with Kris Kross’s marketable and memorable gimmick of wearing their clothes backwards — and you had a true mega hit.
Jump was the number one song for eight weeks, the longest reign for any hip-hop track to that point. It was so popular it even set a sales record for VHS music singles which… wow. (It also inspired a Kris Kross Sega CD video game. Between going all-in n VHS and Sega CD, they weren’t great at picking mediums.)
The future proved tougher for Kris Kross. They shed their kid image for their follow up album in 1993, a mix of the guys becoming teenagers and trying to merge in with the trendier, more authentically raw hip-hop of the time. That album wasn’t a flop by any means, nor was their 1996 album — both sold well enough to make the top 20 — but Kris Kross never had another hit anywhere close to as big as Jump.
Also on February 6th: Centerfold by the J. Geils Band hit number one (1982)… Perrier released its first new product in 123 years, water with a twist of fruit (1985)… Michael Jordan defeated Dominique Wilkens in the NBA Slam Dunk Contest (1988).. Tiffany’s single Could’ve Been hit number one (1988)… Street Fighter II hit arcades (1991)… Black Box’s single Strike It Up was released (1991)… Arthur Ashe passed away (1993)… Tupac was sentenced to four-and-a-half years in prison (1995)… Montell Jordan’s single This Is How We Do It was released (1995)… the ill-advised movie Blues Brothers 2000 was released (1998)… Mary Kay LeTourneau was sentenced to seven years in prison (1998)… Washington National Airport was renamed Ronald Reagan National Airport (1998)
February 7th
29 years ago, on February 7th, 1993 - Shaquille O’Neal broke a basket on a dunk during an NBA game.
While this moment is not that high on the list of NBA conspiracies, it’s certainly up there.
Shaquille O’Neal, though just a rookie, was already the NBA’s new top star and a certified giant. He was playing a nationally-televised Sunday afternoon game on NBC against Charles Barkley, in the middle of what would be Barkley’s MVP season, and the Phoenix Suns. During that game, Shaq dunked… and the entire basket structure collapsed.
That incident strapped a rocket ship to Shaq’s already massive mystique. The moment was the talk of sports and solidified Shaquille O’Neal as the superstar of the future.
Shaq would break a second backboard on another dunk later in the year — this time nearly getting injured in the process — at which point the NBA changed things up and reinforced their basket structures to prevent future collapses.
Did they hold off on doing so initially to facilitate a star-making moment for Shaq? Much like all the other NBA conspiracy theories, they’ll never say — but if it was a marketing ploy, it was certainly one of their best ever.
Also on February 7th: Kool & the Gang’s Celebration hit number one (1981)… Astronaut Bruce McCandless made the first untethered space walk (1984)… Michael Jordan won the NBA Slam Dunk Contest jumping from the free throw line (1987)… Madonna’s Open Your Heart hit number one and Ron & DC Crew’s Ronnie’s Rap peaked at number 93 (1987)… Mike Tyson and Robin Givens got married (1988)… America’s Most Wanted premiered (1988)… 2 Live Crew’s album As Nasty As They Wanna Be was released (1989)… Carmen Electra’s self-titled debut album was released (1993)… Michael Jordan signed with the Chicago White Sox (1994)… Howard Stern talked a caller out of committing suicide (1994)… Shania Twain’s album The Woman in Me was released (1995)… Sophie B. Hawkins’s single As I Lay Me Down was released (1995)… Surge soda went on sale (1997)… Steve Jobs’ NeXT merged with Apple (1998)… Beautician and the Beast hit theaters (1998)… rapper Big Pun passed away (2000)
February 8th
28 years ago, on February 8th, 1994 - The series finale aired of Saved by the Bell: The College Years after just one short season.
Saved by the Bell: The College Years asked the question: What happens if we put these beloved characters in college instead of high school — and in prime time?
The result was… nah, this only worked in high school and on Saturday mornings. Zack and co.’s shenanigans worked when they were big fish in a small pond — often they seemed like the only fish in a small pond. Their shtick felt too unbelievable in college… plus, the move to prime time necessitated more grown up storylines. As a result, we got things like a multi-episode arc about Kelly having a relationship with her professor.
The new Saved by the Bell reboot on Peacock has done a clever (albeit occasionally bludgeoning) job pointing out the surreal set of rules under which Bayside operates. Those rules didn’t work in the college years — which is why we got just one college year.
Also on February 8th: The Winter Olympics kicked off in Sarajevo (1984)… The Dukes of Hazzard aired its series finale (1985)… Witness hit theaters (1985)… 5-foot-7 Spud Webb won the NBA Slam Dunk Contest (1986)… L.A. Story and The NeverEnding Story II: The Next Chapter hit theaters (1991)… Cedric Ceballos won the NBA Slam Dunk Contest by dunking with a (maybe see through) blindfold (1992)… Right Said Fred’s I’m Too Sexy took its rightful place as number one on the Billboard Hot 100 (1992)… the Winter Olympics opened in France (1992)… Kobe Bryant won the NBA Slam Dunk contest (1997)… the first Olympic women’s hockey game was played between Finland and Sweden (1998)… the Winter Olympics began in Salt Lake City (2002)
February 9th
36 years ago, on February 9th, 1986 - Halley’s Comet appeared, with the next appearance coming in 2061.
I have a propensity to lament, from time to time (hopefully not too often), late Gen X’s raw deal. Well, here’s one area where that group scores.
Late Gen X got to see Halley’s Comet on this day in 1986 and create some nice childhood memories about it. And when the comet comes around again in 2061 — we’re about halfway there — this group will get to see it again as relatively spry early 80-somethings.
The 2061 arrival of Halley’s Comet should be even more monumental, and not just because of whatever the info-social diet will look like a that point. In 1986, the research on and coverage of the comet was not as robust as planned; two space shuttles were supposed to be up there observing the comet, but both were scrapped due to the Challenger disaster just weeks earlier. So when the comet does come around in 2061, the astronomy world should be out in full force to learn everything they can. Because 2136 is a long time away.
Also on February 9th: The Warriors hit theaters (1979)… Prince’s single Little Red Corvette was released (1983)… Dominique Wilkens defeated Michael Jordan in the NBA Slam Dunk Contest (1985)… Dee Brown won the NBA Slam Dunk Contest by dunking while covering his eyes (after pumping up his shoes) (1991)… C+C Music Factory’s single Gonna Make You Sweat (Everybody Dance Now) hit number one (1991)… 2nu’s single This Is Ponderous peaked at number 46 (1991)… Magic Johnson, having retired earlier in the season, dominated the NBA All-Star Game (1992)… The Simpsons aired its famous Poochie episode (and passed The Flintstones as the longest-running animated prime-time show) (1997)… NSYNC’s single God Must Have Spent a Little More Time on You was released (1999)… Saving Silverman hit theaters (2001)
February 10th
31 years ago, on February 10th, 1990 - Paula Abdul and MC Skat Kat’s single Opposites Attract hit number one.
MC Skat Kat is an underrated ‘90s cartoon character; just say the name MC Skat Kat and you’ll get a look of joyful recognition from anyone who was a kid in this era.
His work was also the product of multiple people. Which makes sense; no one person could be mighty enough to be the sole driving force behind this kat.
MC Skat Kat was work of all these people:
He was visually and conceptually created by the video’s director, Michael Patterson.
His singing was done by a duo called The Wild Pair, two big-time backup singers named Bruce DeShazer and Marv Gunn.
His rapping was performed by Derrick “Delite” Stevens.
His rap verse was written by (future 40 Year Old Virgin and Weeds star) Romany Malco.
And the inspiration for the character came from Gene Kelly in the movie Anchors Aweigh, where he danced with the animated Jerry of Tom and Jerry.
And since all of that proved creative bureaucracy does occasionally create magic, I’m sure it emboldened many, many executives in the entertainment industry for years to come.
Also on February 10th: Van Halen’s debut album was released (1978)… Expose’s album Exposure was released (1987)… the WWF admitted pro wrestling isn’t a sport (1989)… Dominique Wilkens won the NBA Slam Dunk contest (1990)… Mike Tyson was convicted of rape (1992)… Oprah interviewed Michael Jackson at the Neverland Ranch (1993)… Billy Madison hit theaters (1995)… Garry Kasparov was defeated in chess by Deep Blue (1996)… Brent Barry won the NBA Slam Dunk contest (1996)… Jim Varney passed away (2000)
Everything old is new again
A look at the reboots, revivals, throwbacks, retro insights, and nostalgia in the news.
Netflix is making a new live-action Masters of the Universe movie. One of the actors from the new West Side Story will play He-Man. Rita Moreno for Teela? Make it happen.
A sealed copy of 1990’s John Madden Football for Sega Genesis sold at auction for $480,000, an all-time record for a sports game.
Taraji P. Henson joined the cast of The Color Purple, a movie musical based on the Broadway musical based on the non-musical movie based on the 1982 novel.
Netflix announced the cast for its That ‘70s Show spinoff called That ‘90s Show.
In an new interview with GQ, Christopher Lloyd says he was “worried” when the Back to the Future producers replaced Eric Stoltz with Michael J. Fox a few months into filming.
The Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret movie adaptation will be in theaters on September 16th.
Hocus Pocus 2 will have a Halloween 2022 release on Disney+.
Toto has replaced Billy Idol as the opening act on Journey’s tour.
After 50 years, Sega has quit the arcade business. Sega will sell all of its arcades in Japan to another company.
Throwbacks and recommendations
In honor of the 40th anniversary of Late Night with David Letterman, David Letterman launched a YouTube channel with classic clips from his shows.
Check out a short-ish documentary on the history of Toys “R” Us Times Square.
Here’s an essay on why we’re nostalgic for pop culture things we hated.
Thanks for reading!
-Sam