June 17 - Nintendo 64, Roger Rabbit, Jordan Drafted 3rd
It's the two-year anniversary edition of The Retro
The ‘80s & ‘90s pop culture you loved, forgot, or never knew existed
June 17th, 2022 • Issue 104 🎂
This week in the ‘80s & ‘90s
June 17th
28 years ago, on June 17th, 1994 - DirecTV service went live as the world’s first satellite cable provider.
And now, the story of how a Howard Hughes tax scam turned into the first satellite TV cable service.
In the 1950s, Howard Hughes created a nonprofit called the Howard Hughes Medical Institute. He transferred ownership of his beloved aviation company, Hughes Aircraft, to HHMI. HHMI became one of the world’s wealthiest nonprofits in short order — and people quickly realized it was all a tax shelter scam.
When Howard Hughes died in 1976, HHMI lost its nonprofit status and was incorporated. Following incorporation, it sold Hughes Aircraft to General Motors. They merged the aviation company with a bunch of other random companies in their portfolio to form Hughes Electronics Corporations (HEC).
There wasn’t a strong or clear vision for what HEC was supposed to do. So the HEC team got to mess around a lot — and one of its projects was the idea of satellite-based TV. They teamed up with another company, called United States Satellite Broadcasting (USSB), to create a satellite TV system that actually worked.
After every major cable company rejected the idea of a partnership, Hughes launched DirecTV on their own on this day in 1994.
DirecTV stayed under GM until 2003, when News Corp. bought a controlling stake. In 2009, a company called Liberty took it over. Then in 2014, AT&T purchased DirecTV, where its been ever since.
Also on June 17th: Superman III hit theaters (1983)… The Great Outdoors hit theaters and introduced steak eating contests to the masses (1988)… New Kids on the Block’s single I’ll Be Loving You (Forever) hit number one (1989)… South Africa abolished apartheid (1991)… the body of president Zachary Taylor was exhumed to test for arsenic poisoning but none was found (1991)… the Phoenix Suns pulled off one of the biggest blockbuster trades in NBA history, acquiring Charles Barkley (1992)… the O.J. Simpson car chase aired live on TV (1994)… All-4-One’s single I Can Love You Like That was released and it makes me very suspicious (1995)… Third Eye Blind’s single Semi Charmed Life was released as was K-Ci and JoJo’s album Love Always (1997)… the NHL announced it would be moving to Nashville, Atlanta, Minneapolis, and Columbus (1997)… Adam Sandler’s movie Big Daddy hit theaters (1999)
June 18th
34 years ago, on June 18th, 1988 - Rick Astley’s single Together Forever hit #1.
Just three months after Rick Astley had a number one hit with Never Gonna Give You Up he landed a second number one hit.
Together Forever sounded similar to Never Gonna Give You Up, its video looked similar, and its theme was similar. And yet, in the three-and-a-half decades since, Never Gonna Give You Up has become a hall-of-fame internet meme… and Together Forever has largely drifted into history.
If nothing else, that speaks to the “right time, right place” nature of memes and virility. Had there been a perfect storm of factors on a different day, maybe Together Forever would be the video link people use for pranks — ironically (but also kinda actually) appreciating the music.
Also on June 18th: Sally Ride became the first American woman in space (1983)… Bryan Adams’ single Everything I Do, I Do It for You, from the Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves soundtrack, was released (1991)… Last Action Hero hit theaters (1993)… Beck’s album Odelay was released (1996)… Disney bought a 43 percent stake in the search engine Infoseek (1998)… Run Lola Run was released (1999)… Disney’s Tarzan hit theaters (1999)
June 19th
38 years ago, on June 19th, 1984 - Michael Jordan was selected 3rd in the NBA Draft.
The story of Michael Jordan in the 1984 NBA Draft is really the story of the Portland Trail Blazers.
The Portland Trail Blazers had the first pick in the draft in 1984 and selected Sam Bowie, a 7-foot-1 college sensation at the University of Kentucky. The Blazers’ rationale: They needed a center and already had Clyde Drexler playing Jordan’s position. (And with a similar playing style to Jordan.)
In that era, where teams stuck with regimented player lineups (unlike today), the logic made sense. Not perfect sense, but some sense. Of course, 20-20 hindsight tells us Bowie would have a marginal NBA career (largely due to injuries) and Jordan was Jordan. Jordan’s Bulls would even defeat Drexler’s Blazers in the 1992 NBA Finals.
So you’d think the Blazers would’ve been scarred for life after their franchise-altering decision.
But in 2007, the Blazers had the number one pick again — and once again faced the choice between two hyped NBA prospects. And once again, they chose an injury-risk center over a consensus superstar. The Blazers drafted Greg Oden — whose career would be plagued by injuries until the Blazers cut bait five years later. The player they passed up, Kevin Durant, was the superstar everyone predicted. He wasn’t Jordan — no one was. Durant hasn’t been able to carry a team to a title as its top player (his pair of championships only came when he glommed on to the Golden State Warriors) — but he’s still one of the best 20 or so basketball players of all time.
If Portland had nailed either of those picks, the franchise would likely be in a very different spot today.
So let’s hope they do better with the first pick in the 2030 NBA Draft.
Also on June 19th: The Garfield comic strip debuted in newspapers (1978)… Superman II hit theaters (1981)… Roxanne hit theaters (1987)… Ben & Jerry’s announced Cherry Garcia ice cream (1987)… Michael Jackson performed in divided Berlin (1988)… Pablo Escobar surrendered to police (1991)… Barney & Friends premiered (1992)… Batman Returns hit theaters (1992)… Mulan hit theaters (1998)… the L.A. Lakers won the NBA Championship over the Indiana Pacers (2000)
June 20th
34 years ago, on June 20th, 1988 - Bobby Brown’s album Don’t Be Cruel, featuring five top 10 singles, was released.
It’s easy to dismiss Bobby Brown — his role in the downfall of Whitney Houston, endless legal troubles, lack of career longevity, and overall negative public image all factor in.
But with Don’t Be Cruel, Bobby Brown was once among the biggest artists in the U.S.
Don’t Be Cruel had five too 10 singles and was the bestselling album of 1989. (A year that also included Guns N Roses’ Appetite for Destruction, Madonna’s Like a Prayer, and more.) For a moment, it looked like Bobby Brown was a megastar of the present and future.
It wouldn’t last, for the reasons mentioned earlier. His next album, Bobby in 1992, was not quite as successful. His follow-up to that, Forever in 1997, was barely a blip on the radar.
But for one year, starting on this day 34 years ago, Don’t Be Cruel made Bobby Brown the megastar of the moment.
Also on June 20th: Jaws hit theaters (1975)… the controversial movie Blue Lagoon was released, as was the Blues Brothers (1980)… the record was set for the song with the longest title ever to hit number one on the Billboard Hot 100 (1981)… Karate Kid 2 hit theaters (1986)… Lisa Lisa and Cult Jam’s single Head to Toe hit number one (1987)… the video game Bionic Commando was released (1988)… Price Is Right model Janice Pennington was knocked out by a TV camera (1988)… the B-52’s single Love Shack was released (1989)… Prince’s soundtrack to Batman was released (1989)… Mariah Carey’s single I’ll Be There was released (1992)… the Chicago Bulls won their third consecutive title, defeating the Phoenix Suns (1993)… O.J. Simpson plead innocent (1994)… Batman and Robin hit theaters, as did My Best Friend’s Wedding (1997)
June 21st
25 years ago, on June 21st, 1997 - Bob Carlisle’s one hit, Butterfly Kisses, peaked at #10.
It was rare in the ‘90s for a song in the Christian music genre to break out to the mainstream. As South Park taught us, for most Christian music, the ultimate goal was a myrrh record not a gold one. (I still don’t know if South Park made that up or not. I prefer not to check.)
But Bob Carlisle was one of the exceptions in the ‘90s. He wasn’t a genre crossover artist like Amy Grant — he was a straight up Christian artist.
Butterfly Kisses somehow broke out anyway.
Even though the lyrics now (and then) were at best cheesy and at worst patronizingly patriarchal, the song hit enough people the right way to crack the Billboard top 10.
It was Bob Carlisle’s only mainstream hit.
In the quarter century since it’s become a bit more common for Christian artists to find mainstream success. The main reason: Artists are far less likely to stick to narrow genre boxes in the digital music era than in the ‘90s.
Also on June 21st: Cocoon hit theaters (1985)… Chef Boyardee passed away (1985)… Bo Jackson officially became a two-sport pro athlete when he signed with the Kansas City Royals (1986)… the L.A. Lakers defeated the Detroit Pistons to win the NBA championship (1988)… Jon Bon Jovi had his only solo #1 bit with Blaze of Glory (1990)… the finale of the first season of Seinfeld aired (1990)… The Rocketeer hit theaters (1991)… Disney’s The Hunchback of Notre Dame hit theaters (1996)… the WNBA debuted as the New York Liberty defeated the L.A. Sparks (1997)… Tough Enough premiered on MTV (2001)… Lilo & Stitch, Minority Report, and most important, Juwanna Mann all hit theaters (2002)
June 22nd
34 years ago, on June 22nd, 1988 - Who Framed Roger Rabbit? hit theaters.
I was too young to appreciate Who Framed Roger Rabbit? when I saw it in theaters in 1988 — and it scared the hell out of me — but it was, and is, considered a classic.
So… it’s baffling it never got a sequel. Maybe one of the most baffling un-sequelized movies ever.
There have been attempts at another film — starting in 1989 and as recently as a few years ago, sequel talks have gone on. In the late ‘90s, Disney even got as far as the test footage stage of the next Roger Rabbit.
But Who Framed Roger Rabbit? sequels have always run into an unexpected wall: It’s just too profitable to make regular cartoons. Right after Roger Rabbit came Disney’s late ‘80s/early ‘90s animation boom (the Little Mermaid/Lion King/et. al. years). After that, Pixar swooped in and started printing money. Then Dreamworks got its animation department rolling with Shrek and more.
If Disney has any interest in another Roger Rabbit — which original director Robert Zemeckis says they don’t — now would probably be the moment to do it. We’re in the middle of reboot-mania. Disney+ is a cash cow that needs endless content to serve the ‘80s and ‘90s nostalgia crowd. The recent Chip ‘n Dale: Rescue Rangers movie was a live-action/animation mix targeted at Gen X and Millennial viewers, so we know Disney is amenable to the concept.
It kinda feels like now or never. Otherwise, Disney runs the risk of waiting too long. That’s when you have a situation like 2009’s Land of the Lost reboot, where the fans of the original had aged out of their nostalgia. The gap between when Land of the Lost was on TV and when the reboot came out? 35 years. Clock’s ticking fast, Disney.
Also on June 22nd: John McEnroe gave his famous “You cannot be serious” rant (1981)… the Karate Kid hit theaters (1984)… Bryan Adams’ single Heaven hit number one (1985)… Diego Maradona’s “Hand of God” led Argentina past England in the World Cup (1986)… Florida banned thong bikinis (1990)… Adam Sandler joined the cast of Saturday Night Live (1990)… Cypress Hill’s single Insane in the Brain was released (1993)… the Houston Rockets won the NBA Championship over the New York Knicks (1994)… the U.S. upset Colombia for its first World Cup win since 1950 (1994)… the video game Quake was released (1996)… K-Ci and JoJo’s album It’s Real and Christina Aguilera’s single Genie in a Bottle were released (1999)… The Fast and the Furious hit theaters (2001)
June 23rd
26 years ago, on June 23rd, 1996 - The Nintendo 64 debuted (in Japan).
The leap from Super Nintendo to Nintendo 64 is likely the largest generation-to-generation leap in video game history. To go from Super Nintendo, with its 16-bit, two-dimensional graphics to the three-dimensional world of Nintendo 64 was a whole cloth reimagining of video games. It also required a rewiring of players’ brains. Half the battle in Super Mario 64 was using the four yellow C buttons to adjust the camera angle. We were a long way from where video games used to be.
Future generation-to-generation leaps were never quite so jarring. Nintendo GameCube (and PS2, and Xbox 360, and so on) were graphical and speed improvements on their predecessors — not reinventions. Even Nintendo Wii, which turned to motion controls, was not as big a transition as the jump from 2D to 3D.
Nintendo also hit its creative stride with the Nintendo 64, creating signature games in many franchises (Mario Kart, Zelda, and GoldenEye as the highest profile). The console lasted until 2002, when it was discontinued to clear the way for GameCube.
It still remains one of the most important and monumental video game consoles of all time, somewhere in the top mix with the Atari 2600, Nintendo Entertainment System, Game Boy, and PlayStation 1.
Also on June 23rd: The Knack’s single My Sharona was released (1979)… David Letterman’s short-lived daytime talk show debuted (1980)… Duran Duran’s single The Reflex hit number one (1984)… Batman hit theaters, as did Honey, I Shrunk the Kids (1989)… New Kids on the Block trashed their hotel room (1989)… Sonic the Hedgehog was released for Sega Genesis (1991)… Lorena Bobbit lopped off her husband, John Wayne Bobbit’s, genitalia (1993)… the third season of MTV’s The Real World, set in San Francisco, debuted (1994)… “Stone Cold” Steve Austin gave his career-launching “Austin 3:16” promo (1996)… Matchbox 20’s single Real World was released (1998)… Me, Myself and Irene hit theaters, as did Chicken Run (2000)
Everything old is new again
A look at the reboots, revivals, throwbacks, retro insights, and nostalgia in the news
Microsoft Internet Explorer officially retired on Wednesday before it could hit its 27th birthday.
Duke Nukem is going to become a movie, from the creators of Cobra Kai.
Another ‘90s video game-to-movie: A Gran Turismo movie is scheduled for August 2023.
Reboot-on-reboot violence: Jurassic World Dominion knocked Top Gun: Maverick out of the top spot in the box office this week.
A sealed Back to the Future VHS sold at auction for $75,000. It’s likely the most expensive VHS tape ever sold. The auction also saw a VHS of The Goonies go for $50,000, Jaws for $32,500, and Ghostbusters for $23,750.
Throwbacks and recommendations
Sesame Street released a Friends parody in honor of Father’s Day. Sure, those words all belong together in a sentence.
Here’s the weirdly well-done trailer for a new Nintendo Switch game called Atari Mania, which turns Atari games into a connected web of minigames.
The Father of the Bride remake (well, the second remake, 1991’s was the first) is available now on HBO Max.
Thanks for reading!
-Sam