June 3 - Wilson Phillips, Sex and the City, Ferris Bueller
Plus Jewel, the Blockbuster Awards, Blind Melon, and more
The ‘80s & ‘90s pop culture you loved, forgot, or never knew existed
June 3rd, 2022 • Issue 102
This week in the ‘80s & ‘90s
June 3rd
27 years ago, on June 3rd, 1995 - The first Blockbuster Awards took place.
The Blockbuster Awards were a pure marketing play by Blockbuster Video at the height of its powers. The goal of these awards (beyond promoting their business): Celebrating the blockbuster (with a lowercase b) movies that rarely saw recognition at the Oscars or Golden Globes — but kept people coming into the rental shops.
And that conceit might have worked if they’d committed to that niche premise — if they’d really set themselves up as “Oscars but for mainstream movies.” But they expanded their scope immediately, not just giving awards for rental sensations but for current theatrical releases — and even music.
The awards sort of worked initially. They got a good celebrity turnout for these first awards and strong viewership (for June, at least) on TV.
But the awards failed to emerge above the rest of the plethora C-list awards shows. Over the coming years, the Blockbuster Awards bounced from CBS to UPN, then eventually to FOX. And the Blockbuster Awards soon fell into the trap of all the other C-list awards shows: Where they give out laughable nominations to horrible movies just to try to get the nominated celebrities to show up.
After the seventh annual Blockbuster Awards in 2001, it seemed the powers that be were looking for an excuse to kill the show without having to admit defeat. That excuse came after 9/11. In November 2001, Blockbuster announced it was indefinitely suspending its awards — curious timing, since the awards were held in the spring or early summer. But if a tragedy in the fall was their out, they were going to take that out.
The Blockbuster Awards never emerged from that indefinite suspension. And considering the fate of Blockbuster, it’s fair to say they never will.
Also on June 3rd: Darryl Strawberry was the top pick in the MLB Draft (1980)… WarGames hit theaters (1983)… Larry King Live premiered on CNN (1985)… Big and Funny Farm both hit theaters (1988)… the Tiananmen Square Massacre began (1989)… Michael Damian’s single Rock On hit number one (1989)… Bill Clinton played the saxophone on the Arsenio Hall Show (1992)… Michael Jordan shrugged after hitting a three-pointer against the Portland Trailblazers in the NBA Finals (1992)… Renaissance Man hit theaters (1994)… Bryan Adams’ single Have You Ever Really Loved a Woman hit number one (1995)… Zenith introduced the first HDTV in the U.S. (1996)… Alice DeeJay’s one hit, Better Off Alone, peaked at number 25 (2000)… Six Feet Under premiered (2001)
June 4th
26 years ago, on June 4th, 1996 - Jewel’s debut single, Who Will Save Your Soul, was released.
Who Will Save Your Soul wasn’t merely Jewel’s first single, it was her first song, period. She wrote it as a teenager after taking a solo road trip from her performing arts high school in Michigan to Tijuana.
The song became a huge breakthrough for Jewel, who was discovered while performing in coffee shops and (famously) living out of her car.
Jewel had two more hits off her debut album, Pieces of You, both of which performed better on the charts than her debut single — and she was essentially “made.” Her album sold 12 million copies and she’s settled into a zone of “famous but not mega famous” ever since.
That means: She can still tour at will and has a major fan base… but also does things like appearing on The Masked Singer dressed as a giant one-eyed, blue-lipped heart or representing Alaska in NBC’s recent attempt to replicate Eurovision in the U.S. (and losing earlier in the contest than you’d think).
Also on June 4th: VHS was announced in the U.S. (1977)… Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan and Poltergeist hit theaters (1982)… Bruce Springsteen’s album Born in the U.S.A. was released, as was Sheila E.’s album The Glamorous Life (1984)… the USPS announced the “young Elvis” stamp won a nationwide vote (1992)… Life with Mikey hit theaters (1993)… Keith Sweat’s single Twisted and 2pac and KCi and JoJo’s single How Do U Want It were released (1996)… Metallica’s album Load was released (1996)…Kobe Bryant threw a famous alley-oop to Shaquille O’Neal to win the NBA Western Conference Finals (2000)… Avril Lavigne’s debut album Let Go was released (2002)
June 5th
37 years ago, on June 5th, 1985 - Ferris Bueller skipped school.
Much like internet detectives have done their best to determine the day Ice Cube had a good day, they’ve also worked hard to figure out the actual day Ferris Bueller skipped school in Ferris Bueller’s Day Off.
While there’s (of course) no actual answer, the day that checks the most boxes is June 5th, 1985.
First, that was the day the production filmed at Wrigley Field — which sleuths ascertained based on the players seen on screen. Plus that lines up with a date very late in the school year, another requirement of the day off.
The only place this theory falls short is the Von Steuben Day Parade, which happens in the fall. However, it always happens on a Saturday, which isn’t a school day. So, you know, just ignore that and assume in 1985 they did it three months early and on a weekday.
Also on June 5th: The Apple II went on sale (1977)… the CDC reported on a “rare pneumonia” which were the first recognized cases of AIDS (1981)… Harry and the Hendersons and the Untouchables both hit theaters (1987)… an unknown man stood in front of a tank in Tiananmen Square (1989)… the SkyDome in Toronto hosted its first Blue Jays game (1989)… New Kids on the Block’s album Step by Step was released (1990)… Michael Jordan switched hands on a layup in the NBA Finals for one of his most iconic moments (1991)… Patriot Games and Class Act both hit theaters (1992)… Shaggy’s single Boombastic was released (1995)… Singled Out premiered on MTV (1995)… The Truman Show, A Perfect Murder, and Mulan all hit theaters (1998)… Reese Witherspoon married her Cruel Intentions co-star Ryan Philippe (1999)
June 6th
24 years ago, on June 6th, 1998 - Sex and the City debuted on HBO.
Sex and the City was a well-timed evolution of the ubiquitous ‘90s sitcom genre, a genre you could loosely describe as “attractive single friends living in New York, let’s see what happens.”
The producers of Sex and the City wisely went with HBO over the broadcast networks courting them, allowing them to make a different kind of show than the others on TV — one that could both more explicit and more honest.
The show also cast all female leads (well, other than the oft-mentioned fifth character “New York,” who Carrie at one point calls “her man”) to focus not just on romantic relationships but also the realities of adult friendships.
The result was a runaway success for HBO — one, in fact, that bolstered its subscriber numbers and helped the network continue its push into an increased amount of original, prestige, high-budget programming.
Sex and the City lived on after the series ended in 2004 thanks to syndication, two feature films, and most recently a revival series, And Just Like That, on HBO Max.
From the SatC pilot on, there was always a debate as to whether the show was pro-feminist or not, and this is definitely a huge point in its favor: When the revival series debuted back in December, the lead actresses were older than the actresses on the first season of The Golden Girls.
Also on June 6th: Reading Rainbow premiered on PBS (1983)… Tetris was released in the USSR (1984)… Kevin McHale of the Boston Celtics nearly decapitated Kurt Rambis of the L.A. Lakers with a clothesline during a game (1984)… Kim Wilde’s single You Keep Me Hangin’ On hit number one (1987)… a judge in Florida rules 2 Live Crew’s album was obscene and therefore illegal to sell (1990)… NBC announced Jay Leno, not David Letterman, would be taking over the Tonight Show (1991)… Seal’s single Kiss from a Rose was released as was Notorious B.I.G.’s One More Chance (1995)… Con Air hit theaters (1997)… Farrah Fawcett had an infamous interview with David Letterman (1997)… Brandy and Monica’s single The Boy Is Mine hit number one (1998)… the Anaheim Angels debuted the Rally Monkey, which would feature prominently in their run to the World Series championship a few years later (2000)
June 7th
32 years ago, on June 7th, 1990 - Universal Studios Florida opened in Orlando.
It’s no small feat Universal Studios Florida is still operating today — since all signs initially pointed toward a disaster in the making.
The idea behind Universal Studios was logical: Open a major, movie-themed amusement park in America’s major theme park city, leveraging Universal’s intellectual property to provide experiences Disney World couldn’t match.
But launching a theme park slash operational Hollywood backlot is complicated. Universal Studios was supposed to open in May 1990, not June, but saw a series of delays. Rides weren’t ready. The handful of TV shows that agreed to film there hated the tours and theme park aspects of it all.
And Disney even tried to cut the park off at its knees, launching the new Disney-MGM theme park in 1989 for their own slice of movies-based amusement park action in Orlando. (That park is now called Disney’s Hollywood Studios.)
But Universal Studios somehow survived all of the obstacles to emerge as Orlando’s number two option. It has never risen above that number two status but still, 32 years later, it’s unequivocally thrived in its Pepsi role.
Also on June 7th: Sony introduced Betamax (1975)… Graceland opened to the public (1982)… The Goonies hit theaters (1985)… Madonna’s single Live to Tell hit number one (1986)… the time hit 1:23:45 on 6/7/89 (1989)… City Slickers, Jungle Fever, and Don’t Tell Mom the Babysitter’s Dead all hit theaters (1991)… Prince changed his name to a symbol (1993)… The Rock hit theaters (the Sean Connery/Nic Cage movie, not the wrestler) (1996)… Mark Morrison’s one hit, Return of the Mack, peaked at number two on the Billboard charts and The Verve Pipe’s one hit, The Freshmen, peaked at number five (1997)
June 8th
29 years ago, on June 8th, 1993 - Blind Melon’s only hit, No Rain, was released.
No Rain came out during the era of MTV’s hitmaking power. The song is also a first-ballot hall of fame example of that power.
No Rain is a perfectly good song, slotting in nicely with the Soul Asylums and Collective Souls and such of the early ‘90s. But Blind Melon’s decision to get a bit weird with their music video — featuring a girl in a bee costume struggling to find acceptance until she stumbles onto more bee-costumed people — led to MTV strapping a rocket to the song.
It became a ubiquitous hit and even more ubiquitous video — to this day, everyone Of a Certain Age knows exactly what you’re talking about if you bring up the bee video.
The song would be Blind Melon’s only hit; their chances to match its success were cut short by lead singer Shannon Hoon’s fatal overdose in 1995.
Also on June 8th: The New Orleans Jazz moved to Utah and inexplicably kept the name “Jazz” (1979)… the L.A. Lakers defeated the Philadelphia 76ers to win the NBA Championship (1982)… Trading Places hit theaters (1983)… Ghostbusters and Gremlins both hit theaters (1984)… Tears for Fears’ single Everybody Wants to Rule the World hit number one (1985)… the Boston Celtics won the NBA Championship (1986)… a record store owner in Florida was arrested for selling 2 Live Crew’s album to an undercover cop (1990)… the series finale of It’s Garry Shandling’s Show aired on FOX (1990)… Washington, D.C., hosted the Gulf War victory parade (1991)… Extreme’s single More Than Words hit number one (1991)… RuPaul’s debut album was released (1993)… Charlton Heston became president of the NRA (1998)… 98 Degrees’ single The Hardest Thing and the Goo Goo Dolls’ single Black Balloon were both released (1999)
June 9th
32 years ago, on June 9th, 1990 - Wilson Phillips’ single Hold On hit number one.
Hold On is pristine cheesiness — an ideal representative of the earnest types of songs the cynical ‘90s would soon start to crush. But on this day in 1990, Wilson Phillips earnestly harmonized their way to the number one spot on the Billboard charts.
Their reign lasted just one week. (They would be displaced by Roxette’s It Must Have Been Love, another 1990 triumph in irony-free sincerity.)
However, even though they had the briefest #1 reign mathematically possible, Billboard named Hold On its song of the year — the last time Billboard has given that distinction to a song with a one-week reign.
And it’s because even with its cheesiness and quick reign, Hold On secured itself a significant pop culture foothold.
Post ‘90s, Hold On has played a featured role in two mainstream comedy movies: Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle and Bridesmaids.
The usage of the song in both is telling. Yes, the song is played for comedy. But in both cases, the song is featured in moments of the characters triumphing over adversity and finalizing their character arcs.
That’s the beauty of Hold On — for all its corn, there’s something genuinely self-reaffirming in there. It’s like a self-help book; you may roll your eyes as you read every word, but there’s something in there that winds up resonating deep.
Also on June 9th: Richard Pryor was burned in a freebasing accident (1980)… Donkey Kong hit arcades (1981)… Cyndi Lauper’s single Time After Time hit number one (1984)… the L.A. Lakers defeated the Boston Celtics to win the NBA Finals (1985)… Magic Johnson hit a sky hook to lift the L.A. Lakers over the Boston Celtics in Game 4 of the NBA Finals (1987)… Prince’s single Batdance was released (1989)… the NHL’s Minnesota North Stars left the hockey hotbed of Minnesota to relocate to Dallas (1993)… Heidi Fleiss was arrested (1993)… TLC’s Lisa “Left Eye” Lopes set fire to her boyfriend, NFL star Andre Rison’s, house (1994)… Married With Children aired its series finale on FOX (1997)… Pras’s solo single Ghetto Superstar was released (1998)… Mets manager Bobby Valentine was ejected from a game and came back in a disguise (1999)… Gone in 60 Second hit theaters (2000)
Everything old is new again
A look at the reboots, revivals, throwbacks, retro insights, and nostalgia in the news
Sarah Michelle Gellar talked about her famous Cruel Intentions kiss with Selma Blair in a new interview. She says the key was “the spit.”
Michael Keaton will play Batman in the new HBO Max movie Batgirl.
Universal Studios Hollywood announced its new Super Nintendo World will open in early 2023. And they showed off the AR-based Mario Kart ride.
Val Kilmer will be a part of the Willow reboot on Disney+.
A remake of Arachnophobia, the 1990 horror comedy with Jeff Daniels, is in the works.
The Top Gun reboot scored the biggest Memorial Day opening box office ever and the biggest movie opening of Tom Cruise’s career.
Mount Westmore — the west coast hip-hop supergroup featuring Snoop Dogg, E-40, Ice Cube, and Too Short — will drop their first album next week.
A Golden Girls pop-up restaurant is coming to Los Angeles in July.
DeLorean Motor Company showed off the first pictures of its new DeLorean reboot electric vehicle. They’ll unveil the car in person in August.
Throwbacks and recommendations
Here’s an article on a prominent retro video game seller who’s been accused of selling forgeries.
A video which remixed Eminem’s Lose Yourself to the Super Mario Bros. music went viral this week.
The trailer is out for Beavis and Butt-Head Do the Universe, which comes to Paramount+ on June 23.
A trailer is out for a new documentary about Ray Parker Jr. called Who You Gonna Call, which will go on sale digitally next week. “If you only know [him] as ‘the Ghostbusters guy’ then you don’t know him at all,” says the trailer.
Thanks for reading!
-Sam