March 25 - Let Me Clear My Throat, the first DVD, Fabio vs. a goose
Plus the NKOTB arson charge, Big Pun, The Crow, and Family Feud
The Retro
by 11 Points
Modern perspectives on ‘80s and ‘90s nostalgia
March 25th, 2022 • Issue 92
This week in nostalgic history
March 25th
25 years ago, on March 25th, 1997 - Twister was the first movie released on DVD.
Twister, a notable name in the endless parade ‘90s disaster movies, didn’t win many awards. (Though it won a Razzie for worst movie grossing $100m+ and an MTV Movie Award for best action sequence.)
But it does have one unique element in its trophy case: Twister was the first movie released on DVD — at the same time as DVD players themselves hit stores in the U.S. for the very first time.
And in a spot of random symmetrical poetry, Twister was also one of the final two movies released in the U.S. on HD-DVD. After HD-DVD lost the high-definition movie battle to Blu-Ray and packed it in, the final two HD-DVD films were released on May 27th, 2008: P.S. I Love You and Twister.
Also on March 25th: Cagney & Lacey premiered on CBS (1982)… The Outsiders hit theaters (1983)… Michael Jackson debuted the moonwalk (1983)… Sally Field won and was liked at the 57th Oscars (1985)… Perfect Strangers premiered (1986)… Mike + The Mechanics’ single The Living Years hit number one (1989)… Dances with Wolves won Best Picture at the 63rd Oscars (1991)… D2: Mighty Ducks 2 and Above the Rim hit theaters (1993)… the first wiki was published online (1995)… Gina G’s single Ooh Ahh Just a Little Bit was released (1996)… Braveheart won Best Picture at the 68th Oscars (1996)… the new $100 bill design was released (1996)… Notorious BIG’s album Life After Death and Paula Cole’s equally impactful single Where Have All the Cowboys Gone were released (1997)… Bjork wore a swan dress to the Oscars and Gladiator won Best Picture (2001)… The Bachelor premiered on ABC (2002)
March 26th
29 years ago, on March 26th, 1993 - The final episode of Family Feud with Ray Combs as host aired.
Ray Combs was the second host of Family Feud, taking over from Richard Dawson in 1988 and hosting until, well, until the show fell off a cliff.
It wasn’t entirely Combs’s fault — and probably not his fault at all. He was an engaging, traditional game show host whose personality neither added to nor detracted from Family Feud. Sure, he didn’t kiss every female contestant on the mouth like Richard Dawson, but that wouldn’t have flown in this era anyway.
But daytime TV was changing in the ‘90s. While networks were once packed solid with daytime game shows, most had either lost their timeslots or were on the verge of losing them. Talk shows were the trend now, dominating the non-soap opera slots. Combs was out.
And sadly, Combs struggled significantly after Family Feud. He hadn’t had much of a TV career before, just a few bit parts on sitcoms. And none of his post-Family Feud projects managed to get traction either. He took his own life in 1996 after a series of traumatic events on top of his career struggles (serious car accident, divorce, financial trouble).
Also on March 26th: Magic Johnson’s Michigan State defeated Larry Bird’s Indiana State in the NCAA Tournament final (1979)… Michael Jackson’s single Man in the Mirror hit number one (1988)… Quantum Leap premiered (1989)… Digital Underground’s album Sex Packets was released (1990)… Driving Miss Daisy won Best Picture at the 62nd Oscars (1990)… in a controversial WWF angle, large wrestler Earthquake crushed Jake “The Snake” Roberts’ snake (not really, but still) (1991)… Mike Tyson was convicted of rape (1992)… Eazy E died from AIDS at age 31 (1995)… the bodies of the Heaven’s Gate cult members were found (1997)… EdTV hit theaters (1999)… the “Melissa worm” infected PCs (1999)… Dr. Kevorkian was convicted of murder (1999)… Seattle’s Kingdome was demolished (2000)… Vladimir Putin was elected president of Russia, although at the time it wasn’t clear he was planning to never leave (2000)… American Beauty won Best Picture at the 72nd Academy Awards (2000)… Vince McMahon appeared on the final episode of WCW Nitro, announcing he’d purchased WCW (2001)
March 27th
31 years ago, on March 27th, 1991 - Donnie Wahlberg of New Kids on the Block was arrested for arson after setting a hotel carpet on fire.
By 1991, New Kids on the Block were on the backside of their popularity boom so they started cashing in on their fame as aggressively as possible — not making any new music, touring nonstop for a year, and earning more money than any other musical act in the process.
And that’s right around when their straight-out-of-Behind-the-Music arc kicked in.
Based on everything we know about the rise and fall of music acts, NKOTB were heading toward their requisite dark moment. This incident with Donnie Wahlberg — trying hard to live up to his boy band casting as the Bad Boy — was the middle of act two and the entry into the dark moment.
20-year-old Donnie, drunk at a hotel during the NKOTB never-ending 1991 tour, poured some vodka on a rug at a hotel and set it on fire. No one was hurt but he got what he (probably) wanted: the press floated out the idea of 20 years in prison for arson.
Donnie, of course, wound up with no jail time and a plea deal for community service and counseling.
Meanwhile, NKOTB continued to navigate their dark moment — lip syncing allegations, a devastating breakup with the guy who founded and managed the group, an album flop and a breakup.
Like any good music biopic, they did find reconciliation, peace, and happiness eventually, but, by law, at a lower level of fame. Donnie is now a well-established TV actor and NKOTB is still making weird amounts of money by touring.
Also on March 27th: Mount St. Helens became active after 123 years (1980)… Buckner & Garcia’s novelty song Pac-Man Fever peaked at number nine (1981)… the Price Is Right became the longest-running daytime game show ever (1987)… Macho Man Randy Savage won the WWF title tournament at WrestleMania IV (1988)… Generations, the first Black soap opera, premiered on NBC (1989)… Madonna’s single Vogue was released (1990)… Bruce Springsteen released two albums at the same time, Human Touch and Lucky Town (1992)… White Men Can’t Jump, Ladybugs, and The Cutting Edge all hit theaters (1992)… Magic Johnson became the head coach of the Los Angeles Lakers (1994)… Skee Lo’s single I Wish and Take That’s single Back For Good were released (1995)… Forrest Gump won Best Picture at the 67th Oscars (1995)… the FDA approved Viagra (1998)
March 28th
24 years ago, on March 28th, 1998 - Big Pun’s single Still Not a Player was released.
Big Pun’s single, released on this day nearly a quarter-century ago, was a seminal moment in songs about not being a player.
In April of 1997, the SEO-unfriendly R&B singer Joe released a single called Don’t Wanna Be a Player. It appeared on the soundtrack for Booty Call and did manage to become a minor hit. Ultimately, though, it’s quite forgettable.
A few months later, in August of 1997, the Bill Belamy movie How to Be a Player hit theaters, however its soundtrack did not include any player reform music, as the movie was pro-player. (You’d think the plot in the movie like that would be about a player reforming once finding true love, only not so.) So that’s all immaterial to where I’m going with this bit.
But also in August of 1997, Big Pun’s first single off his forthcoming album Capital Punishment was released. That song was called I’m Not a Player. It heavily featured a sample of The O’Jays’ Darlin’ Darlin’ Baby — an R&B classic for sure, but not a killer hook. I’m Not a Player would peak at number 57 on the Billboard Hot 100.
Never fear. I’m Not a Player was only one of *two* not-a-player songs on Capital Punishment. The other was Still Not a Player, released on this day in 1998 (still ahead of the album, which wouldn’t come out until the following month).
And finally, the not-a-player recipe was correct. Joe made a guest appearance on the track, singing the chorus from his single as the hook. Everything about this song finally clicked, it hit number 24 on the Billboard Hot 100, and it continues to endure as the best-known and most beloved song of this brief era of songs about not being a player.
Also on March 28th: Blondie’s single Rapture hit number one (1981)… the Baltimore Colts bolted in the middle of the night for Indianapolis (1984)… Christian Laettner hit a turnaround buzzer beater to defeat Kentucky in the NCAA tournament (1992)… Des’ree’s single You Gotta Be was released (1994)… Julia Roberts and Lyle Lovett separated (1995)… Phil Collins left Genesis to focus on his solo career (1996)… Lord Tariq’s one hit, Deja Vu, peaked at number nine (1998)… Futurama premiered on FOX (1999)… Stone Cold Steve Austin defeated The Rock at WrestleMania XV (1999)… Puff Daddy announced he would now go by P. Diddy (2001)
March 29th
26 years ago, on March 29th, 1996 - DJ Kool’s one hit, Let Me Clear My Throat, peaked at number 30.
It was hard to find much information about DJ Kool, with this tribute in The Washington Informer on his 60th birthday in 2018 serving as the only bio of note.
Let Me Clear My Throat is an unapologetically fun song, no doubt — and one which, it turns out, was popular enough that DJ Kool could tour for three years on its strength alone. Never question the power of having even one hit.
DJ Kool had a music career before and after his burst of international fame, but never came close to the commercial success of that song he recorded one night at a club in Philadelphia.
As for the song’s legacy… though Let Me Clear My Throat is a ‘90s one-hit wonder and a borderline novelty song, it feels like people largely appreciate it non-ironically today. It’s not an Mmmbop or a What Is Love. It could slide into a party mix and not just get a nostalgia pop from the crowd — but a nostalgia pop mixed with a genuine affinity for the song on its own, enduring merits.
Also on March 29th: The WWWF rebranded as the WWF (1979)… Michael Jordan led North Carolina to the NCAA title (1982)… Chariots of Fire won Best Picture at the 54th Oscars (1982)… Police Academy 2 hit theaters (1985)… Falco’s single Rock Me Amadeus hit number one (1986)… Hulk Hogan bodyslammed and pinned Andre the Giant at WrestleMania III (1987)… Rain Man won Best Picture at the 61st Oscars (1989)… the pyramid at the Louvre opened (1989)… Career Opportunities hit theaters (1991)… Bill Clinton said he did not inhale (1992)… Unforgiven won Best Picture at the 65th Oscars (1993)… Ellen premiered (called These Friends of Mine) (1994)… the Baltimore Ravens chose their team name (1996)… Luscious Jackson’s one hit, Naked Eye, peaked at number 36 (1997)… Stone Cold Steve Austin won his first WWF title by defeating Shawn Michaels at WrestleMania XIV (1998)… BBC America debuted on cable (1998)
March 30th
23 years ago, on March 30th, 1999 - Fabio was hit in the face by a goose while on a roller coaster.
Fabio is undoubtedly the world’s most famous romance novel cover model — could anyone name another? — and became a real tongue-in-cheek ‘90s celebrity.
So when Fabio, of all people, was hit in the face by a goose while riding a roller coaster, it was almost too much. Geese just don’t ever fly into people on roller coasters, let alone famous people, let alone people famous for their looks. The odds of Fabio taking that goose to the nose are incalculable.
The accident also happened on the roller coaster’s first day in operation. It was a new ride at Busch Gardens in Williamsburg, Va., called Apollo’s Chariot. Fabio was among its first-ever riders.
Anyway, fortunately for Fabio, the goose didn’t cause any serious damage to his bodice-gazing face — just a cut on his nose. And as far as I could find, roughly one roller coaster rider every year gets hit in the face by a bird — though never anyone as famous or dashing as Fabio.
Also on March 30th: President Reagan was shot just a few hours after my wife was born (1981)… Romancing the Stone hit theaters (1984)… Phil Collins’s single One More Night hit number one (1985)… Fraggle Rock aired its series finale (1987)… Platoon won Best Picture at the 59th Oscars (1987)… Beetlejuice hit theaters (1988)… the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie hit theaters (1990)… Gloria Estefan’s single Coming Out of the Dark hit number one (1991)… Snap’s single Rhythm Is a Dancer was released (1992)… The Silence of the Lambs dominated the 64th Oscars (1992)… Charlie Brown hit his first home run in Peanuts (1993)… Rolls-Royce was purchased by BMW (1998)… Craig Kilborn took over as host of the Late Late Show on CBS (1999)… Someone Like You, SPY Kids, and Tomcats hit theaters (2001)… The Fairly Odd Parents and Invader Zim premiered on Nickelodeon (2001)
March 31st
29 years ago, on March 31st, 1993 - Brandon Lee was shot and killed on the set of The Crow.
This is what someone edited the Wikipedia page about the incident to say when I just checked it out:
Not that anyone needed that incorrect statement in there as a reminder, but firearm accidents on movie sets can and, tragically, do still happen. Wish they wouldn’t. Think they couldn’t. But they do.
If there’s been any change in the 29 years between the on-set gun accident deaths of Brandon Lee during The Crow and Halyna Hutchins during Rust, it’s perhaps this.
Even after Lee’s death, The Crow still finished production and came out close to on-schedule a year later; stunt doubles and visual effects were used to complete scenes Brandon Lee hadn’t filmed. And while there was some backlash from a few critics, the reception for the movie was mostly business as usual.
Rust, on the other hand, suspended production indefinitely and likely will never resume. Call it a move out of respect or call it a move out of the modern world of public backlash. Either way, it certainly feels like the right way to handle this type of tragedy.
Also on March 31st: Ordinary People won Best Picture at the 53rd Oscars (1981)… the Doobie Brothers broke up (1982)… Monty Python’s The Meaning of Life hit theaters in the U.S. (1983)… Kenny Loggins’ single Footloose hit number one (1984)… WrestleMania I took place in New York (1985)… Max Headroom premiered on NBC (1987)… Prince’s album Sign O’ the Times was released (1987)… Heathers hit theaters (1989)… the Guns N’ Roses single Patience was released (1989)… Def Leppard’s album Adrenalize and Kris Kross’s album Totally Krossed Out were released, as was Sophie B. Hawkins’s single Damn I Wish I Was Your Lover (1992)… Madonna had a highly censored appearance on the Late Show with David Letterman (1994)… Microsoft Bob debuted (1995)… Tommy Boy hit theaters (1995)… Selena was murdered (1995)… Shawn Michaels defeated Bret Hart in a 60-minute Iron Man match at WrestleMania XII (1996)… the video game Starcraft was released (1998)… the Backstreet Boys single Everybody (Backstreet’s Back) was released (1998)… The Matrix and 10 Things I Hate About You hit theaters (1999)… The Cranberries announced tickets to their upcoming tour would only be sold via their own website (1999)… Boys Don’t Cry, The Skulls, and High Fidelity hit theaters (2000)… Shaggy’s single Angel hit number one (2001)
Everything old is new again
A look at the reboots, revivals, throwbacks, retro insights, and nostalgia in the news.
There’s a Hollywood bidding war going on over a Voltron movie.
Christina Ricci, who played Wednesday Addams in the ‘90s Addams Family movies, will be a part of Netflix’s new spinoff series called Wednesday. But she won’t be Wednesday.
Joseph Gordon-Levitt will star in a Johnny Carson biopic.
Here’s a first look at a new Gremlins animated series coming to HBO Max.
The Food Network show Worst Cooks in America announced a ‘90s-themed celebrity edition for April 24th.
Jared Leto says Tron 3 is getting “closer and closer” after at least five years of delays.
Sandra Bullock says she’s “still embarrassed” about Speed 2: Cruise Control.
Maury, which began its life in 1991 as The Maury Povich Show, will end after 30 years this season with Maury’s retirement.
The original prototype of Atari’s Home Pong video game system just sold at auction for $270,910.
Howard Stern’s Fartman costume from the 1992 MTV VMAs is on sale on eBay for $173,865 as of press time.
Two sad deaths to report: The former head of Tandy Computers passed away at age 83… and the creator of the GIF passed away at 74.
Throwbacks and recommendations
Someone in Houston is selling a Friends-themed home. It’s even more extra than you think.
Here’s a list of where 20 rock bands got their names (many from the era covered in this newsletter).
A new line of South Park-themed Adidas went on sale this week.
Billboard made a list of every musical guest on The Simpsons.
Thanks for reading!
-Sam