March 5 - Big Lebowski, Nintendo World Championships
Plus We Are the World, Popsicles, Yahoo, and more
The Retro by 11 Points
Modern perspectives on ‘80s and ‘90s nostalgia
March 5, 2021 • Issue 37
This week in nostalgic history
March 5th
26 years ago, on March 5th, 1995 - Yahoo.com went live.
Yahoo is the first website I remember ever visiting. I was at some science museum somewhere (that part of the memory is fuzzy, although it might’ve been D.C.), and they had computers set up connected to something called the World Wide Web. Each computer was set to Yahoo. I remember sitting down and typing in a search (knowing me and the era, almost certainly about wrestling) which took me to a list of bright blue links to a plethora of different resources. As someone who’d spent a decent amount of time in the BBS world and Usenet, this was revelatory — it was so much faster and easier to find what I wanted, plus there were pictures. Grainy, pixelated, 256-color pictures — but pictures.
Yahoo continued to serve as the Search Engine of Record for me (and most of the world) after I got myself on the World Wide Web in 1997 and remained my go-to through the rest of the ‘90s. My first minor success on the internet came my sophomore year of college, when a website I slapped together (no domain name, running a rudimentary web server off my PC in my dorm room) managed to get past Yahoo’s curators and added to its directory. Yahoo was the kingmaker. I could replace my animated GIF of a spinning traffic counter with an actual traffic counter.
Of course, we can all look back now and recount Yahoo’s penchant for making the wrong decision at each and every fork in the road, from ill-advised acquisitions to ill-advised not-letting-someone-else-acquire-them. However, the one thing above all others that knocked Yahoo off its Web 1.0 throne for good was the early 2000s sea change in search. Yahoo’s hand-curated approach to web searching was never going to be sustainable as the internet saw exponential growth. Once Google came along and perfected what none of Yahoos early competitors (Altavista, Hotbot, Excite, Lycos, et. al.) could in terms of robot-driven search, Yahoo entered a downward spiral from which it could never escape.
In spite of all that, Yahoo (now under the ownership of Verizon) still regularly ranks among the most-visited sites in the world, even while the world has no doubt passed it by.
Also on March 5th: The Sinclair ZX81 hit the market (1981)… John Belushi passed away at age 33 (1982)… Michael Jackson’s single Billie Jean hit number one (1983)… Swing Kids hit theaters (1993)… Ben Johnson was banned for racing for life (1993)… the Weird Science TV show premiered (1994)… US3’s one hit Cantaloop peaked at number nine (1994)… the Simpsons-Critic crossover episode aired on FOX (1995)… the Jenny McCarthy Show premiered (1997)… Analyze This, Cruel Intentions, and Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels hit theaters (1999)
March 6th
23 years ago, on March 6th, 1998 - The Big Lebowski hit theaters.
The Big Lebowski is a first-ballot cult classic, a movie that didn’t exactly captivate audiences in its time but went on to find its fanbase after the fact — a loyal, passionate, hardcore fanbase that loves the movie so much it even spawned an entire festival circuit.
The movie itself is bonkers postmodernism, equal parts hilarious and thought-provoking, with a gratuitously complicated and meandering plot contrasting a zen-like protagonist, all wrapped in a beautiful artistic package with a truly inspired soundtrack. Many other filmmakers since (including the Coen brothers themselves) have attempted to make movies that captured the same spirit — but it’s essentially a Kobayashi Maru undertaking. The Big Lebowski is just weird lightning in a weird bottle that, as much as any film, stands alone on its own, unique island in movie history.
Also on March 6th: Walter Cronkite had his final broadcast as the anchor of CBS Evening News (1981)… the Sponge was approved as a contraceptive device (1983)… the CMT cable network debuted (1983)… the USFL debuted (1983)… Mike Tyson won by knockout in his first professional fight (1985)… Lethal Weapon hit theaters (1987)… the movie Gladiator — the boxing one — premiered (1992)… the Michelangelo virus hit computers (1992)… Digable Planet’s one hit, Rebirth of Slick, peaked at number 15 (1993) and A Whole New World hit number one… MTV’s Liquid Television came to an end (1994)
March 7th
36 years ago, on March 7th, 1985 - We Are the World was released.
We Are the World is the quintessential supergroup (or, if the Traveling Wilburys are the definition of a supergroup, this is a super-duper group) song. It features collection of much of the top talent of the era coming together to raise money for African famine relief (and deep down maybe, just maybe, put a bigger, bolder, American spin on what the British were going for with Do They Know It’s Christmas? from a few months prior).
There were a number of major industry players who made We Are the World a possibility, but none more important than Michael Jackson — at the height of his powers — who didn’t just sign on to be one of the singers, but as one of the songwriters and forces behind the entire project.
Most of the biggest names in music would go on to get involved, Avengers style, from legends like Stevie Wonder and Ray Charles to ‘80s up-and-comers like Cyndi Lauper and Huey Lewis. The song was even, perhaps, more successful than anticipated; it became the fastest-selling single in history, raised $63 million for charity, won four Grammys, and remains one of the 10 best-selling physical singles of all time.
Many have tried the super duper group thing since, including Voices That Care in the early ‘90s and even a We Are the World update in 2010, but none has hit the levels of success of We Are the World on either a charitable giving level nor a traditional music industry success level.
Also on March 7th: The NCAA’s Selection Sunday was broadcast live on TV for the first time (1982)… the TNN cable network launched (1983)… Highlander hit theaters (1986)… Mike Tyson became the youngest boxing world heavyweight champion (1987)… Bruce Willis’s one hit single, Respect Yourself, peaked at number five (1987)… Milli Vanilli’s album Girl You Know It’s True was released (1989)… the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that parody falls under fair use (1994)… Dr. Dre’s single Keep Their Heads Ringin’ was released (1995)… Howard Stern’s movie Private Parts hit theaters (1997)… Stanley Kubrick passed away (1999)
March 8th
31 years ago, on March 8th, 1990 - Nintendo held its first ever World Championships.
As I was researching the Nintendo World Championships, I found myself mostly confused (and even a little angry) over why I didn’t try to compete in them. Sure, I most likely wouldn’t have stood a chance, but you’d think I would’ve wanted to take a shot. According to this image, they even held a qualifier in Cleveland — probably no more than 20 or 30 minutes from my childhood home. I don’t know Cleveland’s child champion Adam Misosky, but I feel like I could’ve trained to be competitive with him in the under 11 age bracket. This remains unresolved.
Anyway, the Nintendo World Championships in 1990 featured specially-designed competition (on a special game cartridge) that spanned three first-party Nintendo games. A player would race to collect 50 coins in Super Mario Bros., then finish one track in Rad Racer, and finally, use the remaining time (up to six minutes and 21 seconds) to get as high a score as possible in Tetris.
The championships were held in Dallas (even though I would’ve wagered any amount of money on Orlando before I started writing this because nothing has ever felt like more of an Orlando event) and lasted four days. In the end, three dudes won the three age brackets and took home a $10,000 savings bond, a 1990 Geo Metro convertible, a 40-inch projection TV (a type of TV which, I believe, was not NES-compatible), and a Mario trophy.
Perhaps the biggest legacy of the Nintendo World Championships, however, are the competition game cartridges themselves. There were 90 copies of the cartridge given to the 90 competitors in the finals, and another 26 special gold-colored cartridges given out as a contest in Nintendo Power magazine. These cartridges are some of the rarest in the world — and the most valuable. One of the gold cartridges is current listed on eBay — for a nice, cool $1 million.
Also on March 8th: President Ronald Reagan referred to the U.S.S.R. as an “evil empire” (1983)… the series finale of The A-Team aired on NBC (1987)… New Jack City hit theaters (1991)… Beck’s single Loser was released (1993)… Beavis and Butt-Head premiered on MTV (1993)… Coolio’s single Fantastic Voyage was released (1994)… The Birdcage and Fargo both hit theaters (1996)… Joe DiMaggio passed away (1999)
March 9th
37 years ago, on March 9th, 1984 - Splash hit theaters.
I feel like this week’s newsletter has a lot of events to which I have deep personal connections. Splash is one of them. And that’s because I saw it in a movie theater — my first PG movie and possibly my first ever movie in a theater. I was not even five years old, we were visiting family friends in Philadelphia, and they took me to see Splash. I also remember the girls gave me gum for the first time, and I swallowed it. Those are my only memories of the trip.
I don’t believe I’ve rewatched Splash since, but I know it was part of the ‘80s “imaginary woman” romantic comedy line, with the Mannequins and Weird Sciences of the world. In retrospect, the whole subgenre was a way too on-the-nose manifestation of men’s unrealistic desires and expectations — I mean, they were repeatedly declaring no earthly woman could measure up to men’s standards. So no, those movies wouldn’t pass any level of the sniff test in today’s society. In 1984? It was nominated for the Oscar for Best Original Screenplay.
Also on March 9th: REO Speedwagon’s single Can’t Fight This Feeling hit number one (1985)… Rags to Riches premiered (1987)… Joe Versus the Volcano and House Party both hit theaters (1990)… Mariah Carey’s single Someday hit number one (1991)… Arizona and Tampa were granted MLB expansion teams (1995)… George Burns passed away (1996)… Notorious B.I.G. was killed in Los Angeles and his murder remains officially unsolved (1997)… Dr. Dre signed Eminem (1998)… Al Gore sort of claimed he invented the internet (1999)
March 10th
24 years ago, on March 10th, 1997 - The first PalmPilot was released.
I was surprised to see PalmPilots debuted as late as 1997. I was also surprised to learn there was no space between “Palm” and “Pilot.” I’ve learned a lot today.
The Palm company got into the personal electric organizer game one year before the PalmPilot debuted — but everyone was in that space. The PalmPilot created a category of its own: the personal digital assistant, or PDA. These had a wide variety of (the precursor to) apps. They were more than glorified Rolodexes — you could do actual work on them. Or, at least, you could try. Handwriting recognition still had a long way to go, and the process of syncing a PalmPilot to a computer involved a cumbersome process with a serial port cable — but at the time, it was more than good enough.
The problem for Palm came rather quickly, however, in the form of the cellphone boom. Phones quickly began to cannibalize more and more of the PalmPilot’s functions, and it made less and less sense to carry an additional bulky device like a PDA. By the mid ‘00s, Palm was on its last legs, when BlackBerry came along and delivered the death blow.
By 2011, Palm devices were discontinued. The brand still has some name equity, however — so I’d be surprised if we never see another device hit the market called the PalmPilot. Or, if they want to really get some separation from the failed past, Palm Pilot.
Also on March 10th: Willard Scott became the weatherman on the Today show (1980)… Kim Carnes’ single Bette Davis Eyes was released (1981)… Prince’s album Lovesexy was released (1988)… Police Academy 6 hit theaters (1989)… the series finale of Webster aired (1989)… Jodeci’s single Come and Talk to Me was released (1992)… Buffy the Vampire Slayer premiered on The WB (1997)… Two Guys, a Girl, and a Pizza Place premiered on ABC (1998)… Fastball’s album All the Pain Money Can Buy was released (1998)
March 11th
35 years ago, on March 11th, 1986 - Popsicle announced plans to switch from two-sticks to a one-stick version.
Take a lesson, kids: You can fight Big Popsicle.
Popsicle is one of those words that’s surprisingly trademarked, even though it feels like it’s been in the genericized trademark zone for decades now. The Popsicle brand has been around since the 1920s, delighting generation after generation with a dessert that’s not quite as good as any of the other frozen desserts but still has its time and place.
From the beginning, Popsicles came in conjoined sets of two — two pops, two wooden sticks, connected by a flat strip of more frozen flavored ice. So why the change to one stick in 1986? The official word, as stated in the breaking news story on this topic in no less than the New York Times, was the double stick created too much of a mess — kids couldn’t lick both sides fast enough. Market research with moms found they widely preferred a single-stick version for the sake of the clean up.
And things stayed that way for decades until the randomness of the universe struck in May of 2019, when Justin Bieber — born in 1994, eight years after Popsicle eliminated the double stick — posted a tweet lamenting how it was impossible to find a double-sticked Popsicle. Popsicle seized on the PR opportunity, as businesses do these days when the social media winds blow favorably upon them, and turned it into a challenge: If they received 100,000 retweets, they’d permanently bring back a line of double-sticked Popsicles. Their tweet just passed that threshold, and on March 20th of last year — just when everyone was totally focused on what was going on in the ice pop industry and had no other, more pressing issues on their minds — they brought back double-sticked Popsicles.
The double-sticked Popsicles are still on sale today.
Also on March 11th: The NFL adopted instant replay, although they’d drop it from 1992 to 1999 (1986)… Stand and Deliver hit theaters (1988)… COPS premiered on FOX (1989)… H-Town’s single Knockin Da Boots was released (1993)… Last Exit to Springfield, often called the best Simpsons episode ever, premiered on FOX (1993)… Four Weddings and a Funeral hit theaters (1994)… Des’ree’s one hit, You Gotta Be, peaked at number five (1995)… Paul McCartney was knighted (1997)
Everything old is new again
A look at the reboots, revivals, throwbacks, retro insights, and nostalgia in the news.
Coming 2 America was supposed to come out today, but Amazon Prime released it a day early. Also, its director defended its PG-13 rating while saying the original was a family film trapped in an R-rated body. “Other than the gratuitous nudity… and some swearing, it is actually rather wholesome. It’s got a fairytale feel to it.”
Nirvana’s debut album Bleach is going to be re-released on cassette later this month.
Ice Cube says Warner Bros. has hijacked the Friday franchise and won’t let him make more sequels. He says he has a completed script for a fourth film ready to go, if he can just get the rights.
After 11 years, a Robocop statue in Detroit is complete — although it’s not clear where the city is going to put it.
The opening of Universal Orlando’s new Super Nintendo World park has been pushed back to 2025.
The Mars Perseverance rover is powered by a processor from a ‘90s iMac.
Eric Nies didn’t live with the rest of the Real World season one cast for the filming of the new reunion.
The Friends reunion that’s been delayed over and over due to the pandemic is now going to start filming — for real this time — next month.
Martin Bashir of the BBC will not face criminal charges for his 1995 interview with Princess Diana, where he’s accused of manipulating her into giving the interview. Glad they wrapped that case up nice and quick.
Throwbacks and recommendations
Here’s an 11-minute documentary on the rise and fall of MTV. Have they seen the ratings for the Challenge? It’s America’s fifth sport!
A new five-part documentary series called Playing with Power: The Nintendo Story has premiered on Crackle.
Here’s an investigation into whether the Rebels find Han Solo “annoying” in The Empire Strikes Back.
A website is going to pay people $1,000 to watch the first five seasons of Friends and tweet about them.
Thanks for reading!
-Sam