May 6: TMNT, Short Circuit, Dr Pepper, Reggie Miller
Plus the only Tonight Show guest ever charged with a crime for what they did on the show
The ‘80s & ‘90s pop culture you loved, forgot, or never knew existed
May 6, 2022 • Issue 98
This week in the ‘80s & ‘90s
May 6th
28 years ago, on May 6th, 1994 - Bobcat Goldthwait lit the couch on fire on The Tonight Show.
Bobcat Goldthwait’s comedic persona revolved around sounding like an unpredictable lunatic. But with his career sputtering in the early ‘90s, he came up with a new plan: Get some traction by also acting like an unpredictable lunatic.
In April of 1994, he appeared on the Arsenio Hall Show — one of the show’s final guests, as Paramount decided not to renew Arsenio’s contract. And Bobcat pulled a surprise stunt, ostensibly in support of Arsenio but really for personal publicity. His stunt included spray painting “Paramount Sucks” on the studio wall, destroying some TV monitors, and flipping over a couch. Arsenio had to step in to restrain Bobcat as the bit transitioned from funny unpredictable to potentially dangerous.
The stunt worked. It got people talking. So on this day in 1994, on the strength of the stunt, Bobcat landed an appearance on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno.
During his interview with Jay, Bobcat accurately pointed out he was only on the show because of what he did on Arsenio. And he pulled a surprise stunt again: He doused the Tonight Show couch with lighter fluid and set it on fire.
Jay Leno actually reacted with annoyance, a rarity on the show. He and his other guest, Lauren Hutton, quickly put out the small fire with their mugs of water.
While the Arsenio stunt had the desired effect for Bobcat Goldthwait, the Leno stunt did not. The city of Burbank, Calif., charged him with two misdemeanors a few weeks later, which carried a maximum sentence of one year in jail. Bobcat pleaded no contest in September of 1994 and received three years of probation, a $3,888 fine, and an order to record PSAs for a local burn center.
He remains the only guest in Tonight Show history who’s been charged with a crime for the actions they took on the show.
Also on May 6th: The design was chosen for the Vietnam Veterans Memorial (1981)… the series finale aired of 227 (1990)… Sierra Network was released (1991)… Clean Slate hit theaters (1994)… Paula Jones sued Bill Clinton (1994)… the Channel tunnel between England and France opened (1994)… the Hartford Whalers relocated to Raleigh (1997)… David Duchovny and Tea Leoni got married (1997)… Steve Jobs introduced the original iMac (1998)… Amy Fisher received parole after seven years (1999)… Elon Musk founded SpaceX (2002)
May 7th
27 years ago, on May 7th, 1995 - Reggie Miller scored eight points in the final nine seconds of the 4th quarter to defeat the New York Knicks.
One of the great NBA rivalries of the ‘90s was between Reggie Miller and the New York Knicks (and/or Reggie Miller and Knicks superfan Spike Lee). One of the signature moments of that rivalry came on this day in 1995, when Reggie Miller scored eight points in nine seconds to lead the Pacers to an improbable comeback win over the Knicks inside Madison Square Garden in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference semifinals.
Miller’s eight points came on a three-pointer, a steal (maybe including an uncalled foul) followed by another three-pointer, and two free throws after a wild back-and-forth where the Knicks missed three shots that could’ve put away the game.
The Pacers would win the series in seven games, but would lose to the Orlando Magic in the Eastern Conference Finals.
In fact, one of the biggest strikes against the Pacers-Knicks rivalry of the ‘90s was neither team ever emerged from their battles win a championship. Both made the NBA Finals (the Knicks twice and Pacers once), but both lost each time they went.
Still, this rivalry — and today’s moment — remain a huge part of NBA lore. They carried the drama for the league during Michael Jordan’s mid-career hiatus as well as after his 1998 retirement. And the “eight points” moment has received every immortalization treatment available, from an oral history to a 30 for 30.
Also on May 7th: Shelly Long made her final appearance as a regular on Cheers (1987)… the series finale aired of the Facts of Life (1988)… Terence Trent D’Arby’s single Wishing Well hit number one (1988)… Michael Jordan hit “The Shot” against the Cleveland Cavaliers (1989)… the series finale aired of Alien Nation (1990)… EMF’s album Schubert Dip was released (1991)… Sir Mix-a-Lot’s single Baby Got Back was released (1992)… the 27th amendment was ratified, banning Congress from giving itself a raise (1992)… Dave hit theaters (1993)… Tag Team’s single Whoomp! (There It Is) was released (1993)… the Denver Nuggets upset the Seattle Supersonics in the NBA Playoffs (1994)… Edvard Munch’s painting The Scream was recovered three months after it was stolen in Norway (1994)… Apple’s eMate 300 went on sale (1997)… The Fifth Element hit theaters (1997)… the infamous Puerto Rican Day episode of Seinfeld aired (1998)… Steve Perry left Journey (1998)… Daimler-Benz bought Chrysler (1998)… the Jenny Jones Show was found liable after one guest killed another after the show (1999)… The Mummy hit theaters (1999)
May 8th
40 years ago, on May 8th, 1982 - Vangelis’s single Chariots of Fire hit number one.
There have only been three instrumental songs in the past 40 years that have hit number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.
Vangelis’s Chariots of Fire achieved that rare feat on this day, 40 years ago. (The other two songs are Jan Hammer’s Miami Vice Theme in 1985 and Baauer’s Harlem Shake in 2013. The latter counts as an instrumental even though it includes a handful of words, based on Billboard’s rules.)
Chariots of Fire, which Vangelis wrote for the movie of the same name, spent a small amount of time as the go-to song for triumphant athletic achievement. However, it took a meta-modernist detour after that — and has stayed there ever since. In recent times (and by that I mean at least the last 25 years, maybe more), Vangelis’s Chariots of Fire is primarily used during movie and TV moments going for laughs over insignificant athletic achievements.
Also on May 8th: The WHO announced smallpox had been eradicated (1980)… the Soviet Union announced they were boycotting the ‘84 Olympics in Los Angeles (1984)… Joanie and Chachi were married on Happy Days (1984)… Wilson Philips’ debut album was released (1990)… Will Smith married his first wife (1992)… Haddaway’s single What Is Love was released (1993)… Chris Farley’s character Matt Foley debuted on Saturday Night Live (1993)… Deep Impact hit theaters (1998)… Ricky Martin’s single Livin’ La Vida Loca hit number one (1999)… Allen Iverson gave his “Practice?!” interview (2002)… About a Boy hit theaters (2002)… the TNA wrestling federation was announced (2002)
May 9th
36 years ago, on May 9th, 1986 - Short Circuit hit theaters.
Was Short Circuit the result of ‘80s cultural obsession with robots or part of the cause?
I’ll say it was a result — ‘80s robot mania was alive and well before 1986 — but Short Circuit certainly did its part to keep robot fever burning.
The film borrowed liberally from E.T. to create a robot that was adorable, funny, sensitive, clever — and, above all else, sentient. How could anyone not want a robot after seeing that?
Robots, at least ones with humanoid-style appearances, are still not a staple in every home. This would’ve been appalling to people in the ‘80s — by 2022 we don’t have robot butlers? Chalk that up to ways we’ve failed as a society.
We do have more niche robots popping in and out of our lives, from Roombas to Alexa to artificial intelligence algorithms to customer support chatbots. None of them even comes close to adding value to our lives like we’d get from a robot butler — and some are downright negative.
Also on May 9th: Friday the 13th hit theaters (1980)… the Chicago White Sox and Milwaukee Brewers played the longest game ever, lasting 25 innings (1984)… Phil Collins’ single Sussudio was released (1985)… Tom Cruise and Mimi Rogers were married (1987)… Dan Quayle messed up the “A mind is a terrible thing to waste” slogan (1989)… Sinead O’Connor refused to perform on Saturday Night Live when Andrew Dice Clay was named host (1990)… the series finale aired of the Golden Girls (1992)… the famous “dad” episode of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air aired (1994)… Bob Saget hosted his final episode of America’s Funniest Home Videos (1997)… A Mighty Wind hit theaters (2003)
May 10th
20 years ago, on May 10th, 2002 - Dr Pepper announced its first new flavor in 117 years, Red Fusion.
Dr Pepper hit the market in 1885 with a flavor that was hard to pin down. Carbonated, sweeter prune juice? Maybe?
Either way, the Dr Pepper folks just rode that unique flavor — and only that unique flavor — for more than a century.
Finally, on this day in 2002, they took their second shot: Dr Pepper with the addition of an overpowering cherry flavor to make Dr Pepper Red Fusion.
It was not a hit. Dr Pepper Red Fusion lasted just about one year — or 1/118th as long as the original flavor — before the company discontinued it.
However, Pandora’s Box was now open for the Dr Pepper team. They’ve rolled out an average of one new flavor every two to three years since (Dr Pepper Cream Soda, Dr Pepper Vanilla Float, Dr Pepper Cherry Vanilla, and so on) — none of which has really been a huge hit, but also none of which flopped as bad as Red Fusion did 20 years ago.
Also on May 10th: The series finale aired of Laverne & Shirley (1983)… the Go-Go’s broke up (1985)… the first episode of WWF’s Saturday Night’s Main Event was taped (1985)… Pet Shop Boys’ single West End girls hit number one (1986)… Tommy Lee and Heather Locklear were married (1986)… New Kids on the Block’s single Step by Step was released (1990)… Bushwick Bill of the Geto Boys lost his right eye when he was shot by his girlfriend (1991)… UB40’s single I Can’t Help Falling in Love with You was released (1993)… Nelson Mandela was sworn in as president of South Africa (1994)… Aaliyah’s debut single Back & Forth was released (1994)… Crystal Waters’ single 100% Pure Love was released (1994)… Weezer’s debut blue album was released (1994)… Twister hit theaters (1996)… Duncan Sheik’s one hit, Barely Breathing, peaked at number 16 (1997)… the XFL folded after one season (2001)… the Charlotte Hornets moved to New Orleans (2002)
May 11th
26 years ago, on May 11th, 1996 - The series finale aired of Captain Planet.
Captain Planet wasn’t a kids’ cartoon that happened to focus on environmental issues. It was very much a Trojan horse to help kids care about environmental issues.
That sounds pejorative, but it’s not. Before Captain Planet, most other kids’ cartoons were Trojan horses — but their thinly-veiled goal was to get kids to buy action figures, not save the planet.
And the Captain Planet people wisely recognized they needed to make an actually good show — with a catchy theme song — for the gambit to work.
Captain Planet lasted a few seasons on Turner networks (it was created by Turner’s head of environmental policy with contributions from Ted Turner himself). After that, it went into syndication under a different production company and lasted a few more years. The series finale, on this day in 1996, wrapped the series at a solid 113 episodes.
Even though it’s been more than a quarter of a century since the series finale, the Captain Planet Foundation, an environmental advocacy organization for kids, still lives on to this day.
Also on May 11th: Dr. J had his signature NBA highlight, a flying baseline layup (1980)… Cats first premiered on stage, in London (1981)… Bob Marley passed away (1981)… The Natural hit theaters (1984)… Madonna’s single Crazy for You hit number one (1985)… the series finale aired of Dynasty (1989)… Monie Love’s one hit, It’s a Shame, peaked at number 26 (1991)… Roxette’s single Joyride hit number one (1991)… Onyx’s single Slam was released (1993)… Deep Blue defeated Garry Kasparov in chess, the first time a computer defeated a world champion (1997)… Ricky Martin’s self-titled album was released (1999)… Road Trip hit theaters (2000)
May 12th
33 years ago, on May 12th, 1989 - The first Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles video game was released for NES.
The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles video game is everything both good and bad about the 8-bit NES video game era all in memorable package.
The good: The game came out as TMNT was hitting its peak of popularity and relevancy. The game had lite (but not prohibitive) role playing elements, as you could pick the turtle whom you wanted to be based on their signature weapons. The gameplay was varied and exciting — it wasn’t just side scrolling or just fighting.
The bad: Like many games of the NES era, TMNT was unbelievably hard. It wasn’t a game that kids finished, it was one they gave up on.
Future TMNT game releases would work to shave off some of those rough edges; the following year’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Arcade Game focused more on multiplayer action and cartoonish fights — and more important, remained challenging but no longer impossible.
Also on May 12th: Billy Joel’s single It’s Still Rock & Roll was released (1980)… the USFL was formed (1982)… Lionel Richie’s single Hello hit number one (1984)… the New York Knicks won the first NBA Draft Lottery in dubious fashion (1985)… the series finale aired of Max Headroom (1988)… the last graffiti-covered NYC subway car was retired (1989)… the series finale aired of the Wonder Years (1993)… the series finale aired of In Living Color (1994)… Pulp Fiction premiered at the Cannes Film Festival (1994)… Elton John’s single Can You Feel the Love Tonight? was released (1994)… Crimson Tide hit theaters (1995)… Battlefield Earth and Screwed both hit theaters (2000)… S Club 7’s one hit, Never Had a Dream Come True, peaked at number 10 (2001)
Everything old is new again
A look at the reboots, revivals, throwbacks, retro insights, and nostalgia in the news
In a surprising and disappointing move, Peacock has canceled the Saved by the Bell reboot after two seasons.
The 2022 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductees are basically all from the timeline of this newsletter.
As are the four new inductees into the World Video Game Hall of Fame.
Most of the cast members of That ‘70s Show will have special guest appearances in Netflix’s new spinoff That ‘90s Show.
Peacock has a new Field of Dreams series which will film this summer in Iowa (but not on the Field of Dreams field MLB used last year).
Apple TV+ is working on a TV reboot of The Prince of Tides.
NBC liked the Quantum Leap reboot pilot and has picked it up to series.
Mike Myers is teasing a fourth Austin Powers movie.
In 1990, Tom Cruise said making a Top Gun sequel would be “irresponsible.”
The mom from Family Matters says one time Jaleel White tried to physically fight her on set.
The new Barbie movie will not feature Aqua’s song Barbie Girl — possibly to the ongoing bad blood between Aqua and Mattel.
Jack Nicholson’s axe from The Shining sold at auction for $140,000.
Throwbacks and recommendations
Here’s the teaser trailer for Roku’s WEIRD: The Al Yankovic Story, coming this fall.
Here’s the trailer for the reboot of YO! MTV Raps, which starts on Paramount+ later this month.
In 1987, Apple released a full album called The Apple Boogie. You can listen to the entire thing on YouTube, including tracks like the Ghostbusters parody diss track aimed at IBM called Blue Busters and a romantic ballad called Apple II Forever.
Thanks for reading!
-Sam
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Maybe I was an older kid but TMNT was rather beatable even if you didn't exploit certain bugs.