History of the 90s

This year marks 30 years since Friends debuted on NBC and changed the face of television. Rachel, Ross, Monica, Chandler, Phoebe and Joey quickly became a cultural phenomenon as millions of viewers tuned in each week to watch them navigate that time in your life when your friends are your family. This week we revisit an episode from 2019 which took a deep dive into the making of the iconic sitcom and tries to answer the question why Friends continues to endure, despite some of its obvious flaws. Contact: Twitter: @1990shistory Facebook: @1990shistory Instagram: @that90spodcast Email: 90s@curiouscast.ca Guest: Kelsey Miller, author of I’ll Be There for You: The One About Friends Twitter: @mskelseymiller Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This year marks 35 years since Vanilla Ice released a song that, whether you like or not, had a huge impact on rap music To mark the occasion we are revisiting an episode of History of the 90s that dives into the lore of Ice Ice Baby. Including a famous story that involves Vanilla Ice being dangled from a balcony by a certain rap mogul. Watch Vanilla Ice at the 1991 American Music Awards: https://youtu.be/Wg6F4wG-i7w Show Info:  Instagram: ⁠⁠@that90spodcast⁠⁠  Email: ⁠⁠90s@curiouscast.ca⁠⁠  Tik Tok: 90spodcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This year marks 30 years since two of Britpop’s biggest bands went head to head in a chart battle that gripped the UK, reinvigorated the music scene and defined an era. In this episode of History of the 90s we revisit Oasis vs Blur with help from musician and rock and roll historian Daniel Rachel. Show Info: Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@that90spodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Email: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠90s@curiouscast.ca⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Guest Info: Daniel Rachel, musician, rock and roll historian and author of Don’t Look Back in Anger: The Rise and Fall of Cool Britannia Told by Those Who Were There www.danielrachel.com Daniel Rachel – Musician-turned-award winning author Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This year marks 30 years since Toronto’s NBA team played its first game. Since then it has built a loyal fan base, helped grow the sport in Canada and influence a generation of players.  Along the way the team also managed to win the NBA championship in 2019. On this episode of History of the ' 90s we’re going back to the beginning to find out how it all started.  This is the conclusion of the Toronto Raptors' origin story. Show Info: Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@that90spodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Email: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠90s@curiouscast.ca⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Guest info: Alex Wong, author and podcast host ⁠⁠⁠Prehistoric: The Audacious and Improbable origin story of the Toronto Raptors⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠Hello and Welcome⁠⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This year marks 30 years since Toronto’s NBA team played its first game. Since then it has built a loyal fan base, helped grow the sport in Canada and influence a generation of players.  Along the way the team also managed to win the NBA championship in 2019. On this episode of History of the ' 90s we’re going back to the beginning to find out how it all started.  This is the origin story of the Toronto Raptors. Show Info: Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@that90spodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Email: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠90s@curiouscast.ca⁠⁠⁠ Guest info: Alex Wong, author and podcast host Prehistoric: The Audacious and Improbable origin story of the Toronto Raptors Hello and Welcome Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode of History of the 90s host Kathy Kenzora is joined by singer/songwriter Jann Arden as they discuss her journey from busker to Canadian icon. Show Contact Info: Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@that90spodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Email: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠90s@curiouscast.ca⁠⁠ Guest Info: www.jannarden.com Instagram: @jannarden Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On January 1, 1994, masked indigenous rebels burst from the rainforest in Chiapas, Mexico to launch an uprising that was years in the making.  The Zapatista Army declared war on the Mexican Government demanding basics rights for the diverse Mayan communities who lived in extreme poverty through out the region.  The rebellion, which captured the world’s attention thanks in part to the Zapatista’s charismatic leader, coincided with the enactment of the North American Free Trade Agreement and was disastrous for Mexican President Carlos Salinas who had promised his trade partners that Mexico was a modern, peaceful democratic country. Show Contact Info: Instagram: ⁠@that90spodcast⁠ Email: ⁠90s@curiouscast.ca Guest Info: Neil Harvey, Professor New Mexico State University and author of : The Chiapas Rebellion; The Struggle for Land and Democracy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When The WB found success with the teen drama's 7th Heaven and Buffy the Vampire Slayer the fledgling new network decided to fully embrace the genre. On this episode we continue our look back at some of the iconic teen dramas that helped put The WB on the map during it's 11 year run and created core memories for the millennials who grew up watching them. Sources for this episode include: Season Finale: The Unexpected Rise and Fall of The WB and UPN By Susanne Daniels and Cynthia Littleton If hearing about Dawson's epic breakdown at the end of season three wasn't enough, you can watch it here. Show Contact Info: Instagram: @that90spodcast Email: 90s@curiouscast.ca Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When The WB launched in January 1995 it's initial block of programming focused on comedy with four new sitcoms including The Wayans Brothers. But it wasn't comedy that would come to define the short lived television network. Instead The WB became known as the home of the teen drama. Over the next two episode we look back at some of the most iconic teen dramas ever seen on television. From Seventh Heaven and Buffy the Vampire Slayer to Dawson's Creek and Charmed, this is the story of The WB. Sources for this episode include: Season Finale: The Unexpected Rise and Fall of The WB and UPN By Susanne Daniels and Cynthia Littleton Show Contact Info: Instagram: @that90spodcast Email: 90s@curiouscast.ca Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Canada's Kurt Browning made history at the 1988 World Figure Skating Championships when he became the first person to successfully land a quadruple jump in competition. He went on to dominate men's figure skating into the 1990s, winning a record breaking four world titles, including three in a row from 1989 to 1991. On this episode Kurt Browning joins us to talk about his amazing career and what it was like to be a superstar skater in the 90s. Guest Info: Kurt Browning Stars On Ice Instagram: @kb. on.ice X: @KurtBrowning SHOW INFO: Show Info:  Instagram: @that90spodcast   TikTok: @90spodcast  Email: 90s@curiouscast.ca  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When Tupac Shakur was gunned down in September 1996 it ended his short but monumental career as a rapper and actor. But his death did not stop his popularity and influence from continuing to grow. In this episode of History of the 90s we’re looking back at the extraordinary life and career of one of the most influential and controversial figures in hip-hop history. Guest Info: Ian Steaman, award-winning screenwriter and former music industry executive www.iansteaman.com Instagram: @ian.steaman SHOW INFO: Show Info:  Instagram: @that90spodcast   TikTok: @90spodcast  Email: 90s@curiouscast.ca  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This year marks 35 years since Nelson Mandela was released from prison and apartheid was dismantled in South Africa. To mark the anniversary we are revisiting an episode that looks at some of aspects of the anti-apartheid struggle that you might not know: pirate radio and protest songs. Pirate radio was a weapon used by the African National Congress to inspire black South Africans and to counter propaganda and misinformation by the apartheid government. While protest songs performed by western musicians played a pivotal role in raising awareness in the rest of the world about the injustices in South Africa. Songs mentioned in episode: Biko, by Peter Gabriel https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=luVpsM3YAgw Free Nelson Mandela, by The Special AKA https://youtu.be/FmKiq0mQd8c?si=5J-EdHYYZU4rbusW Sun City, by Artists United Against Apartheid https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4BIvf-ZlJNc Guest Info: Sekibakiba Peter Lekgoathi (Ph.D.) Associate Professor of History University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg SHOW INFO: Show Info:  Instagram: @that90spodcast   TikTok: @90spodcast  Email: 90s@curiouscast.ca  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

During the 1990s TV’s approach to LGBTQ+ characters underwent a dramatic transformation. Groundbreaking storylines on numerous shows including My So Called Life, Roseanne, Ellen and Will and Grace played a crucial role in increasing queer representation on television. On this Episode of History of the ‘90s we look back at some of the characters and shows that helped bring more queer content into the mainstream. GUEST INFO: Stephen Tropiano, Professor and Program Director of Ithaca College’s JB Pendleton Center in Los Angeles. Author of The Prime Time Closet: A History of Gays and Lesbians on TV Ron Becker, Professor of Media and Communication and Strategic Communication at Miami University. Author of Gay TV and Straight America SHOW INFO: Show Info:  Instagram: @that90spodcast   TikTok: @90spodcast  Email: 90s@curiouscast.ca  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Tennis in the 1990s was dominated by several young and talented players who helped usher in a new era on both the men’s and women’s tours. In this episode of History of the 90s we look back at the flashy, style of Andre Agassi and his highly talented rival Pete Sampras who faced off in one of the greatest tennis rivalries ever. As well as the equally exciting rivalry between Steffi Graf and Monica Seles which came to a premature and tragic conclusion. Guest Info: Tony Hagen, co-host of the Gay Tennis Podcast www.thegaytennispodcast.com Instagram: @thegaytennisopod Show Info:  Instagram: @that90spodcast   TikTok: @90spodcast  Email: 90s@curiouscast.ca  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

There are some years when it seems like the world has gone a bit mad and 1995 was one of those years. Deadly terrorist attacks in the US and Japan shocked the world, while an assassination in Israel ended any hope for peace in the middle east. Meantime, high profile murder trials fascinated the public in Los Angeles and Toronto and Quebec came within a hair of separating from Canada. In this episode of History of the 90s we’re taking a look back at those stories and several others as we count down ten of the most memorable events of 1995. (And sometimes words aren’t enough here’s the link to watch Bill Gates and Steve Balmer dancing at the Windows 95 Launch party: https://youtu.be/lLPAUHdyjRI?si=ar2zY1FEYzM50-V9 ) Show Info:  Instagram: @that90spodcast   TikTok: @90spodcast  Email: 90s@curiouscast.ca  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the 1990s four Canadian women dominated the charts, each with their own style and type of music. On this episode of History of the 90s we continue looking back at the era as we dig into the musical journeys of Sarah McLachlan and Alanis Morisette.    Guest Info:  Andrea Warner, author of "We Oughta Know: How Celine, Shania, Alanis and Sarah Ruled the 90s and Changed Music and co-host of the Pop This! podcast.  Show Info:  Instagram: @that90spodcast   TikTok: @90spodcast  Email: 90s@curiouscast.ca  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the 1990s four Canadian women dominated the charts, each with their own style and type of music. Over the next two episodes of History of the 90s, we are looking back at their journeys to fame and success in a male dominated industry. These are the stories of Celine Dion, Shania Twain, Sarah McLachlan and Alanis Morissette. Guest Info: Andrea Warner, author of "We Oughta Know: How Celine, Shania, Alanis and Sarah Ruled the 90s and Changed Music and co-host of the Pop This! podcast. Show Info: Instagram: @that90spodcast   TikTok: @90spodcast Email: 90s@curiouscast.ca Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For seven seasons in the 1990s a TV show that featured musclebound men and women doling out punishing hits while dressed in star spangled spandex outfits became a pop culture phenomenon. In this episode of History of the 90s we look back at American Gladiators with help from Jim Starr better known as Laser, the only Gladiator to appear in every season of the show. SHOW INFO: TikTok: @90spodcast Instagram: @that90spodcast Email: 90s@curiouscast.ca Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In October 1994 a young mom from a small town in South Carolina reported that she was carjacked on a rural road. Susan Smith claimed that an unknown Black man forced her out of her car at gunpoint and then drove away with her two toddlers in the backseat.   The search for the boys and Smith’s emotional pleas for their return drew media attention from around the world for nine days. On this episode of History of the 90s host Kathy Kenzora looks back at the case and the shocking outcome.   SHOW INFO:  Instagram: @that90spodcast     TikTok: @90spodcast   Email: 90s@curiouscast.ca  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When Peter Laird and Kevin Eastman first created four teenage crime fighting turtles it was little more than a bit of fun for the aspiring illustrators.    But over the next few years, the heroes in a half shell became a cultural phenomenon that peaked in the 1990s with a series of live action movies.   In this episode of History of the 90s, host Kathy Kenzora takes you into the sewers of New York for a look back at the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Turtlemania.  GUEST INFO:   Isaac Elliot-Fisher, cinematographer and production designer at Definitive Film    Documentary: Turtle Power: The Definitive Story of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles   SHOW INFO:  Instagram: @that90spodcast     TikTok: @90spodcast   Email: 90s@curiouscast.ca  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices