16 Forgotten 1990s Pop Culture Moments

At its peak.Vanilla IceAfter his hit single “Ice Ice Baby” took the 1991 music charts, Vanilla Ice dated Madonna, then 33. She attended the 24-year-old rapper's concert. Backstage, Madonna introduced herself. Vanilla Ice (real name Robert Van Winkle) realized she held a romantic interest in him.romantic interestwas in him.

The two began dating. Vanilla Ice said Madonna soon wanted to propose. An Entertainment Weekly interview showed him recalling the whirlwind turn of events.the whirlwind turn of events.:

Things went crazy and fast. I thought, “What? I thought the guy was supposed to do that… What do you mean? Wait a minute, this is too fast. I'm just getting started and I'm way too young for this.”

He did not accept her proposal. Vanilla Ice and Madonna stayed together until October 1992, when Madonna released “Sex”.Sex., a coffee table book with explicit celebrity photos. Vanilla Ice claimed the “Material Girl” had not asked his permission to include him.he hadn't asked his permission.to include him:

I was dating her then. I knew nothing about a sex book. I said, “How could you do that to me? And why did you do that to me?” I could have sued her. I did not want to. I thought, “I do not need that controversy. Let’s let it go, and you go your way; I go mine.”

The Spice Girls broke formal rules meeting Prince Charles at a charity ball for the Prince’s Trust in 1997.Prince’s Trust.In 1997, Melanie “Mel B” Brown ("Scary Spice") and Geri Halliwell ("Ginger Spice") took turns kissing the future king on the cheek, breaking formal protocol.

As the other girls pointed and laughed at Prince Charles’s blushing cheeks, Halliwell went further by calling him “very sexy” and patting his bottom.patting his bottom.. (Rumors first said he was pinched, not patted, on his royal rear.) Prince Charles looked embarrassed by the exchange. Halliwell said about the incident:

I did not pinch Prince Charles’s bum, as reported… I patted it. Patting him on the bottom broke royal protocol, but we are all human.

Before young adult novels handled harder human subjects, most featured simple plots and childlike ideas. The Animorphs series changed this.Animorphs series.The Animorphs series broke the mold. It included mature topics like war, PTSD, suicidal thoughts, treason, and the fight between finishing homework and saving the world from total destruction.

The 54-book collection followed kids who could morph into any animal they touched. This collection sold well to young readers in the 1990s. Animorphs included real human experiences in its sci-fi fantasy tales, not all with happy endings.Animorphs.Animorphs paved the way for future series with similar themes, like Netflix’s Stranger Things.Stranger Things.

Leonardo DiCaprioTobey Maguire, Lukas Haas, and Kevin Connolly shared a competitive bond early in their careers. They auditioned for the same parts, fighting for roles as America's new leading men, and they connected over shared experiences. Then, every teenage girl seemed obsessed with DiCaprio after his role in "Titanic".The group's regular nightly trips and antics reached their peak.They dubbed the "Pussy Posse".

The young stars used their new fame to enter exclusive New York nightclubs. There, they would chase women, throw stink bombs, and mock the paparazzi. This group also starred in an unplanned, bad movie called "Don's Plum".Pussy PosseYoung stars used their new fame to enter exclusive New York clubs. They would then harass women, set off stink bombs, and heckle paparazzi. The group also acted in an improvised, failed film."Don's Plum" showed the actors smoking and talking crudely about their lives at dinner. One filmmaker told Dale Wheatley, a former friend, that much behind-the-scenes action occurred in the movie. DiCaprio harassed Amber Benson's character. DiCaprio did this because he felt she was not an actor strong enough, hoping to make her quit.After DiCaprio and Maguire learned the film would become a feature, the real conflict started. DiCaprio feared the film would fail. Maguire worried about how the improvised dialogue would hurt his reputation.

The actors finally stopped the film from being released in the US and Canada. They cut certain lines from any release.Don's PlumGap's production and public relations teams missed the FUBU commercial. The ad aired for weeks before the company saw the hat became the star. Fans rushed to Gap stores for the new FUBU gear, and sales jumped 300%. FUBU founder and Shark Tank investor Daymond John shared the commercial's success story.Daymond John explained how the commercial happened.Dale Wheatley, a former friend, caused behind-the-scenes drama in the movie. DiCaprio harassed Amber Benson's character. DiCaprio did this because he felt she lacked acting strength, trying to make her quit the project.

DiCaprio and Maguire learned the film would be a feature. Then, the real drama started. DiCaprio worried the film would fail. Maguire feared the ad-libbed dialogue would hurt his reputation.

The actors finally stopped the film from releasing in the US and Canada. They cut certain dialogue moments from any release.

Founded in 1992,FUBUFUBU, a Black-owned business meaning “For Us, By Us,” became a national brand afterLL Cool J put on one of their hatsin a Gap commercial in 1999.

Gap's production and public relations teams did not recognize the commercial. The ad aired for weeks before the company saw the hat was the star. Fans rushed to Gap stores for FUBU gear, and sales jumped 300%. FUBU founder andShark TankinvestorDaymond John shared how the commercial happened:Daymond John shared how the commercial came to fruition:

That Gap, FUBU, LL Cool J commercial shows his grasp of influence. Gap hired him for a commercial. They did not care he could wear a FUBU hat. They did not know what FUBU meant. He slipped “For Us, By Us” into the commercial. Product demand grew so fast they started going to Gap for FUBU.

Gap learned about the commercial almost three weeks after it aired. They spent thirty million dollars on it. They pulled the commercial. Then, they saw the target market grew 300% because kids thought they could get FUBU at Gap. Gap and FUBU exploded. LL Cool J stayed the star who put FUBU in the Gap ad. Forget the Starbucks cup inGame of ThronesThis is likely history's biggest advertising success.

Nearly a decade before Julia Roberts starred with Richard Gere in "Runaway Bride".Runaway Bride, Julia Roberts ran from her own wedding.It happened in 1991. She and fiancé Kiefer Sutherland had been engaged for ten months. They planned to say “I do” at 20th Century Fox's Soundstage 14 on June 14.

Roberts made headlines that day, but for different reasons than tabloids first guessed. After ending things with Sutherland three days before their wedding, Roberts appeared on the day with Sutherland's best friend, Jason Patric. The Notting HillThe star and Patric left for Ireland, where they returned as an official couple.

While rumors circulated about the strained relationships among all three Hollywood A-listers, Sutherland saidThe three people had no bad blood:

[T]he truth is this: you fall in love. You cannot stop that. She is an extraordinary person, and he is too. Timing matters; everyone moves on from that.

The Stand By MeThe star also gave a new view of what he felt Roberts experienced soon after her fame from Pretty Woman:

She was arguably the most famous woman globally. This wedding, meant for the two of them, became huge… Then, during that, I think she showed courage. It wasn't what she wanted to do in the end. I think it took much courage, among all that, to say, “I can't do this.”

Patric and Roberts ended things the next year.

This work set the stage for modern adult animated comedies like South Park and Family Guy, Jason Alexander voiced the lead role in Duckman, a show that aired Saturday nights from 1994 to 1997 on USA Network.

In the series, the potty-mouthed duck works as a private detective while he deals with life after his wife dies. Duckman often throws in deep, thought-provoking comments about real-world issues.DuckmanDuckman was the first show of its kind to push boundaries and mix adult humor with relevant, often heavy talk.

In the mid-1990s, Pepsi started its “Pepsi Points” program. Fans collected points by drinking Pepsi products to get prizes like sunglasses and T-shirts. Pepsi claimed this would bring some laughs to the ad. The soda company also stated that for 7 million points, a Pepsi fan could win a Harrier jet.

John Leonard, a 21-year-old business student, took the claims seriously. He started scheming to earn enough points for the prize. Finding a loophole where Pepsi customers could buy points for ten cents each, the Washington resident contacted investors. They gathered the $700,000 needed to buy enough points for the jet in 1996.

Leonard mailed the check and 15 labels for extra points to the company, expecting his Harrier jet. The jet never arrived. Pepsi said the ad was a joke; no one should take it seriously. The commercial had no fine print to support these claims.Leonard sued Pepsi.Leonard lost the case. The court ruling explained the reason:

No objective person could reasonably claim the commercial offered consumers a Harrier Jet. The young pilot shown is highly improbable; he barely handles his parents' car, let alone a United States Marine Corps prize aircraft.

Pepsi later changed the commercial. It offered the Harrier for a tough 700 million Pepsi points. Leonard avoided cashing his check, so he kept his $700,000.

From 1996 to 2002, VH1hosted Pop Up VideoThis was a 30-minute show. It featured four to five music videos with trivia facts that appeared on screen. Music fans learned about the artist and the video's making by reading short info snippets in a tweet-like format.

For example, the video for Jewel'sWho Will Save Your Soulset in a city hall bathroom. It shared important details like:

Jewel grew up using an outhouse.

Jewel views bathrooms as places where the soul stays alone.

The first stall gets used the least.

The flush toilet dates back to 2000 BC.

Popular videos on the show included "Black or White" (Michael Jackson), "Vogue" (Madonna), "Seven Nation Army" (The White Stripes), and "Losing My Religion" (REM).

For young people in the 1990s,slap braceletsThese were slim, bendable metal bands in thin fabric or plastic. Kids used them as a school toy and fashion item. They straightened the bracelet like a ruler before slapping it on themselves or others, making the mechanism bend around the target.

Knock-offs soon appeared. They used cheaper materials, which made kids more likely to get hurt.A four-year-old cut her finger.on an exposed part of the inner band. Schools across the country banned the bracelets from classrooms and playgrounds.

While there appear to beNo documented cases show serious injuries.from fake slap bracelets, parents worried that sharp, exposed metal near wrist blood vessels could cause a disaster.

After admiring the late Argentinian activist María Eva "Evita" Duarte de Perón for years, Madonna starred as Perón in the 1996 movie version of Broadway'sEvitaMany Argentinians reacted with outrage when she received the part.

Perón rose from a humble background to become a strong political leader in Argentina by marrying General Juan Domingo Perón. She served as the country's first lady from 1946 until cervical cancer took her in 1952.

The 33-year-old earned women's suffrage rights for Argentina despite controversy among Argentinians. She won many hearts before her early death. Perón supporters were furious that an American performer known for stirring controversies played someone they revered as a saint.

Madonna stated that an actor's private life has no effect on their role.She also saw a link between herself and Perón:between herself and Perón:

Many people see Eva Perón as a saint or the incarnation of Satan. I identify with her. Some Argentinians seem confused because they said things about my role that are untrue. It will not be scandalous.

The singer, songwriter, and actor hadwrote a lettertoEvitathe director about the role's importance to her, and she won a Golden Globe for her performance.

In the final years of the decade moving toward the millennium, viewers struggled to finish any TV show without hearing “Wazzup?!” during commercial breaks. From 1999 to 2002,Budweiser adsshowed many examples of this idea. Beer drinkers yelled “Wazzup?!” at friends using their cordless phones.

Budweiser made the phrase very popular, but the idea came froma short film made earlierChuck Stone III wrote and directed it.Truebrought an inside joke between Stone and his friends to life. The pals used the one-word phrase instead of talking openly because of the standards of male masculinity.

For the first few seasons ofBeverly Hills, 90210, which aired from 1990 to 2000, Brenda Walsh (played byShannen Doherty) was in a love triangle with friend Kelly Taylor (Jennie Garth) and their shared interest, Dylan McKay (Luke Perry). But at the end of season three, fans (and some castmates) were shocked to learn that) found herself in a love triangle with friend Kelly Taylor (Jennie Garth) and their shared interest, Dylan McKay (Luke Perry). But at the end of season three, fans and some castmates were shocked to learn thatfor the fourth season of the hit show.Co-star Tori Spelling said Doherty and Garth's personalities clashed off-screen. After several issues, Tori shared her worry with her father—and the show's producer, Aaron Spelling:

Co-star Tori Spelling said Doherty and Garth's personalities clashed behind the scenes. After several incidents, Tori shared her worry with her father and the show's producer, Aaron Spelling.

While they were best friends, the relationship between the two stars did not stop Doherty's firing.

Though they were best friends, the relationship between the two stars did not stop Doherty's firing.she was unhappy on the show, making Aaron's decision seem like a smaller problem:She was unhappy during her time on the show, making Aaron's decision seem like a smaller blow.

The sacrifice felt too big. A camera pointed at my face twenty-four hours a day happened while I tried to grow up, figure out my spirituality, and figure out my boyfriends. I was a teenager.

Garth said she did not know about Doherty's exit until she arrived on set and his name was off the call sheet.As she writesabout their “gasoline and a match” relationship in her memoir,Deep Thoughts From a Hollywood Blonde:

One of the great90210Shannen and I actually fought once. This never happened—but we came very close…

We shot a scene. Shannen kept grabbing my skirt hem, trying to slap me on the leg, anything to make me react and break character. Finally, when she pulled up my skirt, and my bare [butt] was exposed on set, I snapped and yelled, “Come on, b*tch! We're taking this outside!”

The two resolved their conflict. Garth called Doherty one of her “dearest, closest friends.”

Jennifer Aniston's haircut for her role inFriendswas so popular it got its own name: “The Rachel.” The style—layers, highlights, and a parted bang—fans and other stars copied it to get the look.

But many stars, including Tyra Banks, Christina Aguilera, Kerry Washington, Jessica Alba, and Kelly Clarkson, loved the cut and copied it.Aniston admitted she hatedShe called her hairstylist Chris McMillan “the bane of my existence because he started that damn Rachel, which was not my best look… I think it was the ugliest haircut I've ever seen.”

Aniston and McMillanboth agreedthat while she liked “The Rachel” first, it was hard to copy:

I got that haircut and thought, “Wow, this is amazing,” but I ended up with a frizzy mop because I did not know how to do what he did.

“The Rachel” was hard to maintain. I cursed Chris every time I had to blow dry. It took three brushes; it felt like surgery!

Debra Messing revealedin a 2017Refinery29interview that she tried to copy the cut for her character onWill & Grace:

Partway through the series, whenFriendswas on TV, we thought, “Wait a minute, look at Jennifer Aniston's hair—everyone loves it.” They suggested, “Maybe we should try to make you look like her.” So I went to Jennifer’s hairstylist and got the cut.

But trying it on the show was a mess. They spent three hours trying to straighten my hair like hers. It looked so full and poofy it resembled a mushroom. The whole thing failed, so [the producers] kept it curly.

Shaped like a miniature egg with a chunkily pixelated screen and a few small buttons to control the game, theTamagotchiTamagotchi featured a "virtual pet" that needed owner care: feeding, poop-scooping, playing, and scolding. This first gaming system lacked a pause button. Children worldwide soon played Tamagotchi during school and dinner.

From the moment a Tamagotchi hatched its egg, the creature needed constant care at set times. Owners who failed to treat their pets right saw them perish. The Tamagotchi craze, including many knock-offs, introduced virtual reality to the world, not just as a fad.

Many saw the game as just fun for kids. Finnish dependency specialist and sociologist Teuvo Peltoniemi recognized the game's design cleverness.Teuvo Peltoniemi warned about the game's possible dangers in 1997.Tamagotchi appears in the list '16 Forgotten 1990s Pop Culture Moments'.

Virtual reality is a new drug; Tamagotchis are the first wave. This is not a passing fad. They show the possible threat of a virtual world becoming a real dependence problem needing treatment.

The Tamagotchi offered average consumers access to virtual reality. Its main feature drew people through care. People formed strong emotional bonds with their Tamagotchis. They felt they had enough human qualities to mourn them when they died.

Hugh Grant.Hugh Grant made worldwide headlines in 1995. He was found with a sex worker in his parked car. After paying a $1,000 fine and taking AIDS education classes, the actor gained legal standing. However, his then-long-term girlfriend, Elizabeth Hurley, did not accept him.Austin Powers.Austin Powers split from Grant despite the formal apology Grant issued.The following day, Grant issued a formal apology.Last night I did something completely insane… I have hurt people I love and embarrassed people I work with. For both things I am more sorry than I can ever possibly say.

Although Hurley never commented on Grant's actions or the end of their decade-long relationship, fans eventually got an explanation for the star's behavior.

Fans of the couple eventually got an explanation for the ending of their decade-long relationship, even though Hurley never commented on Grant's actions.Love Actually.I was about to launch my first Hollywood film. My timing was perfect. The problem was my first Hollywood film; I had just seen it. The film was set to release a week or two later, and I had a bad feeling. I went to see a screening. Everyone was brilliant, but I was so awful that I was not in a good frame of mind.Grant explained.Grant spoke in a 2021 podcast interview with Marc Maron.

I was about to launch my first Hollywood film. My timing was perfect. My problem was this: that was my first Hollywood film, and I had just seen it. The film was set to release a week or two later, and I felt a bad feeling about it. I went to see a screening. Everyone in it was brilliant, but I felt so awful that I was not in a good frame of mind.