Food and Drink
Crystal Pepsi
(1992-1993)
Riding its quirky slogan, "You've never seen taste like this," crystal Pepsi followed a larger trend equating clarity and quality. It tasted nearly identical to original Pepsi, and my 5-year old self was baffled that something clear could taste like something that clearly wasn't. People were intrigued by the nuance, but interest quickly faded and the product was pulled. It was actually conceived and marketed by Yum! Brands Inc, the same company responsible for one of my favorite things in life, Taco Bell.
Pop Qwiz
(early 1990s)
Popcorn, as a food, is somewhat intriguing. It changes states of matter from dense kernels to fluffy, buttery goodness when subjected to the proper amount of heat. But what if it were different colors? Even better, what if you could never predict precisely what color your bag would produce? Pop Secret explicitly marketed this to children, and it blew my young mind. Just watch the commercial. You had me Pop Secret, you had me.
Dunk-a-roos
(1988-present)
What a marvelous concept. You take a kangaroo-shaped cookie (available in a multitude of flavors) and dunk it in an accompanying frosting partition (also available in a multitude of flavors). The cinnamon flavored cookies with the chocolate or vanilla frosting were undoubtedly the best and, thanks to the popularity of their Australian-accented Kangaroo mascot, you simply weren't the coolest kid in elementary school unless your lunch included a pack.
Orbitz
(1997)
This non-carbonated fruity beverage was aptly named after the edible orb bits that floated magically inside its oddly-shaped bottle. It was a cousin to another of my childhood favorites, Clearly Canadian, and was quickly discontinued due to soft sales. The unopened bottles have become a cult collector's item, and I think my family still has a few stashed somewhere in the attic.
Games and Toys
Magic: The Gathering
(1993-present)
Created by mathematician Richard Garfield, MTG was (and probably still is) a card game played in lunchrooms and mothers' basements around the world. It pits two players, posing as powerful wizards called "planeswalkers" against each other using mystical spells and creatures. All of these are depicted, of course, on collectible cards purchasable at your local hobby store. Common, uncommon, and rare cards were allocated 11/3/1 in each 15 card pack, ensuring that the more you bought, the more formidable your competitive arsenal. Ironically, the more dedicated you were to this game, the less likely it was that you had any friends to play with.
Pokemon
(ca. 1996)
Pokemon was such a defining element in many peoples' upbringing that they can remember where they were when they first met Professor Oak and embarked on a that infamous journey through the land of Kanto. It was a Japanese concept that made it to the states in the form of 2 partner games, Pokemon Red and Blue, for the original black-and-white Gameboy. In the years following its release, I honestly believe I spent more time playing this game than not playing it. The slogan was "Gotta Catch 'em All!" and I did. Oh, I did.
Pogs
(mid-1990s)
Pogs were originally milk bottle caps. The game originated in Hawaii in the 1920s and 1930s, with caps from a juice brand called POG being the most widely used. The Canada Games Company reintroduced Pogs and the concept exploded, eventually being banned in schools across North America due to rampant popularity. In its merchandised form, Pogs were circular bits of cardboard with images (of anything, really) imprinted on one side. Players threw heavier metal "slammers" down onto tall stacks of pogs to disrupt them, and the player causing the most carnage claimed victory. Yes, I had thousands of these.
Skip-It
(Late 1980s-early 1990s)
Skip-It achieved widespread notoriety due to its extensive marketing on Nickelodeon (more on that later, trust me). The commercial serves as ample product description, and I made certain that my counter was stuck at 999.
Nintendo 64
(September 1996)
Though slightly predated by Sony's Playstation, Nintendo 64 effectively redesigned the video game market. Its 64-bit graphics processor allowed for 3D rendering, and the days of 2D side-scrolling and aerial view were left in the dust. Though Mario 64 (included with console purchase) was amazing, the N64 spawed several other absolute gems. Goldeneye, for example, absolutely annihilated every competitor in its genre and absorbed hundreds of hours of my life. Though slightly less universally popular, Banjo-Kazooie was also a favorite of my 12-year old self. As Banjo, a guffawing, dimwitted bear, you stormed the palace of evil witch Gruntilda and reclaimed your kidnapped sister. With a great storyline, tons of hidden Easter eggs, and the glorious tongue-in-cheek humor of developer Rare, it was one of the many reasons N64 is arguably the most successful console ever made.
Books
Roald Dahl
(1993-present)
My teacher for 1st-3rd grade was a British import by the name of Ms. Wood, and she had a profound effect on my upbringing. It was she who suggested I read Mr. Dahl's material and I was absolutely fascinated. There was the imaginative genius of the stories, sure, but also a heavy infusion of British culture that amplified the distance and magic of the worlds he described. I mean, Charlie Bucket found the golden ticket in a candy bar he bought with shillings and farthings. What in the world are those? Even if you've never heard of Dahl, you've probably heard of his work. He's responsible for Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, James and the Giant Peach, Matilda, and Fantastic Mr. Fox, all of which have been made into movies (Willy Wonka twice actually). In 4th grade I had to write my first "paper." It was a 2-page biography on someone we found interesting, and I chose him. It may very well be Roald Dahl (and Ms. Wood) I have to thank for my interest in multiculturalism. By the way, this Youtube video contains an excellent overview of Dahl's work and includes many interesting facts I didn't know. If you watch one of these clips, watch this one.
Goosebumps
(1992-1997)
This series of novellas made author R.L. Stine a very, very wealthy man. The books infiltrated and dominated the relatively unexploited children's horror genre. The original run of 68 titles included "Monster Blood," "Say Cheese and Die!," "Attack of the Mutant," and the petrifying "It Came from Under the Sink." The series spawned innumerable spin-offs and spoofs including comic books, a moderately successful TV series, 2 video games, and a movie in the works. In its heyday, I was an unrepentant Goosebumps fanboy. For 3rd grade class pictures, we were encouraged to bring in and sport an item indicative of a hobby or passion, and I proudly brought a Goosebumps book to complement my matching Goosebumps hat and t-shirt. Eventually, my reading level surpassed surpassed Stine's style and my interest tapered off.
Music
Del Amitri
(1995)
I've heard one song by this band, "Roll to Me," and it's enough to warrant inclusion in my nostalgic vault. Why? The single was the first cassette I ever purchased. It's just over 2 minutes long and largely unremarkable, but it's the first recollection I have of actually liking a particular song.
Hootie and the Blowfish
(1994)
Hootie rode strong pop hooks and the resultant success of their debut album, "Cracked Rear View," to superstardom. The album has gone 16x platinum and was the top-seller overall in 1995. I absolutely loved Hootie and, luckily, my parents did too. This was before the internet age, and I recall waking at an ungodly hour and waiting in line at the local music store to get concert tickets the day they were released. I was 8 years old, and it was my first show. I remember holding my mother's hand as Darius Rucker sang the eponymous song and thinking that at that particular moment, life was perfect.
Spice Girls
(1996)
Don't you dare judge me. If you grew up in a developed country in the 1990s, the Spice Girls' Brit-glitz, girl power attitude, and made-for-radio jingle-pop infested your life too. From car stereos to MTV to Walkman cassette players around the world, the Spice Girls were going to tell you what they want, what they really really want, whether you wanted to hear it or not. I even saw Spice World too. Once. I still don't know what happened to the bomb on the Spice Bus...
Boy Bands
(All up in the 1990s)
Confession: I attempted to learn the choreography for the ballroom dancing scene in the Backstreet Boys' Everybody video. It was just that cool. First came New Kids on the Block. Then UK-natives Take That arrived on the scene. But it will always be the Backstreet Boys that, to me, opened the floodgates and drowned the world in boy band. N*Sync, 98 Degrees, O-Town, N2ge+her, Dream Street, etc. achieved varying degrees of notoriety before reverting to obscurity as the mania subsided. Probably the best thing about these groups was the utter predictability of the lineup. Every member had to fulfill a stereotypical niche. There was the cute one. The shy one (extra points if he was openly religious). The bad boy. The heartthrob . And, of course, the one people always forgot was actually in the band. The music was eventually satirized and hated upon (anything horribly overexposed ultimately is...see: Macarena) but boy band music remains my karaoke genre of choice, and I'd much rather listen to their brand of bubblegum pop than the vocalized T-Pain inspired fodder tainting the airwaves today.
The Macarena
(1995-1996)
Not much need be said about the Macarena. As the popularity of the song and dance grew to biblical proportion, there was a brief time when Los del Rio were more revered for their product than the Virgin Mary. Oddly, the song's relation to religion extends past that poorly conceived metaphor. Macarena, the name of the song's subject, was adapted from Magdalena, a term that described women of questionable repute. The song's original Spanish lyrics outline the promiscuity of its title character. I knew all the words, but I remember my 4th grade Spanish teacher blushing and changing the subject when I asked for a translation.
Film/Television
Ace Ventura: Pet Detective
(1994)
I wanted to be Jim Carrey. I've seen this movie probably 30 times. I adopted his mannerisms and outlandish extroversion. I had a brief stint in film/television acting in my early teens, and Jim Carrey was probably the primary motivating force behind my ambition. As a 7 year old, I couldn't necessarily follow the film's plot line, but Carrey's performance served as entertainment enough. My tastes have matured and evolved, but he still features prominently in my absolute favorite move of all time, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, albeit in a much different manner.
Nickelodeon
(1990-2000ish)
Here it is, the grand finale, the coup the grace, the most essential, formative, definitive element of my upbringing. I pity those who never experienced it in its prime. Nickelodeon's green slime-coated tentacles cradled and nourished the hearts and minds of American youth. It was generation Nick. The shows were incredible: daytime dramas "Hey Dude!" and "Salute your Shorts," gameshows like "Double Dare" and "Legends of the Hidden Temple," the infamous Nicktoons including "Ren and Stimpy," "Doug," and "Rocko's Modern Life," and its incredibly popular Snick lineup on Saturday nights. At the height of its popularity, the channel was merely the cerebral cortex driving a much larger cultural phenomenon. Themes quickly outgrew television sets, with the network's patented green slime, whipped cream pies and gaudy set design finding other merchandising outlets. I owned a Nick telephone and alarm clock, I subscribed (briefly) to the magazine, and, in perhaps the biggest testament to the brand's influence, one of my birthday cakes was even coated in slime frosting.
So there it is, an overview of the products, fads and memes that I still hold near and dear. Unfortunately, as I've come to learn, time always wins. Take Nickelodeon Studios, for example. What was once every child's Mecca is now a concrete rehearsal and production studio for the consistently-mediocre Blue Man Group. In fact, I'm skeptical that such universal cultural trends will continue forth in the future. The information age has largely diluted popular interest. Take a current worldwide sensation, Lady Gaga, for example. If you don't want to hear Gaga, you can discover and download indie music online. iPods have replaced car radios. The choice of accepting or spurning mainstream media has never before been so realizable by younger generations. It's an interesting sociological concept.
In summary, I hope you glean even a small fraction of the happiness from reading this that I did from writing it. Researching and revisiting these subjects was immensely gratifying. Though my current age reflects an independent period of life, I think it's important to maintain the things that made childhood unforgettable because, sometime in the future, they may once again become relevant.
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