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The Simpsons | 58 Nov 17, 2021

Show notes

When The Simpsons debuted in December 1989 it was a radical move by the Fox TV Network. There had not been a successful prime-time animated sitcom for adults since The Flintstones in the 1960s. Plus The Simpsons was a lot edgier than the clean family sitcoms on the air at the time.

But not only was The Simpsons an instant hit, it became a cultural phenomenon that continues over 30 years later.

On this episode of History of the 90s host Kathy Kenzora looks back at the creation of the ground-breaking show and some of the controversy it created with help from Yeardley Smith, the voice of Lisa Simpson.

Guests:

Yeardley Smith - Twitter: @Yeardley Smith www.smalltowndicks.com
Mathew Klickstein www.mathewklickstein.com Springfield Confidential: Jokes, Secrets, and Outright Lies from a Lifetime Writing for The Simpsons by Mathew Klickstein and Mike Reiss

Contact:

Twitter: @1990shistory

Facebook: @1990shistory

Instagram: @that90spodcast Email: 90s@curiouscast.ca Blog: www.historyofthe90sblog.ca

For exclusive bonus content subscribe to History of the 90s Patreon page.: https://patreon.com/historyofthe90s

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Rwandan Genocide | 57 Nov 03, 2021

Show notes

For 100 days in 1994 evil descended upon the small country of Rwanda. A long simmering conflict between Hutus and Tutsis boiled over after the country’s president died when his plane was shot down by a missile.

Police stood by as approximately 800,000 people, mainly Tutsis were killed by violent mobs armed with clubs, sticks and machete’s. From the capital city of Kigali to small rural villages, unspeakable crimes were committed by militia groups, soldiers and neighbors against neighbors. During that time the international community largely remained on the sidelines.

On this episode of History of the 90s, host Kathy Kenzora looks back at the Rwanda Genocide.

Contact:

Twitter: @1990shistory

Facebook: @1990shistory

Instagram: @that90spodcast

Email: 90s@curiouscast.ca

Guest:

Allan Thompson, former Toronto Star Reporter and now the Journalism program head at Carleton University in Ottawa.

Twitter: @Profallan

Resources about Rwanda:

Media and Mass Atrocity: The Rwandan Genocide and Beyond, Edited by Allan Thompson

Rwanda Chronology | FRONTLINE | PBS

Shake Hands with the Devil: The Failure of Humanity, By Romeo Dallaire

Hotel Rwanda

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The Rise of Trashy Daytime TV | 56 Oct 20, 2021

Show notes

In the 1990s the most violent thing on television wasn’t wrestling, or NHL hockey it was The Jerry Springer Show. The daytime talk show regularly devolved into wild physical fights between guests that were excitedly cheered on by riled up audience members

During the 90s more than two dozen similar daytime talk shows, that ranged from provocative to downright trashy, ruled the airwaves.

Big names you probably remember like Jenny Jones, Geraldo Rivera and Maury Povich and others you may have forgotten about like Ricki Lake & Montel Williams were adored by millions of fans until a shocking tragedy turned the industry on its head.

On this episode of History of the 90s host Kathy Kenzora looks back at the era of trashy daytime talk shows.

Contact:

Twitter: @1990shistory

Facebook: @1990shistory

Instagram: @that90spodcast

Email: 90s@curiouscast.ca

Guests:

James Nadler; Graduate Program Director, Masters of Arts in Media Production at Ryerson University

Laura Grindstaff; Professor of Sociology at UC Davis & author of The Money Shot: Trash, Class and the Making of TV Talk Shows

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Console Wars | 55 Oct 06, 2021

Show notes

After the home video game industry crashed spectacularly in 1983 one company rose from the ashes and helped breathe new life with a new 8 bit video console.

The Nintendo Entertainment System with games like Super Mario Bros. and The Legend of Zelda ruled the console market until another Japanese company started going after older and more serious gamers.

For the first time the Sega Genesis console and the company’s blue mascot Sonic The Hedgehog took a bite out of Nintendo’s supremacy in the North American market. And that was just the beginning of the Nintendo vs Sega Console War that dominated the 90s.

On this episode of History of the 90s, host Kathy Kenzora takes you through the twists and turns of the epic battle that defined a generation of gamers.

Guest:

Blake Harris, author and director of The Console Wars: Sega, Nintendo and the Battle That Defined a Generation. www.blakejharris.com

Twitter: @blakejharrisNYC

Contact:

Twitter: @1990shistory

Facebook: @1990shistory

Instagram: @that90spodcast

Email: 90s@curiouscast.ca

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The History of Third Wave Ska and the '90s Neo Swing Craze | 54 Sep 22, 2021

Show notes

In the late 1990s two unexpected musical genres that centered around big bands with horns and retro clothing burst back onto the scene in North America.

Third wave ska and retro swing with breakthrough mainstream hits infiltered pop culture from movies and video games to the Gap’s famous khaki swing commercial.

Life was good in the 90s and the music reflected it. The fun upbeat sounds of Ska and Swing were the perfect fit for the time.

On this episode of History of the 90s host Kathy Kenzora looks back at the rise of 90s ska and swing.

Guest:

Kenneth Partridge, author Hell of a Hat: The Rise of 90s Ska and Swing

www.kennethpartridge.com

X: @kenpartridge

Show contacts:

Instagram: @that90spodcast

Tiktok: @90spodcast

Email: 1995podcast@gmail.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Supermodels | 53 Sep 08, 2021

Show notes

There was change and excitement in the air when the lights came up on Gianni Versace’s 1991 fall fashion show in Milan. For the show’s finale, a group of four beautiful young women linked arm-in-arm and made their way down the catwalk lip-synching the words of a pop song that blasted from the speakers.

It was the launch of a 90s phenomenon that is as symbolic to the decade as tabloid television and the creation of the internet.

On this episode of History of the 90s, host Kathy Kenzora looks back at the reign of the 90s supermodel who transcended the fashion runway and became full service celebrities.

Guests:

Rachel Burchfield; writer, editor & host of Podcast Royal.

www.rachelburchfield.com

Randi Bergman; writer, editor & host of Capsule 98.

Instagram: @Capsule98

www.capsule98.com

Contact:

Twitter: @1990shistory

Facebook: @1990shistory

Instagram: @that90spodcast

Email: 90s@curiouscast.ca

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Paul Bernardo - Part 2 | 52 Jul 21, 2021

Show notes

The case of Paul Bernardo captured media and public attention in the mid-1990s at a time when the United States was focused on the O.J. Simpson case in a similar way.

But Bernardo’s trial, for the murders of teenagers Leslie Mahaffy and Kristen French, wasn’t televised, so hundreds of people lined up to get inside the downtown Toronto courtroom to witness Canada’s version of the O.J. trial.

Others poured over the media coverage that blanketed newspapers or paid close attention to TV and radio stations which provided hourly updates of the proceedings.

I was in the courtroom everyday for four months in the summer of 1995 as the horrific crimes against Bernardo were revealed including graphic videotaped evidence.

On part two of our look back at the infamous case and trial of Paul Bernardo we dive into Canada’s trial of the century.

Contact:

Twitter: @1990shistory

Facebook: @1990shistory

Instagram: @that90spodcast

Email: 90s@curiouscast.ca

Blog: www.historyofthe90sblog.ca

For exclusive bonus content subscribe to History of the 90s Patreon page.: https://patreon.com/historyofthe90s

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Paul Bernardo - Part 1| 51 Jul 07, 2021

Show notes

If you Google most notorious killer in Canadian history, Paul Bernardo’s name will appear at the top of nearly every list.

There have been other killers who have taken more lives and eluded police over a longer period of time but the case of Paul Bernardo, at first as the Scarborough rapist and then later as the killer of Leslie Mahaffy and Kristen French, has left a deep and painful scar on Canadian society.

His case captured media and public attention in the mid-1990s at a time when the United States was focused on the O.J. Simpson case in a similar way.

But Bernardo’s trial wasn’t televised, so hundreds of people lined up to get inside the downtown Toronto courtroom to witness Canada’s version of the O.J. trial. Others poured over the media coverage that blanketed newspapers or paid close attention to TV and radio stations which provided hourly updates of the proceedings.

Over the next two episodes of History of the 90s, host Kathy Kenzora will recount the case, drawing from her experience covering the trial as a reporter for a Toronto radio station. A warning that this episode may not be suitable for young or sensitive listeners.

Contact:

Twitter: @1990shistory

Facebook: @1990shistory

Instagram: @that90spodcast

Email: 90s@curiouscast.ca

Blog: www.historyofthe90sblog.ca

For exclusive bonus content subscribe to History of the 90s Patreon page.: https://patreon.com/historyofthe90s

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Grunge Part 2 | 50 Jun 23, 2021

Show notes

From the moment grunge music went mainstream in the fall of 1991 the clock was ticking down toward its tragic end just a few years later.

But in the meantime, the huge success of Seattle bands like Nirvana, Pearl Jam and SoundGarden led to a frenzy by record labels to sign other grunge type bands.

And as the Seattle area was picked dry of talent the search for half-way decent bands wearing flannel and playing detuned guitars expanded beyond the Pacific Northwest.

At the same time, the bands that pioneered the movement were struggling with mainstream fame and were trying desperately to distance themselves from commercial success.

On this episode of History of the 90s, host Kathy Kenzora takes a look back at the final days of grunge with the help of Alan Cross, host of the Curiouscast podcast, The Ongoing History of New Music.

Contact:

Twitter: @1990shistory

Facebook: @1990shistory

Instagram: @that90spodcast

Email: 90s@curiouscast.ca

Blog: www.historyofthe90sblog.ca

Guest:

Alan Cross, host of The Ongoing History of New Music

www.ajournalofmusicalthings.com

Twitter: @alancross

For more about the life and death of Kurt Cobain listen to the Ongoing History of New Music’s episode on the 25th anniversary of his passing. Available anywhere you stream audio and here: https://omny.fm/shows/ongoing-history-of-new-music/kurt-cobain-25-years-later

For exclusive bonus content subscribe to History of the 90s Patreon page.: https://patreon.com/historyofthe90s

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Grunge: Part 1 | 49 Jun 09, 2021

Show notes

For the uninitiated, grunge begins and ends with Kurt Cobain and Nirvana. Maybe sprinkle in a little Pearl Jam or Sound Garden and a few flannels and that’s grunge. A moment in time that has long passed, but frozen in our memories because of Cobain’s early death.

But grunge is so much more than one band, and one singer who may have had an outsized impact on the movement but was just one of piece of a genre of music and an attitude that captivated the world at the beginning of the 90s.

On this episode of History of the 90s host Kathy Kenzora takes a look back at the birth of grunge with the help of Alan Cross, host of the Curiouscast podcast, The Ongoing History of the New Music.

Contact:

Twitter: @1990shistory

Facebook: @1990shistory

Instagram: @that90spodcast

Email: 90s@curiouscast.ca

Blog: www.historyofthe90sblog.ca

Guest:

Alan Cross, host of The Ongoing History of New Music

www.ajournalofmusicalthings.com

Twitter: @alancross

A note on sources:

For more information about the birth of grunge and some of the pioneers of the movement check out Northwest Passage, a project dedicated to the music scene of the Pacific Northwest region of the 80s and 90s. This website was a great source for information and facts contained in this episode.

For exclusive bonus content subscribe to History of the 90s Patreon page.: https://patreon.com/historyofthe90s

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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