- On This Day!
- Posts
- October 9th, 1992 📼
October 9th, 1992 📼
Grunge anthems and VHS tapes
Apologies for the long break in newsletter, the time machine was in the shop. Darn Chronoflux Capacitator.
Today, we're dialing the time machine to October 9th, 1992. Flannel shirts officially outnumbered regular shirts in America's closets (don’t quote us on this), and MTV still played music videos.
If you know someone who still has their ticket stub from the first Lollapalooza tour, forward them this newsletter. And tell 'em those Doc Martens they're hoarding might actually be worth something now.
Let's go! 🚀
October 9th, 1992 📼
On October 9th, 1992, America was knee-deep in what historians now call "Peak Grunge." Just one week earlier, Sinéad O'Connor had torn up a photo of the Pope on SNL, and the nation was still clutching its collective pearls. Meanwhile, Pearl Jam's "Jeremy" was climbing the charts, giving parents everywhere something new to worry about. This was the era when rebellion came in plaid, angst had a Seattle zip code, and everyone pretended to understand what Eddie Vedder was mumbling about.
The real magic of October '92? It was the sweet spot where '80s excess had officially died, but '90s cynicism hadn't fully taken over. MTV's "The Real World" had just wrapped its first season, inventing reality TV and dooming us all to decades of manufactured drama. Beverly Hills 90210 was teaching America's youth that high schoolers could look 30 and still be believable. And somewhere in Arkansas, a saxophone-playing governor named Bill Clinton was about to shake up politics by playing "Heartbreak Hotel" on Arsenio Hall's show because apparently, that's how you won elections in 1992.
This was also prime Blockbuster Video territory - a Friday night meant a 45-minute family argument in the New Releases aisle, only to rent "Wayne's World" for the third time. Late fees were basically a second mortgage, and "Be Kind, Rewind" was the 11th commandment. Little did we know that in just five years, some company mailing DVDs would make this family tradition extinct.
What grunge anthem knocked "End of the Road" by Boyz II Men off the #1 spot after its record-breaking 13-week run at the top of the Billboard Hot 100? |
Take Me Back ⏮️
🎥 What we’re watching: "Candyman" in theaters (and then checking our mirrors five times before bed)
🕹️ What we’re playing: Mortal Kombat II at the arcade (FINISH HIM!)
📖 What we're reading: "The Pelican Brief" by John Grisham
🥤 What we’re drinking: Crystal Pepsi (it's clear, so it must be healthy)
🛒 What we’re buying: Khakis from The Gap
👦 Who we’re following: Luke Perry's sideburns
🍔 What we’re eating: McDonald's Extra Value Meals
🎤 What we’re singing: “Jump” by Kriss Kross
Past Meets Present 📰
Seeking impartial news? Meet 1440.
Every day, 3.5 million readers turn to 1440 for their factual news. We sift through 100+ sources to bring you a complete summary of politics, global events, business, and culture, all in a brief 5-minute email. Enjoy an impartial news experience.
Just For Fun 🙃
On this very day, "Barney & Friends" was corrupting America's toddlers with its purple propaganda on PBS. Parents everywhere were one "I Love You" song away from losing their minds, yet somehow we all survived to tell the tale. The show would go on to traumatize parents for another 17 years, proving that sometimes the real dinosaurs were the earworms we made along the way.
Fun (and true) fact: my father-in-law starred in a 1992 episode of Barney & Friends alongside Selena Gomez. 🤯
OOTD On This Day🧢
The official '92 uniform: Oversized flannel (preferably "borrowed" from dad), ripped jeans that cost more because they were pre-destroyed, wallet chain, and Doc Martens that weighed more than a small child. Hair was required to cover at least one eye at all times. Deodorant? Optional.
Happy Birthday🎂
Today would have been John Lennon's 52nd birthday. The Beatles legend had been gone for nearly 12 years, but his influence was everywhere.