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Issue Date: July 11, 2004
Gone, and almost forgotten
Bet you don't remember these '90s "gems."
By Brian Truitt
True, the 1990s were only a decade ago, but their legacy still lives on. Witness the woman with Beanie Babies lined up in her car's rear window, and Ace of Base's "The Sign" in those Bally commercials. But then there are the items from the '90s that have remained buried ... until now.
Remember Joey Lawrence's music career? Whoa! That lasted nearly as long as David Faustino's stint as a rapper. But bad career choices don't have to keep talented people down. Thankfully, Don Cheadle and Carrie-Anne Moss didn't get mired in bad-TV-spinoff land. On "Golden Palace," Cheadle acted alongside post-"Golden Girls" Betty White, Rue McClanahan and Estelle Getty; and years before donning black leather and cool shades for "The Matrix," Moss strutted her stuff with soap-opera royalty (Linda Gray, Emma Samms) on "Models, Inc."
Speaking of Fox series, Jamie Walters was a triple threat: Before portraying Tori Spelling's guitar-strumming boyfriend on "Beverly Hills, 90210," Walters starred on the short-lived music soap "The Heights" and became a two-hit wonder with "How Do You Talk to an Angel?" (the "Heights" theme song) and "Hold On."
What was tastier in the '90s than a brooding loner with a top-40 song? Tiramisu! The espresso-soaked Italian dessert became more popular than cookie dough ice cream, thanks to a funny exchange in "Sleepless in Seattle:" When Rob Reiner won't tell Tom Hanks what tiramisu is, Hanks cries, "Some woman is going to want me to do it to her, and I'm not going to know what it is!"
The '90s had its share of songs that rose quickly and flamed out just as fast: In 1992, hard-rockin' metalheads Mr. Big topped the charts with the gentle ballad "To Be With You." A cold front came from north of the border a year later when Canadian rapper Snow scored with "Informer," although we're still wondering how to "licky boom boom down." And Ini Kamoze (the "lyrical gangster") reached No. 1 in 1994 with the reggae-tinged "Here Comes the Hotstepper."
Sink your teeth into these two tasteless '90s icons that debuted in 1991: McDonald's McLean Deluxe hamburger; and "Studs," the much-maligned precursor to today's horrendous dating shows. Watching that show was as painful as spilling scalding-hot Mickey D's coffee in your lap. But hey, at least that beverage-challenged lady who sued was awarded $2.9 million. All we got was "Blind Date."
Models, Inc.: Spelling/The Kobal Collection
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