History of the 90s

In October 1998 a gay college student in Laramie, Wyoming was brutally beaten by two men he met in a local bar. The men pretended they were gay to lure 21 year old Matthew Sheppard into their truck where he was pistol-whipped and robbed. Matt was discovered barely alive 18 hours later tied to a fence in the middle of a rural area. He never regained consciousness. Matt’s murder stunned the world and ignited a movement that changed gay rights in the United States.    Guest: Jeff Mack, Executive Vice President, Matthew Shepard Foundation www.matthewshepard.org Show Contact Info: Instagram: @that90spodcast Email: 90s@curiouscast.ca   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Following the success of The Cosby Show and its spinoff A Different World in the 1980s,TV networks were eager to include more Black programming.   In particular they wanted more Black sitcoms and that eventually lead to a flood of new shows. Some were on the big three networks but many more on new upstarts, FOX, UPN and The WB. On this episode of History of the 90s, host Kathy Kenzora continues looks back at some of the best Black sitcoms from the golden era of Black television.  Guest: Kristal Brent Zook: author of Color By Fox: The Fox Network and the Revolution in Black Television www.kristalbrentzook.com Show Contact Info:   Instagram: @that90spodcast Email: 90s@curiouscast.ca Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In April 1990, the first episode of In Living Color aired on Fox TV changing the face and tone of television.The half hour sketch show created by Keenan Ivory Wayans was called a Black Saturday Night Live for the hip-hop generation.It ran at 9:30 Sunday night on Fox right after the networks two hit shows The Simpsons and Married with Children.Thanks to that placement and hype around the show, 23 million viewers tuned in to the inaugural episode.Nearly 30 years since In Living Color went off the air its impact can still be felt throughout today’s film and eco-system.Resources used in this episode include:https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-features/living-color-oral-history-fox-censors-spike-lees-disdain-1219192/Guest:David Peisner, journalist and author of Homey Don’t Play That! The Story of In Living Color and the Black Comedy Revolution www.djpeisner.com Show Contact Info:Instagram: @that90spodcast Email: 90s@curiouscast.ca Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In 1992 HIV/AIDS hit a grim milestone in the United States when it became the number one cause of death among men ages 25 to 44.Since there was still so much stigma attached to the illness, people were often dying without even telling their closest friends and family that they were sick. They died alone because of the shame they felt about having contracted HIV.On this episode of History of the 90s, host Kathy Kenzora looks back at the people and events in the 1990s that helped shaped the fight to remove the stigma and shame that surrounded HIV.Guest:John Maxwell, Executive Director of the Aids Committee of Toronto (ACT) www.actoronto.org Show Contact Info:Instagram: @that90spodcast Email: 90s@curiouscast.ca Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

During the early days of the AIDS epidemic, the North American blood supply became contaminated with HIV from infected donors. As a result, by the mid-1980s, about 10,000 hemophiliacs were infected with HIV. 13-year-old Ryan White from Kokomo, Indiana was one of those who contracted the virus through a tainted blood product and after he was barred from attending school, he became a crusader to end the stigmatization associated with HIV/AIDS. On this episode of History of the 90s host Kathy Kenzora looks back at the life and legacy of Ryan White.Thanks to Ryan’s mother Jeanne White-Ginder who gave permission for use of the audio heard in this episode. It is available to listen to in its entirety here: Who Was Ryan White? | Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program (hrsa.gov)GUEST:Nelson Price, author of The Quiet Hero: A Life of Ryan WhiteShow Contact Info:Instagram: @that90spodcast Email: 90s@curiouscast.ca Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sheryl Leach, a working mom in Texas was stuck in traffic when she dreamt up the idea of a plush-toy dinosaur that comes to life and entertains a backyard full of kids with songs and games. Within a few years the big purple dinosaur was loved by millions of children around the world and hated by their parents who were forced to watch the T-rex on his hit PBS show.    On this episode of History of the 90s host Kathy Kenzora looks back at the story of how Barney changed kids tv programming and why he was so hated by adults.  Guest: Rob Curran, founder of the I Hate Barney Secret Society  Show Contacts:  Instagram: @that90spodcast Email: 90s@curiouscast.ca Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Pamela Anderson and Tommy Lee were one of the most famous celebrity couple of the 90s. So when a homemade sex tape from the couple’s honeymoon was stolen from a safe in their garage it became the biggest viral video of the era. For many years most people assumed the couple had leaked the tape themselves in a weird publicity stunt. On this episode of History of the 90s, host Kathy Kenzora talks to the journalist who revealed the real story in a 2014 Rolling Stone article.Guest:   Journalist Amanda Chicago Lewis Twitter: @msamandalewis www.amandachicagolewis.com Pamela Anderson Sex Tape: Tommy Lee & the History of the Infamous Porn - Rolling Stone Show Contact Info:   Instagram: @that90spodcast Email: 90s@curiouscast.ca Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The World Series has been a reliable tradition since 1904. It’s been played during both World Wars, the Depression, after 9-11 and more recently during the COVID pandemic. But there was one time that the Fall Classic was cancelled in what is considered to be Major League Baseball’s most catastrophic and embarrassing moment. On this episode of History of the 90s, host Kathy Kenzora looks back at the 1994-95 MLB player’s strike.Thanks to Erica Vella, host of Global News' podcast What Happened To…? for sharing the interview she did with former Montreal Expos Pitcher Jeff Fassero.Contact:Instagram: @that90spodcastEmail: 90s@curiouscast.ca Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the early 1990s reality TV as we know it today didn’t yet exist.Then everything changed when a cable channel known for music videos put cameras inside a New York loft with 7 strangers.The Real World which premiered on MTV in 1992 set the stage for the scores of reality shows we are all familiar with now, everything from The Osbournes & The Hills to Survivor and just about everything on Bravo.On this episode of History of the 90s host Kathy Kenzora looks back at the groundbreaking show and the rise of reality TV.Contact:Instagram: @that90spodcast Email: 90s@curiouscast.ca Newsletter: http://historyofthe90s.substack.com Guest:Professor Danielle J. Lindemann, author of True Story: What Reality TV Says About UsTwitter: @djlindee https://daniellelindemann.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In 1996 Canadian sprinter Donovan Bailey won gold at the Atlanta Olympics, breaking the world record in the 100 metre event. The achievement helped Canada climb out from behind the shame of the Ben Johnson steroid scandal following the 1988 Olympics. It also meant that Bailey was the fastest man in the world. To everyone, it would seem, except one nation. On this episode of History of the 90s, host Kathy Kenzora talks with Donovan Bailey about his Olympic achievement as well his fastest man showdown against Michael Johnson a year later.Guest info:The Podcast - Hosted by Donovan Bailey & Jason Portuondo Donovan Bailey’s podcast Running Things With Donovan Bailey is on Acast (acast.com) and can be heard anywhere you stream audio. Twitter: @donovanbaileyWebsite: www.donovanbailey.comContact:Instagram: @that90spodcast Email: 90s@curiouscast.ca Newsletter: History of the 90s | Substack  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices