In the late 90s, a new genre of music rose from the ashes of grunge. Labeled nu-metal, it was different from anything anyone had heard - it had loud, aggressive guitars, funky and jazzy beats and samples, electronic backgrounds, and hip hop vocals that evoked similar angst to punk and grunge. To the chagrin of many metal purists, it was often lumped within their diverse genre - but we know the MTV-fueled fanbase went wider than that. And thus - the basis of our nostalgia as we close out a year that felt oddly reminiscent of that chaotic, “I don’t know what to call it” energy.

This week, I’m joined by Eric and his lifelong best friend Josh to discuss what we remembered and loved about this controversial genre. So slip on that Adidas tracksuit and let’s get rollin’.

Music video referenced in the episode: Mudvayne, “Dig, 1997 (youtube.com/watch?v=YIqbdnaPcT8)

Sources

• 28 Nu Metal Era Bands You Probably Forgot All About, NME, September 2013 - https://www.nme.com/photos/28-nu-metal-era-bands-you-probably-forgot-all-about-1425509

• The 21 Greatest Nu-Metal Albums of All Time - Ranked, by Kerrang.com, June 2020

• https://www.kerrang.com/features/the-21-greatest-nu-metal-albums-of-all-time-definitively-ranked/
  

For 51 days in 1993, the FBI and ATF were in an increasingly tense standoff with David Koresh and the Branch Davidians, an extreme far-right religious sect, outside of Waco, Texas. After a search and arrest warrant led to a gunfight leaving 10 dead, negotiators and tactical teams squared off about how to get the Branch Davidians out safely for nearly two months.

Ultimately, the Waco siege culminated in tragedy, reframing how America looks at paramilitary responses from the government and reinforcing the distrust of government in far-right groups, and we are still dealing with both of these realities almost 30 years later.

This week, we are covering the siege at Waco.

CW: Cults, physical and sexual abuse, violence, suicide, death, drugs, gun violence.

SOURCES

https://www.history.com/topics/1990s/waco-siege

https://www.vox.com/2016/1/5/10714746/waco-ruby-ridge-oregon

https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-news/flashback-waco-cult-showdown-ends-in-disaster-124074/

https://abcnews.go.com/US/survivors-1993-waco-siege-describe-happened-fire-ended/story?id=52034435

https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/tv/la-et-st-waco-review-20180124-story.html

HAPPY PRIDE! If there’s anyone that embodies the principles of Pride, it’s RuPaul, America’s most famous and commercially successful drag queen. She burst on the scene in the 90s in New York City, catapulting the community into the spotlight and making drag a more mainstream lifestyle. From her talk show to her MAC cosmetics campaign, RuPaul has ALWAYS been unapologetically herself, authentic in her self-expression and striving to make the world a better place through loving yourself first so you can love others second. Did we mention she’s our de-facto spiritual teacher?

This week, my dear friend Derric (@derricdalton) from the 3am Mystery Club Podcast (@3amclubpod) is with me to discuss a person we truly look up to and aim to embody every single day - the one and only magical RuPaul Charles.

SOURCES

https://www.dazeddigital.com/fashion/article/26129/1/this-unearthed-vid-shows-rupaul-at-his-90s-best

https://www.nbcnews.com/feature/nbc-out/drag-explosion-fabulousness-defiance-90s-drag-n1252395

https://screenrant.com/rupaul-drag-race-talk-show-1996-michelle-visage/

http://www.newnownext.com/linda-simpson-the-drag-explosion-book-rupaul/12/2020/

https://www.dazeddigital.com/fashion/article/51358/1/watch-rupaul-drag-race-christmas-holiday-special-1997-cult-tv-youtube

https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/pride/8488631/rupaul-drag-race-guest-judges-nirvana-jimmy-kimmel-live-video

https://www.thethings.com/things-you-didnt-know-about-rupaul/

https://www.vox.com/culture/2018/3/6/17085244/rupaul-trans-women-drag-queens-interview-controversy

https://www.mic.com/articles/44947/how-rupaul-became-a-leading-icon-in-the-gay-community#.mjWQkaIfc

https://www.dazeddigital.com/artsandculture/article/33452/1/why-rupaul-was-a-cultural-icon-long-before-drag-race

The office landscape looks a LOT different 22 years after Mike Judge’s 1999 comedy Office Space. It was changing even BEFORE Covid hit, and this last year has accelerated its change even more - but we love the movie just the same.

This week we’re discussing the cult classic, our favorite characters and scenes, and the fate of the 90s office as portrayed in media all those years ago. So let’s head over to Chotchkie’s for coffee, but make sure you have enough flair and FOR THE LOVE OF GOD do not tell anyone they have a case of the Mondays.

Sources

Mentalfloss — https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/556414/office-space-mike-judge-things-to-look-for

Rotten Tomatoes — https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/office_space/quotes/

90s kids, FIND YOUR SEATS - Mama Spurlock is in the house.

This week, my mom - the queen herself, Shelley Spurlock - is joining me to talk all about what it was like to be a parent in the 90s. From art docent-ing to leading the Brownie troops to rescuing injured, sick, or orphaned birds, my mom’s experience of the 90s was NOTHING short of spectacular. Which is not surprising if you know her.

So jump into our 90s minivan-shaped time machine and travel back to the Sacramento of thirty years ago with us. Just make sure to bring your earplugs in case we take you to a 98 Degrees concert.

Raise Your Hand Foundation

www.raiseyourhandfoundation.org

https://www.facebook.com/Raise-Your-Hand-Foundation-105296379528047

shelley@ryhf.org

Please consider a Big Day of Giving Donation on May 6th to make your gift go even further: bigdayofgiving.org/RAISEYOURHANDFOUNDATION

What do Anna Nicole Smith and Ruth Bader Ginsburg have in common? RBG, ever the women’s empowerment champion, wrote the majority opinion in Anna’s Supreme Court case, allowing her to go after her fair share of her late husband’s estate in the 2000s. So that’s pretty cool.

This week I’m by myself discussing the 90s bombshell herself and how she paved the way for women and femmes to own their bodies and their sexualities in a way no one had ever seen before. So grab that coffee and settle in as we travel back to the Hollywood and Houston of the 90s to discuss a woman who was SO much more than a pretty face.

SOURCE

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sJV-h8BqRPs

When American Pie was released in the summer of 1999, movie theaters weren’t prepared for the onslaught of underage kids sneaking in to watch the raunchy sex jokes, gross stunts, and heartwarming friendships. The film was an instant hit among teens, because a movie FINALLY depicted how awkward it was to be a teenager learning how your body works - and how embarrassing it seemed for others to witness those lessons.

This week, we are talking about the beloved late 90s films American Pie 1 and 2 and how the series shaped the teen sex comedy for the future. So grab a pale ale and join us for an episode that is guaranteed to take you right back to the nostalgic days of Blink 182 and warm apple pie.

And if you create a Green Day/Blink 182 crossover cover band named Green 182, please let us know if you need a bassist or keyboardist, thanks.

GOTTA CATCH 'EM ALL! If you played Pokémon in the 90s at school, you knew it was practically an underground economy. 10-year-old card slingers, if they were smart and savvy, operated like drug kingpins. Except instead of illicit drugs, they were trading pieces of cardboard. And it was so much more than a game - it was a community, a unifier, a way of life.

Even if you didn’t play Pokémon - and even if you know NOTHING about Pokémon (like me, Sarah) - you will TOTALLY enjoy this episode with our friend Julien, comedian, Pokémon trader, professional poker player, and my good friend from my Political Science days at UC Davis more than a decade ago.

Did you play Pokémon? Let us know:

• What was your favorite part of Pokémon — the show, the OG games, the spinoff games, the card game?
• Who was your favorite and who was your starter? What’s your favorite type? How did you build a team — was it all one type like a gym leader, or was it more strategized like your Rival?
• What do you think Happened to Gary’s Ratticate on the SS Anne?
• Did you ever get a full Pokédex?
• Did you ever catch ‘em all?

You can find Julien on Instagram at @esfplayer.

SOURCES

https://bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wiki/History_of_Pokémon

https://www.livemint.com/Sundayapp/Z7zHxltyWtFNzcoXPZAbjI/A-brief-history-of-Pokmon.html

https://youtu.be/cH6dWY86GmE