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27 Trivia Tidbits About Pop Culture That’s Aged Poorly

Cracking open some well-known time capsules and giving some serious eye-rolls

27 Trivia Tidbits About Pop Culture That’s Aged Poorly

September 14, 2024

Today felt a lot like the time mom cracked open our old photo albums when we brought our girlfriend home for the first time. Our girlfriend nodded along politely, but we could tell that she was silently judging a ton of our questionable choices.

We made sure to tell her that we’ve changed. Those moments don’t accurately represent us now, we swear! Don’t run for the hills. Please. Our hairline won’t even allow for frosted tips anymore anyways!

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27

If there was one cut that defined the '90s, W 92 it was 1995 the Rachel. 199 1998 1999 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 One 1992 1993 hairstylist estimates that 1999 1994 1995 1996 1997 40% of her mid-90s clients 1995 1993 wanted that Rachel look. 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 NOW YOU KNOW: THE '90s CRACKED.COM — Source

26

CRACKED.COM HIGH WATTAGE CAR AUDIO SYSTEM THE DISTRACT YOU FROM THE OTHER DRIVERS, CONTRIBUTE TO HEARING LOSS, MAKE CAR PARTS BUZZ, AND NO ROOM TO TRANSPORT ANYTHING ELSE SOUND SYSTEM. — Source

25

SUPER TRENDY HAIRDOS (FROM ANY DECADE) JON BON JOYA www.n mak LOOK RIDICULOUS NOW GRACKED.COM — Source

24

JNCO Jeans

In the '90s, we wore stupidly- 1991 1992 1999 1990 oversized jeans. 97 1998 1999 1996 1997 And if you've 1992 got 1904 $300, 1995 you can buy them now. 1993 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1999 NOW YOU KNOW: THE '90s CRACKED.COM — Source

23

COPS The reality show is deeply unsettling when you realize it's just exploitative reality show copaganda. CRACKED.COM — Source

22

CHUCK BASS Chuck is an attempted rapist in the first episode of Gossip Girl, yet somehow becomes a romantic icon? CRACKED.COM — Source

21

CRACKED DIRTY HARRY NEEDS A BODYCAM TO KEEP HIM IN CHECK. DIRTY HARRY In one of Clint Eastwood's most iconic films, this rogue cop is supposed to follow a strict code of conduct, but he violates civil rights, abuses prisoners, and kills at will. He's portrayed as good, but he's a menace to society. — Source

20

CRACKED THE DEPLORABLE PRIME MINISTER. LOVE ACTUALLY Hugh Grant as The Prime Minister is essentially Tony Blair with a Bill Clinton libido. Grant might be lovable in '90s rom-coms, but he abuses his power to sleep with a young aide. Relentless, he and his security guards even crash her family Christmas. — Source

19

SETH'S CRACKED ENTIRE PLOT IS DATE RAPE. SUPERBAD His master plan is to get Emma Stone's character drunk enough to sleep with him. When he discovers she doesn't drink, he whines, gets grabby, and vomits on her. Worse, he seems to be practicing for a string of similar assaults in college. — Source

18

GRACKED CARRIE BRADSHAW IS SELFISH AND SUPERFICIAL. SEX AND THE CITY As viewers matured, they realized that Carrie was materialistic, needy with toxic men (prioritizing them over her friends), and she never matured into a strong independent role model for young women. — Source

17

THE LONE RANGER BE CRACKED.COM Beloved Indigenous actor, Jay Silverheels popularized Tonto in TV's The Lone Ranger from 1949-1957. So they got it right in the 40s, but the 2013 Disney movie cast Johnny Depp (who claimed to be part Cherokee) as Tonto, in what Native Americans everywhere saw as brazen whitewashing. — Source

16

Nonstick Peter Pan

PAN CRACKED.COM With songs like What Makes The Red Man Red, Disney's Peter Pan did more than enough to offend Native Americans in 1953. Warner Bros kept that offensive tradition going by casting Rooney Mara as Native American character Tiger Lily in 2015's Pan. — Source

15

CRACKED YOUR ENTIRE PLOT CAN'T INVOLVE RIGID GENDER NORMS. MR. MOM A laid-off man becomes a stay-at-home dad while his wife returns to work. Jokes about a man changing diapers and ironing shirts couldn't be seen as ridiculous today. Don't worry, in the happy ending, he returns to work and his wife gets back to the homestead. — Source

14

CRACKED BLACK FACE CAN'T BE YOUR ENTIRE PLOT ANYMORE. SOUL MAN In the 1986 movie, a spoiled white kid pretends to be black to nab a Harvard scholarship exclusive to black students. It does raise awareness of prejudice and racism, but all the blackface made it wildly offensive, even for 1986 standards. — Source

13

MANHATTAN M V al won the BAFTA Award for best film in 1980. SH MEKUAL - - - In retrospect, it's unseemly to praise Woody Allen for making a film about his romance with a teenage girl. CRACKED.COM — Source

12

KEVIN COSTNER DANCES GRACKED.COM WITH WOIVES This movie set the bar for White Savior tropes in Hollywood. It won Best Picture over Goodfellas. WINNER OF SEVEN ACADEMY AWARDS INCLUDING BEST PICTURE 1990 OAM.P.A.S. — Source

11

... TELL US NOW. AMERICAN BEAUTY The award-winning movie stars Kevin Spacey pining after an underage person. Nina J. says it definitely doesn't hold up because it feels like, especially when you watched it as an underage girl, that those creepy guys are cool and if they assault you, you're going to be guilty. CRACKED.COM — Source

10

Cringey lyrics from the '80s The Beastie Boys Girls I asked her out, she said 'No way.' I should of probably guessed her gay. If a girl isn't into you, she must be gay! Lyrics for the fragile ego of the rejected bro. And it's have, Beastie Boys. You should have probably guessed that she is gay. CRACKED — Source

9

“I Want Action” by Poison

Cringey lyrics from the '80s Poison I Want Action I can't wait to get my hands on them. I won't give up until they give in. If I can't have her, I'll take her and make her. You're gonna make her, Bret Michaels? Well, no means no, Bret Michaels! We'd say this didn't age well, but it wasn't acceptable back then (or ever!). CRACKED — Source

8

FLASHBACK MONICA Almost any character wearing a fat suit for the laughs is just cringey. CRACKED.COM — Source

7

COMEDY DE NERD Eddie Murphy says that his old jokes, from 1987's Raw, make him cringe. I was a young guy processing a broken heart, you know, kind of an asshole, he said, even though Raw basically made him a star. CRACKED.COM — Source

6

The laziest possible “punchline.”

TIRED COMEDY BITS AWKWARD! In lieu of writing an actual punchline, a character will just say awkward, and the cringe we feel is supposed to be the joke. It's not a joke! It's all set up with a forced awkward chuckle because we're uncomfortable! CRACKED — Source

5

Cringey lyrics from the '80s AC/DC Let Me Put My Love Into You Don't you struggle. Don' 't you fight. Don't you worry. 'Cause it's your turn tonight. If the title of the song wasn't cringey enough, they really doubled down with a good ol' take on consent in the '80s. CRACKED — Source

4

Cringey lyrics from the '80s Guns N' Roses One in a Million Racial and homophobic slurs that we'd care to not repeat. EXCLUSIVE - . - - N - DRUGA Sort frees shet of by WITH gong THE SHOCKII Serving - - - - GTO USED TO Elephant giv LOVE HER HE - - - One In A - - - - - - - - Controversial even at the time, many questioned why Slash (who is half black) played on a song where Axl drops the worst possible word that begins with an N. CRACKED — Source

3

TELL US NOW. ... Kevin T. says Labyrinth is cringeworthy now. Beyond the songs you actually remember and the fantastic puppets, the rest of the movie is just not great. Ed. Note: Jennifer Connelly was 14 during filming; David Bowie was 39. CRACKED.COM — Source

2

CRACKED.COM WORST REALITY TV TROPES CRINGEY SILENCES In their desperate attempt to create appealing interpersonal dynamics, reality shows punctuate conversations with silences, knowing looks, and quirky music - something that was wonderfully parodied in the SNL sketch Pregnant in Heels. — Source

1

Cringey lyrics from the '80s DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince Parents Just Don't Understand And this girl's hand was steadily moving up my thigh. She had opened up three buttons on her shirt so far. I almost had a heart attack that day. Come to find out the girl was a twelve-year-old runaway. Will Smith was 20 when this was released, and even if the song was about his younger self, he picks up this girl while driving his car. Do we need to keep listing reasons this is problematic?! CRACKED — Source

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