Although us ’90s kids have tried to leave behind the jelly shoes and Joe Boxer shorts of our youth, pop culture has a way of rifling through our collective consciousness’ closet and pulling out those long-suppressed memories, only to adorn itself once more in the tatters of our childhood. Never has this trend been more apparent than at Sunday (August 25) night’s 2013 Video Music Awards, where the ’90s were back with Surge-flavored vengeance.
MTV News breaks down the most ’90s of those ’90s moments below.
TLC Was There!
Tionne “T-Boz” Watkins and Rozanda “Chilli” Thomas of TLC took a moment out from not chasing waterfalls to introduce Drake’s performance at the 2012 Video Music Awards. Decidedly not scrubs, the band has had their share of brushes with the VMAs over the years — scoring five Moonmen and 11 nominations.
TLC’s last big entrance at the VMAs was in 2002, when they hit the TV airwaves for the first time since Lisa “Left Eye” Lopes passed away that year. Despite 11 years passing since that appearance, the band still looked decidedly crazysexycool.
Miley’s Cynthia Doll Hair
Miley Cyrus has been rocking a new pigtailed hairdo of late that looks suspiciously like Cynthia the doll’s punked-out coif on ’90s Nickelodeon cartoon “Rugrats.” Cynthia was Angelica Pickles’ favorite doll and, sadly, due to the stiff nature of her Barbie-like limbs, was wholly unable to twerk.
Frisky Furries
Speaking of Miley, if her childhood-eviscerating, teddybear-laden performance last night looked familiar, perhaps it’s because you were a fan of Stone Temple Pilots in the late ’90s, early ’00s. The video for “Sour Girl,” famously, featured a herd of pervy, ominous furries. Despite Scott Weiland’s shirtless undulating, however, he did not actually molest any of his furry friends.
Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice
Anyone else get some seriously animated flashbacks when Robin Thicke rocked up to his “Blurred Lines” performance kitted out like Beetlejuice, of late ’80s movie/early ’90s TV fame? If we say his name three times, will he take us to his Neitherworld? We shudder to think.
Rad Plaid
Back when us ’90s kids were carefully picking out which plaid shirt to knot around our waists for our first day of middle school, One Direction’s Liam Payne was likely sporting diapers. Last night, however, the Song of The Summer winner traded in huggies for hunter’s check flannel, wearing a red plaid shirt tied loosely around his hips. What’s next? JNCOs?
‘N Sync’s Brief Reunion
And the award for Most ’90s Moment of the 2013 VMAs goes to… ‘N Sync for their brief performance of “Girlfriend” and “Bye Bye Bye”! After a week of rumors, the band took the stage during Justin Timberlake’s nearly 15-minute medley of songs from his expansive career. The performance was in honor of his Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award win, which was quickly overshadowed by the presence of his four former bandmates, who had the likes of Lady Gaga writhing in her chair in pure ecstasy. Our only regret is how soon the band had to say “bye, bye, bye.” Also, that the guys didn’t descend from the ceiling on giant puppet strings.
No Comments