Life

8 Moments The '90s Had Zero Chill

by Kat George

We love the '90s, sure, but that doesn't mean that there weren't moments when the '90s had zero chill. Chill moments, obviously, were dominant. There was brooding introspection, floral dresses, and a young Leonardo DiCaprio. All very chill. There was tie dye, blue eye shadow, and Drew Barrymore. Chill as far as the eye could see. But peppered amongst all the chill stuff from the '90s was the not chill. The tacky decadence. The weird celebrity couples. The popular hair styles. The '90s were weird, and not just because the Internet was dial up.

Hopefully, what's about to follow won't ruin your nostalgia for the '90s. In truth, sometimes the moments of no chill are so absurd and funny they bolster your nostalgia, endearing the era to you even further. Note "sometimes". Reader be warned: go forward at your own discretion. Recalling the public's reaction to Bill Clinton's sex scandal, Madonna's questionable ex, and Arnie's proclivity to be both fast and furious might make you feel a little queasy. Suggested for afterward is putting on your old Jagged Little Pill album and jumping around your room to let out a little angst. Here are 11 moments when the '90s had zero chill.

When Madonna Dated Vanilla Ice

Despite what his name suggests, Vanilla Ice dating Madonna is a big no chill moment. Vanilla Ice. And Madonna. Think about that for a moment. The pair were a couple briefly in 1992, before Madonna came to her senses.

When Ginger Left The Spice Girls

For those of you who don't remember the '90s, let me explain it like this: think about the amount of chill you felt when Zayn left One Direction. Now multiply that by infinity. That's how much chill was going around the day Ginger left the Spice Girls in 1998.

When Julia Roberts Was An ACTUAL Runaway Bride

Life predicted art in 1991 when Julia Roberts canceled her wedding to Kiefer Sutherland the day before the event was planned to happen, and literally ran away with Jason Patric. In 1999, the movie Runaway Bride, starring Roberts, was released. Hollywood in the '90s had zero chill, clearly.

When Slap Bracelets Were Banned From Schools

Slap bracelets were a huge trend in the '90s. Remember how excited you were about taking yours to school? And then a week later, schools across the world started banning them as a "health hazard". Teachers, leave us '90s kids alone!

When Big Brother Ushered In The Age Of Reality TV

Big Brother, which started in 1999, is considered as the straw that broke the camel's back. Even though reality TV started in the '40s with Candid Camera, it wasn't until Big Brother came along that the era of reality TV truly began. And now look what we're stuck with.

When Everyone Rushed To The Hairdresser To Get "The Rachel"

There is nothing chill about all the floppy mullets from the '90s that wanted to be "The Rachel" cut so desperately but weren't serviced by a crew of stylists every thirty minutes in order to achieve optimum bounce.

When The Dancing Baby When "Viral"

One of the first viral phenomenons, the Dancing Baby or "Baby Cha-Cha" was born in 1996, and was creepy as hell. But the '90s ate that baby up, and it even appeared as a now iconic part of Ally McBeal. But look at it. Its dead eyes. Its inhuman skin. Its unnatural movements. That baby is not chill.

When Everyone Was In Y2K Panic Mode

Around $100 billion was spent in the U.S. to prepare for Y2K. Remember when your family was hoarding all those canned goods? Remember how un-chill everyone was being? And then remember how nothing happened when the clock struck midnight and everyone just ended up looking like a bunch of un-chill idiots?

Images: NBC; Giphy (6)