Day 12: Heavy Metal, Virtual Ethics, and OJ Simpson aftermath
In mid April of 1996, the words “Virtual Ethics” grace the headlines in the NY Times with stated concerns regarding the question, “When is it okay to copy an image or software found on the internet”? Donald Trump builds a new 52-story building and people aren’t impressed and the Dole versus Clinton campaign is beginning to heat up. In some ways I’m comforted by how times haven’t changed as much as my modern perceptions imagined. Sure, things are worse now in a lot of ways but if I were old enough to understand the world more in 1996, I may have been less affected by 2020.
Animaniacs may be my fondest new-find from 1996. Not that I wasn’t aware of the whacky cartoon in the day or didn’t watch them, I was and did. But the humor and references to “current” events in that show are undoubtedly aimed at adults and it’s almost a completely new show to me. It’s smart, it’s hilarious, and above all else, well animated! One episode I watched apes Forrest Gump and replaced Tom Hanks with giant chicken. I still laugh when I think about it. References like that help plant 1996 a little more firmly for me in context.
I’m living in a freshly post Forrest Gump, post OJ Simpson verdict, post Oklahoma City bombing world. These things are incredibly recent. And no, I did not intend to lump those three things together as if they’re somehow equal, but they are ever-present in the media I’ve been consuming. In the Moesha episode I watched, there were some references to Christopher Darden, one of the prosecuting attorneys in the OJ Simpson trial. Interestingly, these references were negative in connotation. There are lots of hip-hop and rap lyrics that make references to the OJ Simpson trial, especially to Johnny Cochran, one of Simpson’s attorneys, who is often praised. The bombing of the federal building in Oklahoma City is largely referenced on political platforms, not so much on TV or in song, but it has surfaced plenty.
I try to follow the news headlines chronologically but watch movies and television shows and listen to music in any order. Right now I’m near the start of May 1996 with news which means I’m still pre-Olympics, presidential election, Bulls NBA Championship, and Hogan flipping to the NWO. I have plenty to look forward to.
I mentioned yesterday that I was starting to “jones” a little for modern music but today I realized I just needed new music. Until now, the entire year of 1996 has become a music genre to me. It’s heavy on ballads and highly repetitive pop music for teens. This was likely true prior to 1996 and is certainly true since, but popular rock of 1996 is less angry than the music I remember. Most of the music on my playlists are upbeat and positive, or at the very least, less willing to show angst on its sleeve. Is that just how the playlists shook out and there’s plenty out there I’m ignoring? It’s possible. Rage Against the Machine is out there raging against the machine. Matchbox 20 was so angry they wanted to push you around and take you for granted! So, yeah, artists were still angry in 1996 but as I said, the grunge era was shutting down and bop-pop was taking over, at least per my rearview. Bands like Sublime, The Refreshments, and Stone Temple Pilots veiled heavier messages behind upbeat melodies. For crying out loud, Metallica is a blues band at the moment while Celine Dion, Spice Girls, Alanis Morrissette, and Mariah Carey dominate radio (if you are able to dodge anything from the Space Jam soundtrack, that is). Thankfully I have a connection on some new-new and reached out to my boy Jake (Hello Jake!), a metal music enthusiast (to say the least). He recommended a handful of albums from 1996 that were certainly not considered mainstream and may satiate my needs for something not on the billboards. And most of all, something heavy. He delivered!
“I wanna push you around
Well, I will, well, I will
I wanna push you down
Well, I will, well, I will
I wanna take you for granted”
One of the recommendations was the band Crimson’s 1996 album Edge of Sanity. I knew nothing of the band or its members but today that has changed. The compositions are a little all over the place and I think that is exactly why I like it so much. There are so many good grooves worthy of any Beavis and Butthead headbanging gif and while I am not always a huge fan of screaming vocals, Crimson weaves in and out of various singing methods and ranges. A couple of times I even checked to ensure the same band was playing. There is even a few moments reminiscent of another 90’s favorite of mine, Type-O Negative. Music from 1996 is one of those things I would have originally thought I had already conquered but truthfully I have never ventured far out of my wheelhouse or far enough away from the shadow of mainstream. This recommendation, along with several others he provided, means I don’t have to hear Matchbox 20, The Cranberries, or Tupac over and over again and that is wonderful!
I hate to be brief again today but that’s been it for the last few hours. I’ll be watching a 1996 movie tonight in the Polykill Patreon Discord and watching some commercials and music videos along with it. I’ll also be reading through some more magazines soon and trying to wrap up Quake. I’m near the end of the third realm and the challenge is becoming pretty stiff. Tomorrow, I’m going to squeeze some other video games in and try to get through Trainspotting again (it’s been a few years). Next week we start the Olympics, dig into some WCW/NWO feuds, and check in on some game shows.
What is your one, standout 1996 memory? It can be a trip, a movie, something good, something bad. Share it here in the comments if you wish. Take care!
