SPEAKER_02 0:01

Welcome back to the first episode of You Can Call Me Karen's Fourth Season. This is a podcast for millennials by millennials. So, to kick this season off, today's episode is on the year 1996, which is the last year that millennials were born. We will cover the key headlines from the year, pop culture, including some amazing songs that were the soundtrack to 1996. And spoiler alert, Steph sort of plays her first game of trivial pursuit.

SPEAKER_07 0:33

So let's get going little and the blue one and a blue flop. And a yellow one and a little and the block and the green.

SPEAKER_05 1:14

I saw it written, but I didn't put that together. Oh my gosh.

1996 As A Millennial Milestone

SPEAKER_04 1:21

We're back for season four of the You Can Call Me Karen Podcast. It's so amazing to be here. We are a millennial-centered podcast focused on 90s pop culture, which that's why my hosts are dying about that intro. Um, we like to look at how these movements shape everything in our world today, from the news we consume to how we parent. I am Manny, and I'm here with my two co-hosts. Say hello, bitches. Hello. That's Steph and Karen. And we are so pumped to be back in recording. We last recorded in the summer, so it's been a minute, right, Linus? This is like our longest break, I feel like. Yes, I feel like that too. In our like super longevity of our career of podcasting. Um, but with that, we know that our fans are dying to hear from us and what we have going on. So uh briefly, what's in store for today on the pod? Well, in true millennial fashion, we are going to look at as many iconic moments as possible from the year 1996. And by the end of this episode, I want to answer the question Was 1996 a year that changed the course of time? A year that should be remembered, celebrated, even immortalized in the archives of history? I don't know. Little big, little big, I do not know. We will find out.

SPEAKER_03 3:09

I have gotten through life chuckling at things that other people chuckle at and just acting like I know what's going on.

SPEAKER_06 3:17

A little faker.

SPEAKER_05 3:18

Yeah, I was like, wait, she's laughing. Maybe she knows, but I'm just gonna check in and see.

unknown 3:26

Okay.

SPEAKER_04 3:27

Well, we'll just I got what's up. I got that.

SPEAKER_05 3:29

Yeah, you did get what's up. You you that wasn't a chuckle, that was a real like gut-wrenching laugh right there.

SPEAKER_04 3:38

All right, so anyway, before we jump into the episode, um, it's been such a long time since we've been together. My co-host and I have missed our little white phallic mics and speaking nonsense into these airwaves, and mostly we have missed our five loyal fans, all the absolute nonsensical encounters of Karen's in the wild. So before we time travel back to the year 1996, I gotta know. Who are you calling Karen?

SPEAKER_06 4:10

Um, so uh my Karen story is a story that all three of us were actually present for. Um, we had the absolute honor and pleasure of celebrating Nanny's 10-year wedding anniversary with her family and all of her closest friends in New York City, and it was a phenomenal time, like one of the best trips, really, I've been on in a long time. And it was one of the best weekends with our friends, and it was just an amazing time. I don't know how else to put it. So, um, at the end of the night, we were carrying our heels on our hands because obviously, yeah, and I because that's how good of a time it was. Like, so at this beautiful, amazing party that Manny threw, and it was gorgeous, and I felt fancy and stylish and cool. And the DJ was popping. We were dancing all night, and it was amazing.

SPEAKER_04 5:18

Views of the Brooklyn Bridge, freaking full moon, spectacular. The moon unreal, uh the weather.

Karen Stories: NYC Party To Plane

SPEAKER_06 5:30

And the space was the space was like you could was open, like you could walk right outside and walk right back in. So like the view of the bridge was major because you just looked to your right and there was the Brooklyn Bridge. Like it was like in the water and the stars, and it was just like bam, like it was a bomb. Um, so at the end, you start seeing these people coming around like, hey, you're gonna need to put your phones down, and something is about to happen, and it's big. Um, and if you want to be anywhere near cameras, you're gonna want to stand over here. And they're saying this like quickly, hey, put your phones on, you're gonna want to move over here, something big is happening. And we're just like, What?

SPEAKER_03 6:13

I remember being like, I feel like these party planners are being a little bit extra right now. Yeah, and we were like, I didn't realize anything real was happening.

SPEAKER_06 6:23

Yeah, we were like, Okay, and they're like, and but then we didn't we have to end up end up waiting a little longer than we thought we were going to to this big thing, and then all of a sudden we see like like a real movie style camera like come towards us, like towards the group. We were like, oh wait, and so then the DJ started playing different songs, and we were like, oh my god, somebody famous is about to find like somebody famous is coming out, and like songs started to play, and like a TLC song came on. Oh my god, and then um the someone played, I don't know, I think they played like a Rihanna song, and my husband was like, Rihanna! Like, and we were like, now we're like starting to get hype, and then all of a sudden, in walks the mother effing Jonas brothers, the Jonas brothers, they were three, yeah. It wasn't just one of them, and it turned out that they so I think it was Kevin who got on the mic and he's like, Hey everybody, we're the Jonas brothers. We're like, Yeah, we know, yeah, we got it. And he's like, We are here in New York City filming um a music video, and we are part of the storyline is that at the end we crashed a wedding, and this is the party that we're at, and you are going to be a part of our music video. And I it was funny how I was like responding, like he was like, So can you guys and I was like, Yeah. And he was like, and if you can, but you know, really get into it. I was like, We got you. And one of Nanny's cousins was in front of me and he turned around like laughing because he was like answering his questions. I was like, we were so heaped, and so we got to be a part of the music video, which then released what a month later like a month later for the week for the drop of the new Google phone. Yes, that was like part of it, was that they were filmed a lot of it on the Google phone, right?

SPEAKER_03 8:25

Um, which is my way out, yes, because most of us have I just got I just threw us like taking pictures and stuff, yeah.

SPEAKER_06 8:40

So we were literally having the time of our lives and had basically a private concert by the Jonas brothers. What the F. So we're literally on cloud nine. There's nothing you could tell us. We looked fabulous, we had a fabulous time with famous people, and so we're walking down the street, we look for a bar to hang out at after, and we sit down, and no, let's let's be clear, we're all in our 40s or close to 40, and sitting down 40 the next day, yeah. Oh, Mammy turned 40 the very next day, and so we sit down, and you know, a little bit of like once you sit down, you start to feel how tired you are because like we were pretty hype, and we were like, yeah, we were like coming down from the high. Oh, right, yes, yes, like a precursor, yeah, we stayed up well past our bedtime most of the weekend. So, like, you know, so we're sitting, but we like we were still jovial, we were still talking, but we weren't dancing on tables or anything.

SPEAKER_03 9:45

Yeah, and also it wasn't a dancing on tables bar.

SPEAKER_06 9:48

It was a style bar. Yes, and we still got another, most of us got another drink, like we were weren't weren't calling it a night or anything. The reason I'm saying this is because here comes Karen of the Week um who comes in and looks at us, and we're you know, just kind of chilling, chatting with whoever's sitting next to us, whatever. And she comes over and she's like, What I can't remember exactly what she said, but it was something to the effect of you guys need to like liven it up. This looks like a board meeting. Um, why don't you?

SPEAKER_03 10:23

It was something to the I blacked out, honestly, because she said board meeting, and I was like, I don't know how many board meetings you've been to.

SPEAKER_06 10:31

Yeah, but this is not I was sitting by Manny and we looked at each other like Yeah, I was pissed. I it wasn't that nice Manny, like this there was steam coming out of her ears.

SPEAKER_03 10:47

Like I was like, go away, nobody asked your opinion.

SPEAKER_06 10:51

Like it's like you don't know what we just do you chat chat, like yeah.

SPEAKER_03 10:57

Anyway, I just don't know if it's a group of people that you don't know and just share your opinion about what they look like. What is that?

SPEAKER_04 11:06

That wasn't, yeah, she like kept trying to get a reaction out of us, which was annoying. Like she was like, Are you guys gonna like live in like I don't know? You could just she kept asking a couple of questions, and you could just tell the person who she was with was like, Okay, that's enough, you know. Like she was just trying to like probe us into like giving her attention, and we weren't biting, and so literally it was crickets.

SPEAKER_06 11:33

She she said like board meeting, and we all stared at her like I definitely did want to know you like that like lean forward, like anyway, like yeah, yeah. I think I did turn my back to her too, Steph.

SPEAKER_04 11:47

I think you did, yeah, you did.

SPEAKER_05 11:50

Out of here, nobody's like, I am not engaging. This is ridiculous.

SPEAKER_06 11:56

I want it but what I what we should have done was had Mamie stand up and show her fly ass dress. I've just been like, look at her and look at look at her.

SPEAKER_03 12:08

What kind of board meeting do you think she's attending?

SPEAKER_05 12:13

Get the hell out of here. That yeah, that was funny. I love that we all got to like be in that moment too. I think we all like we all just kind of had like there was like a a moment of like pause and silence, and then Steve like broke the ice and was like, you guys got that is definitely a Karen. Let's go reaction going on the pod.

SPEAKER_03 12:33

Like somebody planted her or something. Yeah, like uh podcast about dumb bitches, just go over there and say something stupid.

SPEAKER_05 12:44

Yeah, just so you know, they're actually you are going to be the topic of their next board meeting. So thank you for the recorded board meeting here. Yeah, yeah, that was my gosh.

SPEAKER_04 12:59

Yeah, just entitled and like the audacity.

SPEAKER_06 13:03

It was Mexico, Karen, in New York City.

SPEAKER_04 13:06

It was Mexico Karen in New York City. It was like mind your business. Yep, same energy, different haircut. Karen, what do you got for us? I could relive that day. By the way, before Karen goes, I could relive that, I do relive that day, like at least 15 minutes out of every day of my life right now. So I could go on forever, but I know, I know we gotta get moving to the rest of the pod.

SPEAKER_03 13:33

So, Karen, you're um well, my Karen story happened the day after this Karen story. Um, they were just running rampant in New York, you guys, that weekend. So I was at the airport uh heading home from that amazing weekend. And I have to look at my notes because I don't want to get this story wrong. I literally write these things down when they happen to me now. Um, but so we were on a southwest flight, and you know how they line you up by number, and we were standing patiently waiting. We had not started boarding yet, and this woman kind of walks like to the side, like next to us, and asks this other woman. So, like, woman A asks Karen uh what number she is, because she's clearly like somewhere in that five number range. And the the Karen was like, I'm between these two numbers. Okay, so seems unnecessary because we all know how Southwest works. So then the lady was like, Can you tell me if you're higher or lower than 46? And the lady was like, I'm standing where I need to be. Oh why? Just why? And so the um asking lady was just like, Okay, thank you. Because what the fuck are you supposed to do? Um, and so that that was that intervention or altercation, and Bob and I were both like, wow. So we board the plane and we are sitting right behind Karen. So Karen is in the front row, and we're in the second row behind her, the three of us. So Bob, Maxwell, and myself. Um, and the Karen proceeds to like put her bag on the middle seat to like save it for her husband. And she's in the very front row. So I've done it before too, but usually not in the front. And the like flight attendants were like coming on the the intercom and were saying, Um, please, you know, this is a completely full flight. Do not block seats, do not reserve seats for others. They they said that probably three or four times, looking directly at Karen, looking her dead in the eyes. You may not block seats, even though she was she did it and they never really approached her about it. And so fine, fast forward. We land, and as we're getting our things together to get off the plane, she like she turns around and she's like looking at Maxwell, and she says, Oh, so you're the one kicking my seat this week. Oh gosh. And I was like, Oh, I'm sorry. And she was, and then she was like, No, no, no, he was good. I've had worse adults sit behind me. And I was like, I haven't had worse adults sit in front of me. But like, what? She just had an opinion about everything. Wow. Also, Maxwell is great on the plane. He sure he is, he never gets unabated iPad time like that. So you put the headphones in the iPad, like he's gone. He's like in the zone for the entire flight, not bothering a fly. So shut up. Just please. But that number thing, what are you higher or lower than 46? I'm where I need to be. What is your agenda? I'll just stand in front of you then. I'm not even 45, but I'm just gonna stand in front of you.

SPEAKER_04 17:00

Also, like I just can't take people who fly southwest and don't abide by southwest like ecosystems.

SPEAKER_03 17:09

Yes, it's a very specific thing. You know what you're getting into.

SPEAKER_06 17:12

I was just about to say, you guys know I love Southwest. You do, I love Southwest, and I am sad that we don't aren't gonna line up by numbers anymore. Like, I have some flights booked where our seats are picked, and I just don't even know like what to think about it. But um I I I'm very happy in the way it is. But honey, there's a a way that we operate in the Southwest universe, and we're kind and we're happy. And Southwest uh flight attendants are funny and we have a joyous time. Like, don't come in.

SPEAKER_05 17:46

That's true, that's their whole thing. That's their whole thing. Don't be that air.

SPEAKER_04 17:49

I mean, there's a couple of other airlines that you could fly out. Not to mention, like, um, there's a couple of other airports within New York City that you could fly out of so that you don't have to fly southwest. Southwest is actually a very rare flight to get into.

SPEAKER_06 18:05

We actually, as much as I love Southwest. And this was fly southwest to New York for that trip.

SPEAKER_03 18:10

This was New York to Chicago. There was no shortage of options. Yeah, you had plenty of flights to choose from.

SPEAKER_04 18:17

Yeah. Yeah. It's so that's the entitlement right there, I guess, right? Of like, I am not going to you know adapt myself to the universe or the ecosystem in which I am in. I'm just going to expect for everybody to change for me. And then when that doesn't happen, I'm gonna let you know. And when you let me know that I'm not doing it, I'm gonna ignore you. Yes, uh God.

SPEAKER_03 18:43

It was so it was so infuriating. So those are some Karen's all wrapped up in one lovely weekend.

SPEAKER_04 18:53

So if that's the poo-poo on our platter for the weekend, then that's that's that I'll take it. Um, all right, let's get into it.

SPEAKER_06 19:06

You just heard our Karen stories, but we can't be the only ones. If you've had a Karen or Chad encounter or confessional, you've been a Karen yourself. We'd love to hear from you. Wherever you listen, click on the link in our show notes and text us your Karen stories.

Resetting The Show’s Mission

Why 1996 Matters Now

SPEAKER_04 19:25

Okay. All right, so in the um in the spirit of transparency, I will start my introduction talking about how we get here with a little bit of the breaking of the fourth wall. So um every season we come together and we reflect on what it is that we liked, loved about our episodes, and what the upcoming season is gonna look like. And um from there we review our curated list of ideas and then pull from them. And when we did this in the fall, we noticed two things. Uh, one, last season was pretty heavy, and we did a lot of educating around policy and politics. And while we believe that work is critical to dismantling the patriarchy, we record this podcast as a hobby and for free. So we had a deep discussion about the things we need to do as individuals to protect our peace and continue building and doing the critical work we do in our own communities. And what we landed on was we can no longer flow in the unpaid labor of educating white women, especially as two black women host on this podcast. It isn't in alignment with the rest that we committed to after Kamala's defeat. So um, please continue to explore and stay engaged. But uh this season we're looking for a different focus. Who knows? Um season five might take us somewhere else, but for now we're taking a break from some of the heavier current events. Um, we still encourage you guys to go out and do that work yourself. Um, but expect a little bit more of a like pop culture 90s focus for this season, uh, which leads me to point B, which I think I was like on numbers and now I'm on letters, but who cares? Uh we discovered uh that we truly want to be a millennial podcast. Uh we have a basic analysis that we use uh to try to see where we're falling within the like stratosphere of podcasts, and it's clear to us that we are nostalgic for the 90s, so uh so much of our lives and decisions are impacted by that decade, and our list of topics really reflected that. So, this season you can expect all 90s and early 2000s perspectives on specific topics starting today when we talk about 1996. So, this is interesting. I don't know if like you guys picked up on this when we decided as this is a topic, but this is the year that the last millennial millennials were born into this generation. Pretty fascinating. We did not plan that, but here we are. Um, some names that came out in 1996 that are famous today are Zendaya, uh, Josh Allen, Bela Hade, Lorde. Um, it's been 30 years since physical video game cartridges were produced, which is denial to me to think about. That the this current generation doesn't know about blowing into a video game cartridge in order to get it to work. Um and it was also the last time that we saw the beautiful, and I mean absolutely freaking gorgeous face of one of the best rappers on planet earth live on our screen, R.I.P. Tupac, who is like, I I've had like some of these teens come in and they'd be like, he is so hot. I'm like, yeah, I know. He was 25 when he passed away, by the way, which is crazy. Incredibly young. Um, so 1996 wasn't just a year, it was a pivotal moment in history that defined a generation. And today, I hope we can look at why this year deserves to be recognized as one of the greatest of our lifetime. And I'm excited to get into that. But before I do, is there anything that you guys wanted to add to that little background story or how we landed on any of this today?

SPEAKER_03 23:28

No, I just love the like the that it's the last year of the millennials, it's exactly 30 years ago. I can't believe it's 2026. Um 96 feels like it should be, you know, like six years ago-ish. Yeah.

SPEAKER_06 23:47

It's crazy. And it's crazy. So someone to have been born in '96 be considered the same generation as me because I know that doesn't like we're yeah, it doesn't compute.

SPEAKER_01 24:01

I know, it doesn't compute. But also we're like the very start, right?

SPEAKER_03 24:06

We're considered geriatric millennials. Geriatric, that's the one. I got so mad when I heard that the first time, but yeah, it's a pretty wide span of a generation.

SPEAKER_04 24:21

So now that we're grounded, we've provided some context, we set the tone, um, and we're ready to enter this portal as we travel back three decades. I want you guys to start by telling our listeners where were you in 1990s?

SPEAKER_05 24:38

We graduated high school, which is like so weird to me because Sounds wild. I was like 10.

SPEAKER_04 24:46

Um gross, but yeah, um, so what was the vibe? How was the fashion? What were you listening to? What was your signature scent? Just give us something to set the scene for this year. Where were ya?

Personal Time Capsules From ‘96

SPEAKER_06 25:07

So 1996, so let's see, 96, the school year 96 into 97, I was in eighth grade, so I was like 13. And I loved middle school. I and it's like when I was in middle school, I was definitely a little nerdy kid. I'm sure you neither of you are surprised to hear that. Maybe our listeners are surprised because I'm so cool now, but I um I was a super nerdy kid, but I was like blissfully unaware that I wasn't cool. Um I had had a great group of friends, and we were smart and we were talented in whatever we were into music, dance, whatever, and we got good grades and we kicked it, we laughed, we had a ball all like all through middle school. And but it's funny because I had like my coolest moment happened in my eighth grade year, so 96, 97 school year. Um, so I I danced, obviously, I grew up dancing, and we had a guest master teacher do a master class at my dance studio, and he did this hip hop combo to no diggity. And so at my middle school, we had middle school dances, which I know we did an episode about this, about how the middle schools like don't really do that anymore. And what would made them cool is that you had to be in seventh and eighth grade to go. So like the sixth graders weren't invited, and and so in eighth grade we had a winter one, I think. And this one we got dressed up, and so I my mom took me to get a dress, and I was with my apparently not very cool friends that we didn't know we weren't cool, and actually, you know, we knew that I it's funny because all the tables, the popular kids, and the this kids and the that kids, we could name them all, but we never named ourselves. And then I I was thinking about it today like, does that mean that we couldn't name ourselves that we probably weren't very cool. Um, but anyway, we're at the school dance, and the DJ turns on no diggity, and one of my friends, and one of my friends like points to me, and she's like, We know a dance to this, and this room cleared out for us, and we did the choreography. Everybody circled around, and I was like invited to stuff after that happened. Woo! Okay, let's go. That was my Roman Empire, but anyway, no digging. That song will always have a special place in my heart because I like did a move at a school dance, and everybody was like a big deal when you're young, too. Like huge, yeah.

SPEAKER_04 27:59

So you're proving my point on how 1996 was a pivotal moment in history. This is one for that category.

SPEAKER_05 28:08

It changed the course of time for staff.

SPEAKER_06 28:13

Um on Instagram, and it was like a all these songs are about to be 30 years old. They were in 1996. And oh no, there was it's different than the one you sent, Manny. It was a different one. And I so I was looking at the first, I was played the first song, and it was um No Doubt, Don't Speak. Yes, yeah, was that 1996? And so I Googled it and it wasn't. So yeah, it was 1995, Don't Speak.

SPEAKER_04 28:42

And so I was like, Well, maybe I'm thinking I'm just a girl.

SPEAKER_06 28:47

So I was like, okay, this thing that they just posted just lost its credibility, but the next song was and the song like makes my heart sing is Killing Me Softly, Fujies.

SPEAKER_04 28:58

Okay, you're giving away too much. Sorry, I didn't get to the I didn't know.

SPEAKER_06 29:02

I'm just telling you, like that song, yeah, I would spelt it, and that's my thoughts on 1996. My dance movement moment in Killing Me Softly.

SPEAKER_04 29:12

I will say Killing Me Softly is uh freaking classic. Uh the best. Even though it's a remake, but classic. Yeah. Karen, what's up? What's that face? Are you frozen? Um, okay, so we're back. Karen got kicked off. She said it doesn't matter if I say it or not, but I'm just gonna say it. Um she's been having such technical difficulties, and uh, we just want to give her a little giggle and welcome her back because that is super frustrating. And uh yeah, we need a little laugh here. So uh hi Karen. Hi, we're in the year 1996. Yes, and Steph just got off the dance floor, kicking it to no dignity, becoming an icon in middle school, eighth grade. Okay. So you have to tell us what I was where Roman Empire was in 1996.

SPEAKER_03 30:15

Um, none of that, that is for sure. Um, it's interesting. I think of the end of sixth grade when I think of '96. Um just I don't know why. That's just where my head goes. But it is similar like stuff. I was sixth to seventh grade.

SPEAKER_04 30:32

So sixth grade was You were not going to the school dance. You were not invited.

SPEAKER_03 30:37

I was not invited. So when I I was still in elementary school in sixth grade, we did only seventh and eighth grades middle school for us. So sixth grade was the peak of my nerdiness. I was the nerdiest of nerds. Slight, I think slight tomboy. I can just picture these like big high top, um, I think reebox that I was. That's how it was not.

SPEAKER_04 31:10

Um that's amazing.

SPEAKER_03 31:14

I think that's right. It sounds cooler than it was. I wasn't wearing them well. Um, my mom also You were just ahead of the time.

SPEAKER_04 31:24

You were already in 2026 getting kicked out of your defaulting in like what is it when you like have tech in 2026.

SPEAKER_05 31:35

You were just like messing with the ecosystem.

SPEAKER_04 31:38

Like the future.

SPEAKER_03 31:39

I was uh back to the future or something. Yes. Um yeah, I was uh I was in full dressing myself, but no one taught me what matching meant mode of my life. So that um I had my hair completely out of control. Punky Brewster. That is actually anyone gonna comment on that? That resonates very well with who I was. Um, yes, very much so. Um yeah, I was very like not in tune with the world around me. I was just living in my own world. I was very imaginative as a child, and I was a huge nerd, like the biggest of nerds. And then I went to middle school and my sister like gave me a glow-up, but it was like her version of that, which was cool. Love you, Linda. Um so I think on my first day to middle school in seventh grade, I wore jinkos.

SPEAKER_01 32:55

Ooh, sounds cool.

SPEAKER_03 32:58

Not when Karen wears it.

SPEAKER_04 33:02

Tell us what a nerd is into in 1996. Star Trek?

SPEAKER_03 33:08

Oh no, I wasn't like a I wasn't like a cool nerd. I was like a book booksy nerd. Or I I was like um Jesse Spano. I was like in all the clubs, and like I was a straight A student, and um, yeah.

SPEAKER_04 33:26

Some would call Jesse Spano not a nerd, but like a um tryhard type.

SPEAKER_03 33:33

Oh, yeah, that was me. Try hard. Yeah. A try hard. That's what I was. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. That's why we got along so well.

SPEAKER_04 33:44

I cannot relate to any of that.

SPEAKER_03 33:46

I know, I know. That's why I was looking forward to this conversation because I was reading the numbers and you were like, Where were you in 96? And I'm like, guessing nowhere near where you are.

SPEAKER_04 33:57

It's so funny. I took Millie and her friend to go. There's like a toy store in town, and I took them to go get a gift for this one girl in their um whose birthday party it was yesterday. And they were, I was like, what do you think she would like? And they were like, She's like a cool girl. She's like a cool girl. Um, she would like whatever Brielle likes. I'm like, your eight-year-old friend would like whatever your 14-year-old sister would like. Then I was like, Why aren't you a cool girl? And like insecure.

SPEAKER_05 34:30

I'm like, do people say this about you? So anyway, they're like wandering the toy store and couldn't find anything. I had to call Brielle and be like, what would you like from the toy store?

SPEAKER_04 34:42

And then all her friends, Luke's driving them to like the like mall or grove, whatever the equivalent of a mall is now, and they're in like, oh yeah, she would like this. I'm like, how do all these 14-year-old girls know what this eight-year-old girl? I guess she is a cool girl.

unknown 34:56

I don't know.

SPEAKER_04 34:56

So, anyway, long story short, we ended up going to Urban Outfitters and getting this for an eight-year-old, some freaking perfume.

SPEAKER_03 35:05

That's amazing.

Headlines Of 1996: Big Shifts

SPEAKER_04 35:06

Um that was me in '96. No, I'm just kidding. That was probably not me. People were not saying that. Um, okay. So I still want to know more about your memories surrounding this year. I need to understand more about your younger self, um, what you experienced, what you witnessed, and most importantly, well, I think we already answered this question. Um, if we've always lived parallel lives. I know we did not, but you and Steph did, Karen. Yes. Um, but before I get into more of the like music, pop culture stuff of uh like the specifics of it, I want to use this uh time to look at some of the historical iconic moments from this period to see if there are any major themes or connections or threads that you think link to the present moment that you would like to explore, just like maybe we'll spend like three minutes on like each of these topics or something like that. Um, and then we'll end with the game. I'm nervous. There's the Jesse Spano. I'm scared. I'm so excited. Um, all right. So here's how this part, this segment is gonna work, okay? I'm gonna list some headlines. You see them in the Google Doc. I'll read them for our audience. I'm gonna list some headlines that came up in my search. I did 1996 was like some extensive research here, um, just to kind of figure out like what collectively is going on and like what defined this year. So I couldn't quite put my finger on it because there was so much. So I just want to list some of these headlines, and I want you guys to just give your gut reaction to one. How many? One, thank you.

SPEAKER_03 36:53

One.

SPEAKER_04 36:54

Um and I want to know your thoughts on the impact of these moments, and I also kind of in a 10 hat way want to know what's your conspiracy around this or what connections you see to this moment in time 30 years later. Okay. So you're going to pick one and you're going to give me, you know, your reactions or any conspiratical thoughts that you might have. Okay. All right. So for our audience who can't see the Google Doc, we have Monica Lewinsky gets reassigned from the White House as an intern to the Pentagon and begins confiding in a friend named Linda Tripp. I can't say her name correctly on this next one. Is it Kadesha? Kadeshia Jones? It's not Rashida Jones. Quincy Jones' youngest daughter and Tupac begin a relationship, prompting Tupac to potentially leave Death Row Records. Princess Diana and Prince Charles get a divorce. The Unibomber is arrested. The Menendez brothers are convicted of murdering their parents. The Daily Show debuts on Comedy Central. Um Murdoch launches Fox News broadcasts. Did I just Netanyahu? Netanyahu. I'm like, I know.

SPEAKER_03 38:24

I can't, I couldn't believe this when I read that, by the way.

SPEAKER_04 38:27

Is elected Prime Minister of Israel. Uh the Port Arthur Massacre in Australia prompts the country to uh do a gun buyback program. And six-year-old beauty queen John Bene Ramsey is found dead on Christmas morning.

SPEAKER_03 38:48

It was a busy year.

SPEAKER_04 38:49

I'm gonna kick us off.

SPEAKER_03 38:51

I'm gonna pick one because those are the rules.

SPEAKER_05 38:55

Yes.

SPEAKER_03 38:56

Um, and I'm going to react to the daily show because I knew that was gonna be universal. I am a huge fan of the all things the daily show. I've watched it most of my life. Like the fact that this only started in '96 was weird to me. I mean, I guess it makes sense. I know, I know, but 96 was just six years ago. So it's weird. Anyways, um, yeah, um, love it. And I think the thing that bothered me seeing it the most was that it feels like it's coming to an end. That's my conspiracy. Maybe not conspiracy, but hot take. Um yeah, it's like, you know, Trevor Noah retired or whatever that's called when you're still young and you leave your job. And um it was cool last year when Jon Stewart started coming back to do Mondays because of the um, because of it being an election year. But now that feels a little, I'm gonna say, tired, and they haven't put a new permanent host in. And it's really cool that they're giving all of the correspondents an opportunity to host in different ways, but it just feels like it feels like the Trevor Noah retirement came out of Left Field and they had no plan or and they still have no plan. It's like, anyways, I'm getting into modern day, but yeah, when I saw that on your list, I was like, Oh, I have a lot of feelings about this, and I didn't realize.

SPEAKER_04 40:41

But 30 years of a show is a long time in TV.

SPEAKER_03 40:45

It is, you know, and like they're ousting all of the night shows now, one at a time. So it's weird, it's a weird time.

SPEAKER_04 40:57

Yeah, I wonder if that is, you know, mostly due to the political climate. And I think that has a lot to do with uh, you know, some of the issues and challenges that the Democratic Party is having right now. With, you know, they used to be the generation they used to be the party that could get the younger generation to um like have excitement and enthusiasm around the vote, and now they're trying to find ways to do that that are more innovative, and the landscape of a younger uh voter is not cable TV. Right.

SPEAKER_03 41:32

Yeah, no, I think it's I think there's a political element, but I think it's mostly media uh channels in general. Like, you know, most people are getting their news and um commentary from social media. It's very little cave, certainly not cable TV, but you know, if anything, it's streaming. So it's just a whole different ball game. So I understand why it's happening.

SPEAKER_04 42:05

It's sort of like sadness, right? Yeah, that like there's no journalistic um excellence in that as much. I I mean maybe there are. Like I think Joanne Reid, since being moved off to MSNBC, has done a really good job of like commentary on social media. Um but there's not a lot of I I don't have a ton of credible voices that I would point to right now on social media.

SPEAKER_03 42:34

Yeah, whereas the Daily Show is such a credible voice. It is America's news source, you know?

SPEAKER_04 42:43

I'm sorry, but John Stewart, I feel, is my hall pass, so don't be interesting.

SPEAKER_06 42:53

So and so and me, we can comment on Karen's pick. Yeah, I'm not breaking okay.

SPEAKER_03 43:02

Oh my god, these guys are such losers. We are nerds, we've already told you. Normally we don't follow your roles, so we're stuffing it up. You took us back to 96 and now we're role followers.

SPEAKER_06 43:18

Um Daily Show, yeah. When I was uh I think what shocked me was that the Daily Show debuted the same year that Fox News, like I saw that on the list at the same time. And so, and that kind of changed our landscape of what we're talking about, how people get their news and how we've kind of moved into these silos of only hearing what we agree with. Um so that kind of changed the landscape of how people digest like politics and political issues. And um I actually you guys know I love the Breakfast Club. I listened to that on my way to work. And they interviewed Jordan Clepper from The Daily Show. And he talked about, you know, they were talking about the fact that people do look to the Daily Show for their take. Actual news.

SPEAKER_00 44:17

Yeah.

SPEAKER_06 44:17

For their news. He was like, but the difference is that our priority is comedy. So you have to take a comedic take on actual events. And so their goal is always to get the laugh. You know, that was like helped me understand like their job and why people look to them because they are giving information but making you find a way to laugh about it or like take some of the weight off of some of this heavy news. I like that.

SPEAKER_04 44:49

Okay, well, we're not here to talk about the modernity. I don't care about that.

SPEAKER_06 44:54

I just can't believe that it started 30 years ago because I didn't watch it then. Like I didn't watch it till I was older. Exactly.

SPEAKER_04 45:02

No, but I think your conspiracy is the same conspiracy that I had of was this the beginning of the um divide of the political of the extremism, you know, even if the intent of Comedy Central uh of uh the It's definitely like intended to be a satire of a news show, you know?

SPEAKER_06 45:27

So um but then the Daily Show would have to be created after Murdoch creates Fox News because it's like it almost is making fun of it, making fun of what they turned out to be or turned out what they were doing, yeah.

SPEAKER_04 45:42

I think I'll go in, we could go in and look at the um articles, but I think the daily show came first.

SPEAKER_06 45:50

But like the format, like because like back then, didn't the daily the daily show wasn't as newsy at the very beginning, was it?

Daily Show vs Fox News Origins

SPEAKER_03 46:00

Um I think the format was always very similar. Um, and I don't think it was directed at Fox News specifically. I just think it's supposed to be satirical news. I mean, they're not journalists, they're comedians, and so you have to you definitely have to draw a line.

SPEAKER_04 46:17

We're not okay, Steph. So what one jumped out at you?

SPEAKER_06 46:22

Um, so the Princess Diana and Prince Charles get a divorce. That was in 1996, and I know that she died in '97. Is that correct? I'm pretty sure. Oh, I didn't realize it was so close, yeah. That's what I that's where I'm at. Is my conspiracy theory is that they went after her because we can't be having a princess divorce her husband and make a mockery. That's what some would say that's what some would say that happened. I have never thought that until seeing that 1996 was when they were divorced and knowing that it was 1997 when she died. And so what just you saying that a lot of us like, oh, they killed her.

SPEAKER_07 47:12

Yep.

SPEAKER_04 47:14

And that's the kind of 10-hat conversation that I want to indulge in.

SPEAKER_03 47:19

Okay. Going all in. We couldn't even talked about doing conspiracy theories as a topic and we couldn't think of any. It turns out you had the whole list here in 1996.

SPEAKER_04 47:32

Well, yeah, I mean, isn't that what a good conspiracy theory is? It stems from the regular old occurrence like that. And then years down the line, more pieces start to come to the surface. And I don't know. I feel like when I watched The Crown, I feel like they kind of alluded to that. And I feel like a lot of articles alluded to like that press and pressure of the divorce and what she was going to do with her life after the divorce led to her.

SPEAKER_06 48:03

But I feel like the spin on her death was so much focused on the intrusiveness of the paparazzi.

SPEAKER_07 48:13

Yeah. Right.

SPEAKER_03 48:14

And didn't really talk about the royal family's reaction to the fact that she and it it felt to me at least that no one ever said anything bad about the royal family until Megan and Harry stopped. Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 48:28

This that's where I yeah, I feel like how the black woman came in the picture.

SPEAKER_03 48:34

You black ladies, man. Just ruining a very hearty, you know, hundreds of year old family tradition that had nothing bad in their history whatsoever.

SPEAKER_04 48:49

Just uh did you guys watch that show, The Crown?

SPEAKER_03 48:53

No.

SPEAKER_04 48:53

Oh, yeah, the Diana C's.

SPEAKER_03 48:55

Perfect people, right? Just perfect white people running around not doing anything bad.

SPEAKER_04 49:01

Exactly. Um, okay. Well, that uh was interesting. I don't know which one I thought you were gonna pick, Steph, but um, Karen, I totally knew you were gonna do one of the political ones. Um actually, Steph, I thought you were gonna talk about John Bonet Ramsay.

SPEAKER_06 49:22

Uh that was mine that like I went back and forth um because I wanted to. That was one I was interested in, but man, I watched that documentary. And I went straight to they killed Diana, so that's why it shows that one.

SPEAKER_04 49:39

I think my thing on John Bonet Ramsay comes with, and I know we are like um we we we're gonna do something on Diddy, but we also talked about like possibly it being Chappelle, but since we're not gonna do Chappelle, I'll say it here. One of the things with John Bonet Ramsay that sticks out to me um from what I saw of the coverage and what I know now, like when I got to college and things started to like appear to me of like how the world really existed, came from Chappelle talking about the coverage of white girls getting killed and murdered versus black girls getting killed and murdered, and how the media covers those um two very differently. And I think John Bene Ramsey is the epitome of that.

SPEAKER_03 50:31

Yeah, yeah, the more attractive that the white media believes someone to be, the more coverage they get. And so what innocent pure Yeah, yes, yes, attractive beyond more than just physical appearance, but a little beautiful child. Yeah. And also, oh gosh, we should have a whole episode on that too. Just wild story that reminds me. That is a wild story. A mystery.

SPEAKER_04 51:04

Yeah, unsolved mystery. That should be that one, news.

SPEAKER_03 51:10

That was great.

SPEAKER_04 51:12

Okay, so um, I want to know more about your memories surrounding this year. I um I want to look at this through like the like game element because I felt like 1996 hits all of the colors on the trivial pursuit board. So I thought, wouldn't it be fun if I gamified this for us just to, you know, get a little balanced approach and to insert some friendly competition between Steph and Karen. Oh boy.

SPEAKER_06 51:41

So I didn't open this, so I don't have no idea what I'm saying.

Diana’s Divorce And Conspiracies

SPEAKER_04 51:44

Yeah, you don't have you don't have access to it. I didn't want you to see because the answer's on. So don't open it. Okay. Okay. Um, so we've never done anything like this on You Can Call Me, Karen. Um, this might be a flap uh to our devoted listeners, Maggie, Brie, Kim, Tara. Please let us know in the comments what you think. All right. Um, so here's how this is gonna look. It's not like super trivial pursuit. I'll just give you like the category so that you at least know where to focus your mindset. Okay? I've never played. Stephanie is raising her hand.

SPEAKER_05 52:26

And then so it's erring.

SPEAKER_03 52:28

I'm just doing it because Steph did it. I don't have any questions.

SPEAKER_05 52:32

Okay, Steph, you go first.

SPEAKER_03 52:33

I've never played trivial pursuit.

SPEAKER_04 52:36

Wow. Uh I don't know. You should have saved that as your confessional.

SPEAKER_03 52:46

That is the point. We need some instructions.

SPEAKER_04 52:49

Okay, there is no instructions. I'm just gonna tell you like if it's like, you know, literature, technology, pop culture, and then I'm just gonna ask you a question and you're gonna respond. Okay. You ask it. Okay. And I have to, I'm going, you need to let me finish the sentence. Okay. Before you respond. Okay. So the category is technology advancements. Listeners, play along with us. See if you can answer quicker than Steph and Karen. I know on some of the movie ones, everyone will get further than Karen.

SPEAKER_06 53:22

Are we just shouting out answers? Are you asking? Yeah, like are we racing? Are you asking?

SPEAKER_04 53:26

Yeah, you're just shouting out answers. Oh, okay. Oh, God.

SPEAKER_03 53:30

Stressed. All right.

SPEAKER_04 53:31

So true. This one's this one's true or false. So you have a 50-50 shot here. All right. True or false. In February 1996, chess champion Gary Kasparov lost an entire match to IBM's deep blue supercomputer.

SPEAKER_07 53:49

True.

SPEAKER_04 53:51

Okay. That's funny. You guys, okay, tell us what you remember about this zero thing.

SPEAKER_03 53:57

Nothing.

SPEAKER_06 53:58

I just didn't know it existed, but you said you got very specific.

SPEAKER_04 54:02

Oh, add a bit about it.

SPEAKER_06 54:05

I just read about it recently, though.

SPEAKER_04 54:07

Okay. I kind of remember it from then. Deep blue is like, you know, current technology, I guess, from AI stuff. I didn't know that. Oh.

SPEAKER_03 54:19

I just like it. I kind of remembered like somebody beat or lost to a computer, and there was that one movie in the 80s about, I don't know, war games or something.

SPEAKER_04 54:35

Yeah, no, I re I proceed. I remember what you remember, Karen, of like somebody lost to a computer. But the answer is actually false. He lost one game, but won the overall match four to two. The computer wouldn't beat him until 1997.

SPEAKER_00 54:52

Feels like a trick question.

SPEAKER_04 54:54

Jealous on a trick question. I know the trick you guys. Okay, so we're still in technology, and this we'll move on to more technology. Okay, this is the last technology question. This is a multiple choice question, okay? This search engine was publicly launched in April of 1996. Was it A Yahoo? B Alta Vista C Google or D ask Jeeves.

SPEAKER_03 55:27

Oh. I'm going Alta Vista. I'm going.

SPEAKER_06 55:38

Oh man. I'm to between two, and it's not Alta Vista. What are your two? My two are Ask Jeeves and um uh Yahoo.

SPEAKER_00 55:51

Yahoo.

SPEAKER_06 55:52

It would be Yahoo.

SPEAKER_04 55:54

Very good steph.

SPEAKER_03 55:56

I was thinking Yahoo, but um I thought it might be a little different. I miss ask, I miss Ask Jeeves. I miss that one a lot. I don't know. I liked asking a question. I don't think I've ever used that. I liked it. I liked that, yeah. It it was like trying to be a little bit um chatty, you know, with like you asking it questions instead of just typing in a random word.

SPEAKER_04 56:22

Oh. That's cute. It was okay. Um I I never used it, so I just remember being in class with Kim, and we learned how to put code into Google, like you plus can plus call plus me plus Karen in order to search. Like we learned how to like use Google search that way. I don't know. Karen, the way you're looking at me makes me think I went to high school, and I I'm actually the nerd on this podcast. All right. Next category is news and politics. So in January 1996, the East Coast was buried under a massive winter storm. What do we call this historic blizzard that dumped over 17 inches on DC? Oh, yeah, you guys weren't paying attention to your geography. This should actually be a geography question. You guys remember? This didn't happen to you? Oh. Only my Maryland peeps note, but it wasn't like national news. It was on DC.

SPEAKER_03 57:29

I mean, it probably was, but I was like that's true. Okay, that's what's called the blizzard buried instead of buried.

SPEAKER_06 57:37

That was just what is called the blizzard of 96.

unknown 57:40

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 57:42

Girl. Yeah, we in Chicago, we had one of those every year, so we didn't feel the need to name them.

SPEAKER_04 57:53

Damn it. Oh gosh. Okay. Um, this one surprised me. I did not know about this one. So in May 1996, the Supreme Court ruled 6-3 in Romer vs. Evans, a landmark case for LGBTQ rights. What did this ruling prevent Colorado from doing? A. Banning same-sex marriage, B denying gay and lesbian citizens protections against discrimination, C allowing discrimination in housing, or D. Preventing gay teachers from working in schools.

SPEAKER_00 58:32

I think it's B. But 90s. What was B?

SPEAKER_04 58:39

B denying gay and lesbian citizens protection against discrimination.

SPEAKER_06 58:51

I'm gonna go B too.

SPEAKER_04 58:52

Yes, it was B because it was a landmark case for LGBTQ, and all of the other ones would be against.

Media, Crime, And Who Gets Seen

SPEAKER_03 59:02

Another little tricky C. I think I'll cut that smart.

SPEAKER_04 59:12

Keep it in. Our listeners want to know your critical thinking on the spot. All right, it gets a little bit easier after this, okay? So this is literature.

SPEAKER_03 59:26

That's not easier for me, but let's let's do that.

SPEAKER_04 59:29

You read all the time. I did okay. You might not know these ones though, but you might. You never know. Give it a give it your best shot. Okay, fill in the blank. George R.R. Martin published the first book in his A Song of Ice and Fire series in 1996. It's called A Blank of Blank. And it is a hit HBO series. A blank of blank? Decarius. Winter is coming. Game of Thrones? Yeah. A game of thrones.

SPEAKER_03 1:00:24

Oh, I didn't know there was an A in front of it, and I also have never seen that series. Me neither.

SPEAKER_04 1:00:33

Um, okay, this book, now turned into a box office hit movie, was published in 1996. It features characters Duke, aka Noah, and Allie. Duke reads to Allie every single day. Darren.

SPEAKER_03 1:00:56

Wait, is it the notebook? Yeah. It is.

SPEAKER_01 1:01:01

Yeah, good God.

SPEAKER_03 1:01:02

Have you seen that?

SPEAKER_04 1:01:03

I have seen it. Amazing. And you I didn't even have to read the rest of it. Yes, I could not believe that the notebook was written in 1996. Oh, what a surprise for me.

SPEAKER_03 1:01:16

I would have never gotten those names. Like when you said the names, I was like, I don't know what's happening.

SPEAKER_04 1:01:23

What got you then? How did you know?

SPEAKER_03 1:01:25

I don't the reading everyday thing.

SPEAKER_04 1:01:28

Like, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 1:01:30

Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 1:01:31

Okay. Now we're going into sports.

SPEAKER_00 1:01:34

Oh, great.

unknown 1:01:35

Great.

SPEAKER_04 1:01:36

The summer Olympics were held in which U.S. City in 1970? Atlanta. Atlanta! I knew that too. What's the famous gymnast from that one whose vault and entering?

SPEAKER_06 1:01:51

Carrie spray. Stroke. Dang it. I must have permitted it.

SPEAKER_04 1:01:55

That is wild to me. Like that was 96. I went back to re-watch that with Millie when she first got into gymnastics. Actually, Tara was at our house and we like made Millie watch it. We're like, look at this. This is crazy. Do you see what she did? Like, I can't. That was phenomenal. Like one of the best moments in sports for me watching.

Trivial Pursuit: Tech And News

SPEAKER_06 1:02:18

Um, um, can I just share Steve? Um, he always remembers that there was an interview like of her talking about that moment, and like how you know, after she did that, and then they all like stood together, how she was still just wearing her warm-up jacket, but not her pants. Like, and he said that there was an interview of her talking about it, and she was like, and I didn't have any pants on. And we say that all the time. Like, and I didn't have any pants on. He said her he just told me about her voice like so much so high pitched. It's like I just stood there and I didn't have any pants on.

SPEAKER_04 1:03:08

That's amazing. Um, okay, which Michael Jordan, oh no, sorry. Which team did Michael Jordan, Karen? You better know this.

SPEAKER_03 1:03:18

Oh I mean, like, do you need to proceed?

SPEAKER_04 1:03:22

Which team did Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls beat to win their fourth NBA championship in 1996?

SPEAKER_01 1:03:30

The fourth one?

SPEAKER_04 1:03:32

So here's your options. I think A, the Minnesota Timberwolves, B, the LA Lakers, C, the Seattle Supersonics, or D, the Boston Celtics.

SPEAKER_03 1:03:47

Oh, shit. So I was gonna say the Jazz, but that's not an option.

SPEAKER_04 1:03:55

They're not an option. Uh our one male listener.

SPEAKER_06 1:04:00

It would be the maybe the super my guess was the Sonics.

SPEAKER_03 1:04:05

Yay! Good job, guys. It's because they're out west, and I feel like there's something about the east and the west, you know, like the that's when they play each other and then they play the east and the west at the end.

SPEAKER_04 1:04:20

Yeah. Okay.

SPEAKER_03 1:04:22

Bob's gonna be like, you're an embarrassment to our family.

SPEAKER_04 1:04:26

No, you didn't, you guys did great. Okay, so this last category is entertainment and pop culture. Which Bruce Springsteen song is prominently featured in Jerry Maguire? A secret garden.

SPEAKER_03 1:04:41

Secret garden. Yeah, there you go.

SPEAKER_06 1:04:43

Also, I can recite that whole movie.

unknown 1:04:45

You can.

SPEAKER_06 1:04:46

I believe you can.

SPEAKER_04 1:04:48

Yeah, I actually believe it too.

SPEAKER_03 1:04:51

I cannot. One of my favorite movies.

SPEAKER_04 1:04:54

Did you go to the theater and watch it?

SPEAKER_06 1:04:57

You know it. And in my in true nerd fashion, um, we were too young to see that movie. Oh, yeah. Um, and I asked my mom permission to sneak in. Like I knew like we planned on sneaking in, and I just wanted my mom to know ahead of time, like, or it's like, A, are you okay with me seeing the movie? And B, like I just want to give you a heads up, like we're gonna have to sneak in to see it. And she was like, whatever.

SPEAKER_05 1:05:20

Yeah, she was like, she's like, it's PG 13, and you're 12 and everyone.

SPEAKER_06 1:05:25

It was R. Yeah. Yeah, there was a lot of oh it was heavy.

SPEAKER_04 1:05:31

I don't pay attention to ratings. Well, my mom didn't, or my my siblings didn't. They forced me to watch Chucky when I was like five, which explains how yeah, I saw a lot of those things when I was young.

SPEAKER_03 1:05:42

Not not good for the psyche.

SPEAKER_04 1:05:44

Okay, last one. I don't know how to pronounce this person's name, but in which Boz Lerman film did Leonardo DiCaprio star Romeo Angelina? Yes.

SPEAKER_03 1:06:00

I'm just I did see that one too, by the way.

SPEAKER_04 1:06:03

I used to wa we watched it in English class.

SPEAKER_06 1:06:06

We did too. But not till my freshman year, which was 97-98, so I'm kind of confused. That's Claire Danes, right? Well, no, I guess the next year, because it would have been on BHS.

SPEAKER_04 1:06:16

Yeah, it was on BHS. And then so this was the rest of the question. This role led to his next epic romance where movie where he Titanic. Um she was offered the female lead role, but turned it down, paving the way for Kate Winslett. Oh because she found him annoying on set. Oh look what she missed out on, girl. I mean, Winslet was fantastic in Titanic. Yeah, right. Claire Danes is not a Titanic girl.

SPEAKER_03 1:06:46

She's like oh my gosh. Have you seen the like the beast in me?

SPEAKER_04 1:06:53

I can't watch anything with her. She's too much for me.

SPEAKER_03 1:06:55

I love, oh, I love her. My so-called life.

SPEAKER_04 1:06:58

Did you watch my so-called life? It's like invested acting. Um, okay, I did not watch my so-called life. Sorry. I didn't either, but I thought the sound seems like something Karen would have watched.

SPEAKER_03 1:07:10

Yeah, Linda watched it, and so I watched it by default, and it was formative for me.

SPEAKER_04 1:07:17

That's why you like her.

SPEAKER_03 1:07:19

That's why I love her, yeah. And Jared Leto. I can stand her.

SPEAKER_04 1:07:24

There were a lot of like teen white girls back then, and I had to choose accordingly. I could, there was too much.

SPEAKER_03 1:07:31

You would have loved me in high school, man.

unknown 1:07:36

All right.

SPEAKER_04 1:07:38

Let's do a little bit of a lightning round before we wrap up here. Okay. All right. It's this is keep it snappy. Oh god.

SPEAKER_02 1:07:48

It's not.

SPEAKER_04 1:07:50

All right. Um, if you had to listen to the Macarena or Who Let the Dogs Out for the rest of the your life, which one would you choose? Macarena.

SPEAKER_03 1:08:00

Um how long am I living in this scenario? I guess the Macarena, but those wow.

SPEAKER_04 1:08:11

I mean Yeah, kind of awful, right? Okay. Who was your favorite spice girl and why?

SPEAKER_00 1:08:24

I guess Scary Spice.

SPEAKER_04 1:08:30

She's always been with the sisters.

SPEAKER_06 1:08:32

I was gonna say Scary Spice because she was black.

SPEAKER_04 1:08:36

Yeah, exactly.

SPEAKER_05 1:08:37

Me too.

SPEAKER_04 1:08:38

And she wore her hair natural, which I guess. She seemed like the coolest one for sure. She was, still is. Okay. Um, fill in the blank. Talk to the blank because the blank ain't listening. Talk to the hand.

SPEAKER_06 1:08:54

Because talk to the hand because I don't know the rest of that. I have another extension of that though. What is yours? Talk to the hand, because the hand don't speak, so leave a message at the sound of the beep.

SPEAKER_05 1:09:17

You would I have never heard that version. And I can't wait to teach it to Millie and Brianna.

SPEAKER_06 1:09:26

Wait, what is it? Talk to the hand because the talk to the hand, but the hand don't speak, so leave a message at the sound of the beep, and then you don't beep. And then you don't beep.

SPEAKER_04 1:09:41

Okay, so our version was talk to the hand because the face don't understand, or talk to the hand because the face ain't listening. Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 1:09:48

I didn't know there was anything past talk to the hand.

SPEAKER_05 1:09:52

That's funny.

SPEAKER_04 1:09:54

Okay. Um, what toy did you feed, clean up after, and watch die constantly? Tamagotchi.

SPEAKER_03 1:10:02

Tamagotchi?

SPEAKER_04 1:10:04

I didn't have one of those, but that's the correct answer.

SPEAKER_03 1:10:06

I had one for like 12 minutes, and then I was like, this is stupid. Yes.

SPEAKER_04 1:10:13

Um, okay, released in 1996, Always Be My Baby was an instant slow dance request at parties. Did you ever slow dance to it? I think I know the answer to this. And if so, what was his name?

SPEAKER_03 1:10:30

Hmm, what was his name? That doesn't matter.

SPEAKER_06 1:10:35

I remember slow dancing to another Mariah Carey song around the same time, but it I don't know that it was 1996. Hmm. What was his name? Um, his name was Kenny Brown.

SPEAKER_03 1:10:48

Oh, first and last. Hey Kenny Brown. If you're listening.

SPEAKER_06 1:10:53

We slow danced to once we day.

SPEAKER_04 1:10:56

Yes, that's on my list. Um actually it's not on this list, but it could have been. I think I took it off because of I put a different one on instead. Um his name was Brian Berry for me, and he was very tall. And it was in the basement of Rita McAllenny's house summer of 1996.

SPEAKER_05 1:11:17

About four minutes.

SPEAKER_03 1:11:20

I like I I can't think of a specific boy that I would dancing with at this time. There was a couple of boyfriends in the mix, none of whose names I really care to say out loud. Sorry if you're listening and you know who you are.

SPEAKER_05 1:11:46

Oh, jeez. You think they're listening?

SPEAKER_03 1:11:49

No, God no.

SPEAKER_05 1:11:52

All right, a couple more questions, then I know we gotta wrap. Um East Coast or West Coast?

SPEAKER_03 1:11:59

West. I know. I know.

SPEAKER_04 1:12:04

Because you guys are Midwesterners, so this one's interesting. This one's tricky for me. We can talk so much.

SPEAKER_06 1:12:10

I feel like um, I could not pick. You have to. I have to pick, or we'll cut your mic. Oh my god.

SPEAKER_03 1:12:23

I literally have the ability, so don't try me.

SPEAKER_06 1:12:26

I feel like at the beginning, definitely East Coast.

SPEAKER_04 1:12:31

Yeah, I see I see what you mean.

SPEAKER_03 1:12:33

Yeah, yeah, like, yeah.

SPEAKER_04 1:12:36

I know. I know we can. Well, anymore.

SPEAKER_03 1:12:38

We're previewing uh a little Diddy conversation. Yeah, we do. We can continue that.

SPEAKER_04 1:12:44

All right, so here's my last question. This is a list of songs from 1996 that I'm about to give you. You can never listen to one of them ever again.

SPEAKER_06 1:12:58

Oh no.

SPEAKER_04 1:13:00

Which one are we removing?

SPEAKER_06 1:13:02

Oh boy.

SPEAKER_04 1:13:04

So, number one is No Diggity by Blackstreet, Fantasy by Mariah Carey, Because You Loved Me, Celine Dion. It's All Coming Back to Me, Celine Dion. Hey Lover by L. O. Cool J. Not Gonna Cry by Mary J. Blige. I know. This list was phenomenal. Um, these are just like, I couldn't even I okay, Diggin' on You, TLC, Count on Me, Whitney Houston, and CeCe Wines. If your girl only knew Aliah. And one of my all-time favorites for our number one fan, Brie, Sittin' Up in My Room.

SPEAKER_06 1:14:01

Yes. It's a good one. That's a good one. So you're saying we picked one song that you'd never be able to listen to again.

SPEAKER_04 1:14:08

Yeah, what would you remove from that list?

SPEAKER_06 1:14:12

So I'm a visual learner without seeing the list in front of me. Um, there was a song around the Celine Dionns that I thought I could survive without.

SPEAKER_03 1:14:24

I'm going the first Celine Dion. I can't remember what it was. Like, yeah.

SPEAKER_04 1:14:28

Yeah, you guys did it because you loved me.

SPEAKER_03 1:14:32

Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 1:14:32

It's like I think I can remove that one too. Yeah, but yeah. Nothing against it.

SPEAKER_03 1:14:37

It's just there's better Celine songs. So as long as I have those, then I'm good.

SPEAKER_04 1:14:41

And it's all coming back to me.

unknown 1:14:43

Whoo!

Books, Sports, And Pop Culture

SPEAKER_04 1:14:44

Did I send you guys that video of the kids rewatching that one?

SPEAKER_03 1:14:48

No. Uh maybe I did.

SPEAKER_04 1:14:52

Bananas.

SPEAKER_03 1:14:53

Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 1:14:53

Just such a good song. I mean, for sure because you love artists on this list. Uh yeah. I could go without that one though. You're right. I I I I could do that. Okay, so we have to wrap. This is getting a little long. Um uh do you guys have any confessionals that you want to share before getting out of here, besides that you didn't know how to play trivial pursuit as a nerd?

SPEAKER_03 1:15:24

Nerd, my confessional is nerd has a lot of different definitions. And I thought there was only one. Um, but turns out there is a lot, and I don't fit the perfect mold for your nerdy definition.

SPEAKER_04 1:15:40

We'll dissect that another day. I think we should. What about you, Steph?

SPEAKER_06 1:15:50

Um, no.

SPEAKER_04 1:15:52

Okay, great.

SPEAKER_06 1:15:54

Well, I already admitted to having never played Trivial Pursuit.

SPEAKER_04 1:15:58

Yes.

SPEAKER_06 1:15:58

Yeah, that's a good confessional.

SPEAKER_04 1:16:03

So, um, Karen, we want to hear from you. Comment on our socials or on this episode. What is your favorite memory from 1996? We love to hear and keep the conversation going. We will see you next week when we serenade down memory lane alongside our favorite country groups, the chicks. I cannot wait for that. Hey bitches, that's a wrap on another episode of You Can Call Me Karen. If you liked what you heard or didn't, go to our show page and leave a review. Just know we will call you out. And if unlike my two co-hosts, you find yourself scrolling endlessly on TikTok, follow us at you can call me Karen. And if you're still living in the 20th century like a boomer, don't worry. You can find us on Instagram and YouTube at you can call me Karen underscore pod. We love you for listening.