1993 A to Z: J is for…
Well, what do you know, it’s time for more . . .
1993 A to Z!
. . . in which we delve deep into the year that McKinley, the protagonist in my new novel, Rewind time travels to. (The book is rad and you should read it!)
Today we’re talking about all things beginning with “J.” And I don’t know about you, but when I think 1993, there is one “J” that roars into my mind! Can you guess what it is??
J is for . . .
Jurassic Park
I remember sitting in the theater in 1993 watching the original Jurassic Park as a child, and I swear, when those Brontosauruses first appeared on the screen, I gasped. “Dinosaurs are REAL,” I thought to myself. Now, the effects in that scene seem fairly outdated, but at the time I had never seen such spectacular movie magic.
Jurassic Park was THE movie of 1993, and even when I was in the very early stages of writing Rewind, I knew that the film’s debut would be a fairly big plot point in the story. I also knew that I had to make some sort of reference to “Weird Al” Yankovic’s amazing “Jurassic Park” song spoof—which ended up as the title for Chapter 27 of my book. (For the full playlist of 1993 songs used as chapter titles in Rewind, go here.)
Special props to . . .
Janet Jackson
Gosh, I love me some Janet Jackson. In 1993, her now-iconic fifth album—fittingly entitled Janet—dropped, including such hits as “That’s the Way Love Goes” and “If.” While the final, “hidden” track on the album, “Whoops Now” definitely wasn’t the most popular, it’s boppy and catchy (and the video is kid-friendly!), making it the perfect choice for the title of Chapter 8 in Rewind.
With additional props to . . .
jelly shoes
The jelly shoe trend began in France in the 1980s, when a savvy shoe company realized they could add some glitter to cheap plastic shoes and sell them for waaaay more than they cost to produce. By the 90s, the jelly shoe was everywhere, and my mom caved and finally let me get a pair, even though she said they’d be bad for my feet. (She wasn’t wrong—because of those stupid plastic shoes, a rogue nail went straight through my foot and I had to get a Tetnus shot. But the shoes were cute, though!) And, like every other 90s fashion trend . . . They’re baaaaaaaack! I will not be buying a pair anytime soon, but I won’t blame you if you do.