The 1990s were a relatively peaceful time in American history. It was a golden age of pop culture sitcoms like Friends starring Jenifer Aniston, and girl bands such as the Spice Girls. Today, we still bask in the glory of 90s fashion and laugh at iconic quotes from movies. We entered the wizarding world of Harry Potter and walked the glamorous streets of New York City with Sarah Jessica Parker. On television, we watched Anita Hill battle Clarence Thomas and segments of Monica Lewinsky sharing her White House scandal. We listened to the rap battles of The Notorious Biggie and Tupac; music that degraded women and exploited their bodies. This period normalized the bewitchment and objectification of women in the media, marketplace and pop culture.
1991- Anita Hill came forward about her experiences with Clarence Thomas. A man who was supposed to mentor her. A man who was supposed to teach her the work dynamics of capitol hill. I once read her testimony. She did not want to come forward about her tragic tales of sexual harassment. She knew that her confession would ruin her career and that the media would ruin her.
1991- Tonya Harding won a national title, becoming the first American woman to complete a triple axel in competition. (The Tonya Harding documentary on Hulu is a must watch)
1993- Bill Clinton won the presidential election. The public deemed him a kind and charismatic family man. The type of guy who you drink a beer with at a barbeque or football game. While the media idealized the personality and power of Bill Clinton, platforms publicly scrutinized his wife Hilary Clinton because she did not adhere to quintessential first-lady responsibilities. Her role as a mother was criticized and media outlets addressed her “masculine features.”
1993- Lorena Bobbitt cut off her husband’s penis because her husband raped her. Since then. Bobbitt has become an advocate for sexual assault victims.
1994- Tonya Harding was stripped of her gold medal after she confessed to playing a key role in the attack against Nancy Kerrigan. It began the first ever media-covered “cat fight” in the United States.
1998- News of Bill Clinton’s affair became public. Though he initially denied the relationship, Clinton later admitted to intimate, physical contact with Monica Lewinsky. The House of Representatives impeached the president for perjury and obstruction of justice, but he was acquitted by the Senate. A media frenzy unleashed. Lewinsky was called fat. She was harassed. She was a slut, a whore, a b*tch, a homewrecker who took sexually took advantage of the president.