003: 1997 | Bagel bites, Parental Neglect, & Body Glitter

The year is 1997. The internet screams, Leo floats, and everything smells like Cucumber Melon and regret.

Jo and Amanda ruin the year that gave us Titanic, Princess Diana, boy bands, Heaven’s Gate, and the first online red flag named Brad_420.

They break down the world before Wi-Fi, when malls were cathedrals, feminism came in shampoo commercials, and the internet felt like both salvation and slow death by dial-up. It’s consumer culture, cult mentality, and coming-of-age chaos wrapped in glitter and grief.

Through humor and nostalgia, they look back at how 1997 shaped pop culture, connection, and the weird sense of identity we’re still trying to escape.

Listen wherever you ruin history.

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Keywords: 1997, nostalgia, internet, pop culture, Titanic, Princess Diana, Heaven’s Gate, boy bands, consumerism, feminism

Takeaways
• 1997 was a pivotal year in pop culture and technology
• The internet was mysterious and mildly dangerous
• Princess Diana’s death created global collective grief
• Leonardo DiCaprio became the face of teenage obsession
• Consumerism and feminism got a glossy makeover
• The 90s set the stage for the digital revolution

Chapters
00:00 Introduction to 1997
04:24 The World Before the Load Screen
17:39 America’s Consumer Culture
38:13 Revolution and Rejection
58:26 The Cult of Connection

Let's Ruin the Past

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