Top 10 Things That '90s Show Gets Wrong About the 90s

While Leia’s giving the 411 on her earlier encounter with Jay, Gwen finds a very ‘90s way to dismiss her mom after she tries to get down with the kids.. Some fans believe her “Groove back” comment might be a nod to the 1998 rom-com drama “How Stella Got Her Groove Back,” which is about a 40-something-year-old single mom who rediscovers her zest for life. But as we mentioned, it wasn’t released until 1998, about three years after season one of “That ‘90s Show” is set. And, considering the best-selling book it’s based on was originally published in 1996, this reference should not have been on Gwen’s radar yet.

In the fourth episode, Leia lies about plans to attend a rave by weaving a clumsy tale about the 1995 superhero flick “Batman Forever.” But does her cover-up check out? Well, “Batman Forever” hit the silver screen on June 16, 1995, indeed getting mixed reviews, as Leia states. Sure, it’s believable that Leia and the gang simply weren’t in any rush to see the movie and could catch it toward the end of its big screen run. However, it wasn’t released on VHS until Halloween of that year, so how does the video store already have a copy in episode 2? This is just one of many movie title anachronisms, but more on that later.

Poor Ozzie; no one seems to believe he has a Canadian boyfriend, whom he met at the merch stand of a “Phantom of the Opera” showing in Montreal. They also don’t believe the sweatshirt in question exists either. However, by the end of the episode, both stories seem to track. Or do they? If you were a major “Phantom” stan in the ’90s, you might recall the official merch looking slightly different. For starters, the mask wasn’t as big and the flower appeared beside, instead of underneath, the text. Ozzie’s sweatshirt, however, bears a closer resemblance to more modern merchandise. Maybe the kids’ XL souvenir sweatshirt they both reached for is masquerading as some kind of magical time-traveling device? Yes, that was a Phantom joke.

Whoever decorates Point Place’s local teen hangout is a big sports fan, or at least that’s what they want us to think. But some eagle-eyed NBA supporters noticed that the Milwaukee Bucks streamer, hanging above the window, is about 20 years ahead of its time. The logo these so-called fans opted for wasn’t introduced until 2015. Meanwhile, the one you would’ve seen in 1995, designed following the team’s 25th anniversary, depicted a green buck on a purple triangle with bold silver text in front. The logo got another revamp in 2006 before becoming this design best recognized by Bucks fans in the 2010s - or mid-90s if you lived in Point Place, apparently.

Video game graphics have come a long way in a relatively short time, and “Donkey Kong” is no exception. Two editions of the game were released in 1995, with “Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy’s Kong Quest” becoming that year’s second best selling game. However, those of us who remember happily spending endless hours playing on our Super Nintendos or Game Boys recall the visuals a little differently than what Leia hallucinates. In fact, we would’ve been majorly impressed if the graphics had been that advanced! Her visions seem to align better with “Donkey Kong Jungle Beat,” which was released in 2004. That “Candy Land” stash must’ve been super strong to let Leia see into the future like that!

In the pilot episode, Nate wears a green jersey that pays homage to Green Bay Packers fullback and eventual hall of fame-r William Henderson. Henderson joined the Packers in 1995 in their third round of the NFL draft that year and remained with the team until 2006. In his early seasons, he was number 30 before switching to 33 later, so the show got that right. However, the NFL draft took place in April that year, and the actual season didn’t begin until September. So since the series takes place over the summer, it’s a tad early for Nate to commit to Henderson stan-dom, don’t you think?

In the pilot episode, Kitty excitedly tells Red that she’s going to buy an array of snacks ending in “-itos” for their newly populated basement. But we’d like to know which store stocks versions of these snacks from the future. Perhaps, “Mama’s Discount Liquors?” She seems to sell bags of Doritos with the rebranded logo from 2013. In the ’90s, the company fully embraced its signature triangle, but the logo still looked quite different from what we see on the show. Does Mama also sell Pringles with their new 2021 design? Because somehow they found their way into Sherri’s kitchen too. The ‘90s version has a more three dimensional illusion; also, the Pringles guy quite clearly had hair back then.

Alanis Morissette’s discography might not explicitly be labeled as Riot Grrrl music. But in 1995, she released the perfect jagged little song that spoke straight to the souls of rebellious teens like Gwen. In fact, when Leia first meets her, she’s rocking out to the banging tune in her bedroom; it’s a hilarious and entertaining way for the soon-to-be-besties to meet. Just one problem: the song and its album “Jagged Little Pill” came out on July 6, 1995. But, as the opening title cards tell us, this episode is set three days earlier, on July 3. Let’s say somehow she got an advance copy, but how did she learn the lyrics so fast? Teenagers, we guess!

We’re heading back to The Hub for another sports inaccuracy. Hanging on the wall, behind the group’s chosen table, is a bird’s eye view photo of Lambeau Field Stadium in Wisconsin, home to the Green Bay Packers since 1957. Like any building, it has undergone various renovations throughout the years, with its latest notable refurbishment taking place between 2013 and 2015. Hardcore 90s-era Packers fans will also notice the stadium’s signature corrugated perimeter is nowhere to be seen in the photo. That’s because The Hub somehow located a picture from roughly 20 years in its future. Hey, just because something’s surrounded by old stuff, doesn’t make it old.

If you remember the days before streaming giants took over home entertainment, watching Leia browse the video rental store's shelves was a heap of nostalgia. But did you also pause and look closely at some of the videotapes on offer? We talked about "Batman Forever" already, but how did they get "Apollo 13," which wasn't released on VHS until November 1995? Yet you could find older films like the 1992 comedy "My Cousin Vinny," labeled under "New Releases." Also, "The Lost World: Jurassic Park" wasn't even in theaters until 1997! And it appears that they used the 2000 re-release cover image. A store that stocks yet-to-be-released films? Leia's movie night is set to be all that and a bag of chips.