I Don't Know Her

Vintage Y2K, Mariah's Glitter era, JLo ghost singing, 90s-00s Macy's parade videos 🦃

Who opened this email because they were triggered by “Vintage” and “Y2K” being in the same sentence? LOL. I learned in fashion school that if it’s older than 20 years, that technically makes it vintage. Crazy seeing the full completion of a trend cycle, right? What year is it? It may or may not be 2004 (see: selfie of me and Ryan Cabrera from his recent show), and somehow I’m okay with it.

It was super fun having Merel on the show this week! She has an incredible Depop shop that brings back ALL the 90s-00s nostalgia. My fav pieces in the store rn are the Dooney & Bourke bag similar to the Lindsay Lohan-endorsed backpack I had in 2004, this incredible Caché 90s Ruffle Halter Dress that would go perfect over a pair of jeans tbh, this super fun and colorful Miss Sixty crop-top, this amazing Chloé pineapple shirt (WHY is the teal/pineapple combo such a strong and specific memory for me???), and the Tarina Tarantino Hello Kitty necklace she wore on Nicstalgia. (As seen on Cameron Diaz!!)

This week’s social experiment: If you are spending this weekend with your family, especially people you don’t see often, ask them their POV on a memory from your childhood. Or their childhood! I love learning new stories or new POVs on old stories.

If you’re with chosen family or friends, watch the Macy’s Day parades from the 90s-00s (linked below) and play a game to see how many niche celebrities you all remember. Sing aloud to all of the Broadway numbers. Assemble a kick line when the Rockettes come on. Mute the announcers and make up your own parade commentary. Or go digging through storage. That’s what I’m doing…making sure the camcorder still works for an upcoming project…

Happy Thanksgiving, wherever you are, whoever you’re with. If you come across a treasure trove of nostalgic stuff the holiday weekend – clothes, pictures, toys, electronics – that you think is funny or interesting, reply to this email or comment below and tell me about it!!

Next week, we will be celebrating the 50th (!!!!!!) episode of Nicstalgia with a wonderful guest. The following week, you can expect the extremely unhinged Christmas Edition of the newsletter, featuring the annual gift guide and fine-tuned version of the Longest Christmas Playlist Ever. In the meantime, I will be blasting Cher’s new Christmas CD, singing Michael Bublé, eating Italian cookies, and putting disco balls on my tree with Mariah Carey as the star on top.

Support Nicstalgia by pledging a monthly or annual subscription for less than the cost of Mariah Carey’s Glitter soundtrack on CD in 2001.

🍒 This Week on Nicstalgia

Merel from Ex-Girlfriend Shop is featured on this week’s episode of Nicstalgia. Your two favorite Aries Angels chat about what inspired her to start Ex-Girlfriend Shop, our love for Y2K fashion, my first designer handbag, and what it was like for Merel discovering fashion trends pre-internet in the Netherlands and ID’ing celeb outfits post-internet.

I catch a glimpse of Merel’s skillfully curated, iconic non-clothing memorabilia collection, including a Claudia Schiffer Barbie and Anna Nicole Smith bobblehead. In the words of Sheryl Crow (and Merel), “If it makes you happy it cant be that bad.”

We deep dive into Mariah Carey, Tomato Mozzarella, and the JLo “I don’t know her” saga, Dollzmania, our shared Halloween costume as Dump Him- era Britney, and my profound emotional experience seeing Crossroads in theaters for the first time in 2002.

Watch/listen: YouTube • Spotify • Apple Podcasts

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📲 I’m Just a Simple Girl in a High-Tech Digital World

My fav [Mariah-adjacent] things from the internet rn:
Black Femininity TV is one of my very favorite YouTube channels, sharing well-researched deep dives on Black women in pop culture. She did two excellent videos – one about Mariah’s Glitter Era that breaks down the wholeeeeee story behind Tomato Mozzarella sabotaging Mariah and manufacturing competition with JLo, and the other about JLo ghost singing. (Hence why “Play” by Christina Milian is my favorite JLo song 😈)

Speaking of Aries Queens like me and Merel, here is the list of divas born during our birthday week: Aretha Franklin, Diana Ross, Mariah Carey, Fergie (lol), Lady Gaga, and Celine Dion. Iconic lineup. Speaking of Celine, watching bootleg Celine documentaries always cheers me up when I’m down. In that particular one, Celine thanks Tomato Mozzarella in her acceptance speech, and THAT, my friends, explains why Mariah had beef with her. (Not because of the VH1 Divas performance like she claimed in her book.)

In case you haven’t yet read Mariah’s memoir, The Meaning of Mariah Carey, this piece from The New Yorker sums it up pretty well. I really enjoyed this book! I also watched a recent interview of her on a late night show, and it’s such a shame that interviewers are SO BAD at asking her questions. It does her such a disservice. Her “diva” persona really is partially just that, and her very deadpan, very dramatic, very Aries sense of humor is definitely not appreciated like it should be. (See: Victoria Beckham, comedic genius of our generation.)

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📹 Pop-Up Video

This year, the 97th Macy’s Day Thanksgiving Day Parade will feature Bell Biv Devoe, Brandy, En Vogue, Cher, and more. (And then the dog show, of course!) Don’t have cable? Please enjoy these low-quality videos of past Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parades!

• 1996 Highlights: Pre-SATC Sarah Jessica Parker, Rent and Chicago Broadway cast performances, Sky Dancer float (!!!!!!!), this exchange introducing the Garfield float:

  Katie Couric: Hey Willard, guess who i see floating down the street? Here’s a hint. He’s fat, kinda lazy, and has a major attitude!

  
  Willard Scott: That sounds like my agent! I didn’t know he was gonna be in this parade, Katie.

• 1997 Highlights: Mary-Kate and Ashley, Backstreet Boys

• 1998 Highlights: *NSYNC, 98 Degrees

• 1999 Highlights: 98 Degrees, Christina Aguilera, Lou Bega, Wild Orchid (!!!!!!)

• 2000 Highlights: Baha Men, The Corrs, BBMak, Aaron Carter, LFO, Mikaila (!!!!!), Emeril Lagasse

• 2001 Highlights: Usher, O-Town, Joey McIntyre, Ask Jeeves balloon (!!!!)

• 2002 Highlights: Ashanti, Josh Groban, Baha Men, Mario, No Secrets, Play, Jamie-Lynn Sigler, Justin Guarini, Thoroughly Modern Millie Broadway cast performance

• 2003 Highlights: Hilary Duff, Aaron Carter, Mýa, Stacie Orrico, Ruben Studdard, Clay Aiken, Simple Plan,Loonette from The Big Comfy Couch, Wicked Broadway cast performance

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🧨 Spice Up Your Life

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Act like it’s the 90s and simply tell your friends about Nicstalgia!