'90s Pop Star Moments That Make Us Cringe

The following article contains references to racism, sexism, and eating disorders 

The 1990s was a unique period for pop stars. With the internet in its primitive dial-up infancy, not to mention the absence of social media, many stars were able to avoid their every embarrassing foible being broadcast across the globe. Nowadays, Katy Perry may go viral for something as innocuous as an onstage eye glitch, but back in the '90s, singers could get away with all manner of faux pas without facing the scrutiny of the public. However, there were always eagle-eyed pop enthusiasts with the camcorder on hand to document celebs' awkward indiscretions for the history books.

As The Washington Post notes, it seems that '90s nostalgia is here to stay. Although these pervasive rose-colored memories like to paint the era as a simpler, more innocent time, the decade was — as Britney Spears would say — not that innocent. Truth be told, the '90s was chock full of the kinds of behaviors that would be seen as problematic today. As we uncover in this rundown, it was unfortunately pretty routine for pop stars to be subjected to body shaming, racism, and in one particular instance, the sexualization of a literal child. While we cringe at these offensive moments, the era was, of course, not without its calamitous, lighthearted blunders, with many of these cringeworthy moments rooted in slapstick or just plain awkward social debacles. So, let's shudder like it's 1999 and give the lowdown on '90s pop star moments that make us cringe.

The Free Britney movement, which led to the end of Britney Spears' 13-year-long conservatorship, has shed light on the widespread ill-treatment of the beloved pop princess throughout her career. When Spears first emerged onto the music scene back in 1999, she was only 16 years old. But testament to the creepy obsession with underage girls in the '90s, Spears was heavily sexualized as a teen, famously wearing a skimpy school girl uniform in the music video for "...Baby One More Time." 

In 1999, the singer appeared on the cover of Rolling Stone for the first time. She was photographed sprawled across her bed in revealing lingerie, as she cuddled a Teletubby plushie. In the accompanying interview, Spears is constantly reduced to the sum of her parts. The article's male writer described her tanned thighs and large breasts in vivid detail. He also pointed out that she is 17 and ponders whether she can be classified as "bubblegum jailbait."

In a 2003 interview with GQ (via Britney Boards), Spears expressed immense discomfort with the photoshoot. "I didn't really know what the hell I was doing," she admitted. "And, to be totally honest with you, at the time I was 16, so I really didn't... [the photographer] was like, 'Undo your sweater a little bit more.' The whole thing was about me being into dolls, and in my naïve mind I was like, 'Here are my dolls!' and now I look back and I'm like, 'Oh my gosh, what the hell?'"

If you or someone you know may be the victim of child abuse, please contact the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-Child (1-800-422-4453) or contact their live chat services.

Musicians endorsing political candidates didn't start with Killer Mike and Bernie Sanders' bromance, or Beyoncé and Hillary's rallying feminist call to action. Back in 1996, the Spice Girls — then the reigning superstars of pop — endorsed conservative Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher.

At a time when there was widespread disenchantment with the Conservative Party, a growing number of popular stars endorsed Tony Blair's Labour Party as part of Cool Britannia in the lead-up to the 1997 election, per The Telegraph. So, it was especially shocking when the biggest pop group of the time backed the seemingly stale and austere Thatcher. The notorious Prime Minister had been credited with instigating mass unemployment and the privatization of public services; she was also dubbed "Thatcher, milk snatcher" for withdrawing free milk for school kids, per Slate. Yet, in an interview with The Spectator, Geri Halliwell hailed Thatcher as the original Spice Girl. "We Spice Girls are true Thatcherites," she declared. "Thatcher was the first Spice Girl, the pioneer of our ideology: Girl Power." Meanwhile, Victoria Beckham declared that the band would never vote Labour.

Melanie Chisholm, aka Mel C, has since expressed deep regret and embarrassment about the endorsement. Chisholm, who hails from the traditionally left-leaning and Thatcher-loathing Liverpool, told The Independent that she cringes at her bandmate's assertion that the former PM was a girl power pioneer, a claim that she passionately refutes. "They were never the thoughts or feelings that I shared... I don't think people think I'm a raging Tory!" she said.

With the body positive movement gaining immense traction and influence in the last few years, it seems unfathomable that it was once socially acceptable to force female celebs to prove their "worth" by weighing themselves on live TV. Sadly, that's exactly what happened with Victoria Beckham though.

In 1999, she appeared on "TFI Friday," hosted by Chris Evans  — no, not Captain America, but the British TV personality. At the time, Beckham had just given birth to her son Brooklyn. Evans began making inappropriate remarks about the singer's svelte postpartum body and asked her about her exercise regimen. "Is your weight back to normal? Can I check?" he asked Beckham, who begged him not to weigh her. Insistent, Evans brought out the scales and made Beckham weigh herself despite her pleas. When the scales exhibited a low weight, the audience and Evans applauded the star, intimating that thinness is intrinsic to a woman's value. 

In an interview with Vogue Australia, Beckham said that the incident was particularly painful due to the fact that her body has been constantly scrutinized throughout her career. "I'd just had Brooklyn and lost a lot of weight after," she recalled. "It happened to my mum after her pregnancies. It doesn't mean you have an eating disorder. And he made me stand on scales and be weighed. Can you imagine doing that nowadays?"

If you need help with an eating disorder, or know someone who is, help is available. Visit the National Eating Disorders Association website or contact NEDA's Live Helpline at 1-800-931-2237. You can also receive 24/7 Crisis Support via text (send NEDA to 741-741).

Michael Jackson and Lisa Marie Presley were certainly one of the oddest romantic pairings of the '90s. The couple, who tied the knot in 1994, were subjected to various conspiracy theories; some claimed that Presley was encouraged to wed Jackson by the Church of Scientology as a recruitment ploy, per The Seattle Times.

In an effort to prove the detractors wrong, Jackson and Presley appeared hand-in-hand at the opening of the 1994 MTV VMAs. "Just think. Nobody thought this would last," Jackson told the crowd, gesturing towards Presley. He then initiated a kiss before leaving the stage with his lady love.

The kiss is particularly excruciating to watch considering that there have long been rumors that the Jackson/Presley relationship was nothing more than a PR stunt. According to Jackson's former maid Adrian McManus, the pair didn't even consummate their relationship. "From my recollection, she never stayed overnight in his private bedroom," she told The Sun. "Never once did I walk into Michael's bedroom and see them in bed or hanging out." In an interview with Oprah Winfrey, Presley admitted that she felt manipulated by Jackson and wasn't comfortable with the kiss. "He needed to do his thing," she said. "I would be there, uncomfortably, like the MTV thing... I did not want to do that, you know? It was just not in my nature to do that sort of thing."

New Kids On The Block typified the early '90s with their trademark boyband stylings and pretty boy ensemble. But by 1994, they found themselves very much out of favor. Their album "Face the Music" had bombed catastrophically, peaking at just No. 37 on the Billboard 100. 

That year, the group appeared on the British kids show "Live and Kicking," and one awkward interview ensued. The members appeared jaded and burnt out, giving half-hearted responses to host Andi Peters' questions as well as those from the throng of adoring tween fans who encircled them. The situation was exacerbated by the band's frequent inability to understand the questions that their fans, speaking in broad regional accents, put forth. At one point, Peters hinted at the end being nigh. "Because you've been so famous, if tomorrow you weren't, would you miss it?" he asked. "I wouldn't mind," replied Joey McIntyre. "I mean, it's fun being famous ... But I mean, I'm not gonna cry and, you know, break down about it."

Unsurprisingly, New Kids On The Block disbanded that year.. As Entertainment Weekly highlights, the group's demise signaled the end of an era, and this is none more apparent than in their woeful "Live and Kicking" interview. However, as cringeworthy as the interview may be, the group has since reunited and released new music.

Pulp launched to fame in the '90s with their idiosyncratic brand of indie pop that took a critical eye to British social life, notably via the hit song "Common People." Frontman Jarvis Cocker was known for his aversion to pretension and preening. Thus, when Michael Jackson landed in the U.K. to perform at the 1996 Brit Awards, Cocker decided to give the King of Pop a little moonwalk of his own.

Always a provocateur, Cocker disrupted Jackson's performance of "Earth Song" and proceeded to moon the audience; the Brits are nothing if not classy. In a bizarre and inexplicable move that's perhaps more cringey than the mooning itself, he also flapped his cardigan at the audience. Subsequently, he was escorted offstage and arrested for allegedly assaulting the children who were present, per Reuters. He was later cleared of all charges.

Appearing on "TFI" shortly after the incident, Cocker elucidated the rationale behind the debacle. "I was just sat there watching it and feeling a bit ill because he's there doing his Jesus act ... There was quite a lot of other people who found it quite distasteful as well," he said. So, the singer explained, he decided to rush the stage for the sake of the common people. "I may as well bend over and show me bum," he quipped in deadpan fashion. The incident had a lasting impact on Cocker's career, as he was dogged by false accusations of child assault for years, per The New York Times.