On March 16th, 2019, the music world was shaken to its core when the unthinkable happened: the Jonas Brothers returned with a new hit.
If you grew up in the era of the Jonas Brothers, you know that this was the best possible way to be blindsided. I am a very late '90s kid, but the JoBros still played a pretty big role in my childhood. I grew up listening to their music, Camp Rock was one of my favorite movies, and "Jonas L.A." was one of many Disney shows I watched almost religiously. Heck, I still have "Lovebug"on my regular rotation.
Needless to say, I was over the moon when I received the "THE JONAS BROTHERS HAVE A NEW SONG AND ITS FIRE" text message from my best friend. I quickly flipped from the Rob Bailey I was listening to in the gym and found "Sucker". She was right, it was absolutely fire.
Seeing all of the quality content from the first song to mark this new era of Jonas Brothers fame, my mind can't help but yearn for the return of my other childhood favorites. What would happen if America witnessed the revival of late '90s, early 2000s pop culture?
1. The Suite Life of Zack and Cody
While "Jonas L.A." was on air during "The Suite Life on Deck", I have to admit that I would be much more excited if the Sprouse twins reunited to revive the television show that introduced me to my first celebrity crush (still low-key convinced I can manage to meet and marry Dylan Sprouse).
I would settle for a special guest appearance on Cole's "Riverdale" project...but I got lost after the first season, so that sounds like a lot of work.
2. Disney Channel Originals (that don't suck)
Does anyone else remember the huge parties that people threw when High School Musical movies premiered, or was that just a weird phenomenon that went around my elementary school?
If you didn't have the honor of attending one of those parties (they were great), you probably at least had the chance to enjoy one of the many Disney Channel Original movies that, you know...didn't suck.
Not to hate on some of the more recent productions, but they are nowhere near the same level of quality as "Stuck in the Suburbs", "Get a Clue", "The Thirteenth Year", and "The Luck of the Irish". Think you're the next "High School Musical"? Keep dreaming, new Disney Originals. You can never beat the classics so why not try to revive their styles?
3. ZooPals
I will be the first to admit that I was obsessed with these plates as a kid. So obsessed that I once sorted through an entire pack just to find the dog plate so I could eat my chicken nuggets off of Fido's face. There's also been at least one petition to bring back the classic fine china of my childhood. If that dedication (along with the persistent chanting of the iconic commercial) cannot revive this aspect of my childhood, I don't know what will.
4. Webkinz
I know I can't speak for everyone, but I know I speak for myself when I say that I was obsessed with Webkinz as a kid. I am not ashamed to admit because I would definitely still be obsessed with them ten years later. There's no denying that I still get the urge to spin the Wheel of Wow every now and again, so the return of Webkinz would be a dream come true.
5. Boy Meets World
No, none of this "Girl Meets World" spinoff stuff. I want the exact equivalent of Boy Meets World. This show carried me through middle and high school, I want something to comfort me when I come home from a long day of work. I need Feeney to remind me that I am an adult and have to make my own doctor's appointments now.
6. The Office
I will admit that this one is a little different for me because I did not watch "The Office" until I was in college.
However, I will still argue to my grave that this show demands revival. The jokes that Jim plays on no-nonsense Dwight and the hysterical antics of Michael Scott need to be revived. I have to know what became of Jim and Pam! For the love of all things holy, what happened to CeCe and why did they think they could get away with omitting Michael from season 8!?
7. One Direction
My elementary school self screamed when the Jonas Brothers announced their return, but my middle school self may actually require medical attention if One Direction suddenly reunited. These five got me through some of the most "traumatic" middle school and early high school drama, I would love to see if they can help me get through the stress of figuring out what I am going to do with the rest of my life. One Direction, if you can reunite and write a song that helps me do my taxes, you are true miracle workers.
8. Tom & Jerry
Hear me out: Tom & Jerry is one of the greatest cartoons of all time. Sure, there's very little dialogue and a whole lot of violence but...it's a classic cartoon. This is one that needs revival simply because it is such an icon (and because I have already seen pretty much every episode).
9. Television Crossovers
Another one of those kind-of-weird-in-retrospect reasons to have a sleepover in elementary school was a Friday night premiere of a crossover episode. When Disney Channel brought your favorite shows together in one thirty-minute time slot, all bets were off. Whose parents would let them stay up the latest? Whose parents would put up with the loud laughter at midnight? Whose parents would make pancakes the next morning?
Think about it....how cool would it be if two of your favorite Netflix shows did a crossover episode? "Orange is the New Black" meets "Stranger Things", anyone? I'm not saying it would be a smooth ride or a good one, I'm just saying it could be interesting.
10. The Black Eyed Peas
Admit it, you read the band name and one song popped into your head. I know I did because my younger brother and I were both obsessed with their albums for a while. That's exactly why a Black Eyed Peas reunion is an earth-shattering necessity.
11. Cereal Toys
Growing up, there was an unspoken ranking of breakfast choices in the morning. Granola bars were pretty lame, cereals was a solid go-to, and Toaster Strudels/PopTarts meant you were going to have the best day ever. If you were weird like me, you also had a special place on the hierarchy for Bagelfuls, but nothing can ever top the excitement of cracking into a box of your favorite sugar-packed cereal and finding a toy on the inside. You knew you had to work for that toy, begging your mom in the cereal aisle for a solid ten minutes before she bought it just to shut you up, so you never felt bad about hiding it away from your siblings. Today's kids just get a code on the inside of the box that allows them access to some weird website game. That's fun and all, but a collection of spoons with cereal mascots faces on them is twenty times more fun than a collection of cardboard.
The only thing that could definitely top this would be the return of these bad boys.
12. Goosebumps books
As an avid reader throughout my childhood, I am really surprised that I only read a handful of these books. I watched the television show all the time but, somehow, the books escaped my grasp. Hey, R.L. Stine, how do you feel about a collaboration with Stephen King for us "adults"?
13. Rugrats
I always feel a little odd claiming that I am a '90s baby but, in a way, it's technically true. I got to witness about a year and a half of the 1990s, but that doesn't mean I didn't grow up with some of the greatest pop culture icons of the era. The top example? "Rugrats". This show was one of my favorites when I was a kid and I still find myself staying up until 1 AM to watch it on weekends. Yeah, I grew up when "All Grown Up" was producing new episodes but I have to admit that I always had a much stronger preference for the gang's baby-days adventures.
14. How I Met Your Mother
If you have ever watched this series you know that there's something in it for everyone. Ted is heartwarmingly romantic, Robin is just cynic enough to be believable, Barney is hysterically ridiculous, Marshall is a goofball with great intentions, and Lily just wants each of them to find happiness. Tell me there's nothing more lovable than these five characters (and more detestable than the season finale).
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