Podcast Summary

Podcast: Listen To Sassy: Life In The 90s
Hosts: Tara Ariano, Pamela Ribon, David T. Cole
Episode: May 1991 Fashion Etc.: Outside, Blue & Tutti-Frutti On Your Face
Date: September 30, 2025

Episode Overview

This episode dives into the May 1991 issues of Sassy magazine, exploring fashion trends, beauty advice, and the unique spirit that made the magazine a Gen-X favorite. The hosts dissect the magazine’s iconic fashion spreads, beauty tips, retro advertisements, and memorable features, blending nostalgic reminiscence with their signature wit and friendly banter. The episode delivers a vibrant journey through early ‘90s teen culture, while the hosts share personal stories, fashion confessions, and playful arguments.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Setting the 1991 Scene & Sassy-isms

“It is May 1991 and you have cash to burn...” opens the show with a monologue paralleling temptations in high fashion and beauty trends, reflecting Sassy's playful yet critical take on mainstream teen media.
Discussion of “sex pots” (shoeboxes for secret savings) as a Sassy inside joke.
The relatable feeling of reading magazines out of order and being confused about your own coolness (“...whether or not you are pretty cool or confident.” [01:44])

2. Fun Facts, Pop Culture, and Spencer’s Gifts

David shares Spencer’s trivia: “Spencer’s started in 1947... they own Spirit Halloween.” ([02:35])
Discussion spirals through ‘90s mall staples—Victoria’s Secret, Party City, and even a brief, comedic mentioning of tampons and driver’s licenses as “fundamental rights.”

3. Sassy Cover Model Deep Dive

Tara reveals the identity and later career of May 1991’s cover model Chandra West, including her Canadian roots, acting gigs (including "Twin Peaks"), and TV producer husband Mark Tinker.
Memorable Quote: “She has been married to Mark Tinker since 2005. That’s approximately 500 years in show business.” ([06:12])

4. Fashion Feature #1: “Outside”

This spread celebrates spring prints: madras plaids, stripes, checks (fashionably rural in tone).
The hosts discuss the rise and fall of carpenter pants, shorts, and the early-‘90s look of “rolling down your jeans.”
Fashion Confessions: Pamela confesses, “I feel weird when I’m in, like, shorts and flat shoes... I just look like your camp counselor.” ([12:00])
Debate about the definition of “going outside” (walking dogs, hanging laundry, etc.), spurring running jokes about Tara’s indoorsy nature.

5. Fashion Feature #2: “Blue”

Swimsuit feature with every suit in a shade of blue.
Copy’s heavy use of innuendo (“getting wet here... getting dry there... in your vagina” [14:48]) prompts mockery.
Nostalgic tie-in: Tara identifies a swimsuit worn by Jenny Garth on Beverly Hills, 90210 ([16:03]).
Floral Bathing Caps: Tara had a real one as a child, sparking comedic speculation about “the physics involved” when borrowing grandma’s accessories.

6. “Don’t Forget to Write” Trend Forecast

Focus on prints featuring letters, postcards, stamps.
Pamela shares that she made pajamas with similar fabric; discussion about how, at a certain age, wearing prints feels like “fashion crimes.”
Tara encourages that “you could still wear it,” but Pamela jokes she now has “too much personality for that much print.” ([19:53])

7. Beauty Page: The '40s Revival

Focus on red lips, precise nails, and 1940s glamour: “Looking very ‘40s with short, neat oval shapes to your fingernails. Tara approved.” ([21:49])
Discussion of how to get the “half moon” nail look.
Commentary on exclusion in beauty copy (“No, Sassy, true beauties weren’t all pale. Thank you. Take this one back to the copy room and try again.” [22:54])

8. Beauty & Hair Hacks

Tara still uses John Frieda’s Frizz-Ease hairspray ([24:01]); hosts call the 1991 phone number to confirm it’s still operational—surprisingly, it is.
Reader tip: Kool Aid as hair dye (with loads of cautions: “Do it at someone else’s house... or you are in trouble.” [25:15])
Running Joke: Dave suggests using highlighters or Bic pens instead: “Color your hair with a highlighter?” ([26:39])

9. Tutti Frutti on Your Face – Spring/Summer Makeup

Feature on fruit-inspired makeup colors.
Quote: Pamela on Kissing Potion lip gloss, “That felt like you had a rollerball of just goop...” ([27:45])
Blurbs on “Softer Skin Steps” (“smooth on moisturizer with your ring finger”), and Maybelline’s “Supernatural Lashes,” with fun banter over the three shades of black mascara. ([28:44])

10. Retro Ads & Sassy Commerce

- Jolene Bleach Cream

Overly enthusiastic SNL-esque ladies in an ad for facial bleach; playful speculation about what it’s safe to bleach (“Not for use on pubic hair” ([33:06])).
Hilarious aside: “You said it’s important not to... put it on your pubes.” ([32:28])

- L’Oreal Root Boost

Over-the-top hair in the ad (“She has a bunt cake over her head”).
Pamela: “She’s auditioning to be in the touring company of the B-52s with this hair.” ([35:05])

- BAIN DE SOLEIL

Nostalgia for SPF 4 lotions, oil “as sunscreen.”
Impromptu French lesson: “What does ‘bain de soleil’ mean?” It means “sun bath.” ([36:15])

- Kmart Special Section featuring “Miss Teenage America”

Ad tries for “high fashion” but is still very Kmart, evoking memories of shoulder pads, floral prints, and summer shoes that stain feet. ([38:00])

- The Sassy Hotline

New limit: two calls per week, must ask parental permission.
Hotline offers gossip, quizzes, horoscopes, and a voicemail option ([40:31]).

- Sea Sack

“It’s a towel. It’s a sack. You’re both wrong, it’s a Csac.” ([41:39])
Sharon’s beagle silently judges the purchase.

- Enchanted 'Deco Photo Pin'

Old ‘90s decorative pins with unsettling photos are joked about as “trapped souls” or “objects from Julio Torres.” ([42:57])

- Vanilla Ice 1-900 Line

“Find out how the Iceman is living, touring, and what he wants only you to know.”
AT&T “not a sponsor,” and the phrase “vanilla is flowing smooth on your phone.” ([44:10])

- Pro Set “Musicards”

Musician trading cards (“Like sports cards, but embarrassing.”) ([46:32])
Illustration compared to Rolling Stone caricaturist Philip Burke.

- Dating Hotlines

Guide “2” Guys: Four different numbers, one for each burning question (including “Find out if you’ve cool kisses now”).
David: “Why are there two lesbians at the top of this ad?” ([49:30])

Memorable Quotes & Moments

Pamela: “I feel weird when I’m in, like, shorts and flat shoes... I just look like your camp counselor.” ([12:00])
Tara: “You could wear those... But all the other denim stuff, it just doesn’t work on me...” ([12:43])
David (on Sassy’s overdone beauty editorial): “No, Sassy. No, no, no, no, no. True beauties weren't all pale.” ([22:54])
Pamela (on Kissing Potion): “That felt like you had a rollerball of just goop.” ([27:45])
Pamela (on the Jolene ad): “Just these old bitties over here talking about, like, 'did you get this at Target? It’s a bleach wherever you need paling, paling.'” ([31:43])
David (on Kmart ad): “Speaking about shitty, what about that first photo?” ([39:03])
Pamela (on deco photo pin): “If you don’t use the visual aids all that often, here is one. Because on the left we have a trapped soul that we were supposed to save for $8 back in 1991.” ([42:57])
Tara (on the music trading cards): “Caricatures make me uncomfortable in an R. Crumb way.” ([47:56])

Timestamps for Important Segments

01:44 – Sassy’s witty “May 1991” intro monologue
02:35 – Spencer’s trivia and mall nostalgia
06:12 – Chandra West cover model discussion / Sassy cast update
10:22 – “Outside” fashion feature debate
12:00 – Short-shorts confessions
14:48 – Swimsuit feature and blue theme
16:03 – TV tie-in: Beverly Hills 90210
19:53 – Print clothing and “too much personality”
21:49 – “The '40s” beauty advice
24:01 – Frizz-Ease hotline call
25:15 – Kool Aid hair dye tip
27:45 – “Kissing Potion” nostalgia
28:44 – Mascara shade banter
31:43 – Jolene bleach ad speculation
33:06 – PSA: “NOT for use on pubic hair!”
35:05 – Towering hair, B-52s style
36:15 – Bain de Soleil and SPF throwback
38:00 – Kmart fashion regrets
40:31 – Sassy hotline update
41:39 – Csac (towel-bag hybrid) mockery
42:57 – Enchanted “trapped soul” photo brooch
44:10 – Vanilla Ice hotline and AT&T legal
46:32 – Pro Set “Musicards” trading cards
49:30 – Dating hotline and ad confusion

Closing Thoughts and Next Episode

The episode wraps with classic Sassy masthead moments, meta editorial debates, and playful plugging of Fat Bear Week. The hosts encourage listeners to support independent media, reminisce about Sassy quizzes (“Are You a Big Fat Boar?”), and promise even deeper dives next time.

Overall:
This episode blends fashion nostalgia, ad snark, and the kind of off-the-wall humor only Sassy fans get, making it an ideal primer for anyone seeking to relive—or understand—the early ‘90s through the quirkiest teen magazine lens.

Podcast Summary

Episode Overview

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Setting the 1991 Scene & Sassy-isms

“It is May 1991 and you have cash to burn...” opens the show with a monologue paralleling temptations in high fashion and beauty trends, reflecting Sassy's playful yet critical take on mainstream teen media.
Discussion of “sex pots” (shoeboxes for secret savings) as a Sassy inside joke.
The relatable feeling of reading magazines out of order and being confused about your own coolness (“...whether or not you are pretty cool or confident.” [01:44])

2. Fun Facts, Pop Culture, and Spencer’s Gifts

David shares Spencer’s trivia: “Spencer’s started in 1947... they own Spirit Halloween.” ([02:35])
Discussion spirals through ‘90s mall staples—Victoria’s Secret, Party City, and even a brief, comedic mentioning of tampons and driver’s licenses as “fundamental rights.”

3. Sassy Cover Model Deep Dive

Tara reveals the identity and later career of May 1991’s cover model Chandra West, including her Canadian roots, acting gigs (including "Twin Peaks"), and TV producer husband Mark Tinker.
Memorable Quote: “She has been married to Mark Tinker since 2005. That’s approximately 500 years in show business.” ([06:12])

4. Fashion Feature #1: “Outside”

This spread celebrates spring prints: madras plaids, stripes, checks (fashionably rural in tone).
The hosts discuss the rise and fall of carpenter pants, shorts, and the early-‘90s look of “rolling down your jeans.”
Fashion Confessions: Pamela confesses, “I feel weird when I’m in, like, shorts and flat shoes... I just look like your camp counselor.” ([12:00])
Debate about the definition of “going outside” (walking dogs, hanging laundry, etc.), spurring running jokes about Tara’s indoorsy nature.

5. Fashion Feature #2: “Blue”

Swimsuit feature with every suit in a shade of blue.
Copy’s heavy use of innuendo (“getting wet here... getting dry there... in your vagina” [14:48]) prompts mockery.
Nostalgic tie-in: Tara identifies a swimsuit worn by Jenny Garth on Beverly Hills, 90210 ([16:03]).
Floral Bathing Caps: Tara had a real one as a child, sparking comedic speculation about “the physics involved” when borrowing grandma’s accessories.

6. “Don’t Forget to Write” Trend Forecast

Focus on prints featuring letters, postcards, stamps.
Pamela shares that she made pajamas with similar fabric; discussion about how, at a certain age, wearing prints feels like “fashion crimes.”
Tara encourages that “you could still wear it,” but Pamela jokes she now has “too much personality for that much print.” ([19:53])

7. Beauty Page: The '40s Revival

Focus on red lips, precise nails, and 1940s glamour: “Looking very ‘40s with short, neat oval shapes to your fingernails. Tara approved.” ([21:49])
Discussion of how to get the “half moon” nail look.
Commentary on exclusion in beauty copy (“No, Sassy, true beauties weren’t all pale. Thank you. Take this one back to the copy room and try again.” [22:54])

8. Beauty & Hair Hacks

Tara still uses John Frieda’s Frizz-Ease hairspray ([24:01]); hosts call the 1991 phone number to confirm it’s still operational—surprisingly, it is.
Reader tip: Kool Aid as hair dye (with loads of cautions: “Do it at someone else’s house... or you are in trouble.” [25:15])
Running Joke: Dave suggests using highlighters or Bic pens instead: “Color your hair with a highlighter?” ([26:39])

9. Tutti Frutti on Your Face – Spring/Summer Makeup

Feature on fruit-inspired makeup colors.
Quote: Pamela on Kissing Potion lip gloss, “That felt like you had a rollerball of just goop...” ([27:45])
Blurbs on “Softer Skin Steps” (“smooth on moisturizer with your ring finger”), and Maybelline’s “Supernatural Lashes,” with fun banter over the three shades of black mascara. ([28:44])

10. Retro Ads & Sassy Commerce

- Jolene Bleach Cream

Overly enthusiastic SNL-esque ladies in an ad for facial bleach; playful speculation about what it’s safe to bleach (“Not for use on pubic hair” ([33:06])).
Hilarious aside: “You said it’s important not to... put it on your pubes.” ([32:28])

- L’Oreal Root Boost

Over-the-top hair in the ad (“She has a bunt cake over her head”).
Pamela: “She’s auditioning to be in the touring company of the B-52s with this hair.” ([35:05])

- BAIN DE SOLEIL

Nostalgia for SPF 4 lotions, oil “as sunscreen.”
Impromptu French lesson: “What does ‘bain de soleil’ mean?” It means “sun bath.” ([36:15])

- Kmart Special Section featuring “Miss Teenage America”

Ad tries for “high fashion” but is still very Kmart, evoking memories of shoulder pads, floral prints, and summer shoes that stain feet. ([38:00])

- The Sassy Hotline

New limit: two calls per week, must ask parental permission.
Hotline offers gossip, quizzes, horoscopes, and a voicemail option ([40:31]).

- Sea Sack

“It’s a towel. It’s a sack. You’re both wrong, it’s a Csac.” ([41:39])
Sharon’s beagle silently judges the purchase.

- Enchanted 'Deco Photo Pin'

Old ‘90s decorative pins with unsettling photos are joked about as “trapped souls” or “objects from Julio Torres.” ([42:57])

- Vanilla Ice 1-900 Line

“Find out how the Iceman is living, touring, and what he wants only you to know.”
AT&T “not a sponsor,” and the phrase “vanilla is flowing smooth on your phone.” ([44:10])

- Pro Set “Musicards”

Musician trading cards (“Like sports cards, but embarrassing.”) ([46:32])
Illustration compared to Rolling Stone caricaturist Philip Burke.

- Dating Hotlines

Guide “2” Guys: Four different numbers, one for each burning question (including “Find out if you’ve cool kisses now”).
David: “Why are there two lesbians at the top of this ad?” ([49:30])

Memorable Quotes & Moments

Pamela: “I feel weird when I’m in, like, shorts and flat shoes... I just look like your camp counselor.” ([12:00])
Tara: “You could wear those... But all the other denim stuff, it just doesn’t work on me...” ([12:43])
David (on Sassy’s overdone beauty editorial): “No, Sassy. No, no, no, no, no. True beauties weren't all pale.” ([22:54])
Pamela (on Kissing Potion): “That felt like you had a rollerball of just goop.” ([27:45])
Pamela (on the Jolene ad): “Just these old bitties over here talking about, like, 'did you get this at Target? It’s a bleach wherever you need paling, paling.'” ([31:43])
David (on Kmart ad): “Speaking about shitty, what about that first photo?” ([39:03])
Pamela (on deco photo pin): “If you don’t use the visual aids all that often, here is one. Because on the left we have a trapped soul that we were supposed to save for $8 back in 1991.” ([42:57])
Tara (on the music trading cards): “Caricatures make me uncomfortable in an R. Crumb way.” ([47:56])

Timestamps for Important Segments

01:44 – Sassy’s witty “May 1991” intro monologue
02:35 – Spencer’s trivia and mall nostalgia
06:12 – Chandra West cover model discussion / Sassy cast update
10:22 – “Outside” fashion feature debate
12:00 – Short-shorts confessions
14:48 – Swimsuit feature and blue theme
16:03 – TV tie-in: Beverly Hills 90210
19:53 – Print clothing and “too much personality”
21:49 – “The '40s” beauty advice
24:01 – Frizz-Ease hotline call
25:15 – Kool Aid hair dye tip
27:45 – “Kissing Potion” nostalgia
28:44 – Mascara shade banter
31:43 – Jolene bleach ad speculation
33:06 – PSA: “NOT for use on pubic hair!”
35:05 – Towering hair, B-52s style
36:15 – Bain de Soleil and SPF throwback
38:00 – Kmart fashion regrets
40:31 – Sassy hotline update
41:39 – Csac (towel-bag hybrid) mockery
42:57 – Enchanted “trapped soul” photo brooch
44:10 – Vanilla Ice hotline and AT&T legal
46:32 – Pro Set “Musicards” trading cards
49:30 – Dating hotline and ad confusion

May 1991 Fashion Etc.: Outside, Blue & Tutti-Frutti On Your Face

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Summary

Podcast Summary

Episode Overview

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Setting the 1991 Scene & Sassy-isms

2. Fun Facts, Pop Culture, and Spencer’s Gifts

3. Sassy Cover Model Deep Dive

4. Fashion Feature #1: “Outside”

5. Fashion Feature #2: “Blue”

6. “Don’t Forget to Write” Trend Forecast

7. Beauty Page: The '40s Revival

8. Beauty & Hair Hacks

9. Tutti Frutti on Your Face – Spring/Summer Makeup

10. Retro Ads & Sassy Commerce

- Jolene Bleach Cream

- L’Oreal Root Boost

- BAIN DE SOLEIL

- Kmart Special Section featuring “Miss Teenage America”

- The Sassy Hotline

- Sea Sack

- Enchanted 'Deco Photo Pin'

- Vanilla Ice 1-900 Line

- Pro Set “Musicards”

- Dating Hotlines

Memorable Quotes & Moments

Timestamps for Important Segments

Closing Thoughts and Next Episode

Summary

Podcast Summary

Episode Overview

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Setting the 1991 Scene & Sassy-isms

2. Fun Facts, Pop Culture, and Spencer’s Gifts

3. Sassy Cover Model Deep Dive

4. Fashion Feature #1: “Outside”

5. Fashion Feature #2: “Blue”

6. “Don’t Forget to Write” Trend Forecast

7. Beauty Page: The '40s Revival

8. Beauty & Hair Hacks

9. Tutti Frutti on Your Face – Spring/Summer Makeup

10. Retro Ads & Sassy Commerce

- Jolene Bleach Cream

- L’Oreal Root Boost

- BAIN DE SOLEIL

- Kmart Special Section featuring “Miss Teenage America”

- The Sassy Hotline

- Sea Sack

- Enchanted 'Deco Photo Pin'

- Vanilla Ice 1-900 Line

- Pro Set “Musicards”

- Dating Hotlines

Memorable Quotes & Moments

Timestamps for Important Segments

Closing Thoughts and Next Episode