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Incredibly, we’re actually living in the year 2022. Though it makes us feel super old, that means it’s been two entire decades — plus some — since the year 2000. Y2K might be back in fashion, but we’re not so sure it should be after looking at these pictures. Join us to look back at when Britney was on top, Eminem was the ultimate bad boy, and P!nk still had pink hair. It was a wild time!
Destiny’s Child Plus One
Well, well, well, what do we have here? Beyoncé fans know that the star was once the frontwoman of iconic girl group Destiny’s Child. Fans know that Bey’s bandmates were Kelly Rowland and Michelle Williams. However, real fans know that DC had a couple of other line-ups over the years.
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At one point, the four-piece band included LaTavia Roberson and LeToya Luckett. Then, LaTavia and LeToya were replaced with Farrah Franklin and Michelle Williams. After five months, Farrah quit and left us with the holy trinity.
Charlie’s Angels, Come On
Hey, we’re not going to talk about Destiny’s Child in the year 2000 and not also mention Charlie’s Angels! The RnB group provided the soundtrack for the noughties remake. The opening lines of “Independent Women” even namecheck the movie’s leading ladies – “Lucy Liu, With my girl Drew, Cameron D. and Destiny, Charlie’s Angels, come on.”
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Trust us when we say that this was a major collab for the year 2000. Plus, the new generation angels were ideal for a Y2K audience.
SJP’s Award Show Towel
At the 2000 MTV Movie Awards, Sarah Jessica Parker wowed guests with 15 different costumes. At the time, Sex and the City was at its peak. The awards show opened with a parody of the hit series, including cast members Kim Cattrall, Cynthia Nixon, and Kristin Davis. At one stage, SJP supposedly gets caught short. This is when she appears in just a towel. Risque!
Dwayne Johnson’s Hair-Topped Head
At this stage, we’re all totally used to seeing actor Dwayne Johnson with his signature smooth head. However, lest we forget, this man wasn’t always a Hollywood heartthrob. At one point in his career, he had hair, wore gold lame vests, and dined out on raising an eyebrow.
The Backstreet Boys in Beige
Just take a look at this fashion crime. Here are some members of the Backstreet Boys with a trophy at the 2000 MTV Europe Music Awards. The hit boyband was formed in 1993, and included band members Nick Carter, Howie Dorough, AJ McLean, Brian Littrell, and Kevin Richardson.
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It seems most appropriate to just describe some of the noughties fashion antics going on here. We have way too much denim, way too much beige, and more faux fur than should ever be necessary.
Chris and Katie’s Love
Though he’s not as famous anymore, actor Chris Klein was a big deal in 2000. Known for the American Pie movies, the star was a regular Hollywood heartthrob. He and Dawson’s Creek star Katie Holmes started dating and eventually got engaged in 2003. Though as we know, this pair didn’t make it down the aisle together.
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Chris and Katie look quite the noughties pair in this photo. She’s sporting some ringlets and a halter neck top, while he’s opted for Y2K swept bangs.
Enrique Iglesias’ Parachute Pants
In the year 2000, there were many, many fashion crimes. Perhaps everyone was just pleased that the Millennium bug turned out to be basically fine. Regardless, there’s not really any excuse for this sort of chaotic ensemble.
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Spanish singer Enrique Iglesias crooned for the crowds at MTV’s Spring Break 2000 in Cancun Mexico. He wore a woolly hat, orange parachute pants, a Philippines emblazoned polo shirt, and wraparound black shades. Enrique, you’re so much better than this. This isn’t beanie weather!
Dennis Rodman’s Sparkly Crop-Top
We’ve had plenty of bad noughties fashion, but we’d never sneer at the style choices of Dennis Rodman. The former basketball player has a flamboyant, experimental, and on-trend sense of style. In fact, he’s sort of like the Harry Styles of his time – fashion-wise anyway.
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This 20-year-old snap shows the tattooed athlete at the MTV Video Music Awards in a silver sparkly vest top with low-waisted jeans. As always, Dennis’s look is a chic blend of masculinity and femininity.
Eminem’s Army of Eminems
And while we’re at the 2000 MTV Video Music Awards, why not take a look at the other guests? Marshall Mathers – or Eminem – was riding high at this time in his career. In fact, he took home seven awards from this ceremony, including Best Video.
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At this awards show, Slim Shady opened his set with an army of lookalikes. 100 clones of the star entered Radio City Music Hall in New York while he performed a medley of “The Real Slim Shady”/”The Way I Am.”
Cate Plus Eight
We are thoroughly shook at this picture of the usually chic Cate Blanchett sporting a seriously dodgy hairstyle. In fact, this style looks just like the classic Karen cut worn by Cate Gosselin of Jon and Cate Plus Eight. It looks like she’s going to ask to speak to the manager at any moment!
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Apparently, this short choppy do was a wig, so at least that’s something. The Australian actress wore this style on the red carpet because she had shaved her head for another role.
The Cruel Intentions Kiss
Noughties sweethearts Selma Blair and Sarah Michelle Geller locked lips in movie Cruel Intentions, and that wasn’t the last time. Far from it! The actresses recreated their famous kiss at the 2000 MTV Movie Awards, and have recently done so again at the 2020 MTV Movie & TV Awards: Greatest of All Time.
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Looking back, Selma Blair has said, “It was a catalyst for so many young people to help them realize certain aspects of their [orientation] and help make people comfortable to be who they really are.”
Jessica Simpson’s Birthday Cake
Look at that fresh face! Here we have Jessica Simpson standing over a large sheet cake with what’s supposed to be her face on it. Honestly, we’re glad that cake decorating has improved over the years. The Kardashian-Jenners wouldn’t be caught dead with such an unadorned, flat cake. Where’s the multi-tiered, rose-covered Mindy Weiss cake?
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Incredibly, young Jessica was just turning 20 in 2000! This snap was taken at the Sony Studios in Santa Monica with 160 fans in attendance.
Wyclef Jean’s Mickey Mouse Boxers
We’ve seen what the Backstreet Boys wore to the 2000 MTV Europe Music Awards, but what about everyone else? Well, it appears that Haitian rapper Wyclef Jean really wanted to show off his Mickey Mouse emblazoned boxer shorts. Is that some sort of shout-out to the USA?
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Back in 2000, Wyclef had already had huge success with the Fugees. He released his second solo album, The Ecleftic: 2 Sides II a Book that year, which nabbed him a Grammy nomination.
Halle Berry’s Whale Tail
Alright, let’s dig deep into one of the most troubling trends of the noughties. Since low waists were still a thing then, people had all sorts of ways of adorning their midriffs. As we know, lots of people got tattoos on their lower backs – something they later regretted. But what about the whale tail?
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Here, actress Halle Berry is demonstrating the whale tail perfectly. It’s when a woman’s underwear rides above their waistline, looking just like a whale’s tail from the back. Get it?
Angie and Billy Bob
In 2000, Angelina Jolie’s divorce from Johnny Lee Miller went through. And, she got hitched to second husband Billy Bob Thornton. Angie’s career was on the up, and she took home an Oscar at the 2000 Academy Awards for her role in Girl, Interrupted.
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Angie and Billy Bob got hitched in Las Vegas after dating for a few months. They were all about the PDA, which is pretty clear in this picture of the couple smooching beside Angie’s brother.
Hilary Swank’s Motorola
Isn’t this a strange view of the Academy Awards? Here we have actress Hilary Swank on her flip-phone Motorola with her Best Actress Oscar casually hanging out beside her dinner plate. Perhaps she was calling her mom to let her know the good news.
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Hilary won the Oscar for Best Actress at the 2000 Academy Awards for her turn as trans man Brendan Teena in Boy’s Don’t Cry. Five years later she would become the first two-time winner of the award in the 21st century for Million Dollar Baby.
Melanie Griffith’s Antonio Tattoo
Over the years, various stars have had their partners’ names tattooed on themselves. In fact, Angelina Jolie had “Billy Bob” tattooed on her upper arm for quite some time. That is, until she covered it with the birthplace coordinates of her kids and third husband, Brad Pitt.
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Anyway, actress Melania Griffith had husband Antonia Banderas’ name inked on her upper arm inside a heart. The couple ended their marriage after almost 20 years in 2015. Since then, Melanie has had some laser treatment.
Jenny From the Block
How could we ever forget J.Lo’s Jenny from the block moment? At this time, the singer and actress was dating P. Diddy, and they made pop-culture royalty. Come to think of it, J.Lo is always pop-culture royalty. For the 2000 MTV Video Music Awards, the star wore this white bandana and crop top look from Diddy’s clothing line.
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Jennifer Lopez took home two awards from this ceremony – one for best dance video, and one for best choreography. We’d love a reprise of this look!
Jaime King’s Camcorder
We’ve seen Hilary Swank’s Motorola cellphone, but let’s not forget about camcorders. Before everyone had a camera in their pocket at all times, people had to buy separate technology to take videos. That’s right – cellphones didn’t have cameras that were worth using.
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Taking videos required a whole different, and expensive, apparatus. This throwback picture shows actress and model Jaime King capturing the magic on her birthday. From our calculations, the star was turning 21 on this special night.
Oops I Did It Again
Britney Spears has been back in the news recently, partly to set things straight. In 2000, Brit was the biggest popstar in the world, and we had no idea of what was to come for the star. At the 2000 MTV Video Music Awards, Britney started off in a black suit and ended up in this ab-baring sparkly nude ensemble.
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Britney was just 18 years old when she opened this awards ceremony. This gold outfit is now displayed in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.
Who’s That Girl?
Time for more clunky Y2K technology! Personally, we love these pictures because this stuff would have been at the forefront of technology at the time. Stars wanted to be seen with this new tech, as it made them look savvy, on-trend, and wealthy.
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This picture shows rapper Eve carefully typing on a PC. This was before laptops were readily available, and way before iPads and tablets came on the scene. We like to think she was jotting down some new lyrics.
The Super Cute Carter Brothers
In 2000, it seemed like the Carter brothers would be around forever. In reality, not so much. Older brother Nick was part of the mega-successful boyband Backstreet Boys. Younger brother Aaron was a teen heartthrob and appeared with the band on tour. Together, they were blonde brothers who sang and danced – that’s a recipe for success.
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These days, the Carter brothers are still around. Aaron had his girlfriend’s name tattooed on his head in 2020, though she was arrested shortly afterwards.
Double Trouble With the Sprouses
What’s better than two talented brothers working in show business? Well, twin brothers working in showbusiness of course! Here we have the always adorable Dylan and Cole Sprouse at the 2000 MTV Movie Awards. Just look at their little matching shirts! It’s too much!
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At this point in their career, the Sprouse brothers had appeared in Big Daddy with Adam Sandler. The following year, Cole would play little Ben Geller in hit sitcom Friends. As we know, the boys are still acting.
Aaliyah the Princess
Tragically, the world lost Aaliyah too soon when she passed away at 22 in a plane crash. Here she is at the 2000 MTV Movie Awards absolutely slaying the red carpet. The Princess of R&B wore a Gucci LBD, a fabulous gold arm cuff, and some ahead of her time ombre locks.
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Aaliyah appeared in her first movie in 2000 and provided single “Try Again” for the soundtrack. Naturally, it topped the charts just on airplay, making the artist the first person to do so.
Get This Party Started
Can you even believe it? It’s easy to forget just how rogue artist P!nk was when she first appeared on the scene. Here she is at the 2000 MTV Video Music Awards with some seriously suspect hair and fashion choices. Where’s the waistband of her pants? How are they staying up? And we can’t even talk about the hair.
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In 2000, P!nk already had a double-platinum debut album. She also strutted her stuff in the “Lady Marmalade” video alongside Xtina, Lil Kim, Missy Elliot, and Mya.
Spice Up Your Life
Woah. Just Woah. Here we have the Spice Girls at a crucial time in their lifespan. Gerri Halliwell had left the group in 1998, and the band released an album without her in 2000. Here they are at the 2000 MTV Europe Music Awards in Stockholm without Ginger Spice.
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At the end of this year, sadly the Spice Girls would call it quits. They have reunited and toured since then, and remain the bestselling girl group of all time. People of the world — spice up your life!
Ashton Kutcher’s Gold Tooth
Isn’t this Ashton Kutcher quite far from the man currently married to actress Mila Kunis? This character is much more suspect, from his gold tooth to his gold camel necklace. And is that a Kabbalah red string we spy around his neck too?
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This is a snap of the star attending the 2000 VH1 music awards. In 2000, Ashton Kutcher had only been on the scene for several years. He played Michael Kelso in That 70s Show before breaking into movies.
Fresh-Faced Mandy Moore
Truth be told, singer and actress Mandy Moore has always looked incredibly fresh-faced. While she’s twenty years older now, the star still looks pretty darn close to this dewy beauty snapped in 2000. The star first appeared as a popstar in the ’90s, charming audiences with single “Candy.”
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In the years after this picture was taken, Mandy Moore transitioned into TV and movies. She’s voiced a Disney princess, won awards for her dramatic acting, and starred in multiple genres.
Verne Troyer’s Popcorn
This picture has Y2K written all over it. Here we have actor Verne Troyer squatting over his MTV Movie Award in a very on-brand pose. The actor started working in the mid-’90s and landed the role of Mini-Me in the Austin Powers series.
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In fact, co-creator Mike Myers rewrote the script to include more of Troyer’s character. Verne Troyer went on to star in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, and appeared on reality TV. Sadly, he passed away in 2018.
Xtina’s X-Rated Outfit
We don’t know about you, but we simply adore Christina Aguilera’s noughties era fashion. We remember the very moment we first saw the star wearing chaps and flicking her ratty hair in the music video for “Dirrty” – it was iconic. T
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his picture from the 2000 VMAs shows the star in between fashion phases. She released her first Spanish language album in 2000, after having three number one pop singles. It would be two years until she caused controversy for her Stripped album.
Chic Cynthia Nixon
She’s back on our screens as Miranda Hobbes, but here Cynthia Nixon is right at the peak of SATC fever. The star performed from a young age, and made history by starring in two Broadway plays at once. In 2000, she was part of the SATC quartet, and landed a leading role in a movie.
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Over the years, Cynthia Nixon has taken home an Emmy, multiple Tony awards, and even a Grammy. Of course, she also ran for Governor of New York in 2018.
It’s Carson Daly’s World
Back in the noughties, MTV’s Total Request Live – or TRL – was the place to be for new music. The show was hosted by Carson Daly from 1998 to 2003, and was the place to be for celebrity interviews and new music videos. Plus, the show is where the DJ found his noughties’ other half.
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Carson Daly and Tara Reid met on the cult show and started dating. The pair were briefly engaged and lived together in New York City. However, they called the whole thing off in 2001.
It’s Gonna Be Me
Who remembers this NSYNC moment? The boy band released the single, “It’s Gonna Be Me” in 2000, and they really went to town with promoting it. The music video showed each band member as a doll in a toy store with a woman trying to buy them.
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The band performed the track at both the 2000 MTV Movie Awards and the MTV Video Music Awards. “It’s Gonna Be Me” was the second single from NSYNC’s album No Strings Attached. See what they’ve done there?
The Jolie Siblings’ Smooch
We know that Angelina Jolie has been on our list already, but we really couldn’t miss out on this picture. As we’ve learned already, Angie won her first Oscar in 2000. During her acceptance speech, she said, “I’m in shock, and I’m so in love with my brother right now, He just held me and said he loved me, and I know he’s so happy for me.”
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While the world was in shock by the siblings’ smooch, Angelina commented that “my parents really loved that moment.”
Paris Hilton’s Club Bunny
There are so many images of Paris Hilton from the year 2000 that we could have used. However, those images do not include a bunny. This retro snap shows the socialite supposedly leaving a nightclub with a real-life rabbit down her shirt.
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Personally, we don’t think Paris would party in jeans and a backpack, but who knows? Another noteworthy part of this picture is Paris’ troubling waistline. As was the trend in Y2K, you can see the star’s underwear above her low-rise jeans.
Tom Green’s Coffee Machine
For some reason, actor and comedian Tom Green showed up to the 2000 MTV Movie Awards with a coffee machine. From what we can gather, the Krups coffee maker was his date. The star is photographed with it on the red carpet, hoists it above fans, and even brings it on stage.
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At one point during the ceremony, before presenting an award with Amy Smart, Tom Green lead the crowd in chants of “Coffee! Machine! Coffee! Machine!” What can we say? The noughties were weird.
Emily Osment and Haley Joel Osment
Just look at these cuties! Here we have actors Emily and Haley Joel Osment at the 10th annual Bafta La Britannia Awards. Don’t they look glam? At the time, Haley was around 12 years old, while Emily was just eight.
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Of course, Haley was already a movie star with numerous credits under his belt. In fact, he’d already been nominated for an Oscar! But, Emily wasn’t just sitting around! She had already started working, appearing on TV and in small movie roles.
Ja Rule and Nelly’s Mac
What did we tell you about celebrities wanting to pose with new technology? Here we have rappers, Ja Rule and Nelly, with a stunning new Mac. Of course, to us, this looks rather clunky and low-tech.
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But in Y2K, this was the newest, sleekest, chicest thing you could find. It was the future! These two were certainly having their heyday at this time. Since then, both Ja Rule and Nelly have been involved in some controversies. Did anyone say Fyre Festival?
Rosie O’Donnell’s Camcorder
It makes sense that Rosie O’Donnell was an early adopter of the camcorder. Sure, she’s usually in front of the camera. But we’d certainly like to see Rosie’s home videos. We reckon they’d have some stellar narration as well.
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In 2000, Rosie O’Donnell was already an established comic, award-winning talk show host, and regular movie actress. In fact, she was known as the “Queen of Nice” long before Ellen DeGeneres came along with her “Be Kind” slogan.
Lil’ Kim’s Striking Style
Last but never least is iconic rapper Lil’ Kim. It’s no surprise that the star looks pretty different these days. For one thing, she’s definitely had some sort of skin lightening done. As well as that, Lil’ Kim has had various cosmetic surgery procedures over the years.
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It might be hard to identify her if it wasn’t for her signature style! In 2000, Lil’ Kim already had a double-platinum album. The following year, she rapped the verse in the legendary “Lady Marmalade.”
40 Photos of McDonald’s From the ‘80s and ‘90s That Show How Things Have Changed
Remember when you would beg your mom or dad to go to McDonald’s? It always seemed like a treat. Plus, there were cool toys. Let’s take a walk down memory lane and see how much of that nostalgia we can stir up.
Food For Seating
How cute is this? Everyone thought the same thing about McDonald’s food-shaped seats until they realized how uncomfortable they were. And though they may look like they would twirl, not all of them did. They then began building McDonald’s with chairs with backs.
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Looks Can Be Deceiving
Transformers toys from McDonald’s just did not have the same wow factor as the real thing. However, we still rushed to the restaurant to pick up a drink that became a pink dinosaur and the McNuggets that became a crocodile. McDonald’s just kept reintroducing this concept over and over until finally transforming food became a thing of the past.
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Those Crazy Playgrounds
Before there was the indoor playground of the McDonald’s of the late ’90s, there was the awesome (and now that we look at them, slightly disturbing) playgrounds of the ’80s. Sometimes, the food was secondary, and all you wanted to do was shovel it in so your parents would let you go play on the hot plastic playground. As kids, this playground equipment looked like so much fun…until you slid down that slide in shorts on a hot day. Then, it was not such a good time.
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Should I Get a Big Mac Or a Pizza?
Okay, nice try, McDonald’s, but you are not a pizza joint and never should have been. In the ’80s, McDonald’s tried to take out their competition – Pizza Hut and Dominos – by offering McDonald’s Pizza. It wasn’t bad, but because of the iconic nature of their burger empire, it did not go very well. This is kind of one of those things that was there and gone faster than you could say “free if not delivered in thirty minutes.”
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Every Floor Was the Same
Familiarity may be one of the reasons most ’80s and ’90s kids keep returning to the fast-food restaurant despite knowing it just isn’t that great for you. Everyone knows that their McDonald’s will look the same, smell the same, and for the most part, taste the same. The company even went so far as to give every store in the ’90s these same floor tiles and patterns. This way, no matter where you looked, you knew you were at McDonald’s.
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Halloween Chicken Nuggets
Who doesn’t want chicken nuggets dressed up in your favorite Halloween costumes? No one. That’s why these cute and collectible Halloween Happy Meal toys were such a hit. But the Ghost that seems to miss the iconic branding looks a little strange! Anyway, no one cared, it was all about using the soft plastic toys as water guns, right? Just us? The little valve in the bottom was perfect for sucking up liquids.
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Shake it Like a Salad Maker
In the ’90s, McDonald’s decided to up their healthy options game, but they had to make it fun, right? Enter the McSalad Shaker. These fun salads were put in a milkshake cup, and then you poured the salad dressing in, shook the cup, and voila – a perfectly dressed salad. At least, that was the concept. They didn’t last long because honestly, they didn’t work all that well unless you knew the trick. Put only half of the dressing in, shake, eat some of it and then put the other half of the dressing in and repeat the process. It was a lot of work for a salad!
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Did They Have a Different Taste?
The animal crackers came in all these little boxes, and somehow, because they were in the shape of the Hamburglar or Grimace, they tasted so much better than the traditional ones. We all had our favorite box, right? There were even some people that thought the cookies tasted different, and that’s how they determined their favorite. We think it was more about the character, though. Some people were just Hamburglar or Birdie kind of people.
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McDonald’s Before It Was More Eco-Friendly
With the world climate the way it is, more and more fast-food joints are switching to eco-friendly packaging. This is a far cry from the styrofoam packaging that McDonald’s used throughout the ’80s and ’90s. There was less mess, as no fluids could escape the packaging, but there was no way you were going to be able to just pop it in the microwave and reheat it. Be honest, how many of you made that mistake?
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I Am Batman!
There were so many great collaborations between McDonald’s and Hollywood. One of the coolest was the Batman Forever mug. The etched glass images of the main characters allowed every superhero fan to drink their morning cup of OJ staring at the Caped Crusader. The ’80s and ’90s saw a resurgence of interest in comic book heroes, and Batman Forever was a great movie. McDonald’s sure knew how to pick a movie to support, if only they still made glasses like these.
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Tiny Beanie Babies, Another Obsession
Ah, beanie babies. The mad obsession grasped the world in its clutches and seemed like it was never going to let go. The ’90s brought with them so many variations that these toys have become quite the collectible item. McDonald’s seemed to understand this and released their mini babies. We all rushed out to collect these toys just like many other Happy Meal toys.
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Just a Spoonful
Truthfully, did anyone ever really know what this soon was for? Some would use it in coffee, others would use it in their cokes or teas. The length of this spoon was a little too long for one and not long enough for the other. Sometime in the ’80s, the company found out that the spoon was being used for questionable acts and they discontinued them. Even with the discontinuation, some more resourceful collectors have found a few lying around.
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Remember When Hand Puppets Were Cool?
The ’80s were a simpler time for sure. You can tell that by the toys that McDonald’s thought kids would like to play with. Things like this hand puppet were made of very thin plastic. Even though it seems like a kind of lame toy now, we were all about it when we unfolded that hand puppet. Then, it was about playing Ronald McDonald and his friends. Just don’t play too rough or the puppet would end up with a hole, and no one wanted that.
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This Kid Was the Man
Remember when you were a kid and all you wanted was to have that epic birthday party that all the kids would talk about at school? That feeling never really goes away even when you get older, but when you were a kid, one of the most amazing parties you could throw was at McDonald’s. You would get the bibs and the cake, and sometimes, the man himself would show up. If you were lucky enough to get a party like that, you were golden for the next two grades.
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McDonald’s Hand Puppets Evolved
Remember the ’80s hand puppet? Well, in the ’90s, McDonald’s gave it a cool upgrade. After all, what is cooler than a dinosaur? Another collaboration with a movie gave us these amazing puppets from the movie Dinosaur. How many parents got tired of hearing roaring and quotes from the movie because of these? Probably a good amount, that’s for sure. Your hands did get a little sweaty in them after a little while, and then your hands smelled like plastic until you washed them. Good times.
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Collectible Glasses Were an Addiction
Both in the ’80s and the ’90s, McDonald’s was king of collectible glasses. Every mom and young kid would wait for the new ones to come out. They did glasses for everything, including the Muppets. In the ’80s especially, the Muppets were every kid’s favorite. Just like with everything else, you always had your favorite character. Whether you loved the corny jokes of Fozzie or the sassiness of Miss Piggy, Mickey D’s had you covered.
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The Gang’s All Here
Nowadays, it seems like Ronald is rolling solo, but back in the day, he ran with a unique posse. You had the Fry Guys and Hamburglar, as well as Birdie and Grimace. What ever happened to those guys? Sure, the absence of the Hamburglar can be explained. Maybe he finally got caught stealing those delicious hamburgers, but it seems like the rest just up and abandoned the poor clown.
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‘Tis the Season
It doesn’t seem like McDonald’s is that into holidays anymore, or maybe they just don’t advertise it. But in the past, they made every holiday fun. Their establishment was the place to go for cool toys and collectibles. One of the best holidays was Halloween. They would do all kinds of fun things, like these collectible Halloween baskets. All you had to do is convince your mom or dad to take you to Mickey D’s and get you a Happy Meal so your trick or treat experience could be so much better.
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Cats and Sarcasm At Your Local Micky D’s
Who doesn’t love a lazy cat who loves lasagna and is constantly trying to send his owner’s other pet to Abu Dhabi?! In the ’80s, Garfield was everywhere from the newspapers to Saturday morning cartoons. Then, McDonald’s came out with these cool mugs. These mugs had fun and sarcastic sayings and became another great collectible that everyone wanted the full set of. The artwork was all done by Jim Davis and featured both Garfield and his naïve dog companion, Odie.
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Orange Flavored Drinks On Tap
McDonald’s used to deliver or supply events with that delicious orange drink. It would come in these big yellow dispensers, and you knew that your coach or leader loved you when it showed up. We’re not sure what the actual flavor of the drink was, but it was an orange drink. Nothing can remove the memory of that sweet yet tangy flavor. Ah, good times!
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Twisty Cones = Delicious
For years, we all loved going up and paying twenty-five cents for the small cone, but when McDonald’s upgraded to the big cone, it was on. Having a swirl cone with both chocolate and vanilla (or specialty flavors that were available in your region of the country/world) that was the size of your cone made every child smile and every parent nervous about the inevitable sugar high.
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Tiny Toons Flip Cars
Disney wasn’t the only one to partner with the hamburger giant. Warner Brothers did their fair share of collaborations with McDonald’s as well. Tiny Toons was one of the biggest cartoons to come to from WB in years, and there was no reason not to capitalize on the popularity. Kids would rush to the table and rip open those paper Happy Meal boxes and dig through them to find the toy to see which one they got. It was the highlight of their day.
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The Ambiance Was Everything
Nowadays, the inside of McDonald’s is so boring. In the ’80s and ’90s, the interior was meant to be warm and inviting, and a little fun. Now that we think about it, we can see your game, McDonald’s. Painting the gang of characters on the glass partitions and having them smile and wave seems like a good way to trick us all into enjoying your delicious greasy food. P.S. Now that we look at it, those kids in the window paintings don’t look super thrilled to be surrounded by giant talking animals and a clown that kind of looks like Tim Curry in the old version of IT.
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Is That a Playground Or a Prison?
Why did we ever think these playgrounds were cool? The metal was hot, the plastic was hard, and there was a prison in the middle of the whole thing. Look at that! Hamburglar with Bars! McDonald’s was trying to make it so we would never leave. How many parents called that playground toy a prison and smiled as they watched their kids run through the playground with their bellies full of greasy food?
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Remember the Ronald Benches
These old benches would be perfect nowadays with the selfie craze. Back in the day, you would have to wait for your mom to wind the camera, and then you were forced to say, “Big Mac!” Nowadays, you could just sit down next to this sort of creepy looking statue and take your photo with the push of a button. Wouldn’t it be better if the entire bench were free for your customers, though?
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Some Things Never Change
In the ’90s, the playground moved indoors, and ever since, it seems like McDonald’s has left it in the same condition as when it was open for its grand opening. There are many McDonald’s that have that old sentimental playground. We guess that “If it isn’t broken, don’t fix it” is what is being applied here. Just slap a fresh coat of paint on it, and it is all good.
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The High Chairs Used To Be Pretty Fun
Ask for a high chair today and it is so plain, but back in the ’80s, it was a beautiful branded masterpiece. The chairs were so bright they would keep any toddler entertained for hours (that was, until they saw the Happy Meal toy or the playground). It seems to us that McDonald’s has lost a little of the fun factor. Maybe they should bring it back…you know nostalgia is in right now!
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Ah, the Good Old Days
Many young kids may not even know what this is, and that is a good thing, but if you’re a child of the ’80s and ’90s, you will be familiar with the McDonald’s ashtray. These were on every table and walked out in a lot of purses. Today, McDonald’s is smoke-free, and in some states, you have to go 10 feet away from the building before you can get your nicotine fix. This is a good thing, but this ashtray definitely brings back some memories.
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Disney and McDonald’s
In the ’90s, Disney began opening their vaults and releasing a VHS tape series called the Masterpiece Collection. In conjunction with this, they partnered with McDonald’s and brought you the Happy Meal toys to match. They would come in cute little replicas of the box that the videos came in. How many copies of the actual movies were sold because some parents didn’t have time to cook and stopped by McDonald’s on the way home? We imagine quite a few. Well played, McDonald’s, and Disney – you tricky corporation you!
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I’ll Have Mine Super-Sized
Okay, in the ’90s, McDonald’s decided to give us even larger portions with the Super-Sized menu. Oh, the days where you could order your fries and get a super-sized portion the size of your head! It was good for sharing. Just kidding, no one shares their delicious McDonald’s French fries. Then, someone did a documentary, and it was all gone in a blink of an eye. That’s okay. It was probably all for the best. No one needs half a pound of fries with their gallon of soda anyway!
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Parties and Ashtrays
There’s nothing like having a birthday party and being able to light up, too! This is just something you would never see in the modern age. Back then, it was perfectly acceptable for the parents to light up while their kids dived into all the fun puzzles that were part of a McDonald’s birthday party. In fairness, if you are dealing with a horde of sugar-amped kids, you may need a nicotine fix. But today’s parents don’t have that option, so what are they to do?
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Interactive Food Tray Liners
Now you just get a tray liner with marketing, but back in the day, you could be entertained while chowing down on your Happy Meal. You had to be very strategic and make sure to place the ketchup for your fries either on the wrapper or on a spot that didn’t block any of the puzzles. How much do you miss these? Even as teens and adults, it was still fun to keep your mind off the fact that you had just eaten your entire day’s worth of calories in one meal.
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The Menu Used To Be Much Smaller
The world used to be simpler, and so did the McDonald’s menu. Remember when the menu was only two columns, and none of them had grilled chicken or “healthy choice” written on them? Plus, look at the Happy Meal toy that’s being offered…Bobby’s World! Now, there are so many choices, and to help you make smarter choices, McDonald’s has added a lot of healthier foods. This menu does offer low-fat frozen yogurt, though…must have been towards the end of the ’90s.
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When the Playgrounds Moved Indoors
When McDonald’s made the move to indoor playgrounds, they had to do something with the old equipment. Some of the more inventive stores just moved them around and made them decorations. This one chose the hamburger prison, and if a kid found their way inside of this one, there would be no parole, as their back would be against a wall, quite literally.
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Collectible Disney Plates
Who put the glad in gladiator? Hercules! Disney collaborated again when they released their animated classic Hercules. This time, it involves a commemorative plate. The plates and fun little sayings featured some of the biggest characters from the movie. Our favorites were the muses and Meg, although Meg’s phrase may be a little disturbing if you are reading it now! Either way, these plates were seen in everyone’s homes at the time of this promotion!
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The McDonald’s Shire
Remember the Hobbits’ abode The Shire from The Lord of the Rings? The wooden structure, the comfy vibes, the peaceful ambiance? The collaboration from McDonald’s and Disney led to something similar, except it had two wheels! You have to love the look of the windows, the hanging cooking pans and laps, the oh-so-familiar McDonald’s logo on the board, and the roof with the sign “Westward Ho”! The chimney is the cherry on top. This little cart is the Shire coming to life!
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The Floating Iceberg
Have you ever thought you’d get to see a floating McDonald’s? Looking from a far distance with the dominant whites everywhere, this ship may look like a gigantic iceberg. Oh, wait! there’s a McDonald’s logo too. Yes, it’s a grand ship with decks and all. However, the fact that it’s a McDonald’s ship makes it ever so alluring. Although the ship has been left abandoned, we think we speak for everyone when we say that we would love to get on board.
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The Food Sailors
Who else agrees that these crew members from 1978 look like sailors preparing food? While everyone is accustomed to seeing sailors in blue-white striped uniforms in cartoons, McDonald’s brought a change for their food sailors with the red-white accent. The uniform went on to become such an iconic outfit that even celebrities wore it as Halloween costumes. You too can find this uniform on several costume stores and show your love for the Vintage McDonald’s.
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Starting of the McEra
This picture here marks the starting of the revolution, which was the introduction of McDonald’s! It’s one of the very first restaurant pictures from the McDonald brothers. Though the picture is in black and white, we can still see the M’s shining through. The outer sitting area, the people, the menu – all of it shows how much McDonald’s had to put in to become the legend that they are now. This legendary model still exists in Pennsylvania. Do pay a visit!
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McFlurry from the ’90s
While we all love the present McFlurry with the black McDonald’s logo, this is an older version of the packing of the milkshakes from back when they were first introduced. The cups are rather bigger in size, which means that you would have larger amounts of delicious goodness. It is good that the McFlurry packaging has been changed to incorporate recycled plastic instead of paper. However, we definitely find the old McFlurry container quite nostalgic. We hope the taste remains the same forever, at least.
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Mouthwatering Treat
While we may crave McDonald’s egg muffins in the morning (or any time of the day, for that matter), for a kid in the ’70s, this breakfast set was the ultimate craving. If you look closely, you can see the Blue Ridge Mountain in the background in the middle of a glorious sunrise. Raise your hands if you are still craving for this scrumptious breakfast set on the top of a hill at the break of dawn!
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Vintage McCeramics
This picture shows the classic mug engraved with a “Good Morning” message from McDonald’s. Isn’t it a sweet gesture? The white and red accent is a callback to McDonald’s brand. Also, who doesn’t recognize the golden arches? Having a mug gifted to you for your birthdays, or simply for a good morning, that too from McDonald’s, is something! If you wish you could have this vintage mug, you’re in luck – these babies are still sold everywhere.
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Vintage Drive-Thru Service
In the beginning of their journey, McDonald’s didn’t have a classy dining space for all of its ardent customers. This picture is the living proof of that! This was the first ever version of the Drive-Thru service that we now can’t live without. You just had to bring your car or walk down here, place your order, and voila! McGoodies! No other McDonald’s branch is still the same as this model in California.
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The Frightening Toys
McDonald’s already had delicious meals to draw customers in. On top of that, they introduced Happy Meals, which sparked the interests of kids even more. Why not? You get a free toy with a great meal, after all. However, having the mask of Ronald McDonald as a free toy looks sort of intimidating! This was a popular toy that kids got back in 1974. No matter how terrifying it is, though, to the kids, a free toy is a free toy!
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Welcome, My Cravings!
Well, well, look what we have here! Salty goodness in Speedee packaging. Having a bad day? Need food for a party? Watching a movie? All you need are these thin, crispy, bright golden fries from good old McDonald’s! These tasty treats still serve our untimely cravings with the same taste and look as they did in the ’60s. The only difference is the packaging. The red packaging is much more iconic now. Speaking of which, time to order some McFries!
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McDonald’s Vinyl Reward
This vinyl disc here was based on a fun contest from McDonald’s back in 1988. What they did was, they stuck some of these records in newspapers for people to find. To their surprise, some of these people were lucky enough to come upon the McDonald’s menu song, which was worth a million dollars! It’s too bad that vinyl is out of the game now. If McDonald’s decides to pull another promotional stunt like this, it would be all over social media, for sure!
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Japan Breaking Diets
One of the things that the Japanese are best known for is how much they prioritize having healthy food. In 1973, however, McDonald’s took over Japan, and things changed. It looks like McDonald’s was the push they needed! Dietary schedules couldn’t stop the people from craving the fries and chicken! This picture shows a huge crowd of people either savoring the food or waiting in line. The crowds are probably not a problem anymore, as there are now around 3000 McDonald’s outlets in Japan!
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Time for Crime
Hey, don’t get us wrong! We’re not talking about actual crime here. It’s just the Halloween special gift certificate featuring a cute little burglar holding some scrumptious burgers. This gift certificate is at least 20 years old, and you could probably only get a regular soda with it. However, the Hamburglar in the coupon has always been an iconic character. Many kids even dressed up as this monster on Halloween back in the days!
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The McCar
In this picture, you can see a pretty cool looking red racing car on a racecourse. What’s so special about this car? The huge McDonald’s logo at the front, of course! The logo painted proudly may lead you to think that it’s the race for McDelicacies. However, this was simply a race car that was sponsored by McDonald’s back in the ’90s! Bill Elliott, the car driver, never managed to win a race in this car, but he’s still one of the greats. Was it because of the McDonald’s logo? You decide.
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The Multimixer Treat
Who doesn’t love the Triple Thick Milkshake from McDonald’s? In 1955, a special multimixer was used in order to produce this drink from heaven. The picture shows how the multimixer is making several milkshake batches at once. We truly believe the milkshakes of McDonald’s wouldn’t be this famous if not for this machine. Who wants some milkshake right now? Everyone, we suppose? These pictures are a major problem for foodies like us!
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Gift Certificates Used To Be Amazing
Remember when it was cool to give gift cards or certificates as gifts, or maybe even in a trick or treat bag? No?! Well, that’s because it has never been, especially when you’re a kid, but you could get a little smile if the toy were the McDonald’s gift certificates of the ’80s. They were cheap to buy and had some great discounts. After all, who doesn’t want French fries for fifty cents or a free ice cream cone!?
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Fisher-Price Toys
You know you have made it when Fisher-Price makes a whole set dedicated to you. In the ’80s, McDonald’s had its own set of plastic food toys that kids could play with in their own homes. These toys were pretty realistic, and for toddlers that may be a problem. All we can hope is that moms and dads kept a close eye on their kids when playing with these yummy looking toys!
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Happy Meal Toys Used to be Cool
The transformation of McDonald’s food continued to expand, including an egg MacGuffin. After all, breakfast is the most important meal of the day right? These plastic transformer toys of the ’80s would get even fancier in the ’90s, but we have already talked about that. We’re not sure what these transformers were supposed to be, but they sure looked pretty cool when not transformed!
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Nintendo & the Happy Meal
Following the Disney model, Nintendo also partnered with the golden arches. When they released their epic third installment of Super Mario Bros, they released a fun set of Happy Meal toys. We’re not sure a mushroom was a good idea, though. If you ate one in the game, you would get some sort of fun power boost. That might have been a little bit of an oversight, especially since these meals were marketed towards young kids.
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Crispy, Warm Apple Pie
The pies have changed, and they no longer have that hot bubbly appearance when you order one. This is tragic because that crispy, flaky pie was the reason a lot of us went to Mickey D’s. You would have to choose between cherry or apple, but we all know the apple pie was the best, right? This is one of the McDonald’s changes that we really wish had not happened.
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