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This Day in Pop Culture

This Day in Pop Culture for March 5

On this day in pop culture history, the Hulu-Hoop got a trademark and MTV began airing “The Osbournes” reality series.

March 12, 2020

2–3 minutes

1963: The Hula-Hoop Receives a Trademark

Although invented for hundreds of years earlier, Arthur Melin and Rich Knerr, founders of Wham-O products, received a trademark for their version of the hoop toy on this day in 1963. Wham-O’s Hula-Hoop was the first plastic hoop toy with the “shoop shoop” sound thanks to a ball bearing placed inside.

Twenty million hoops were sold in the first six months of production. It was a big hit world-wide except for Japan who thought it incited improprieties and Russia who thought it was an example of the “emptiness of American culture.” In 1999, the Hula-Hoop was inducted into the National Toy Hall of Fame. (Image: Wikimedia)

2005: Father Osbourne Knows Best

It was on this day in 2005 that a new TV series, which probably wouldn’t have worked on another network, became MTV’s most-viewed series ever. The reality show, The Osbournes featured the real-life family of Ozzy Osbourne, well most of them anyway.

While Ozzy’s wife Sharon and his children Jack and Kelly appeared on the show, eldest daughter Aimee did not. In fact, it is said that when family photos were shown on the screen, Aimee’s face was either cut out or blurred. According to Ozzy, he was stoned during the filming of the entire series. In 2009, the family starred in a new variety series for FOX. It was cancelled after just one episode.

1989: Chip and Dale Become Detectives

Although Disney’s animated chipmunks, Chip and Dale were “born” in 1943, it wasn’t until this day in 1989 that the pair got their own TV series. Originally, Chip and Dale Rescue Rangers debuted on Disney Channel and then aired in syndication that fall.

For the new show, the duo ran their own detective business, and the leads had a new wardrobe. Chip sported a fedora and bombers jacket while fun-loving Dale wore a Hawaiian shirt. The show also featured new characters like Gadget Hackwrench (a pilot mouse and Jill-of-all-trades), Monterey Jack (also a mouse) and Zipper (a housefly). The team would fight off villains like Fat Cat, Wart, Professor Norton Nimnul and Rat Capone.

A live action movie with the same title, but storyline closer to Who Framed Roger Rabbit, aired on Disney+ in 2022. Chip and Dale’s voices got an upgrade too as they were voiced by John Mulaney and Andy Samberg.