Floral mini dresses, Winona Ryder, and The Rachel haircut – the 90s were a cultural mixed bag that brought us some great things (Clueless, Reality Bites) and some terrible things (body glitter, 8-ball jackets). But nostalgia is a powerful emotion, hence Donnie Wahlberg and Jenny McCarthy’s new relationship getting headlines (before everything went to hell over the weekend).
Separately – where do they stand? She’s turned her Playboy status into a consistent career as a talk show host, actress and “author” (she has been described as a comedienne, but I vehemently object to this), and receives positive but not top-tier tabloid coverage.
Donnie -- was Donnie your favourite? I was a diehard New Kids on the Block fan and at the age of 12 it was Joey, Jordan, Donnie, Jonathan, Danny. (Such a cliché – I wish I had been more original and placed Danny at #1.) NKOTB faded away around 1993 and a few of them disappeared from the spotlight; Jordan and Joey attempted solo careers and Donnie became an actor with a fair amount of success (The Sixth Sense, Band of Brothers, Boomtown, and now Blue Bloods). In 2008 they started touring again –oh ya me and 6 of my friends hit that – with other boy bands.
Now these two 90s celebrities are dating and they want us to know it - both PEOPLE and US Weekly have solid confirmation. It’s like Henry Cavill and Kaley Cuoco for a generation with belly button ring scars.
Like the rumours of Jennie Garth and Luke Perry (read the recap here), this 90s hookup has me Googling Tiffany and wondering if I can pull off overalls again. (I can’t. I didn’t even pull them off at 12.)
Will they be on a Cuoco/Cavill timeline, or are Donnie and Jenny built to last? I hope the latter, at least through a holiday with the Wahlbergs. I’m only sad that I won’t get to witness Rhea Durham bitchface Jenny across the table at Thanksgiving.
(PS: For the record, the only New Kid I would want to hang out with today is Jonathan. Obviously.)
