418. The Daily Press “Venom Line”

Back in the early to mid 90s, my hometown newspaper, Daily Press (out of Newport News, Virginia) had this Friday magazine in the newspaper titled Inroads. Inside there were ads and articles about entertainment in the Peninsula area of Hampton Roads. All the places in the ads are long gone, died along with the 90s. Among the ads for strip clubs and the Nsect Club, there was the Venom Line where people would leave voicemails complaining about this, that and the other.

With the exception of the racist and homophobic messages, (duh), its almost refreshing to read about these complaints from 25+ years ago while we deal with Covid, etc.

I mean, complaints about Barney and Beavis & Butthead? Refreshing.

*ackutually*, my college, Mary Baldwin University DID do that back in 1995, with the addition of the VWIL (Virginia Women’s Institute for Leadership) program. No boys allowed. When I was at Mary Baldwin (ten years ago), about once a week the VWIL students would got VMI for more classes.

At first, I thought this person meant that back of the Pearl Jam Ten shirt. So I googled, and I think they’re referring to this shirt.

By the time I was in high school, about 8 years after this was printed, I thought it was strange whenever people I knew announced they were going to Christopher Newport University. Why go away to college ten minutes from your house?

Pinto problems.

aw, back when people hated Conan. *cries* This was from April, May of 1993, right when it was announced he was taking over David Letterman’s spot. I guess that one person died in 2015.

I unfortunately do not have this hairy underarm ad this guy is referring to.

Gaucho Queen? Did she wear those pants? Is she tacky? Clogs were briefly in during this phase in the 90s.

Oh! This was back when one of the local malls, Patrick Henry in Newport News, imposed a “no kids unless they’re with their parents” rule. I need to look more into this one. I was in 5th grade at the time, and I thought “oh my god, that mall must be a rough and tumble place if the kids are banned!”. I was a stupid kid.

This was also back when kids with cars could leave school and get lunch. Yeah, that don’t happen in the town I’m from anymore. My high school stopped it around 93 or 94 when a boy was stabbed by another boy who had came from a rival high school during his lunch break. The poor kid died.