Category:Jokes from 1999

Few events from 1999 that some might find amusing or odd:

The Y2K Scare (and non-event): The impending millennium brought widespread panic about the "Y2K bug," a fear that computers worldwide would fail at the stroke of midnight on January 1, 2000. People stockpiled food and supplies, and companies spent billions on upgrades. Of course, the actual rollover was largely uneventful, making the preceding panic seem a bit overblown in retrospect.  

Sunny Delight's Orange Snowman: In the UK, Sunny Delight, a popular orange-flavored drink, had an advertising campaign showing a snowman turning orange after drinking it. This led to a rather unfortunate (and some might say funny) incident where a child who loved the drink actually did have their skin turn orange from excessive consumption, prompting the hasty withdrawal of the ads.

The Launch of Napster: While revolutionary (and eventually controversial), the initial launch of Napster, a peer-to-peer file-sharing service, had a certain naive charm. The idea of freely sharing music online was exciting to many, even if it did lead to major copyright battles down the line.

The "Thank Abba for the Music" Medley at the Brit Awards: The Brit Awards featured a medley of ABBA hits performed by a rather eclectic mix of pop acts popular at the time, including Billie Piper, Steps, B*Witched, Cleopatra, and Tina Cousins. The sheer pop overload and the slightly awkward combination of artists might be seen as funny in retrospect.  

News of the Weird: As always, the "News of the Weird" section featured some truly bizarre stories in 1999, including:

• A man in Vancouver, British Columbia, presenting his "debreather," a euthanasia device involving a mask and hose connected to a substance he claimed made death by oxygen deprivation "quick and painless."
• A cowboy in Oklahoma who won money by tearing quarters in half with his bare hands.
• City officials in Brazil rejecting a proposed 100-foot-high sculpture intended as a beacon to outer space because they felt it looked too much like a phallus.

These are just a few examples, and what one person finds funny, another might not. However, these events offer a glimpse into some of the more lighthearted or unusual occurrences of 1999.