01. Dan Quayle vs. Murphy Brown
During the 1992 presidential campaign, Vice President Dan Quayle criticized the show Murphy Brown for its portrayal of single motherhood. The attack ignited a national debate on family values and created the "culture war" playbook.
02. Oprah and the Daytime Diet Wars
In 1988, Oprah walked on stage in slim size 10 jeans, wheeling 67 pounds of animal fat in a red wagon. The stunt highlighted her weight loss, but also shed light on America's obsession with fatness, showing that diet culture spares no one.
03. Ellen Comes Out
In 1997, Ellen DeGeneres made TV history when her sitcom character came out on primetime, right after she did in real life. The reveal, watched by over 40 million viewers, broke barriers and lit the spark for authentic gay representation.
04. Kanye Breaks the Telethon
After Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans in 2005, Kanye West declared on live television, "George Bush doesn't care about Black people". This viral moment ignited a generation that laid the groundwork for Black Lives Matter.