Timeshrine

Barney is the first thing I remember loving. At another kid's house, I remember watching a Barney VHS tape and being enchanted by the wonder of some big adventure the kids went on. I can't remember it exactly, but in trying to find this tape now, it must have been either Barney's Campfire Singalong, Barney's Magical Musical Adventure, or (most likely) Barney's Imagination Island. I know I also saw Waiting for Santa at some point.

This was the first time in my life that I realized it would be better to disavow my love for something rather than acknowledge I loved something others hated. Hating Barney (and singing about hating Barney) was 'cool' and older kids did it. I eventually joined them. It's poignant that we wanted to to violently destroy someone who dared only to say "I love you".

Hook (1991) had incredible sets. The original Peter Pan novel tapped into what boys thought was cool in 1905 - pirates, mermaids, exploiting natives. Hook tapped into what every 1990s boy wished for - neon food, a tribe of loyal weirdo friends, and extreme sports.