ALANIS MORISSETTE TURNS 39 years old this weekend.
Happy birthday Alanis!
How well do YOU know our favourite long-haired caterwauling 90s songstress? Maybe not as well as you think…
1. You Can’t Do That On Television
When you think “child star” you think Britney Spears, Amanda Bynes or the Olsens. But did you know that Alanis actually starred in children’s TV sketch show while she was in elementary school?
Image: via Nick and More
Here she is, with a surprisingly short crop of hair. Alanis appeared in a total of 5 episodes. Who knew?
Image: via Captions
2. An unexpected Canadian dance pop career
In another surprising turn of events, Alanis went from child TV stardom to a dance pop career.
Her album “Alanis” (released under simply under Alanis, rather than Alanis Morrissette) went platinum and she became known as the “Debbie Gibson of Canada” and also compared to 80s popstar Tiffany.
Image: via AOL Music
Here’s another fun fact Alan would probably rather we all forget – she used to open concerts for VANILLA ICE!
3. Just how successful Jagged Little Pill was
After her dance pop career (we’re still reeling about it to be honest), Alanis moved to LA and in 1995 she released the album Jagged Little Pill under new management.
It ended up being one of the most successful albums of the decade.
Image: via Popcrush
Alanis released a whopping total of SIX singles from the album – You Oughta Know, Hand In My Pocket, Ironic, You Learn, Head Over Feet and All I Really Want.
By 2009, figures estimate that Jagged Little Pill has sold upwards of 33 million copies worldwide.
4. You oughta know who “You Oughta Know” was about
Remember Joey Gladstone from the old sitcom Full House?
Image: via Full House Wiki
He was played by comedian Dave Coulier, who evidently screwed Alanis over so badly that she wrote the scathing, vicious (and amazing) song You Oughta Know about him.
YouTube/sinala
Ouch, Dave.
5. She once scored Sarah-Jessica Parker
Alanis has had quite a successful acting career in addition to her musical endeavours.
She appeared as God in Kevin Smith’s film Dogma as well as Curb Your Enthusiasm, Weeds, De-Lovely, Up All Night and the play The Vagina Monologues.
She also appeared in an episode of Sex and The City…
Image: via Spokeo
And wore the face of Carrie Bradshaw AKA Sarah-Jessica Parker!
6. You can’t touch her humps
Did you know our favourite Canadian-American actually has an incredible sense of humour?
Check out her haunting piss-take of the Black Eyed Peas classic:
YouTube/Andre Gregorio
Amazing.
7. She makes a passable Lady Godiva
Alanis has always had long ropes of brunette hair. So much so that she can pose topless no bother, Lady Godiva style.
Image: via Tumblr
But even when her hair is cut short, Alanis manages to bare it all while keeping it under wraps.
Image: via Scoop
This interesting picture of Alanis is from the 2004 JUNO Awards in Canada – in the wake of the Superbowl Janet Jackson controversy, she “exposed” herself on Canadian television to make a point about the human body, female breasts and censorship.
Go Alanis!
8. It wasn’t actually all that ironic after all really
The funny thing about Alanis’s most celebrated song, Ironic, is that the items she lists aren’t really that ironic at all.
A traffic jam when you’re already late
A no-smoking sign on your cigarette break
It’s like ten thousand spoons when all you need is a knife
It’s meeting the man of my dreams
And then meeting his beautiful wife
And isn’t it ironic…don’t you think
A little too ironic…and, yeah, I really do think
No, we don’t think. These things are – at a push – unfortunate coincidences, Alanis. Here’s a complete breakdown of how the track doesn’t give any examples of irony. Perhaps our girl Morrissette should give it a read.
And to celebrate Alanis hitting 39, here’s the most celebrated track from Jagged Little Pill. Happy birthday, big A!
YouTube/alaniscom
