Everything 80s

There have been a lot of terrible marketing promotions over the years, but does the American Airlines AAirpass from 1981 take the cake? The AAirpass was a membership plan that gave its users unlimited, first-class flights, anywhere in the world—for life. To say that people took advantage of this is an understatement, and the program was soon costing American millions of dollars a year. This is a l...

In 1981, strange black arcade cabinets started showing up in a Portland Oregon arcade. Then there were reports of kids getting sick while playing games at this arcade. And what about the reports of Men in Black hanging around the same arcades? Thus begins one of the all-time great urban legends. Was the Polybius arcade game created by the U.S. Government for mind control and to recruit kids as sol...

Welcome to the Halloween episode! in this special, we look at a few topics that came out of the 1970s but became more prominent in the 80s. The first has to do with the issue of poisoned Halloween candy. We were always on the lookout for razor blades in our candy, but did this ever even happen? Was it just a myth, and how did it become such a fear for us in the 80s? We'll also check out some class...

What a time to be alive. The 80s ushered in a brave new world of video games and consoles. The technology was advancing rapidly, and we as kids were reaping the rewards. But which system was the best? Today, I count down what I believe are the 5 best game consoles of the decade, along with a look at a few forgotten ones you may have never even heard of. We also look at the state of the video game...

It's the question that has stumped philosophers and scientists for years: How do George and Lorraine McFly not realize that their son is the same Marty from 1955? In this essay—I mean episode—I look at several key points that show how it's impossible for them not to realize that their son is the same Calvin Klein/Marty from the past.  We look at some of the obvious points (THEY NAMED THEIR SON MAR...

1980 was the year that began the decade, but 1981 really brought us right into it. This is a year that had some notable pop-culture moments that changed the world forever. In this episode, we look back at the movies, music, TV shows, sports, and other big events that shaped this year. And 1981 can be defined by one gigantic, global event. This is also the year that a lot of big TV shows debuted, o...

This is a genuine lost episode. I recorded this show more than a year ago but never released it. It's all about the Tomy Omnibot 5402 and has been dug out of the far reaches of my hard drive to release to the world. In this episode, we look at why toy robots were such hot toys, why the Omnibot actually had some very advanced technology, and why it was ahead of its time. It's also a look back on th...

Do you remember the first music video you ever saw? Even if you don't, you may be like me and still remember being in awe of these mini "music movies." Today, I countdown what I believe are the 10 best videos of the 1980s. There will be a bunch of similarities as my "best songs of the 80s" podcast, but that's just because they are such decade-defining hits. We will also look at the rise of MTV, ho...

Burger King and the Whopper were dominating things in the 1980s. McDonald's needed to create something to compete with it, but they also wanted to solve a problem at the same time: how do you keep the vegetables and lettuce of a burger fresh instead of a hot slimy mess? Enter the McDLT. This is a look back on the evolution of the burger that was meant to take down the Whopper, the state of fast fo...

This is a look back on the device that changed the trajectory of modern video games: The Game and Watch. If it wasn't for the success of this simple hand-held device, video games as we know them may not exist. The success of the Game and Watch led Nintendo to create the NES and forever change the landscape of gaming. The controls of the Game and Watch would also be instrumental in the development...

Putting a list like this together was not easy—but somebody had to do it. Instead of a top 10; I went with 15, so more options could be included. This list obviously comes from my perspective as a kid growing up in the 80s, but I took other factors into account; including the impact the song had, billboard charts, and how each song represents the decade to this day.  Spotify Playlist: Best Songs o...

A lot of significant things happened in the year 1980. Today, we're looking back on the movies, TV shows, video games, sporting moments, and music that happened in the first year of this brand new decade. From Pac-Man to the Empire Strikes Back, the year 1980 had a bit of everything. There was a lot of carryover from the 1970s, but the new decade showed some early signs of what was to come.  Show...

What do you get when you take an eccentric genius, government involvement, intense passion, and drug trafficking? You get one of the most iconic cars ever made. This is a look back on not just the Delorean, but its creator: John Z. DeLorean. In case you didn't know that Delorean was a man—and not just a car—you're in for a pretty crazy story. This is a look at the rapid rise and fall of the Delore...

I think I need to lie down. Putting this list together was not easy, and I'm sure my order will not be to everyone's liking. But what I'm doing here today is ranking not just all the Star Wars movies—but also the live-action TV shows. There are 16 entries on this list, and I think I come at it from a good perspective. Have I done it justice? Am I full of crap? Which is first? What was worst? There...

Was Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure the poor man's Back to the Future? This week, I'm looking back on a movie that had the unfortunate task of being another 1980s time travel movie. We'll look at how this movie started out as a comedy sketch, how Keanu Reeves completely changed the direction of it, and some of the original plot intentions that were even weirder. We'll also look at why this movie...

Oh, what could have been. It's not that the Popeye movie was terrible: it just wasn't close to what was expected. This movie was expected to be a gigantic hit, and it fell short. This is a look back on the Popeye movie, the origin of the Popeye character, how Annie set the stage for the movie, and how it introduced Robin Williams to the world.  Show Notes: The Popeye Movie Support the Show: Patreo...

It can be easy to dismiss Jaws. It may seem like a common movie today, but it really changed Hollywood forever. If it wasn't for Jaws; movies, as we know them, might not exist. Jaws was the first true blockbuster. It changed how movies were released and marketed, and it created the summer movie season. This is a look back on how important Jaws is in the history of film, and how it allowed Steven S...

How well do you really know your favorite 80s movie? You may think you know it inside out, but then a fan theory comes along that completely changes the way you see it. Today, I'm looking at 10 of the best fan theories from 1980s movies. Some of them you may know--and some are pretty out-there. But they all help to give the movies we love a fresh presentation. Some of the movies we'll look at incl...

Today, I'm ranking each year of summer movies during the 80s to see which is the best. How does the summer of 1986 compare against 1981? Is the summer of 1985 the best--or does it come up short? This is one of the toughest--and most fun--episodes I've ever put together. I'll look at the notable movies from each summer, the one specific theme that runs through each summer, and a summary of how I fe...

This is the fourth and final part of my mini-series about the early days of the Internet. Today, we're looking at the origins of Netflix and how it changed the way we consume content. We'll look at the fake origin story of the company, how they were almost a part of Blockbuster Video, and how Napster may have been responsible for their success. Then, we look at how they created the binge-style of...

Welcome to the third part of my podcast mini-series on the early days of the internet. In the first part, I looked at the creation of the World Wide Web and how Netscape made it accessible. Part 2 was all about how AOL brought the internet into every home in the country. In part 3, we look at how the internet was taken to the next level:  web search. And more specifically: Google. This is a look b...

Welcome to part Deux of my series on the early days of the internet. In this episode, we are looking at what may be the most important advancement in the history of the web: AOL. In episode one, I covered how Tim Berners-Lee was the one responsible for the internet's true creation. We also looked at Marc Andreessen who is responsible for making the internet accessible by creating Netscape. But it'...

The first part of my new podcast mini-series 'From Dial-Up to Satellites' looks back at the early days of the internet. We'll look at Tim Berners-Lee who is the real founder of the web. You'll also see how many didn't think the internet would lead to much. We then look back at the importance of Netscape in creating the first real web browser and how it brought the internet to the world.  We'll als...

On March 13, 1989, Tim Berners Lee implemented the first successful communication between a hypertext transfer protocol with a server. You know this better as the internet. In this new four-part series, we'll be looking back at what happened in the next few years following this groundbreaking creation. This podcast series will start next Wednesday and run for the next four weeks.  We'll look at wh...

You never thought hip hop would take it this far. We're going back in time to witness the birth of hip hop. We'll see how it was created in the Bronx, and how it evolved going into the 1980s. Then, we'll see how it grew into a dominant art form and became the most profitable music genre. I also look at three of the most successful rappers, how they took what they earned in something that started a...