Pop Culture Preservation Society

If you say the word "Pinky" to people AARP-aged people, they will intuitively respond with this weird snappy-fist-slapping ritual. It's a Gen X reaction honed by the cultural phenomenon knows as Pinky Tuscadero. Join us as we revisit the Happy Days episode that gave us Pinky and cemented itself in the hearts of Gen Xers for all eternity -- Fonzie Loves Pinky. Who was Pinky and why did...

Happy Days was one of the most iconic and beloved shows of our generation, and one that grew up right alongside us. Join us as we share why this show was so important to the three of us, dive into the characters who felt like friends and family, share fun facts about the show and its stars, talk favorite episodes and spinoffs, and debate Joanie’s hairstyle. Which star’s family member has literally...

Join us for our first installment of an ongoing series called AM Radio Gold, celebrating the songs we heard when AM radio was king. In this episode, we'll be focusing on the radio hits from the year 1977-- which gave us some of the most memorable music in history. But this episode is not a history lesson. It's personal. And the three of us will share the songs WE waited for on the radio. W...

Join us for the episode we never intended to be a tribute — but sadly became one just five days after recording this extremely personal debate about our generation’s most beloved and enduring character, Rydell High’s Sandy Olsson from the movie Grease. It was during the editing of this recording that we learned that Olivia Newton-John, the woman who brought Sandy to life, had died. And the outpour...

Fresh from a group viewing of this 1980 classic “Little Darlings,” we are dissecting it ALL — from our girl Kristy McNichol’s brilliant performance to the silly campiness of the situations to the nuances and layers of the plot. This movie may have once seemed like it was just about who could lose their virginity first, but we now see it as a thoughtful and dignified look at sexual initiation, and...

We can thank Generation X for many things, but the advent of the summer blockbuster might be one of its best contributions to pop culture history! From Jaws to Dirty Dancing, we’re covering ALL the great movies of the summers of the 70s and 80s (and we do mean ALL of them) by sharing our own memories and those of many of our social media followers. Grab a box of Goobers or Sno-Caps and settle in f...

Buckle up those seatbelts (but don’t really because we didn’t use them) and let’s hit the road, GenX style! Journey with us as we take a trip through all our collective road trip memories from the 1970s and 80s — the car ride, the games, the stops, the souvenirs, the pools, the food, and so much more. We’re sharing YOUR stories as well as ours! It’s a fun ride you don’t want to miss! Follow the PC...

Grab a box of King Vitamin and a blanket and join the girls on the family room floor as they settle in for all the Saturday morning favorites, including an ALL NEW intro conversation about the most obscure Saturday morning cartoons from the 70s! They discuss the origin of Saturday morning TV, what made it so special, and detail all the shows you loved. Were you a Krofft Supershow fan? Did you like...

Join us as we revisit one of our favorite episodes, “Roller Boogie & Me,” along with a brand new conversation with an old friend of Kristin’s, USA Today bestselling author A.S. Green, who reveals her past as a roller queen. So, tie up those roller skates and get ready to go back in time as the PCPS relives all those fabulous roller rink memories: couples’ skate, the snack bar, the limbo, the r...

Celebrate our country’s Bicentennial in this encore of episode 38, with an ALL NEW introductory conversation that includes some tidbits that got cut the first time! From pet rocks to Nadia’s Theme, Holly Hobbie, the Olympics, and “Afternoon Delight,” the pop-culture events of 1976 made that year so much more than just our nation’s 200th birthday … and we cover them all and so many more. Listen NOW...

Seventeen Magazine was more than a monthly periodical for us, it was our go-to guide to LIFE. Join us as we honor — yes HONOR — our teenage bible, the magazine we all paged through meticulously, examining EVERY SINGLE DETAIL of. We’re talking all about the surprising history, the covers and all those cover models we loved, the articles, and the unforgettable ads … which leads us to a hilariously d...

Carolyn sits down with Kristin and Michelle, in Kristin’s groovy Greg Brady attic, for the once-in-a-lifetime experience of sharing her number one all-time favorite made-for-TV movie. A movie that took hold of her so hard when she was 12 that she literally prayed to Jesus to help her stop thinking about it. That movie is “Champions: A Love Story” — a 1979 movie about two teens who fall in love as...

n today's episode, we'll be saving the quote unquote "films" created for viewing from your naugahyde couch -- in a countdown of the 10 most memorable MADE FOR TV MOVIES of the Gen X era. We very specifically used the word MEMORABLE for this countdown, not BEST, because 'good' can mean so many things when we're talking about TV Movies -- it could mean so bad it's goo...

Join us in this special two-part episode devoted to the very special art form that was low on budget but high on love triangles, deadly diseases, killer bees and lots of hostages…the “Made for TV Movie.” We reminisce about it all…from the Steven Spielberg classic, “Duel” to the chilling “Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark” to the 1981 love triangle saga “Isabel’s Choice” starring Jean Stapleton (aka “Edi...

From pudding cups to TV Dinners to Shrimp Mousse, the foods we ate in our GenX childhoods were MEMORABLE. Join us as we talk all about the snack foods, convenience foods, diet and health foods, and the iconic 70s dinner party foods of our generation, as well as those commercials and ads we still can’t get out of our heads! We’re excited to be joined by PCPS fan, chef, and YouTube personality Erica...

Do you remember the books your teachers read to the whole class? In the 70s and 80s, we were introduced to some of the best children's literature of all time through our teachers, usually after recess and often sitting on the rug at their feet. And almost all of those books are still available and even popular today -- proving that, yes, Gen X just might be the best generation of all. Which bo...

The PCPS is thrilled and honored to talk with Melissa Gilbert about her new memoir, “Back To The Prairie: A Home Remade, A Life Rediscovered” as well as other GenX fun! Join us as we discuss Melissa’s “graceful evolution” into her natural self and a more simple life, and why getting older means getting better. Then stick around as she gives us some great “Battle of The Network Stars” intel, tells...

In the 70s, Sunday nights were MAGIC for us, and it was all thanks to The Wonderful World of Disney! Whether we were watching a theatrical release or a made-for-the-TV-show movie, WWoD made us believe mules could talk, people could turn into shaggy dogs, cars could have minds of their own, and we could feel like we were at the parks by getting up close and personal with the characters and rides. J...

Join us for part two of our discussion about the 70s most celebrated brother/sister duo, The Carpenters. After getting real about Karen and Richard's difficulties in last week's episode, we offer a palate cleanser in the form of a musical deep dive. We gush about our favorite songs and what made them oh so personal. Which song connects Carolyn to her father? Which song made Kristin cry pos...

We’re kicking off Season FIVE with the story of the most iconic duo of our generation — the Carpenters. Journey with us from their incredible beginning to the tragic end, learn why each of us holds their music so close to our hearts, and discover some fun facts you may have not known. Which game show were Richard and Karen participants on? Which A-list celebrity wanted Karen to partake in a threes...

The PCPS welcomes local celebrity, DJ Jake Rudh -- a radio host, dance party DJ, and all-around retro music aficionado to talk about why the world is falling in love with the smooth grooves of Yacht Rock. Then grab a glass of Riunite (on ice) and come aboard the SS PCPS as we revisit our most popular episode from 2021, dissecting what it is that makes Yacht rock so Yacht … or not. Listen to Jake R...

If you thought the original episode of Dynamite Magazine couldn’t get any more off the rails … just wait until you hear our new conversation. What is it about Shields and Yarnell that sends the three of us into hysterics?? What started out — twice — with the best of intentions took a hard turn into the ridiculous. From the correct pronunciation of the word “mime” to a discussion of the robot to on...

As we work hard to record Season 5 for you we’ll be presenting encore presentations of some of our favorite episodes from our extensive catalog but WITH BRAND NEW OPENING CONVERSATIONS! If you missed these, it’s a great time to catch up! And if you already listened to these episodes we hope you’ll listen again, as we now chat about what made them so memorable! This week we’re going back in time an...

If you were a member of a fan club or ever wrote a letter to your celebrity idol, this episode will bring back all the feels! Join us as we close out Season 4 with a conversation all about those cool clubs (and all the perks you got for $5!), the thrill of writing that letter, and a few fantastical stories from our society members that you won’t believe! And then we’ll tell you about one well-know...

If you ever owned a sequined headband, you likely spent some time with the hit music countdown show, SOLID GOLD! (*exclamation point required). There's SO MUCH to discuss about this ultra-permed, era-defining show of the 80s: which performance opened the first episode ever? Which host got the most airtime and which one barely phoned it in wearing comfy pants? Which song spent so much time in t...