The Latchkey Kids

I scream! You scream! We all scream for ice cream! Or, if you were unlucky enough to be involved in The Glasgow Ice Cream Wars of the 1980s (a real thing), perhaps your screaming was due to ice cream-related violence. Whatever the case, we can all surely agree that nothing beats the summer heat like delicious cold ice cream! Especially if you can get it at the Thrifty store for only 35 cents!

A time-honored form of entertainment that goes back more than 200 years, the traveling circus was still popular in the 1980s, at least for Aaron and Dr. Amy, whose beloved grandmother - a stoic woman who was inexplicably enraptured by the colorful, bombastic affair - took them to the circus every single year! We loved the ringmaster in his fabulous Willy Wonka outfit, we loved the aerialists and t...

When it first came out in 1976 (the year of Dr. Amy's birth), "Rocky," the gritty tale of up-and-coming boxer Rocky Balboa, was a surprise hit, winning Oscars for Best Picture and Best Screenplay. But for Aaron and Dr. Amy, it was the 1980s sequels "Rocky 3" and "Rocky 4," featuring archvillians Mr. T and Ivan Drago, that made a lifelong impression. Put on your boxing gloves and join The Latchkey...

In honor of the 150th episode of The Latchkey Kids podcast (can you believe it?), Aaron and Dr. Amy go DEEP into each others psyches to uncover our innermost feelings, most cherished memories, stongest convictions, and ... favorite "Corey" of the 1980s. If you are a true TLK fan, test your knowledge as your hosts delve deep - we're talking DEEP, people! - into our truest selves.

It's Memorial Day weekend and there's nothing Americans love more than honoring their war dead and then spending a long weekend relaxing in our Polo shirts and Sperry Topsiders, cool drinks in hand and groovy, jazzy tunes floating in the summer air. On this week's episode, Aaron and Dr. Amy dive into the cool and relaxing waters of Yacht Rock, which was all the rage in the 1970s and 80...

If you're a longtime Latchkey Kids listener like Cousin Jana, you already know all about Mikey, the sweet little Miniature Schnauzer that loved nothing more than spinning around in a pillowcase and then eating French fries in the back of the car. For Aaron and Dr. Amy, Mikey was our very own "party animal" Spuds MacKenzie! Learn all about famous pets of the 1980s on this episode and PLEASE take a...

We latchkey kids have SO MANY QUESTIONS about the hit 1960s TV show "Gilligan's Island," which we watched religiously all through the 80s thanks to the miracle of reruns. For instance, if the castaways could make coconut cream pies and build elaborate huts, why on earth could they not just patch the hole in the SS Minnow?! And, it's a three-hour tour, right? So why do the Howells...

Dearly beloved, where were you when you first heard the eternal, genre-bending music of Prince? Aaron remembers where he was: sitting in the bleachers at Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe, Arizona, watching a semi-pro Arizona Wranglers football game. In that hazy, sun-parched environment, where the air hung heavy with the aroma of hot dogs, young Aaron first asked himself the question, "In 1999, are...

From the brilliant mind of the legendary Jim Henson, our childhood was filled with the zany and hilarious antics of the Muppet gang, who graced many a TV and movie screen in the 1970s and 80s. Did you have a favorite Muppet? Which member of the house band was the coolest? And how healthy was Kermit's relationship with Miss Piggy, really?

Are you concerned about Satan worshippers corrupting the nation's youth? How about communists who have infiltrated the government? Or suit-wearing, scooter-riding "mods" who are starting violent brawls with the ne'er-do-well "rockers?" If these scary scenarios get your blood pumping, you would've LOVED all the moral panics of the 1980s! Learn all about it on this episode of The Latchkey Kids.

The 1980s was truly the golden age of the serial killer. With no DNA evidence, interconnected police databases, or multitudes of cameras everywhere, deranged psychopaths like Joseph DeAngelo, Dennis Rader, and Jeffrey Dahmer were free to roam about the country, committing their heinous crimes while the rest of us worried about the Russians (see our recent episode about the Cold War). Join Aaron an...

Who is the most 1980s criminal you can think of? Is it John Gotti of the Gambino crime family? Perhaps John DeLorean, with his penchant for flux capacitors and cocaine? Or are you more of a serial killer kind of person? Whatever your flavor of crime, McGruff the crime dog says you should listen to TLK's three-part Crime Spectacular, which kicks off this week with totally 80s crimes!

OMG the anticipation of the school book fair ... counting the days until they opened the makeshift little bookstore in the cafeteria, begging mom to load you up with dollar bills like you were headed to a strip club, and THAT AMAZING ORDER FORM! Dive into the past and present of school book fairs this week with The Latchkey Kids!

Dr. Amy had her doubts about this episode. "The Cold War is not FUN!" she said over and over. But you know what? This is unequivocally the MOST FUN podcast episode about the Cold War you are ever likely to hear! It has everything: sporting event drama, hit songs in the gorgeous German language, and the existential threat of nuclear annihilation! Relive the Cold War in all its glory with...

Do you remember what you were doing 40 years ago, in January 1985? While much of the country shivered under a historic cold snap that derailed plans for President Reagan's second inauguration, Madonna climbed to the top of the pop music charts. Jump into the Latchkey Kids time machine this week as we take an in-depth look at a frozen moment in time.

There's a couple of days left before Christmas so you still have time to pick up a few last-minute gifts for your treasured loved ones. You know, something they'll love ... like the Thighmaster, or The Clapper, or the miraculous Flowbee vacuum-powered haircutting machine. These are products you can trust! And you know that's true because the TV is telling you it's true! But wait, there's more ...

Did your city have a quirky, wacky local kids TV show that ALL the kids watched before school every morning? Did it feature a clown or a sheriff or a salty sea captain as its host? Growing up in metro Phoenix in the 1980s, Aaron and Dr. Amy had "Wallace & Ladmo," one of the longest-running regional kids shows in America and the source of the oft-envied but ne'er-possessed "Ladmo Bag," whose in...

This episode, which showcases a few classic 1980s comedy films that parody life in the military, is an official VERY SPECIAL EPISODE in several ways. First, it was recorded live in front of a studio audience, just like "The Facts of Life." Second, Aaron and Dr. Amy were in the same room together during the recording of this very special episode. And lastly, at the end of this very special episode...

The 1980s was a golden era for war movies. As veterans of the Vietnam War grew older and processed their experiences overseas, Hollywood tapped superstar directors like Oliver Stone and Stanley Kubrick to tell their amazing, harrowing stories. Join The Latchkey Kids as we salute our military with this two-parter about some of the greatest movies ever made.

Have you ever truly done anything SCANDALOUS? Did you lose your job/end up in the news/go to prison because you made a sex tape/committed fraud/insulted the Catholic Church? Well, if you haven't lived a scandalous life, tune in to this episode of The Latchkey Kids to hear about those brave trailblazers of the 1980s who put scandal before themselves!

It's not often Aaron and Dr. Amy agree on such things but they are united in their undying love for the Beastie Boys, the raw, petulant, and uncompromising New York City rappers who took the world by storm in 1986 with their debut album, "Licensed to Ill." After the Beasties got our attention, they took us along for a musical ride that spanned 30 years and eight albums. Learn all there is to know...

Tom Cruise truly has it all: devilish good looks, charisma out the wazoo, a trail of gorgeous ex-wives, and an unprecedented five-decade run as one of the hottest movie stars in Hollywood. But you know what People magazine's 1990 "Sexiest Man Alive" DOESN'T have? An Oscar. And why might that be? Could it be the couch-jumping or the Scientology? Dive deep into the mysterious world of Tom Cruise on...

What did your home look like in the 1980s? Did you have wall-to-wall shag carpeting? Avocado-colored appliances? Were there subtle signs of wealth like cable TV, a refrigerator that made ice, or rooms used exclusively for opening Christmas presents once a year? Settle in and get cozy as Aaron and Dr. Amy reminisce about the styles of the 1980s.

Did you go anywhere fun over Labor Day weekend? Take the kids to Wally World? Chase your love interest to Paris? Parade your boss's corpse around on a boat while ... wait, what?! Get in the car, Latchkey Kids, we're going on a road trip this week as we take a look at a few classic travel movies of the 1980s.

OK, so who REALLY did shoot J.R.? Was it Jo Ellen or Mary Ellen or whatever her name was? And did J.R. deserve to be shot? With a name like J.R. Ewing, he probably did, right? Learn the answer to the biggest whodunit cliffhanger of the 1980s, as Aaron and Dr. Amy delve into glitzy, glamorous world of primetime soap operas!