American Latinostalgia

August is the officia start of Spooky Season here in America and in this week's episode we explore the myth that is Freddy Krueger.  Listen as we see how he is more than just another horror movie slasher.  From hip-hop to hot lines to Japanese televisoin, Freddy was everywhere in the 80's and 90's.  Some say he never left and is still here waiting for you to go to sleep and start dreaming. Cuidado.

Do you know what a Blue Light Special is/was? Did you know people used to have to go to special stores that sold only music to buy music?   Same for toys and electronics and books.  In this episode, we talk about five American stores that existed and thrived but are no longer with us. Some of these stores were around for almost a century before they disappeared.  They were able to survive the Depression but not Jeff Bezos and Costco.  Yes, that is crazy.

Back in the late 1900’s, some of us did not have the luxury of going to summer camp, or taking long trips. While our parents were at work, we stayed home, like the latchkey kids that we were. Luckily there were other means of entertainment like daytime talk shows, Nintendo, pools and being the victim of a crime. FYI, this episode is a bit heavy on the media which includes bits from Sesame Street, Mr. Belvedere, Sally Jessy Raphael, Ravishing Rick Rude and other stuff. Oh no, I forgot to take the chicken out of the freezer! I’m in for it now, bye.

We're driving to Mexico, just like old times. The act of driving to Mexico over a couple of days is quite the adventure that doesn't get talked about enough. Let's relive the nostalgia.  If you've never had the (pleasure?) of experiencing this, listen and see how this road trip is different than going to Grandma's house in Miami or Walley World. Then we delve a little into what it's like once you actually get there and the sort of complicated relationship with family.  Puro Party!  Also, the cover art for this episode looks like Greta the girl gremlin in Gremlins 2. Right? Let us know on  Instagram @a.l.pod.    

Haiiiii!   How can one of the most iconic and popular sitcom of the 1980's, be considered by many the WORST televison show of all time? Is it really that bad?  Listen as we have fun but also discuss some of the darker recurring themes in Small Wonder like slavery, potential perversion, racism, and child labor. Get an update on the cast and relive the nostalgia! Hopefully the ear worm of a theme song will stick with you for a couple hours. 

This one's not about giant puppets.  The art of the Public Service Announcement or PSA was perfected in the 1980's and 90's. Ronald Reagan's continuation on the "War on Drugs" and  Nancy Reagan's Just Say No Campaign ushered in a multitude of anti- drug PSA's.  Once these became a thing, we saw PSA's for all sorts of non- drug related things.  Both in the United States and in Mexico, the PSA's became serious in tone and at times, unintentionally funny.  In this episode, we talk about Small Wonder, trauma, a thirsty mature Mexican grandmother, Punky Brewster, Spanish "news", Ninja Turtles, crack/cocaine, Chabelo, Razor Ramon, a weird fetus, Bugs Bunny, Ojo Mucho Ojo, Pee- Wee Herman, and a personal  experience I had with a stranger. Follow us on Instagram: @a.l.pod

How well do you remember your kindergarten year?  Let's take all the typical challenges kids face when leaving home for the first time and let's add not knowing the language, not having shared peer experiences but for some reason, knowing things like Burbujas and novela theme songs. Things that will not help, like at all.  Luckily, Sesame Street has a tremendous amount of wacky and educational nostalgic content that is impossible for some of us to forget. 

What comes to mind when you think about Nostalgia?  Food?  The 80's?  TV Shows? AOL?  In this premiere episode, we talk about a place near and dear to many hearts, Chuck E. Cheese.  You like pizza right? Let's test this out and see how it goes talking about Showbiz Pizza Place and Chuck E. Cheese's stuff.