Ménage Á Pop

Rick Brooks wanted to bring home the excitement of Wrestle-mania, possibly as an adult podcaster and definitely as a child in the 1980s. The costumes. The hairstyles. Some of the actual moves. It was more spectacle than one TV could hold. Thankfully there were fanzines and today, his shares the spin rack importance of reading each and every article in each and every issue of PRO WRESTLING MAGAZINE.

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We all had our favorite afternoon tv show. And maybe an ad for our favorite toy. But did any of us really look forward to all the other commercial interruptions? Rick Brooks (BATTLE OF THE NETWORK SHOWS) did, specifically a station ID for New York’s own Channel 11. Decades later it would be the first thing he ever searched on YouTube and today he discuses why the WPIX Henry Tillman Promotional Campaign will resonate long after the complete demise of broadcast television.

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We all had a favorite Disney movie or cartoon that connected with us as a kid. But that interaction would never have happened if not for the artist behind the art. And while the opening logo does cite Walt Disney, the actual minds behind it are far more diverse than a cigarette toking mustache. And today podcaster Heidi Bennett (VIBRANT VISIONARIES) uncovers one of those individuals in the form of Disney animator and designer, Mary Blair.

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Its hard to be a punk rocker when your dad already has a stellar record collection. But for podcaster Heidi Bennett (VIBRANT VISIONARIES) it wasn’t just about rebellion. She was sincerely drawn to the thrift store mindset and DIY aesthetics of this early 80s music scene. And no safety pin pierced as deep as the 1980 debut album LOS ANGELES by the band X.

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Ménage Á Pop exists to explore our intimate relationships with pop culture. So when fellow podcaster Heidi Bennett (VIBRANT VISIONARIES) brought up John Waters, Tim expected a life-altering ode to cult cinema. And while it definitely had its impact, her story reveals a different type of temperament in regards to nostalgia. So kitsch it into high gear as they share some deep thoughts on 1972's PINK FLAMINGOS.

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TOP GUN hit 1986 with all the “rah-rah” fixings of a testosterone festival. And while this chem-trail of bravado buzzed his home, it wasn’t some need for speed the rattled Jason Dugre’s bones. Rather, it was an entanglement in the mortal coil of a far more humane moment. Spoiler warning, things don’t turn out too well for that guy on ER as we focus on a wise-cracking, volley-balling best bud fighter pilot named Goose.

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What childhood cassette collection didn’t include caroling Muppets, sing-songing Smurfs, and blood vomiting demons in platform boots? To some, the hard rock antics of KISS were the demonstrative height of late 70s depravity. But to a particular 5 year old, they were the cartoon-infused origin of his own theatrics. So join actor Jason Dugre as he Rock and Rolls all night (or at least to a manageable hour) with a Spaceman, a Cat and… another…Spaceman… maybe (?)

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In the early '80s people owned pens, phones hung on the wall and the only place to stare at a computer screen was the video arcade. It was a mysterious technology so, to gain a glimpse of its inner-workings, we turned to the electronic spectacle of Disney's TRON. Well.. at least TWO of us did. And they are both on the show today as Tim welcomes actor Jason Dugre (GILMORE GIRLS) to relate how the film design blew his mind while simultaneously not really explaining computers in the least.

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We've all got a story arc. A progression of episodic encounters that transpire on a week to week basis. But unlike the shows that analogue is based on, we don't have the benefits of a writing staff or supporting cast working toward a satisfying finale. So it makes sense that we loose ourselves in the broadcast transmissions of characters who do. And for singer Gretchen Bostrom, that relatable point of view was the four seasons and two hairstyles of Keri Russel in Felicity.

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There was a time when you couldn’t just watch Critters 2 on the bus. You’d have to venture out, peruse public shelves and, if you were able to find it, complete your viewing in a pre-designated allotment of time. Following that, you'd have to rewind the entire thing you just watched or risk additional charges to your local rental account. Such was the effort of getting a movie in the 20th century and singer Gretchen Bostrom LOVED it. So laminate that membership card and hope Xanadu is out as she takes you up and down the aisles of VIDEO STORES IN THE 1980s.

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