May 1990 was a rollercoaster: Madonna's "Vogue" video blew our minds, the death of Jim Henson broke our hearts, and a new BSC ghostwriter boggled our brains. The Sea City we knew and tolerated -- Burger Garden, mini-golf, and Tunnel of Luv -- is gone; in its place we get a yellow wallpapered liminal space serving hostility, down-low lobster dinners, and night terrors. OK THEN!

Brooke and Kaykay drag the hell out of Mary Anne and Too Many Boys and its attempted normalization of purity culture and segregation. Plus: Odes to the Muppets, coupons, and the Original Recipe Banana Republic.

Links referenced in this episode:

• Jim Henson on Arsenio Hall
• Anthony Violanti's Buffalo News column on Andrew Dice Clay

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The pop culture of April 1990 blew our young minds: Sinead O'Connor! Fire Marshal Bill, Homey the Clown, AND the Log Lady! The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie and its soundtrack (the perfect gift)! A ripped-from-the-tabloids Very Special BSC starring Claudia Kishi that isn't as problematic as you fear! Dreams really CAN come true, y'all...

Brooke and Kaykay discuss Claudia and the Great Search's exploration of alienation and attunement, with loving digressions on the respective joys of recording songs off the radio and browsing through microfiche.

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March 1990 was a big month for Janet Jackson and Julia Roberts and a bad month for fans of the HBO BSC series. On a related note, a hearty WTF?! to Netflix.

Brooke and Kaykay mourn the loss of a 3rd season of the Netflix BSC show before lamenting the treatment of autistic and Australian children in Kristy and the Secret of Susan. But hey, at least Claudia's added Mentos to her bedroom candy stash!

Speaking of treats: Please enjoy Pajama Party's "Hide and Seek" video. It's 4 minutes of triple-distilled 1989. You're welcome.

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February 1990 packed a lot of change into a short month: Nelson Mandela was released from prison, the Brady Bunch was given a gritty reboot (with a theme song that must be heard to be believed), and two mismatched single parents hastily crammed their households together with minimal planning & conversation. What could go wrong?

Brooke and Kaykay discuss the Gaslight (Dawn), Gatekeep (Mary Anne), Girlboss (Kristy) vibes of Dawn's Wicked Stepsister, the importance of behavior modeling in leadership, and the bravery of healthy conflict in relationships.

And seriously: Check out Florence Henderson's theme to The Bradys. We cannot stress this enough.

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It's hard to take a lighthearted tone in such dark times, but fortunately this episode was recorded well in advance of the horrendous attack on Ukraine. If you need a respite from the weight of this brutal, stupid world, join us as we reflect on some of our favorite things from January 1990: "Rhythm Nation," the original BSC TV show (!), and GOZZIE KUNKA.

Brooke and Kaykay discuss Mary Anne and the Great Romance's exploration of shifting family dynamics, attachment styles and their impact on relationships, and the struggle to find a proper balance between "lonely" and "free," with diversions on Gozzie Kunka, '90s nautical fashion, and Gozzie Freaking Kunka.

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December 1989 brought an appropriately dramatic end to the 1980s: The month kicked off with Dad Bush and future Pizza Hut spokesperson Mikhail Gorbachev announcing an end to the Cold War; ended with a piano scarfed David Hasselhoff rocking Berlin into the 1990s; and saw the debut of The Simpsons and the reign of "We Didn't Start the Fire" in between. Optimism was the general vibe, though there's little evidence of this to be found in the 3rd Baby-sitters Club Super Special. OOF.

Brooke and Kaykay discuss the problematic treatment of racism and fatphobia in the final BSC book of the 1980s, with digressions on WASP colonial cosplay, MORE PEE WEE (!!), and Young Kaykay's close encounter with the Moonies.

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November 1989 was serving INSPIRATION: The fall of the Berlin Wall! The Velvet Revolution! The debut of Queen Latifah! The introduction of queer icon Ursula the Sea Witch! The Baby-sitters Club's addition of literacy tutoring to their ever-expanding list of services!

Brooke and Kaykay discuss Mallory and the Mystery Diary's ode to the joys of reading and its model of educational empowerment, with digressions on Pee-wee, potatoes, and the badassery of Helen Keller.

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NOTE: We will no longer be posting to or sharing content from Spotify, due to the company's decision to prioritize misinformation over truth. New audio home for our soundtracks coming soon!

October 1989 was a month of political, physical, and personal shakeups: Regimes fell in Central Europe, San Francisco quaked on live TV, and copaganda's stranglehold on the box office was ended by two Scientologists and a talking baby. It was all quite tumultuous -- as was Stacey McGill's home life.

Brooke and Kaykay discuss Welcome Back, Stacey!'s insightful portrayal of the stress of decision making and the impact of institutions on personal relationships, with digressions to spread the gospel of Young MC and lament the misery of CCD.

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The vibe of September 1989 was BOLD, with popular uprisings against authoritarianism in East Germany, South Africa, and Beverly Hills (justice for Zsa Zsa!), Cher's scandalous strut across an aircraft carrier and up the music charts, and the debut of Joan Rivers' delightfully chaotic daytime talk show. An auspicious time to be young and creative!

Brooke and Kaykay discuss Jessi and the Superbrat's exploration of performativity and the alienation of the exceptional, with digressions on cereal box toys, Camel Cash, and the dress code on Suze Orman's island.

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August 1989 was a month for motley crews out of their elements: a bevy of your loudest uncle's favorite bands (including Motley Crue, natch) rocked Moscow; two movies about dysfunctional families in crisis ruled the box office; and half of Stoneybrook Elementary got shipped upstate to spend two weeks bunking with strangers who greet them with varying degrees of hostility and judgment. (Well, technically the latter happened in July 1989...but what even is time, anyway?)

Brooke and Kaykay discuss the impact of peer pressure to assimilate on individuals and communities, with an extended digression on a camp karaoke classic and yet another Young Kaykay survival story.

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