The Flopcast

Kevin and Kornflake are far from Chickentown this weekend, because it's finally time for MarsCon! But worry not; right before we ran screaming from the studio, we recorded this special episode... all about 1980s WWF wrestling! It's the only era of wrestling we care about -- the era of crazy characters like the Junk Yard Dog, Hillbilly Jim, the Iron Sheik, Jimmy Superfly Snuka... and those are some of the guys we didn't even get around to mentioning. Kornflake provides a Top 4 1/2 List of her favorite wrestlers, including one guy who also appeared in our list of giants! (Now who could that be?) And along the way we uncover what may be the greatest photo in the history of everything. (Does it involve Mr. T and a rubber chicken, and they're both wearing kilts? Maybe...) Also: We learn about butterflies. Space Butterflies, specifically. (This show has a lot of range.)

Kevin and Kornflake are just days away from flying to balmy tropical Minnesota for the silliest weekend of the year at MarsCon! But first this week: Wilson Phillips wants you to be happy; Kornflake has a scary hula hoop update and a scarier lobster update; the Pudding Pages teach us about a board game made exclusively for giggling girls of the 1990s; the Mayor of Chickentown's trip to California for a Doctor Who convention includes a visit to the coroner's office and a brush with a rock star; and we discover a new podcast that's even more obsessed with goofy old TV shows than we are. Really.

It's been several months since we picked a really stupid, random topic for a Top 4 1/2 List. So we're making it up to you this week with perhaps our stupidest list ever: Top 4 1/2 Boxes. That's right... boxes. But worry not; we still managed to fill this list with superheroes, funny songs, and weird junk from the 80s, as usual. This will be even more fun than your class trip to the Springfield Box Factory. Also: We celebrate International Polar Bear Day, and visit the World of Coca-Cola, because why not. Now pour yourself a big box of coffee and enjoy...

As Saturday Night Live's Stefon might say, this podcast has everything: Hula hoops, handcuffs, Harvey the Wonder Pony, your Flopcast hosts in a hot tub time machine, and yes, dino-chickens. Also: A bizarre challenge is issued to The Pod of Destiny. If only we were making at least some of this up... but it's all horribly, shockingly real. Enjoy.

Kevin and Kornflake's first convention appearance of 2014 is just a month away -- yes, we're going back to MarsCon! (Could there be a better time of year to visit Minnesota? Wait, don't answer that.) MarsCon is traditionally the silliest weekend of the whole stupid year, thanks to the Dementia track of comedy music performances. This year's lineup includes guest of honor Henry Phillips, as well as Luke Ski, Power Salad, Worm Quartet, and many more returning MarsCon favorites. (And we should probably mention that Doctor Demento himself will be there too! We're so excited, we're giggling like lobsters.) MarsCon shall also feature Dementia Water Aerobics (with our own Kornflake), podcasting, costuming, crazy room parties... and just to keep things interesting, the whole place will be crawling with hunters and taxidermists, apparently. (So you might want to reconsider that moose costume...) See you there, true believers! Also: National Organ Donor Day is this week. Hand 'em over.

A special morning edition of the Flopcast! (It's so early that we can't even figure out how coffee works.) This week: Kevin and Kornflake ignore Groundhog Day and instead discuss their favorite human meteorologists (most of whom resemble Brady Bunch cast members); Kevin's long silly week includes coffee jello with Penn Jillette, and Weird Al-themed burlesque dancers; Kornflake plays mini-golf with glow-in-the-dark diseased people; the Pudding Pages teach us about the safe way for 90s kids to beat each other up; and since it's almost time for MarsCon, we plug some MarsCon-related fundraising projects. (And hey, look -- the MarsCon 2014 Dementia Track Fund Raiser album includes a song by Kornflake and Doornail! Weird...)

Kevin and Kornflake have escaped the 80s, for the second time! So now it's back to Flopcast business as usual, assuming "business as usual" means talking about corn chips and Xena Warrior Princess. "Chickens in the News" also returns this week, as we examine the latest in poultry fashion. (Hard to believe so many chickens are still walking around naked.) Also: Another hula hoop update from Kornflake, and a visit from the Mayor! So grab a big angry bag of Fritos (turn it into "Frito Pie" if you dare) and enjoy...

At last we've arrived at the end of our ten-part look back at the most awesome decade ever! Now admittedly, 1989 was not our favorite part of the 80s... but come on, it had its moments. Top 40 radio had pretty much surrendered to rap, hair metal, and Milli Vanilli... but Elvis Costello somehow sneaked in there too. On TV we met a quantum-leaping doctor named Sam Beckett, and a 16-year-old doctor named Doogie Howser. (The leaping guy was more believable.) And although nobody noticed, the Karate Kid scored a third movie and a Saturday morning cartoon. (This is important, people!) Also at the movies, we had Batman (Mr. Mom version), Indiana Jones (River Phoenix version), Weird Al's UHF (Wheel! Of! Fish!), and one or two more that didn't star Rick Moranis. We cover it all this week -- and along the way, Kevin shares some goofy 1989 stories involving both Edie Brickell and Penn & Teller. And don't worry -- we're not doing ten more shows like this for the 90s! (We spent the 90s mostly napping.)

Almost done, kids! The penultimate chapter in our ongoing 80s coverage brings us to 1988 (which most scientists agree was the peak year for Jon Lovitz's Michael Dukakis impression). At the movies we met Beetlejuice and Roger Rabbit, and tried to deny the very existence of a Caddyshack sequel. TV got weirder with the debut of Mystery Science Theater 3000 (and weirder still with a Saturday morning Ed Grimley cartoon). And on the radio, it was the beginning of the end for 80s pop, as Michael Bolton led us on a long, cruel march toward the 90s. (Meanwhile, young Kornflake was hanging tough with the New Kids on the Block, believe it or not.) So get out of our dreams, get into our podcast, and we'll get through 1988 together.

Kevin and Kornflake wrap up the holidays with a New Year's resolution update, a visit with TV's Kyle, one more trip to see the lobster trap tree, and one more holiday gift. (Yes, it's a Lionel Richie-themed gift. You know us all too well.) Then we creep back into the 80s yet again, and this week we're looking at 1987! It was the year of Debbie Gibson and Tiffany, Data and Picard, Lost Boys and a Princess Bride. We met the Simpsons (who never went away) and the New Monkees (who did, immediately). And it was the year we let Tom Hanks attempt a Dragnet-themed rap song. To quote the philosopher Marx (Richard Marx, that is), we should've known better.