Are you looking for a story that is 100% guaranteed to blow your mind? A true crime tale that'll leave you wondering how crooks got away with it for so long in the first place? Well, hold on to your girdle, because this one's a doozy. It's got everything: insurance scams, fake passports, an undercover sting operation, Israeli really bank accounts, and huge sales on some of the best TVs and VCRs around (sales tax not included). Best of all, you can listen to this story for the low, low price of FREE! Now that price is insane! 

Ray teaches Rob about how a mom-and-pop consumer electronics store went from being a tri-state curiosity to a national sensation; who the real man is behind all those infamous ads; why having a CPA in the family comes in handy when you're committing tax fraud; and why building an empire on a foundation of shady financials and skimming off the top probably isn't the best business model.

If you like what we are doing, please support us on Patreon.

Ray Hebel

Robert W. Schneider

Mark Schroeder

Billy Recce

Daniel Schwartzberg

Gabe Crawford

Natalie DeSavia

WEBSITE

White Collar Fraud

ARTICLES

Mental Floss

New York Times - 1985

New York Times - 2016 (1)

New York Times - 2016 (2)

New Yorker

NJ.com

1987 Crazy Eddie Commercial

Crazy Eddie 'Insane!' Commercial (NY, 1978)

Classic Crazy Eddie Commercial 'Bathroom DooWop' (1977-1979)

Crazy Eddie Commercials and Bloopers 1980's

1972 Crazy Eddie Radio Commercial for Brooklyn store

The Biggest Retail Fraud In American History - Masterminds - Crazy Eddie - Eddie Antar Documentary

Crazy Eddie Fever commercial 1978

Crazy Eddie Antar and His CFO/CPA Cousin Sam Antar Meet for first time in 30 Years

"Happy Bee"

• Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

• Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0

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Late-night TV celebrity interviews are fun diversions, but when Hollywood needs real, gritty, hard-hitting journalism, there's only one man for the job. And if it takes mispronouncing every single name in the business, then honey, he's way ahead of you.

Rob teaches Ray about Sammy LaBella, a.k.a. Skip E. Lowe, whose dreams of stardom led him to befriend, interview, and/or bed more Hollywood personalities than most people probably know exist; how public access TV is the gift that keeps on giving; call-in show mishaps; early hot takes on the Donald; and why no star has shone brighter (mostly because he sweeps it himself) than Skip.

If you like what we are doing, please support us on Patreon.

Ray Hebel

Robert W. Schneider

Mark Schroeder

Billy Recce

Daniel Schwartzberg

Gabe Crawford

Natalie DeSavia

Gloria Loring 1993 Interview and Song i Juvenile

Skip E. Lowe interviews Eric Douglas, son of Kirk Douglas

Ruth Webb, psychic Kenny Kingston--Rare 1987 TV Interview

Skip E. Lowe Looks At Hollywood with Guests: Volz & Laurence Tierney

Skip E. Lowe, Robert Morse 2

Charles Pierce--1992 TV Interview, Joan Crawford, Tallulah Bankhead, Joan Collins

Skip E. High

McCain Gets It From Skip E. Lowe

Skip E. Lowe Laugh Factory Comics and Paul Moooney Pt.2 of 2

Skip E. Lowe Birthday Party 1998

Skip E. Lowe, Grace Robbins, Mark Harris, Terry Moore, Dr. Divine, Jacqueline Stallone,

Helen Martin--Rare TV Interview, Good Times, 227

Tyrone Power Memorial--Linda Christian, Coleen Gray, Terry Moore, 1995

Skip SweepingHWOF

Skip PSA

Limo Ride with Holly Woodlawn, Brian Hamilton, Skip E. Lowe & Margee McGlory

Skip E. Lowe Singing, Vivian Blaine and Don Monte

Aldo Ray--Rare 1986 TV Interview

Skip E. Lowe Looks at Hollywood Rudy Valley, Alado Ray, Sharon Lee

Beverly Garland on Skip E. Lowe

"Happy Bee"

• Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

• Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0

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Hankering to travel somewhere warm? Somewhere with exciting sightseeing? Somewhere you can be cursed by the spirit of a vengeful Egyptian monarch? Then have we got a place for you!

Ray teaches Rob about the archeologists responsible for the discovery of the tomb of the Pharaoh Tutankhamen, the Egyptian ruler who is now best known as King Tut; the misfortunes and maladies that befell many of those who uncovered the tomb; how Tut got so funky; and how all this mummy curse business got started in the first place, along with the many efforts to debunk those mystically morbid theories.

If you like what we are doing, please support us on Patreon.

Ray Hebel

Robert W. Schneider

Mark Schroeder

Billy Recce

Daniel Schwartzberg

Gabe Crawford

Natalie DeSavia

Google Arts & Culture

Live Science

Mental Floss

National Geographic - 1

National Geographic - 2

The New York Times - 1923

Snopes

The Telegraph

Billy Jones & Ernest Hare - "Old King Tut"

King Tut - SNL - YouTube

"Happy Bee"

• Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

• Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0

• http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

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If you turn back the clocks to the early 90s, it would be impossible to avoid all the late night jokes about Vice President Dan Quayle. Likewise, if you followed the 90s TV scene, you couldn't miss the fact that Candice Bergen was raking in the Emmys for her role as the titular Murphy Brown on CBS. So when two media behemoths like that unexpectedly went head-to-head, it was bound to be a battle for the ages...

Rob teaches Ray about Dan Quayle's life and career, and his sudden rise to prominence as the running mate of George H. Dubya Bush; how the Republican decision to focus more heavily on "traditional family values" emerged partly as an attack against Bill and Hillary Clinton; when spelling really does matter; why the V.P.'s condemnation of single mother families in general, and Murphy Brown in particular, brought him such a backlash; and how the outrage stirred up by this clash of cultural titans continues to this day.

If you like what we’re doing, please support us on Patreon, or you can subscribe to our bonus content on Apple Podcasts. And we’d love to find even more listeners, so if you have time, please leave us a rating or review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts. And if you have any other thoughts or feedback you’d like to share with us, we’d love to hear from you - feel free to email us or send us a message on social media. 

Ray Hebel

Robert W. Schneider

Mark Schroeder

Billy Recce

Daniel Schwartzberg

Natalie DeSavia

“You’re No Jack Kennedy” Clip From Bentsen-Quayle Debate

Murphy Brown on “Family Guy”

Bill & Hillary Clinton Interview Clip

Dan Quayle’s Comments Against Murphy Brown in San Francisco

Murphy Brown Response to Quayle’s Comments

Candace Bergen Reflecting on Conflict with Dan Quayle

1. Knott, Stephen, et al. “George H. W. Bush: Campaigns and Elections.” Miller Center, 1 Aug. 2017, millercenter.org/president/bush/campaigns-and-elections.
2. “The Republicans: The Quyale Quagmire.” Internet Archive: Wayback Machine, archive.org/web/.
3. “Bush Wanted Quayle Off ’92 Ticket but Refused to Push Him, Book Says.” Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 16 Oct. 1994, www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1994–10–16-mn-51115-story.html.
4. “Valuing Families: Opinion: The Harvard Crimson.” Opinion | The Harvard Crimson, www.thecrimson.com/article/1993/4/27/valuing-families-pbobn-monday-night-of/.
5. Chavez, Tim. “DQ-TV Is Now on the Air.” The Oklahoman, Oklahoman, 31 May 1992, www.oklahoman.com/story/news/1992/05/31/dq-tv-is-now-on-the-air/62491590007/.
6. Gajanan, Mahita. “How the Original ‘Murphy Brown’ Caused Controversy.” Time, Time, 27 Sept. 2018, time.com/5405100/murphy-brown-cultural-importance-reboot/.
7. Fortin, Jacey. “That Time ‘Murphy Brown’ and Dan Quayle Topped the Front Page.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 26 Jan. 2018, www.nytimes.com/2018/01/26/arts/television/murphy-brown-dan-quayle.html.
8. Murphy Brown, Motherhood, and “Family Values” - Jstor Daily. daily.jstor.org/murphy-brown-motherhood-and-family-values/.
9. Alan Carter Updated May 15, 1992 at 04:00 AM EDT. “’Murphy Brown’ Interview.” EW.com, ew.com/article/1992/05/15/murphy-brown-interview/.
10. Weinraub, Bernard. “The Talk of Hollywood; after Months of Political Attack, the ‘Cultural Elite’ Fires Back.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 1 Sept. 1992, www.nytimes.com/1992/09/01/arts/talk-hollywood-after-months-political-attack-cultural-elite-fires-back.html.
11. BuzzFeed News, and ErikaNeddenien. “We Tracked down the Kid Vice President Dan Quayle Made Misspell ‘Potato.’” BuzzFeed News, BuzzFeed News, 12 Sept. 2019, www.buzzfeednews.com/article/buzzfeednews/dan-quayle-potato-spelling.
12. “Hollins Digital Commons.” Site, digitalcommons.hollins.edu/.

“This Was A Thing” Theme Songs composed by Billy Recce

“Happy Bee”

• Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

• Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0

• http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Additional Sound Effects from Final Cut Pro, iLife, and Logic Pro

Parents of the United States! Listen to this podcast warning before it's too late! Have you noticed your children spending lots of time around funeral homes and coffins? Are they, per chance, drawing pentacles in their school notebooks? Do the toys they play with have any subliminally devilish aspects to them, such as (heaven forbid) flapping wings? If so, they may be under a Satanic spell that only extreme legislation and questionable tell-all books can help fix...or could all of this possibly be a bit of an overreaction?

Ray teaches Rob about the origins of the actual church of Satan, and its charismatic founder; how movies like Rosemary's Baby and The Exorcist ginned up an even greater fear of Satan in the hearts of Americans; why you must avoid Smurfs at all cost; why actual Satanists take issue with the mischaracterizations of their legitimate religious movement; and how modern conspiracies have a striking similarity to unfounded claims of ritual abuse that gripped the nation only a few decades ago.

If you like what we are doing, please support us on Patreon.

Ray Hebel

Robert W. Schneider

Mark Schroeder

Billy Recce

Daniel Schwartzberg

Gabe Crawford

Natalie DeSavia

Gizmodo - 1 

Gizmodo - 2 

The Guardian 

Los Angeles Times - 1987 

NPR

New York Post

New York Times - 1988

New York Times - 1990

New York Times - 1994

New York Times - 2021

The New Yorker

Pacific Standard Magazine

Rolling Stone

San Francisco Gate 

Vox - 1

Vox - 2

DEVIL WORSHIP: Exposing Satan's Underground Pt. 1

LeVay's Inspirations for Satanic Chuch

Anton LeVay Background

Anton LeVay Interview "The Satanic Mass" by Anton LaVey

The Number of the Beast (2015 - Remaster)

"20/20" the Devil Worshippers

Record Smashing Parties & Satanic Toys

DEVIL WORSHIP: Exposing Satan's Underground Pt. 3

Police Training Video Excerpt

"Daytime TV Theme," "Supernatural Radio A," and "Tenebrous Brothers Carnival - Act One"

• Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

• Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0

• http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

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On top of giving us the truly epic Dustin, Steve, and Eddie bromance and boosting Kate Bush's album sales, Stranger Things also deserves the bulk of the credit for bringing Dungeons and Dragons back into the zeitgeist. So, given that newfound popularity, it's hard to imagine how the very same game was once decried by a large - and largely conservative - contingent of the U.S., who condemned it for being not only a distraction from life’s realities, but an actual breeding ground for Satanic beliefs and practices. On what grounds, you might ask? Well, as you're about to hear, a lot of it can be traced back to a single case involving a missing boy, a strange push pin map, and the fateful words of one private investigator…

Rob teachers Ray about the case of James Dallas Egbert III, more commonly known today as the Dungeon Master; why having a secret network of tunnels under a college dorm might not be a great idea; why decorated P.I. Bill Dear could’ve used a little help picking his D&D character name; and how one man's journey to unravel the twists and turns of this ultimately tragic mystery may have been the genesis for an entire movement denouncing an altogether harmless and highly imaginative game. 

If you like what we are doing, please support us on Patreon.

Ray Hebel

Robert W. Schneider

Mark Schroeder

Billy Recce

Daniel Schwartzberg

Gabe Crawford

Natalie DeSavia

'80s D&D Satanic Panic Supercut

60 Minutes D&D Special

Dungeons & Dragons: Satanic Panic | Retro Report | The New York Times

"8bit Dungeon Boss" and "Video Dungeon Crawl"

• Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

• Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0

• http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Additional Sound Effects from Final Cut Pro, iLife, and Logic Pro

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Wigs, plugs, toupés - so many solutions to hair loss, but all with their own issues and drawbacks. Was there any hope for real change? Was baldness an unavoidable condition? Would someone ever come along and provide a solution that truly brought satisfaction to those wanting to return to their days of luscious locks? Enter Sy Sperling: a man with a flat yet dulcet voice, a bald patch, and a dream.

Rob teaches Ray a brief history of baldness in several cultures across the globe; how one man’s backup ad eventually became one of the most successful and memeable commercials of the 1970s; how Rogaine disrupted the hair replacement industry through medical means; Rob’s experience as both a patron and a promoter of hair-replacement solutions; and how Sy Sperling’s business and hair-weave savvy led him to found an enterprise that continues serving loyal clients (of which he himself was one) to this day.

If you like what we are doing, please support us on Patreon.

Ray Hebel

Robert W. Schneider

Mark Schroeder

Billy Recce

Daniel Schwartzberg

Gabe Crawford

Natalie DeSavia

1984 Hair Club for men "Sy Sperling I'm not just the president" TV Commercial

Dick Van Dyke - Mary Tyler Moore's Apology

Telly Savalas | Kojak | Is he really bald? | Jermyn Street | London | TN-82-073-002

I liked the shaver so much I bought the company - Remington Ad 1979

Perdue Chicken TV commercial (1982)

Hair Club for Men, Ltd.

"Happy Bee"

• Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

• Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0

• http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Additional Sound Effects from Final Cut Pro, iLife, and Logic Pro

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We've covered our fair share of musicians and music-adjacent topics on This Was a Thing, and we'll probably cover plenty more in the future. But when it comes to the Venn Diagram of musical theatre, rock-and-roll, and cover art that includes apocalyptic motorcycles, there's only one album that should come to mind. That's because there was only one Meatloaf, only one Jim Steinman, and only one Bat Out of Hell. (Well, three, technically, but who's counting.)

Ray teaches Rob about the genesis of this epic, 7-track, 46-minute rock-and-roll experience; how Jim's and Meatloaf's musical theatre roots brought them together; what Rob and Ray wouldn't do for love; why this album owes its initial popularity to our neighbors up North and our friends across the pond; when a motorcycle is not a motorcycle; and why, despite how experimental and out-there it was, Bat Out of Hell remains one of the the best-selling and most beloved creations of its time.

If you like what we are doing, please support us on Patreon.

Ray Hebel

Robert W. Schneider

Mark Schroeder

Billy Recce

Daniel Schwartzberg

Gabe Crawford

Natalie DeSavia

American Songwriter

Billboard

Classic Rock Magazine

Louder

Rolling Stone - Album Review

Rolling Stone - Interview

Ultimate Classic Rock

Variety - 1

Variety - 2

Washington Post

Meatloaf - Bat Out Of Hell (Classic Album)

Todd Rundgren - Bang The Drum All Day

Bruce Springsteen - Born to Run

Jim Steinman talks about 'Bat Out of Hell'

Bat Out of Hell

Bat Out of Hell Motorcycle Guitar Track RIP Jim Steinman and Meatloaf!

Meat Loaf - Bat Out of Hell

Jim Steinman talks about 'You Took the Words...'

Meat Loaf - You Took The Words Right Out Of My Mouth (Hot Summer Night)

Jim Steinman talks about 'All Revved Up...'

Meat Loaf - Two Out Of Three Ain't Bad

Todd Rundgren / Meatloaf making of bat out of hell

Paradise By the Dashboard Light

For Crying Out Loud

Jim Steinman talks about 'For Crying Out Loud'

You Took The Words Right Out of My Mouth (Hot Summer Night)

Bonnie Tyler - Total Eclipse of the Heart (Official Lyric Video)

Bonnie Tyler - I Need a Hero (Lyrics)

I'd Do Anything For Love (But I Won't Do That)

Fight Club (1999) Big Bob scene HD

OFFICIAL TRAILER | Bat Out of Hell The Musical

Meatloaf Interview Meeting Jim Steinman

Hot Patootie - Bless My Soul

Bat Out of Hell - Meat Loaf | Karaoke Version | KaraFun

"Happy Bee"

• Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

• Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0

• http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Additional Sound Effects from Final Cut Pro, iLife, and Logic Pro

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Having a tough day? Life got you down? Does your body feel like it’s suffering from a severe lack of goat’s blood, steroids, and placenta? Oh, and also meth? Then we know just what the doctor should order, and which doctor should order it!

Rob teaches Ray about the infamous Max "Dr. Feelgood" Jacobson, and his wide ranging celebrity clientele; his unsavory and unsanitary business practices; how his miracle vitamin shots played a key role in Cold War diplomacy; and the contemporary figures whose similarly flexible medical morals have earned them Mr. Jacobson’s unofficial title.

If you like what we are doing, please support us on Patreon.

Ray Hebel

Robert W. Schneider

Mark Schroeder

Billy Recce

Daniel Schwartzberg

Gabe Crawford

Natalie DeSavia

"Dr. Feelgood" by Motley Crue (2021- Remaster)

"Happy Bee" and “Double Polka”

• Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

• Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0

• http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Additional Sound Effects from Final Cut Pro, iLife, and Logic Pro

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Just imagine: it's the end of the week, and all you want to do is crash on the couch, switch on the TV, and chillax. Luckily for you, it's also the early 90s, which means there's no black hole of streaming services to get lost in, so no need to stress about making that choice we all struggle with nowadays: "What should I watch?" Instead, you can just pop something into your Easy Bake oven, grab a bottle of Pepsi Blue, then flip to that channel with the cartoon mice and enjoy!

Rob teaches Ray about how ABC - with the help of Jim Janicek and some stellar theme song writers - dug itself out of a programming rut with some inspired marketing moves and savvy show scheduling; the charismatic young actor whose glasses-wearing, nasal-voiced, B-plot character ended up changing Family Matters from a message-driven drama into a comedic sensation; why Bea Arthur is now also a dancing goddess; and the many ways cable television channels have tried to recreate (or in ABC's case, recapture) the glory that was TGIF.

If you like what we are doing, please support us on Patreon.

Ray Hebel

Robert W. Schneider

Mark Schroeder

Billy Recce

Daniel Schwartzberg

Gabe Crawford

Natalie DeSavia

Perfect Strangers network commercial - Pipe Dreams

Perfect Strangers / Head of the Class rap commercial

Perfect Strangers New Night commercial

The beginning of ABC TGIF

ABC - "TGIF" - February 16, 1990 - Openings - Theme Song Credits

TGIF's VERY FIRST PROMO

TGIF's VERY FIRST PROMO

Top 10 Iconic Full House Catchphrases

Family matters Steve Urkel’s first appearance

Just Ten Next.mov

FAMILY MATTERS - Cemetery - I Should Of Done Something

Family Matters - Do The Urkel (Season 2 Ep. 18)

Steve Urkel becomes Stefan Urquelle! | Family Matters | Warner Archive

ABC - "TGIF" - September 21, 1990 - Openings - Theme Song Credits

TGIF Family Matters Trivia Promo

Branding/Promo: TGIF Perfect Strangers Show Multiple Intros

ABC Saturday Morning Preview Cousin It-H264 MOV 1280x720 16x9.mov

Hammerman 1991 Cartoon Theme

ABC TGIF & I LOVE SATURDAY NIGHT

February 1992 - Promo for 'Jaleel White Special' & 'Growing Pains'

Steve Urkel Cameos on Full House - Part 1

Step by Step: SE1EP2 - The Dance (3/3)

Not The Momma!

Golden Girls Bea Arthur and Jaleel White do the "Urkel" dance on the American Comedy Awards in 1991.

Hidden America: Chilling New Look at Sex Trafficking in the US

Big Sky Season 1 Full Trailer

DeLuca Has a Breakdown - Grey's Anatomy

The Rookie Fight Scene

"Happy Bee" and "Beach Bum"

• Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

• Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0

• http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Additional Sound Effects from Final Cut Pro, iLife, and Logic Pro

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