It’s that happy, happy time again - voting season! Since many of us hit the polls last week to do the whole democracy thing, we figured it’s a perfect time to re-air one of our earliest political episodes when the American political system encountered a crisis of epic proportions. Good to know things have changed, right? Enjoy!

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You are a new country. You have a constitution. If anything goes wrong, don't worry, the constitution will tell us what to do.......or will it?

Learn about the death of President William Henry Harrison, the first time a President died in office, and the forgotten constitutional crisis that followed, as well as a deep dive into the 25th Amendment that tried to correct those errors.

Rob gives Ray a lesson in the history of the all too brief Presidency of William Henry Harrison, the controversial elections that got him into office, The Curse of Tippecanoe, the gentleman's agreement between Eisenhower and Nixon, why it is difficult to invoke the 25th Amendment, the wisdom of Al Haig, and tons of The West Wing examples.

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

Gabe Crawford

Natalie DeSavia

His Accidency

How The Shortest Presidency Spurred A Brief Constitutional Crisis

Public Announcement of Harrison’s Death

Did William Henry Harrison Really Die of Pneumonia

Did Tecumseh’s Curse Kill Seven Presidents

What Really Killed The First President To Die In Office

Remembering William Henry Harrison

25th Amendment: Three Questions

What Is The 25th Amendment

Who’s In Charge?

Reagan Aides Once Raised The Possibility Of Invoking The 25th Amendment 

Al Haig

“Happy Bee,” “Junkyard Tribe,” and “Fife and Drum” • Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

• Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0

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

Door Closing Sound Effects

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We're back, baby! Since it was just Halloween, and we've all been gorging ourselves on sweet treats, we've probably also experienced the inevitable crash that comes after a huge sugar high. And it just so happens that the aftereffects of eating too much junk food is exactly the topic of today's episode, because that's the defense that lawyer settled on in one of the most notorious crimes of the 1970s. So grab yourself a cream-filled cake and listen up!

Rob teaches Ray and Daniel (yes, a third host's joined the gang!) about San Francisco city council member Dan White, a decorated former fireman and San Francisco city council member who eventually murdered both Harvey Milk, California's first openly gay elected politician, and SF mayor George Moscone; the political dealings and fallout that led to the disintergration of Dan White's political career and might have motivated his crimes; Daniel's lack of Twinkie expertise; how a newspaper cartoonist spun a throwaway comment about White's diet into a national meme; how a phrase from South Park has replaced the Twinkie Defense in modern parlance; and later cases that have deliberately used "Twinkie Defense" tactics to secure acquittals for their clients.

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

Gabe Crawford

Natalie DeSavia

Milk 1978 Prop 6 ( The Briggs Initiative)

The Chewbacca Defense Is Used in Court - South PARK

“Happy Bee” and “Awesome Call”

• Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

• Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0

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

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Hang up the fake cobwebs and throw on a witch’s hat - the spookiest day of the year is here! Everyone’s got some skeletons in a closet, and there’s no better day to proudly display those skeletons than Halloween. So we’re giving the Frankenstein treatment to one of our favorite episodes and republishing our deep dive into the wonderfully wacky hour of TV that was the Paul Lynde Halloween Special. Enjoy at your own peril!

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It’s a Halloween Extravaganza this week on This Was A Thing. Who’s hosting, you ask? TV Funnyman Paul Lynde, of course!

Ray teaches Rob all about The Paul Lynde Halloween Special. Who was there to share a drink (or six) with Paul? Well, just about every spooky TV personality you could think of: Carol Brady, Mr. Wiggins, Witchy Poo/Wicked Witch of the West, Donnie and Marie, Billy Barty, Sue Ann Nivens, and Halloween favorite Roz “Pinky Tuscadero” Kelly! We even get to see KISS’s first national television appearance! And, guiding the spooky special is Brady Bunch Variety Hour alumni Bruce Vilanch, ABC President Fred Silverman, and a very confused LeVar Burton!

Strap in for the WITCHIEST episode of This Was A Thing yet!

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

Gabe Crawford

Natalie DeSavia

IMBD

AV Club

Shock Cinema Magazine

Drunk TV

The Paul Lynde Halloween Special 

Bruce Vilanch on working on the show

“Happy Bee” and “Airport Lounge”

• Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

• Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0

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

“Cute Halloween Ambience & Music” by Infinity Rooms

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Ah, autumn - a season of change, of sipping a piping hot PSL, and of people starting to play Christmas music way too early (seriously, Halloween is still weeks away). It’s also when the MLB World Series captivates baseball lovers across the nation. So to celebrate the start of the national pastime’s premier event, and as a nod to spooky season, we’re republishing our episode on the 1919 World Series and the subsequent Curse of the Black Sox. Play ball!

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You’ve heard of the “Curse of the Bambino”, “Curse of the Billy Goat”, and even “Merkle’s Boner.“ But the case that changed baseball forever was The 1919 World Series Scandal, better known as ”The Black Sox Scandal," because it was discovered that players were betting against their own team!

Ray teaches Rob about players like “Shoeless” Joe Jackson, Eddie Cicotte, “Buck” Weaver, and “Chick” Gandil, who, when they’d had enough of their manager, Charles Comisky, engaged in the first major baseball scandal; the naming of the first commissioner of baseball, Judge Kennesaw Mountain (yes, you read that correctly); the theory that famous gambler, Arnold Rothstein, was behind the fix; how baseball redeemed itself; and honestly, what’s with all of these nicknames?!?

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

Gabe Crawford

Natalie DeSavia

Eight Men Out Official Trailer #1

“Happy Bee” and “Baseball”

• Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

• Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0

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

Small Group Applause by SM Soundfx

Crowd Cheering by Jacob Bowerman

Three Taps on Microphone by Foley for Free

Microphone Feedback from Sound Ideas

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Whether it’s Agatha Christie or Only Murders (#bloodymabel), murder and mystery always seem to fascinate the public. So in recognition of that fascination, and in remembrance of a cultural icon, we’re republishing our episode on Lana Turner’s trial for the murder of Johnny Stompanato and revisiting a scandal that turned Tinsel Town on its head…

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In the 1950’s, Lana Turner was one of the biggest stars in Hollywood. Sadly, she was dating a violent mobster named Johnny Stompanato. Mr. Stompanto’s violence came to an end when he was discovered stabbed to death in 1958 in Turner’s home. The person holding the knife… Cheryl Crane, Lana Turner’s 14-year-old daughter.

This week, Rob teaches Ray about Lana Turner’s hairdresser, how the media took this story and ran with it, and why famous mobster Mickey Cohen was involved with Johnny Stompanato. Seems fishy!

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

Gabe Crawford

Natalie DeSavia

Cheryl Crane, Daughter, Lana Turner INTERVIEW

The Postman Always Rings Twice 1946 Lana Turner John Garfield

Lana Turner, Joan Rivers–1982 Tv Interview

Lana Turner Full Interview Phil Donahue 1982

Susan Hayward – Where Love Has Gone # 03

1990 Tnt “Imitation of Life” commercial

Lana Turner, Bryant Gumbel, 1982 Tv Interview

“Happy Bee” and “Covert Affair”

• Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

• Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0

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

“Nearer, My God, To Thee,” as posted and performed by DUS347

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

Some child actors seem like they’re just born to be stars (we’ve all watched that one kid’s audition video for E.T., and if you haven’t, put that in the queue for the weekend). But way back before we got movies like The Goonies, producer Hal Roach had already revolutionized cinema’s approach to incorporating kids in the motion pictures. Instead of just having them be set dressing, or using them as plot devices, why not just make movies in which kids … act like kids?

Ray teaches Rob about the Our Gang films and the child stars who made them so iconic; the archetypes that the film series relied upon to create unforgettable characters; how Carl “Alfalfa” Switzer actually terrorized many of his castmates; the lives, and passings, of other notable “Little Rascals” after they left the film series; why getting dinner with Robert Blake might have been hazardous to your health; and whether or not the Our Gang curse is backed up by the evidence.

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. 

Thank you as always for your support, and if you have any thoughts or feedback you’d like to share with us, we’d love to hear from you - feel free to send us a message on social media! And we’d love to find even more listeners, so if you have a second, please leave us a rating or review on Apple Podcasts.

Ray Hebel

Robert W. Schneider

Mark Schroeder

Billy Recce

Daniel Schwartzberg

Gabe Crawford

Natalie DeSavia

Our Gang: Inside the Clubhouse (1984) (Part 1 of 10)

Our Gang: Inside the Clubhouse (1984) (Part 5 of 10)

Our Gang: Inside the Clubhouse (1984) (Part 2 of 10)

Our Gang: Inside the Clubhouse (1984) (Part 7 of 10)

Our Gang: Inside the Clubhouse (1984) (Part 3 of 10)

Our Gang: Inside the Clubhouse (1984) (Part 4 of 10)

To Tell the Truth - Freckles From “Our Gang”; Bronx Zoo Nursery Director (Nov 26, 1957)

Buckwheat Hoax

“Happy Bee,” “Frog Legs Rag,” Trouble,“ ”Mister Exposition"

• 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

If you’ve listened to some of our previous episodes, you know we love a TV variety show here at “This Was a Thing.” So to celebrate a truly iconic version of that now-defunct performance format, we’re republishing our episode on “The Brady Bunch Variety Hour.” It’s got it all - singing, dancing, American Flags, fake Jan. What’s not to love? And stay tuned for new episodes coming soon!

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The Bradys are BACK! But this time the whole bunch is singing and dancing! Yes, even Alice.

This week, Ray tells Rob all about “The Brady Bunch Variety Hour” a show that may have been panned back in the 70s, but is loved in 2021, and how The Bradys became America’s first franchised family.

And don’t worry! You don’t just get Mike, Carol, and the kids! No, no! A slew of A-Listers wanted to come along for the ride! You like Tony Randall? He’ll be there! Donny and Marie? Check! Milton Berle? Oh yes! Charo, Lee Majors and even Farrah Fawcett too? There they all are being groovy with Rip Taylor! 

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

Gabe Crawford

Natalie DeSavia

TV Guide’s Worst 50 Shows All Time (#4)

Love to Love You Bradys

News Clipping from 1976

Retro Junk

Episode 1

Episode 2

Episode 3

Episode 4

Episode 5

Episode 6

Episode 7

Episode 8

Episode 9

Television Academy Interviews

“The Brady Bunch” Instrumental

“Happy Bee”

• Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
• Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0
• http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

You know a company’s made it big when its name or brand makes it into everyday vocabulary, and history’s full of great examples. We Google things, we use Kleenex, and how would we cover our boo-boos without Band-Aids? And one camera company’s name became synonomous with capturing a perfect memory - a perfect moment, you might say - so it could be preserved forever. Unfortunately (and ironically), that same company had a lot of trouble preserving itself from going under.

Ray teaches Rob about the earliest forms of cameras and how time-consuming the process of photography originally was; how Mr. George Eastman and his company “Kodak” came onto the scene to bring photography to the masses; Kodak’s many innovations in both the form of cameras and the film they used; the Russian monarchs who were also big Kodak fans; why Kodak steered clear of digital photography, even though it helped invent the technology; and how its hesitancy to join the digital revolution was the prime culprit in Kodak’s downfall.

If you like what we’re doing, please support us on Patreon, or you can subscribe to our bonus content on Apple Podcasts. And if you have time, please leave us a rating or review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts. 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

Gabe Crawford

Natalie DeSavia

The Jazz Singer | “Ain’t Heard Nothin’ Yet” Scene | Warner Bros. Entertainment

Retroland Video: Vintage Kodak Commercials | (1950s - 1990s)

Single Marble Rolling Long time

10000 Marbles Rolling on a Giant Marble Run _ Part 2

“Happy Bee,” “Winter Chimes,” "Pinball Spring 160," and “Mister Exposition”

• 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

We’re celebrating Labor Day this week by republishing a classic episode from last year all about the television event that became synonymous with not only this holiday, but also its enigmatic (and problematic) host - Mr. Jerry Lewis. Enjoy!

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It’s that time of year again - Labor Day Weekend. And we all know the two most important things about that day: it’s the final chance to wear white clothing (thank you, Elle Woods), and it’s also when the nation used to tune into the Muscular Dystrophy Association’s annual fundraising broadcast, or as it’s better known, the Jerry Lewis Telethon.

Rob teaches Ray about Good Jerry and Bad Jerry; the early days of Martin and Lewis, their subsequent break-up, and their unexpected reunion; how Lainie Kazan earned her Actor’s Studio stripes while singing Barry Manilow; Joan Crawford’s questionable poetry choices; and why MDA eventually disassociated itself from the very man who popularized its fundraiser and championed its cause.

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

Gabe Crawford

Natalie DeSavia

Opening Credits for the MDA Telethon

Lewis and Martin Reunite

Lewis on Female Comics

Lewis on Refugees

Lewis Uses a Gay Slur

“Bad Jerry” (Lewis on Larry King)

Lainie Kazan Sings “Copacabana”

Joan Crawford Reads Poetry

Jerry’s Final “Never Walk Alone”

Jerry Lewis’s Song on His Father’s Will

Early Jerry Lewis Telethon Clips & Audio

“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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You know what really makes people want something? Tell them they can’t have it. If your goal is to cast some reverse psychology incantation, you’re golden! But in the 1980s, when a group of concerned parents with close political affiliations (read: married to politicians) wanted musicians to put content warnings on their albums, reverse psychology was not intended. Instead, we got a big ol’ battle between a committee of “Washington Wives” and any musician publishing music with violent or explicit language and themes.

Rob teaches Ray about Tipper Gore’s vendetta against explicit music; the founding of the Parents Music Resource Center and its mission to enforce a music rating system; how musicians like Prince and Madonna (and Cyndi Lauper) found their songs on the “Filthy Fifteen”; Frank Zappa being a boss; Dee Snider being even more of a boss; and how issues of censorship continue to be debated today.

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

Gabe Crawford

Natalie DeSavia

Prince - Let’s Pretend We’re Married

1985 Frank Zappa, Donny Osmond, and Kandy Stroud on Nightline With Ted Koppel

1986 Tipper Gore Interview

Prince - Darling Nikki

Dee Snider vs Tipper Gore 1984 - Senate Hearing PMRC (Parents Music Resource Center)

Dee Snider’s PMRC Senate Hearing Speech (Full)

“Happy Bee” and "Fig Leaf Times Two"

• 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