Totally Rad Christmas!

What’s up, dudes? The Baby-Sitters' holiday party promises to be the best ever! But why isn't Stacey sharing in all of the fun? Danielle Clarke of No More Late Fees and I find out why this is truly a special Christmas for the Baby-sitters Club! Yes, it's the 1990-91 "Baby-Sitters Special Christmas!"

The Baby-Sitters have a lot to do. There's shopping for secret Santas, planning the hospital Christmas party, and attending to their regular sitting duties. Unfortunately, Stacey has to manage her diabetes as well. Quite frankly, it's a monumental talk during the sweet-filled holiday season, and she doesn't do a great job.

Meanwhile, Kristy works around the house to earn a commercial grade baseball glove. Claudia and the other girls begin to decorate for the annual Christmas party. Cue the usual 'kid who hates Christmas' bit. In this case, it's a boy with a broken leg whose parents are constantly working. Rather dramatically, Stacey lets her blood sugar spike, Dawn reprimands her, and Kristy gives her brand new mitt to the boy. At least they all sing "We Wish You a Merry Christmas."

Rambunctious children? Yep, little Pete from Pete & Pete. Near death experience. Uh huh, poor Stacey. Scooby Doo-like coincidental Secret Santa run in? Definitely! So grab your bath mask, hide behind a yellow hat, and dig this episode on "The Baby-Sitters Special Christmas!"

No More Late Fees
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Click here to order the Christmas Podcast Network Ornament! 100% of the donations go to the Red Sled Santa Foundation!!

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 What’s up, dudes? There are a lot of classic Halloween commercials! They’ve shaped our perception of the spooky season since we were little. Lyle Perez from The Halloween Podcast joins me live to watch some of the wild and creative ‘80s Halloween commercials! 

We begin with Count Chocula recoiling in fear of Count Dracula. The Invisible Man and the Mummy also try to get cheap mufflers at Meineke. Meanwhile, Count Scary attempts to persuade us to pick up some 3D glasses at our local Wendy's restaurants. His widows peak is out of control!
 
Ogilvy Mather created two memorable commercials. The first has young lovers accidentally combining peanut butter and chocolate at viewing of a scary movie. The second sees Frankenstein's wretch combine the two after his resurrection. Then follows Ronald McDonald talking with McNugget buddies in Halloween costumes. Oh, and Vincent Price even hawks Polaroid video cassettes. We also see Elvira plug Coors!

A killer stalks his prey to a John Carpenter synth score clone. As he approaches his victims, he snatches the Coca Cola out of their hands. As it turns out, it's only a sister in a face mask and curlers! Hideous!

Catchy jingles? Check. Cheesy, eerie messages? Of course. Monster shenanigans? Definitely! So grab your Dipps, head to McDonald's with their certificates, and enjoy this episode on '80s Halloween commercials!

It’s a ‘90s Christmas Podcast
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The Halloween Podcast
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Amazing Advertising Podcast
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What's up, dudes? Stephen King has had a huge influence in the horror genre, and that includes werewolves. Jeremy Phelps the Alamo City Santa is with me to talk all about the 1985 movie "Silver Bullet!" In a small town, it's hard to hide as a bat-wielding bear-like werewolf (bear-wolf?), unless you're a reverend, of course.

Siblings Marty and Jane have a contentious relationship. Things get crazy when people start dying around the full moon. At first, the deaths are chalked up to accidents, but when a young boy is torn to shreds, a posse forms. Naturally, more deaths follow.

Marty attracts the werewolf's attention shooting off fireworks, but manages to injure its eye. Consequently, he enlists Jane's help in tracking down the culprit, searching for one-eyed persons. They discover Rev. Lowe with a new eyepatch, and confront him. He attacks, but is killed when their uncle shoots him with the specially crafted bullet. All's well that ends well.

Small town? Check. Rubber snakes? Yep. Rocket powered motorbike wheelchair? Only if Gary Busey made it! So grab your fireworks, hop in your own Silver Bullet, and ride the rickety bridge to this episode!

Alamo City Santa
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What's up, dudes? It’s a beloved holiday staple, and it’s turning 70 years old! Yes, the 1954 Bing Crosby/Danny Kaye classic “White Christmas,” first released on video in 1986! Ken Kessler from Sounds of Christmas, Scott Leopold from Holly Jolly X'masu, and Jeremy Phelps the Alamo City Santa join me to reminisce about the crooner and the comic and the song that gives all the Christmas feels!

Private Davis saves Captain Wallace’s life in the war, and so they team up as a performing duo. As big time stars, they seek out the sisters of an old army buddy who are performing as a singing act. After rescuing the sisters from a scam, they follow them to Vermont to spend Christmas relaxing and skiing. As it turns out, the inn they’re staying at is owned by their formal General.

Seeing how the lack of snowfall has crippled his inn, the quartet sets out to change his fortunes. They concoct a scheme to get their old unit back together. Meanwhile, the quartet get all Hallmark-y and lovey-dovey. There are classic miscommunications and misconceptions, but all’s well that ends well. Oh, and it snows, too!

Musical numbers? Check. Choreographed dance sequences? For sure. Christmas? Well, at the very beginning and very end, at least. So put on your Santa suit, sing “White Christmas,” and celebrate the 70th anniversary of this classic!

Sounds of Christmas
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Holly Jolly X'masu
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Alamo City Santa
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What’s up, dudes? La la la la la la! They’re three apples tall, and Jeff Loftin from Lost Christmas is here with me to talk all about their Christmas adventures! Yes, it’s “The Smurfs Christmas Special!”

In this 1982 special, the Smurfs prepare their smurfberry pudding as they trim the tree. When Greedy eats the last walnut, they venture into the woods. Meanwhile, a grandfather is regaling his two grandchildren with tales of Santa Claus when their sleigh overturns. Of course, the children leave to retrieve help and run into Gargamel. After sending them away, he’s visited by a diabolical stranger who offers him a Smurf-destroying scroll in exchange for the two children.

Luckily, the Smurfs run  into the children who think Papa Smurf is Santa Claus. Unfortunately though, the stranger apprehends the children and Gargamel and begins a ritual to send them all to hell. The little blue guys show up and sing their Christmas tune “Goodness Makes the Badness Go Away.” The stranger vanishes, and the Smurfs make a Christmas wish to restore their village. Oh, and the kids are saved . Gargamel gets nothing.

Brainy Smurf? Check. Papa Smurf? Got ‘im. June Foray Smurf? Only if it’s Jokey! So grab your Phrygian cap, speak in Smurf-talk, and sing along to this episode on “The Smurfs Christmas Special!”

Lost Christmas Podcast
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What's up, dudes? I've got Ken Kessler from Sounds of Christmas and Scott Leopold from Holly Jolly X'masu here to talk the mutant disco/no wave album “A Christmas Record!” From ZE Records, it was a triumph of experimental Christmas music.

Founded in 1978 by Michael Zilkha and Michel Esteban, ZE was one of the most popular rated labels, capturing the emerging New York sound of the period. They gained exposure through a distribution deal with Island Records. In fact, before long they had signed  such acts as Kid Creole, the Waitresses, Was (Not Was), Cristina, and James White. Called “the best independent record label in the world” and “the world’s most fashionable label,” they closed their doors in ‘84.

In 1981, ZE released a Christmas compilation album as a lark. Of course the album is noted for standout alternative tracks “Christmas Wrapping” and “Christmas on Riverside Drive.” Davitt Sigerson’s “It’s a Big Country” is a folksy little ditty that plays as a newsletter of sorts, tucked into a Christmas card. Unfortunately, some of the songs don’t quite hit as hard. Suicide’s “Hey, Lord” is a depressing number and Alan Vega’s “No More Christmas Blues” feels like just the opposite.

Synthesizer? Yep. Funk rhythms? Got ‘em. Bummer Christmas songs? For sure! So grab your record player, put “A Christmas Record,” and listen to this episode!

Sounds of Christmas
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Holly Jolly X'masu
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What's up, dudes? I’ve got artist, author, and adventurer Ryan Estrada here to talk about his new book “No Rules Tonight” on Christmas in Korea in the ‘80s! Curfews and banned books and dance clubs! Oh my! It’s a fascinating look into true events!

Kim Hyun Sook is in college, and she’s being eyed as the new leader of the Banned Book Club. To top it off, it’s Christmas Eve, so traditionally this is when the Dance Club heads up the mountain to par-tay! 

Speaking to the true story that inspired both books, Hyun Sook said, “Banned Book Club is a story about the harsh realities we faced while living under a dictator. But at the time, we did not think about ourselves as living in a dystopia. We dealt with many problems and tried to make the world a better place, but we were still living our lives, making friends, falling in love, and having fun. I wanted to make a book about finding the joy in life when the world doesn't seem to want you to be happy. About discovering yourself in a world that seems hostile toward your very existence. Banned Book Club was about the sacrifices we made, the truths we hid, and the dangers we endured. I want readers of ‘No Rules Tonight’ to understand that the most important step to make the world a better place is
to be your true, authentic self.”

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What's up, dudes? Jeremy Phelps the Alamo City Santa and Sean Sotka from the Christmas Podcasts Podcast join me to talk all about 1980’s “The Christmas Raccoons!” It’s an ”Inception”-like dream/reality hybrid of pink aardvarks lumber barons and talking raccoons. It’s also Canadian and narrated by Rich Little.

The trees begin to disappear rapidly. Someone is cutting them down, and Ranger Dan has to solve the mystery. As he goes off into the wilderness leaving his poor children at home, some plucky raccoons soon find their own dwelling chopped. Ralph, Melissa, and lazy Bert were decorating for Christmas too. What a shame.

As they investigate, they mistake the ranger’s children for the tree cutters and sneak into their cabin. It turns out, however, that the culprit is Cyril Sneer. The raccoons, along with their new sheepdog friend Schaeffer ambush Cyril, and get him to discontinue his assault on the Forest. Subsequently they move into the tree in front of the cabin.

College educated nerdy son? Check. Raccoon stockings? Got ‘em. Christmas tree Yggdrasil upon which Midgard hangs as an ornament? Definitely! So grab your coat, put on your scarf, and sled down to this episode on “The Christmas Raccoons!”

Christmas Podcasts Podcast
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What’s up, dudes? What if Kevin McCallister had a mullet and was super into Rambo? Now we’ve got “Dial Code Santa Claus” or “Deadly Games” or “Game Over” or “3615 code Père Noël”! Yes, this many-titled French film is bonkers, and I’ve got Jeff and Jay from Horror for the Holidays with me to talk about it!

Thomas is an incredibly intelligent young boy whose mother is a wealthy store manager. On Christmas Eve, he makes contact with a vagrant (escaped mental patient?) through a pre-internet Minitel. Subsequently the vagrant poses as Santa, and even goes so far as to get a job at the manager’s store. He’s summarily dismissed after slapping a child.

Eventually, wanting revenge and to play with Tommy, he hijacks a store can and drives to his house. Tommy, with an out of control mullet and a Rambo attitude, has to defend his house and his diabetic grandfather from the psychotic Santa. He “Home Alone”s his house and with his technological genius, sets up traps to counter the dog-killing intruder. Cut to a Bonnie Tyler song.

Trapdoors? Check. Flocked beard? Got it. Grandpa hiding in a suit of armor like Gossamer from Looney Tunes? For sure! So grab your arm band, load a toy grenade with gunpowder, and stop wacko Santas with this episode on “Dial Code Santa Claus”! Or “Deadly Games,” or…

Horror for the Holidays
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