JUKEBOX DAVE'S POP CULTURE ENCYCLOPEDIA:
THE "KITSCH" IS BACK!
TOP PHOTO
Top row, left to right:
HEARTBREAK HOTEL...MR. BUBBLE...MARILYN MONROE...JACK BENNY...BETTY RUBBLE, WILMA FLINTSTONE...THE MUNSTERS...MR. KRABBS...BULLWINKLE J. MOOSE...MINGA (GUMBY'S KID SISTER)
Bottom row, left to right:
TWEETY BIRD...SAMAURI WARRIOR (SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE)...BIG BOY...TABLETOP JUKEBOX...DEAN MARTIN IN VEGAS...BUGS BUNNY...MR. BILL...KEEF RICHARDS...THE ROAD RUNNER...JAMES BOND...JIMMY NUETRON...SQUIDWARD...BARBIE...COCA COLA RADIO...JOEY RAMONE...YOGI BEAR...BATMAN...DAFFY DUCK
BOTTOM PHOTO
Top row, left to right:
LAVA LAMP...QUISP...WHITE CASTLE...CAR STEREO BOOMBOX...BARNEY RUBBLE...GUMBY...BRIAN (FAMILY GUY)...PORKY PIG...MR. BILL (Ohhhh Noooo! Not again!!)...THE THREE STOOGES...HEE HAW...ARCHIE...SCOOBY DOO
Bottom rwo, Left to Right:
BARBIE...SNOOPY...BETTY BOOP...STITCH AS ELVIS (LILO & STITCH)...PATRICK STARFISH...QUISP...SPONGEBOB SQUAREPANTS...FRED FLINTSTONE...FAIRLY ODDPARENTS...FRANKENSTEIN MEETS THE WOLFMAN...MANGO (SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE)...RED SOX PITCHER LUIS TIANT ON RC COLA CAN...LAND SHARK (SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE)...POPEYE THE SAILOR MAN...MARY KATHERINE GALLAGHER (SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE)...TRICKY DOGS MAGNETS...BELDAR CONEHEAD (SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE)...THE GRINCH
THE POP CULTURE ENCYCLOPEDIA:
THE ADDAMS FAMILY/THE MUNSTERS...A pair of creepy/kooky sitcoms during TV's "supernatural era" of the mid-60s, both starring freaky families even weirder than yours. Some viewers actually mixed the two up, truly a frightening thought!
AFROS...Hip, uni-sex hairstyle was a "natural" for 70s blacks; SOUL TRAIN's main sponsor was AFRO-SHEEN products.
ALFRED HITCHCOCK...The undisputed Master of Suspense, responsible for REAR WINDOW, THE BIRDS, and LIFEBOAT. Squeamish women preferred baths to showers after PSYCHO, while MEL BROOKS paid homage in the fractured flick HIGH ANXIETY.
ALICE COOPER---Live snakes? Guillotines? Black widows?...Sorry! Not half as scary as the sight of ALICE in golf pants.
ALKA SELTZER..."Try it, you'll like it"..."Plop, plop, fizz, fizz, oh what a relief it is"..."I can't believe I ate the whole thing" were just three of this antacid's most popular slogans. THE T-BONES had an instrumental hit called NO MATTER WHAT SHAPE (YOUR STOMACH'S IN) based on yet another of their ad campaigns.
AM RADIO...That special place where 3 minute slices of pop, rock, soul, novelty, and country gloriously co-existed on a divine astral plane, interspersed with hip patter from jabber-jawed platter jockeys. EVERCLEAR paid fitting tribute several decades after AM's demise as America's audio taste-maker.
AMERICAN PIE...DON MCLEAN's seductive saga about "the day the music died"...not BUDDY HOLLY's death, YOKO ONO's birth.
ARCHIE...Redheaded teen comic book icon who could never seem to choose between BETTY (the sweet one) or VERONICA (the rich one). THE ARCHIES scored the sacharine bubblegum smash SUGAR SUGAR in the late 60s and starred in their own cartoon show.
ARETHA FRANKLIN...The undisputed Queen of Soul, her gospel background informed charismatic chart classics like RESPECT, CHAIN OF FOOLS, and THE HOUSE THAT JACK BUILT.
ARNOLD THE PIG...Popular porker who stole GREEN ACRES away from its stars EDDIE ALBERT and EVA GABOR, the ham. "ARNOLD! Turn down that consarn TV!"
ASTROLOGY...Star-gazing hobby that supposedly predicted human behavior.
"What's your sign" became one of the 70s' most popular pick up lines.
BACHELOR PADS...A wet bar, a waterbed, and a hi-fi were the basic ingredients...oh, and a chick didn't hurt either!
BARBIE...Best selling doll in the world, who had her own dream-house, corvette, camper, and hundreds of other cool accessories. She made KEN sign a pre-nup.
BARRELFUL OF MONKEYS...Kiddies got hooked on this breathtaking game of skill, which involved picking up the longest chain of brightly colored plastic chimps possible.
BASEBALL CARDS...Everyone's mother threw 'em away, leaving hordes of would be millionaires penniless and seeking therapy.
BATMAN...BIF! POW! OOOF! ADAM WEST was the intrepid Caped Crusader on TV's campiest show of the 60s. Everyone remembers FRANK GORSHIN's giggly portrayal of THE RIDDLER and JULIE NEWMAR's slinky, sultry CATWOMAN, but LIBERACE, TALLULAH BANKHEAD, OTTO PREMINGER, and VINCENT PRICE were also among the kitschy guest criminals.
BATTLESHIP...The ultimate game of naval strategy. Blowing up your best buddy's fleet was the idea here, vocal sound effects optional.
BAZOOKA JOE...Hard, pink, chewy bubblegum accompanied by a mini comic strip and cool stuff to send away for. All for one shiny copper penny.
BEACH BLANKET BINGO, etc...Interchangable series of FRANKIE & ANNETTE flicks featuring clueless greaser ERIC VON ZIPPER and a kitschy collection of comics from MOREY AMSTERDAM and DON RICKLES to BUSTER KEATON.
BEAT THE CLOCK...Game show in which contestants performed wacky stunts during an alotted time marked by a huge clock. Carrying tall stacks of dinner dishes while blindfolded was a typical task.
THE BEATLES...JOHN, PAUL, GEORGE and the luckiest drummer ever born.
BEATNIKS...Before hippies, the "cool" people were these goatee and beret sportin', poetry spoutin', bongo boppin' youths. BOB DENVER found pre-GILLIGAN stardom through his memorable portrayal of beatnik MAYNARD G. KREBBS on the DOBIE GILLIS series.
BEEHIVE HAIRDOS...Campy new wavers THE B-52s brought this high falootin' 60s hairstyle back in the late 70s, taking their band name and fashion sense from its wigged out look.
BELL BOTTOMS...Sailor-inspired pants ending in a wide "bell" were all the rage with hippies and with sporatic generations afterward. ERIC CLAPTON even did a song about 'em called (what else?) BELL BOTTOM BLUES.
BETTY BOOP...Early cartoon-dom's squeaky-voiced, wide-eyed "boop-boop-a-doop" girl. POPEYE made his film debut dancing the hula with her...honest.
BIGFOOT...America's answer to the Abominable Snowman. Both TED "LURCH" CASSIDY and wrestling freak ANDRE THE GIANT played SASQUATCH in episodes of THE SIX MILLION DOLLAR MAN.
BIKINIS...Double-take inducing two piece swimwear that revealed the "innies" and the "outies" of beach fashion. Immortalized in BRYAN HYLAND's broad-minded hit ITSY BITSY TEENY WEENY YELLOW POLKA-DOT BIKINI.
BILL COSBY...Beloved TV and recording icon who tickled our innards with whimsical tales of NOAH, parents, and FAT ALBERT. TO RUSSELL, MY BROTHER, WHOM I SLEPT WITH is quite simply one of the funniest albums ever waxed. "The Cos" also enjoyed a Top Ten single with LITTLE OLE MAN (UPTIGHT-EVERYTHING'S ALRIGHT).
BLACK LIGHT POSTERS...Colorful, trippy paintings that "glowed in the dark" when exposed to ultra violet light. It made your girlfriend's white tee shirt stand out too!
BOB DYLAN...Legendary folkrock songwriter of the 60s, the man behind BLOWIN' IN THE WIND, IT AIN'T ME BABE, and LIKE A ROLLING STONE. Sure, he looked and sounded like your drunken brother-in-law...but at least BOB didn't owe you money.
BONANZA...Highly popular TV western featuring the CARTWRIGHT clan on their spacious spread THE PONDEROSA. There was no nonsense matriarch BEN and his three sons...HOSS (the big one), LITTLE JOE (the handsome one), and ADAM (the one who left the show).
BONGOS...A pair of small bottomless drums held between the knees and played with the palms and fingertips at hipster parties. PRESTON EPPS scored an instrumental biggie titled BONGO ROCK in the 60s, the fastest percussionist to ever hit the Top 40.
BORIS KARLOFF...King of the movie monsters, he did stunning star turns in FRANKENSTEIN, THE MUMMY, and even THE GRINCH. BOBBY "BORIS" PICKETT pulled off a dead-on impression of KARLOFF for his HALLOWEEN class-sick MONSTER MASH.
BOXTOPS...You ripped 'em off your favorite cereals and sent 'em in for groovy prizes. Also a blue eyed soul band best known for their 60s chart topper THE LETTER.
THE BOWERY BOYS...The poor man's THREE STOOGES, also known as THE EAST SIDE KIDS and THE DEAD END KIDS. LEO GORCEY and HUNTZ HALL were always good for a chuckle on a rainy Saturday afternoon.
BOZO...Everyone's favorite TV clown was an effervescent, chortling (and maybe a little scary) kiddie show host portayed by various actors and syndicated to some, but not all parts of the country in the 60s.
THE BRADY BUNCH...Thanks to that ear-worm theme song, everyone can recite the story of a lovely lady and her fellow, six cute kids, and a wisecrackin' housekeeper.
THE BRITISH INVASION...American RNB music re-booted by hordes of admirers from across the big pond. CHUCK BERRY, BO DIDDLEY, and MUDDY WATERS never sounded so...energized.
BRUCE LEE...His portrayal of KATO on THE GREEN HORNET kick-started his career, but it was chop-socky flicks like ENTER THE DRAGON that really cemented his legacy.
BUBBLEGUM MUSIC...Sugary sweet 60s pop administered by studio groups with names like 1910 FRUITGUM COMPANY and THE OHIO EXPRESS. 80s pop groups THE RAMONES, BLONDIE, and TALKING HEADS occasionally incorporated the bubblegum sound into their music.
BULLWINKLE...Creator JAY WARD's "moose with the most" and dim-witted scene-stealer of the pun-perforated BULLWINKLE SHOW. His pal ROCKY the flying squirrel (the smart one) helped him outwit nofarious no-goodniks BORIS BADENOV & NATASHA FATALE in kooky cliffhanger serials. For years, BULLWINKLE had his own gigantic balloon in the annual MACY'S THANKSGIVING DAY PARADE.
BUMPER STICKERS...Expressing yourself was easy when you stuck 'em on your car's rear end. "HONK IF YOU'RE HORNY!" was just one popular slogan.
CANDID CAMERA...ALLAN FUNT's voyeuristic boob-tube classic caught everyday people in sensational, silly situations. Talking mailboxes anyone?...SMILE! You're on CANDID CAMERA!
CAP GUNS...Toy pistols that detonated tiny "caps" of gunpowder attached to a paper roll. Both the sound and the acrid smell got people's attention.
CAP'N CRUNCH...According to the cartoon CAP'N, this cereal stayed crunchy even in milk. DAWS (YOGI BEAR) BUTLER provided the CAP'Ns voice, while BULLWINKLE creator JAY WARD directed the long running series of commmercials.
CAPTAIN KANGAROO...Gentle kiddie TV host so named due to his navy blue coat with oversized pockets, which often held surprises. Cronies included BUNNY RABBIT, MR. MOOSE, and MR. GREENJEANS.
CASPER THE FRIENDLY GHOST...His only motive was to be pals...but some could see through that.
CB RADIO...Citizen's band radio, the trucker's best buddy, best explained in the snash hit CONVOY narrated by C.W. MCCALL. "Smokies" were state troopers, "seat covers" were chicks, and so on...
CHEECH & CHONG...Anyone who thinks their stoner humor wasn't funny probably exhaled too soon.
CHEEZ WHIZ...It could be dispensed from an aerosal can and spread on crackers. It was nearly impossible to control the crazy flow of "cheez", but that was half the fun.
CHICKEN MCNUGGETS...The fowl fave of youngin's everywhere...God only knows what part of the clucker this MCDONALD's staple came from.
THE CHIPMUNKS...The original trio of chart-climbing rodents ALVIN, SIMON & THEODORE not only enjoyed bona fide hits like THE CHIPMUNK SONG, they had their own cartoon show in the 60s. Followed in the 80s by a lesser animated version and in the next millennium by a series of computer animated movies.
CHUCK BERRY---The FATHER OF ROCK & ROLL wrote the same song 50 times...but apparently, it was the RIGHT song. In spite of time honored classics such as JOHNNY B. GOODE, MAYBELLINE, and ROLL OVER BEETHOVEN, his only number one single was the novelty singalong MY DING-A-LING, appropriated from a ribald RNB oldie.
CLACKERS...Two hard plastic balls on strings that kids "clacked" together in order to drive your parents/teachers bonkers. Taken off the market due to numerous injuries.
COCA COLA...Most popular soft drink in the world...tho' it never tasted quite the same after the seven ounce green bottle was discontinued.
COFFEE HOUSES...Hip hang-outs for folkies, beatniks, and plain old caffeine junkies.
COLORFORMS...Rubber images of popular cartoon and TV stars that could be stuck to cardboard backgrounds; POPEYE was the first character the company licensed.
COMIC BOOKS...Cheap color magazines filled with the adventures of your favorite cartoon personalities and super heroes. When the cover came off the staples, you knew you'd read it one too many times.
CONVERTIBLES...Most popular throughout the 60s, you could "drop the top" on these cool cars and get the full effect of a sunny day. The MONKEEMOBILE and the BATMOBILE were two of the most famous ones.
COOL MCCOOL...BATMAN creator BOB KANE also came up with this animated spy spoof whose rogues' gallery included THE OWL, JACK-IN-THE-BOX and MADCAP...suspiciously reminiscent of BATMAN's foes THE PENGUIN, THE JOKER, and THE MAD HATTER. Voice artist BOB MCFADDEN patterned MCCOOL's calm vocal inflections after JACK BENNY.
CRACKER JACK...Candy-coated popcorn, peanuts and a prize. The prizes got progressively crappier over the decades, but the edible bits never faltered.
CRAYOLA 64 COLORS...The epitomy of coloring book cool, a box stuffed with exotic shades like "perriwinkle" and "burnt auburn", and a built in sharpener to boot.
CREATURE FEATURE...Hilariously low-budget monster flicks with titles like THE THING WITH TWO HEADS, THE BEAST FROM HAUNTED CAVE, and ATTACK OF THE KILLER SHREWS. MYSTERY SCIENCE THEATER made a kitschy cottage industry of this glorious mess!
CREEPY CRAWLERS...Sticky colored "goop" was suirted into a mold and heated in a Thingmaker to create spiders, worms, and flies. Try not to burn down dad's garage, Junior.
DAIRY QUEEN...Americas's fave stop-over for tasty treats such as the DILLY BAR and the BUSTER BAR, not to mention their trademark curly-topped soft-serve ice cream cones. Who cared if frozen custard was really made from powdered seaweed?
DARK SHADOWS...This CREATURE FEATURE for the soap opera set spotlighted scene-stealing vampire BARNABAS COLLINS...plus werewolves and zombies and ghosts, oh my!!
THE DATING GAME...A pretty bachelorette would ask provacative questions and choose her "date" from three guys hidden behind a screen...or sometimes the other way around. Popular HERB ALPERT & THE TIJUANA BRASS instrumentals were employed as incidental music, while ADAM WEST, PAUL LYNDE (!) and MAUREEN ("Marsha! Marsha! Marsha!") MCCORMICK were among the celebrity guests dates. MWAH!
DAVY CROCKETT...FESS PARKER played both the insanely popular, coonskin capped frontiersman in a trio of DISNEY movies and
lookalike DANIEL BOONE in a long running TV series that followed.
DEAR ABBY...Long-running newspaper advice columnist whose only serious competition was her twin sister ANN LANDERS.
DICK TRACY...Lantern-jawed crime-bustin' copper whose adversaries were named for their grotesque features...BB EYES, FLATTOP, and PRUNEFACE were the best set of bizarre arch-villians this side of BATMAN.
DICKIE GOODMAN...Master of the "break-in" record in which a faux news announcer would interview a celebrity like NIXON or JAWS, with the humorous answers provided via short snippets of popular hits. FLYING SAUCER was his first and best known effort.
DINERS...Before fast food chains encroached on their territory, DINERS offered home cookin' and a friendly atmosphere at a reasonable price. "Adam & eve on a raft!" was waitress jargon for two eggs on toast.
DIPPITY-DO-Cool lookin' hair gel in a jar, the female equivalent of BRILL CREAM.
DISCO...The "boom-boom" dance boom of the late 70s that allowed marginally talented artists like KC & THE SUNSHINE BAND and THE VILLAGE PEOPLE to kill off an embarrassingly large number of legit soul stars. Rock & rollers ROD STEWART, KISS, and THE ROLLING STONES jumped on the bandwagon briefly, while pop stars THE BEE GEES revived their flagging career with a string of RNB-flavored DISCO hits.
DODGEBALL...Gym class game best experienced while wearing a thick pair of eyeglasses held onto your noggin by a tight strap. OWITCH!
DOLLY PARTON...Country music personality whose assets included a chirpy voice, blonde wigs, and her buxom anatomy; the latter was the butt of endless JOHNNNY CARSON jokes in the 70s.
DOO-WOP...When street corner harmony singing reigned in the 50s, it didn't even have a name. The term DOO-WOP was applied well after the fact, in the following decade.
DR. SUESS...Inventive father of THE GRINCH, YERTLE THE TURTLE, and THE GRINCH. He told great bedtime stories.
DRIVE IN MOVIES...B monster movies, bad snack food, steamy windows...who could ask for anything more?
EASY-BAKE OVEN...Pint-sized gourmet cookin' via a simple light bulb. Teeny weeny chocolate cake anyone?...
ED SULLIVAN...There was no other TV host as hilariously wooden or variety show as diverse as this one...THE BEATLES, dog acts, plate spinners, and TOPO GIGIO the Italian mouse were on the "something for everyone" guest list.
EIGHT TRACK TAPES...The nadir of recorded music, briefly popular due to their portability in cars and early boomboxes. The downside?...they broke easily, and some songs were "split up", requiring a long pause as it switched over to the next "track". We swore at 'em, some truck drivers still swear by 'em.
ELTON JOHN...Occasionally this piano poundin' pop star auctions off his old stage outfits for charity. JIM HENSON's people buy 'em up and make new MUPPETS out of 'em.
ELVIS...We're not talkin' COSTELLO folks, but THE UNDISPUTED KING OF ALL POP CULTURE...thank you very much.
ETCH A SKETCH...Tough to master magic screen kids could draw with merely by twisting its knobs to create vertical and horizontal lines. The inevitable mistakes could be "erased" simply by shaking the gadget vigorously.
EVEL KNEIVEL...The 70s' most famous daredevil, known for his star spangled attire and jumping motorcycles over buses. An aborted attempt across the Grand Canyon on a rocket-cycle proved his most infamous defeat. The subject of two movies, one starring EVEL himself, as well as the long forgotten song parody EVIL BOLL WEEVIL.
THE EXORCIST...Teenaged LINDA BLAIR turned a lot of heads in this pea soup-strewn film adaption of WILLIAM PETER BLATTY's best selling novel about satanic possession.
FAKE PLASTIC VOMIT...Merely one of a long line of "gross-out" items available for order in the back of your favorite comic book. Fake doggie-doo was just as much fun and possibly even more disgusting.
FELIX THE CAT...This animated feline icon started in silent 'toons, later graduating to talkies, where he often exclaimed, (in an annoying, high pitched voice) "Rightee-o! HA HA HA HA HA!"
THE FLINTSTONES...HANNA BARBERA's modern stone-age take on THE HONEYMOONERS were pop culture's first "rock stars". MEL BLANC played BARNEY RUBBLE, his most famous voice apart from the LOONEY TUNES stable.
FLUFFER-NUTTER...Gooey sandwich treat concocted of Marshmallow Fluff and lots of peanut butter. The only serious competiton the classic PBJ ever had.
FLYING SAUCERS...They were all the rage in the 50s and 60s; "little green men from Mars" were spotted in movies, TV shows, and cool novelty songs like MARTIAN HOP by THE RAN-DELLS and BILLY LEE RILEY's FLYING SAUCERS ROCK & ROLL.
FRANK SINATRA..."Old Blue Eyes" and "The Chairman of the Board" were two nicknames for this most popular of crooners. THE RAT PACK's undisputed leader scored an endless chain of classics included THE LADY IS A TRAMP, STRANGERS IN THE NIGHT, and MY WAY.
FRANKENSTEIN...Universal Studio's most famous monster was fodder for TV shows (THE MUNSTERS), film comedies (YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN), cartoons (THE GROOVY GHOULIES), and a chart topping instrumental single by THE EDGAR WINTER GROUP.
FRITO BANDITO...LOONEY TUNES legend MEL BLANC voiced this "south of the border" corn chips crook, who was eventually changed to a new character called W.C. FRITOS due to backlash from latino groups. BLANC's "fastest mouse in all Mexico" SPEEDY GONZALES recieved similar criticism.
THE FUGITIVE...No TV star ever played a paranoid man on the run more convincingly than DAVID JANSSEN, who said more with an expression than most actors could with pages of dialogue.
FUNNY FACE...KOOL-AID competitor that featured silly characters named after fruity drink flavors...GOOFY GRAPE was their leader, but INDIAN ORANGE and CHINESE CHERRY vanished from the market faster than you can say "ethnic backlash"...JOLLY OLLY ORANGE or CHOO CHOO CHERRY anyone?
GEORGE CARLIN...The 70s' fave hip, pony-tailed observational comic, who pontificated on class clowns, recreational drug use, and the infamous seven dirty words you can never say on television.
G.I. JOE...Realistically jointed military action figure whose accessories included machine guns, grenades, even an Army jeep. BARBIE's beau KEN was a real wimp by comparison.
GILLIGAN'S ISLAND...TV's all time "love it or hate it" sitcom about seven stranded castaways; GILLIGAN and the SKIPPER amounted to a poor man's LAUREL & HARDY, GINGER GRANT channeled MARILYN MONROE, and millionaire THURSTON HOWELL III naturally sounded like JIM BACKUS' crotchety cartoon alter ego MR. MAGOO.
GIRL GROUPS...These sexy songbirds of the early 60s were an influence on male rock acts from the BEACH BOYS and BEATLES to the NEW YORK DOLLS and RAMONES. The SHIRELLES, SHANGRI-LAS, and SUPREMES were just a few of the best known.
GIVE-A-SHOW PROJECTOR...A glamourized plastic flashlight you shined on a dark bathroom wall or ceiling while pulling celluloid strips of fave cartoons through a slot. The polar opposite of VIEW MASTERS' vivid, high-tech 3-D images, but still a lotta fun on a rainy Saturday.
GLAM/GLITTER ROCK...Flamboyant, beat-heavy 70s rock from Great Britain accented by outrageous makeup, duds and hairstyles. SLADE, THE SWEET, GARY GLITTER, SUZI QUATRO, and T-REX were among GLAM's biggest heroes.
GODZILLA...The laser-spewing king daddy of all Japanese monsters, this overgrown lizard battled everyone from MOTHRA to KING KONG, leveling TOKYO in every flick. BLUE OYSTER CULT made some big buckaroos off his name; he's still pissed off about it and still lookin' for 'em.
GO-GO BOOTS...Hip 60s footgear for chicks, especially cool for dancing on HULLABALOO or SHINDIG.
GOOBER GRAPE...Peanut butter and jelly mixed in the same jar. I kid you not.
GOOBERS & RAISINETS: Chocolate covered peanuts and raisins that tasted especially scrumptious in a dark movie theater.
GOOD 'N PLENTY...Pink and white candy coated licorice bites that sounded like a train chugging when you shook the box. CHOO CHOO CHARLIE loved 'em!
THE GRAND OLD OPRY...Country music's biggest live showcase, a weekly radio concert originating from Nashville, Tennessee; the prestigious membership included ROY ACUFF, JOHNNY CAHS, and DOLLY PARTON.
GRATEFUL DEAD...San Francisco's ultimate hippy group, best known for their endless concert "jams" and the world's most rabid fan base, collectively known as Dead-Heads.
THE GREEN HORNET...Cult TV classic from the producers of BATMAN, featuring VAN WILLIAMS as the masked avenger and BRUCE LEE as his butt-kickin' sidekick. Trumpeter AL HIRT blasted out the frenzied theme song.
GTO...The MONKEEMOBILE was one of these sleek muscle cars, and RONNIE & THE DAYTONAS scored a hot rod hit with LITTLE GTO.
GUMBY...Before becoming a bitter, stogie-chewing old man that looked a lot like EDDIE MURPHY, GUMBY was every kid's rubber-limbed pal on TV and in the toybox.
GUNSMOKE...TV's longest running western spotlighted JAMES ARNESS' stoic MARSHALL MATT DILLON, AMANDA BLAKE's no nonsense saloon gal MISS KITTY, and DENNIS WEAVER's limping deputy CHESTER. This is how the west was fun.
HAPPY MEALS...Like sugary cereals, we cajoled our parents into buying MCDONALD's burger, fries, and drink kiddie combo for the cool plastic prize inside the box.
HAWAIIAN SHIRTS...Colorful, flowery casual wear good for beaches, barbeques, and beer blasts. DON HO and JACK LORD (on his days off) looked sharp in 'em.
HEE HAW...Hick spin on LAUGH-IN permeated by bodacious babes, corny jokes, and lots of good ol' country music. SA-A-A-A-A-LUTE!
HERB ALPERT & THE TIJUANA BRASS...Latino flavored instrumental pop from one of the most successful acts of the 60s via hip horn hits like A TASTE OF HONEY, WHIPPED CREAM, and THE LONELY BULL. The TJB sound was everywhere, from game shows to TV ads to movie soundtracks.
HILLBILLIES...These barefooted, shotgun totin', suspender wearin' hicks were all the rage in comic strips (L'IL ABNER, SNUFFY SMITH), TV (THE BEVERLY HILLBILLIES) and the movies (the MA & PA KETTLE series). THE HATFIELDS vs. THE MCCOYS was the most famous of the longstanding hillbilly fueds.
HIPPIES...Long hair, love beads, torn jeans, and peace signs were just part of their groovy "scene".
THE HOLLYWOOD SQUARES...Ever-grinning PETER MARSHALL hosted this game show played with nine clebrities residing in a giant TIC-TAC-TOE board. CHARLEY WEAVER, ROSE MARIE, and PAUL LYNDE were three of the funniest regulars.
Peter Marshall: Paul, why do Hell's Angels wear leather?
Paul Lynde: Because chiffon wrinkles too easily.
THE HONEYMOONERS...The most beloved of JACKIE GLEASON's many over-the-top characters was blustery bus driver RAPLH KRAMDEN; the world's greatest second banana ART CARNEY was his happy go lucky pal ED NORTON. The classic year long series was a blueprint for both THE FLINTSTONES and YOGI BEAR, who was basically ED NORTON wrapped in a fur coat.
HOPE & CROSBY...Ski-nosed comic Bob and blue eyed crooner Bing were inseperable con men in their hugely successful "ROAD TO"...series of buddy movies starting in the 1940s. RIO, SINGAPORE, and HONG KONG were just a few of the exotic locations where they regularly broke into song & dance routines, ran from bad guys, and fought over sarong-clad DOROTHY LAMORE.
HOT PANTS...Cheeky attire for women that basically amounted to very short shorts. JAMES BROWN provided exposure via his funky tribute HOT PANTS (SHE GOT TO USE WHAT SHE GOT TO GET WHAT SHE WANTS). Say it loud, JAMES!
HOT WHEELS...MATCH BOX cars with racing slicks and twin pipes. VAROOOOOOOM!
HOWARD COSELL...Pompous, nasal-toned, toupee-wearin' sportscaster who was the profession's most recognizable (and by many, the most disliked) voice in the 70s. "The mouth that roared".
HOWDY DOODY...This ever smiling, freckle-faced marionette was a smash hosting his own early kiddie show along with human buddy "BUFFALO BOB" SMITH.
HULA HOOPS...If it didn't go "shoop" when you slung it 'round your waist, you had a cheap knock-off.
HUSH PUPPIES...Comfy, casual brushed-suede footwear whose mascot was a cute, sad faced basset hound. These were perfect if your "dogs were barking".
INSTANT COFFEE...Spoon a few granules in your cup, add hot water and viola!...instant early morning gratification. Good to "go".
THE INVISIBLE MAN...CLAUDE RAINES' indelible portrayal of H.G. WELL's tortured transparent hero inspired countless spin-offs in the form of films, TV series, and even an 80s music group called THE INVISIBLE MAN'S BAND.
JACK BENNY...Hilariously vain radio/TV skinflint and violin molester (it was all an act), remembered for his impeccable timing, the all-purpose catchphrase "Well!..." and a funny, feminine walk.
JACK LALANNE...The original TV fitness guru. Amazingly, he performed 1000 jumping jacks and 1000 chin-ups in under 90 minutes to promote his exercise show going national in the late 50s.
JAMES BOND...SEAN CONNERY. Any questions?...
JAMES BROWN...The screamin', dancin', testifyin' Godfather of Soul. Accept no substitutes...as if anyone else ever came close. JAMES BR-"OWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW"-N!!!
JAMES DEAN...His brooding legacy rests in a trio of classic films and a killer car crash at the age of 24. DEAN's name popped up prominently in DAVID ESSEX's smash hit ROCK ON, and THE EAGLES titled a song after him.
JELL-O...You used to watch it wiggle on your plate and BILL COSBY hawk it on TV.
JERRY LEWIS...Half of one of the great movie comedy teams with DEAN MARTIN, the solo star of slapstick hits like THE NUTTY PROFESSOR, and perrenial MUCSULAR DISTROPHY host.
JIFFY POP...You shook the flat aluminum foil pan over a stove burner and it miraculously "poofed" into a container of popcorn...that is, if you didn't burn it and stink up the whole house!
JIMI HENDRIX...The six string shot heard 'round the world, JAMES MARSHALL HENDRIX paid his dues playing behind LITTLE RICHARD and THE ISLEY BROTHERS before achieving guitar guru status.
JOHN WATERS...This campy director of PINK FLAMINGOS and HAIRSPRAY put the "eccccch!" in eccentric casting. DIVINE, PATTI HEARST or IGGY POP were among his more daring choices.
JOHN WAYNE...King of the Cowboys. 'Nuff said, Pilgrim.
JOHNNY CARSON...The undisputed King of Late Night TV. Watching THE TONIGHT SHOW was of the only things you could do in bed besides...sleeping.
JOHNNY CASH..."The Man in Black" is probably the best loved of all country performers; he rubbed shoulders with ELVIS and JERRY LEE at SUN RECORDS and scored big crossover pop hits including I WALK THE LINE and A BOY NAMED SUE.
THE JOLLY GREEN GIANT...HO-HO-HO! Even vegetable-hating kids loved this gargantuan guardian of gardens, voiced by character actor HERSHEL BERNARDI, who also did CHARLIE THE TUNA for STARKIST. The subject of THE KINGSMEN's biggest hit other than LOUIE LOUIE.
JUKEBOXES...Tabletop or huge and freestanding, these colorful, brightly lit record machines dispensed popular hits of the day for mere pocket change.
KEEP ON TRUCKIN'...An R. CRUMB-inspired bumper sticker/poster as well as a number one pop hit by ex-TEMPTATIONS singer EDDIE KENDRICKS.
KICK-BALL...If you struck out in this game, you might just as well take your ball and go home.
KING KONG...This champ of all chimps was featured in movies, his own cartoon series, a BOB NEWHART stand-up sketch, and charting singles from DICKIE GOODMAN, GEORGE JONES, and JIMMY CASTOR.
KISS...Rock's infamous make-up sporting, bubble-glam-spouting, mega-merchandising juggernaut, offering everything from action figures to caskets. Could they BE any more POP CULTURE?...
KOOL-AID...Sugary sweet kid's drink which came in a powdered packet that your mom mixed with water.
KRAZY GLUE...According to the TV ad depicting a contruction worker hanging from his hardhat glued to a steel beam, "You can do some crazy thing with it!"...the secret weapon of practical jokers everywhere.
K-TEL RECORDS...The original mix-tape. 22 Original Hits! 22 Original Stars!...no one ever said anything about "original length" of the song. For a complete K-TEL essay, please return to my home page.
KUNG FU...DAVID CARRADINE's popular chop-socky TV series, as well as the subject of CARL DOUGLAS' chart-kickin' smash KUNG FU FIGHTING.
LAUREL & HARDY...Funniest tag team ever...and they didn't even wrestle.
LAWRENCE WELK...Smiling accordianist/bandleader who hosted his "champagne music" series for over two decades, sponsored of course, by GERITOL. "An'a one-uh, an' a two-uh..."
LEGO...Classic plastic building bricks you could never pry apart after using them a few times.
LIFESAVERS...Sweet round fruit flavored candies with a trademark hole that came in a roll. GROUCHO tossed one of these sweets to a drowning THELMA TODD in the MARK BROTHERS comedy HORSE FEATHERS.
LINCOLN LOGS...You built log cabins with 'em, natch. Is this what pioneer kids used to do on rainy days?
LITTLE DEBBIES... A scrumptious staple in lunchboxes everywhere, these sweet snack cakes with a cute little girl logo on every box.
THE LITTLE RASCALS...Also known as OUR GANG, their ranks included precocious SPANKY, ALFALFA, DARLA, and BUCKWHEAT, the funniest lineup of mishief makers to ever grace your boob-tube.
THE LONE RANGER...TONTO's beloved "Keem-o-sabe", a masked cowboy do-gooder whose trademark was a seemingly endless supply of silver bullets. Werewolves hated him.
LOONEY TUNES...Starring brash upstarts such as DAFFY DUCK, FOGHORN LEGHORN, and YOSEMITE SAM, was this the best cartoon series ever? As a certain "wascally wabbit" was known to slyly utter, "Hmmmmmmm, COULD be!"
LOUIS ARMSTRONG...New Orleans' ever smilin' good will ambassador of swingiin' jazz, trumpeter/vocalist SATCHMO's biggest pop hits included HELLO DOLLY and the posthumous WHAT A WONDERFUL WORLD.
LUCY...No last name needed, the (sorta) red-headed queen of comedy helmed a trio of slapstick-laden TV shows in the 50s and 60s...Say "VITA-MEATA-VEGIMIN" three times fast.
LUNCH BOXES...Status symbol metal food containers you brought to school to show off to your friends. They were adorned with hot characters like SNOOPY, DANIEL BOONE, and THE JETSONS...unless, (God forbid!) your mom got you the generic "plaid" one.
LYNYRD SKYNYRD---Southern rock's most famous casualty. What song is it you wanna hear for the thirteen millionth time?...
MAD MAGAZINE...Long running publication aimed at male teens, chock full of bizarre cartoons, screen parodies, and gross-out humor. "What, Me Worry?..."
MAE WEST...Ahead of her time cinematic sex symbol who purred provocative lines like "Why don'tcha come up and see me sometime?"...She recorded a tunelss version of TWIST & SHOUT late in her career.
MAGIC 8-BALL...Ask it a question, shake it, turn it over, and viola!...Instant answers like "Ask again later."
MAGIC SLATE...Anything you drew or scribbled on it could be magically "erased" by merely lifting the sheet of plastic paper. This worked even better than White-Out.
THE MAN FROM U.N.C.L.E...TV's most popular JAMES BOND spin-off, starring ROBERT VAUGHAN and DAVID MCCALLUM as super spies NAPOLEON SOLO and ILLYA KURYAKIN (try THAT one three time fast).
MARILYN MONROE...Iconic, doomed bottle blonde queen of sultry, carefree flicks such as THE SEVEN YEAR EACH and SOME LIKE IT HOT...also the inspiration for ELTON JOHN's CANDLE IN THE WIND.
THE MARX BROTHERS...Fast-talkin' GROUCHO, non-talkin' HARPO, double-talkin' CHICO...and, oh yeah...ZEPPO.
MATCHBOX CARS...Teeny replicas of firetrucks, ambulances, and convertibles designed for driveway play, or kitchen linoleum on rainy days.
MEL BLANC...Cartoondom's legendary "Man of a Thousand Voices" not only embodied practically every LOONEY TUNE from BUGS to TWEETY to PORKY, he also spoke for BARNEY RUBBLE, GEORGE JETSON's boss MR. SPACELY, and JACK BENNY's sputtering Maxwell automobile.
METAL PEDAL CARS...Rugged kid-sized replicas of firetrucks (complete with real wooden ladders and a ringing bell!) and sports cars. So much cooler than the generic, plastic BIG WHEELS that arrived on the scene much later.
MICKEY MOUSE WATCH...Fashion accessory recognized the world over. Who knew one of MICKEY's gloved hands actually was shorter than the other?
MILTON BERLE..."MR. TELEVISON" and "UNCLE MILTIE" were two nicknames for this pioneering boob-tube comic, whose schtick included gap-toothed slapstick and dressing in women's duds.
MINI SKIRTS...Thanks to our retro-centric society, this hip fashion statement STILL has legs.
MINIATURE GOLF...18 holes of windmills, miniature houses, and storybook characters, all designed for play with a kid-sized putter. Sink the last hole in one shot earned you a free game.
THE MONKEES...The Pre-Fab Four. Who SEZ they couldn't play their own instruments? Ever see DAVY wail on that tambourine?
MONOPOLY...America's favorite money-grabbin' pasteboard pasttime started out in the early 1900s as THE LANDLORD'S GAME. It's popularity eventually spawned versions starring KISS, PEANUTS, THE RED SOX, and many other pop culture icons.
MONTY PYTHON...British televison's irreverent comedy troupe starred in a looney sketch comedy series as well as fractured film fare like THE HOLY GRAIL and LIFE OF BRIAN. JOHN CLEESE and ERIC IDLE were amng its members.
MOTHER-IN-LAW JOKES...Fair game for 60s comedians everywhere, MOTHER-IN-LAW was also a chart-topping hit by New Orleans singer ERNIE K-DOE.
MOTOWN: Billed as "The Sound of Young America", Detroit-based MOTOWN RECORDS backed up their claim with with an impressive soul roster that included THE SUPREMES, MARVIN GAYE, STEVIE WONDER, RARE EARTH, THE FOUR TOPS, SMOKEY ROBINSON, THE JACKSON 5, and THE TEMPTATIONS.
MOUSE TRAP: Interactive board game patterened after RUBE GOLDBERG's kooky contraptions; players built the "perfect mouse trap" piece by piece...it seldom worked right, but that was half the fun.
MR. BILL...Luckless, whiny clay character on SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE who suffered innumerable mishaps and indignities at the hands of his "creator" MR. HANDS and frowning nemesis MR. SLUGGO. "OHHHHH NOOOOOOOOO!"
MR. BUBBLE...PLEASE tell me I'm not the only one who thought he really came out of the plastic bottle and talked, just like on TV.
MR. CLEAN...Chrome-domed mascot for PROCTOR & GAMBLE household products; even his head was squeaky spotless.
MR. ED...Architect WILBUR POST got everything straight from the horse's mouth...his pet palamino MR. ED not only talked, he also used the phone, surfed, and danced to rock music.
MR. PEANUT...Everyone was nuts about this nattily attired mascot for PLANTERS, resplendent in his top hat, monacle, and cane.
MUHAMMAD ALI...Boxing's most outgoing personality was a rope-a-doper, a poet, and HOWARD COSELL's sparring partner. He was also the subject of JOHNNY WAKELIN's hit ska-pop charter BLACK SUPERMAN/MUHAMMAD ALI.
THE MUPPETS...JIM HENSON's colorful, irreverent, fur-covered puppets got their big break on SESAME STREET before graduating to their own variety series. KERMIT THE FROG, MISS PIGGY, and OSCAR THE GROUCH were exactly like real people we all know and love.
NERF...A soft, spongey ball you could throw in the house!...Honest, Mom!
NO PEST STRIP...A yellow strand of sticky flypaper you hung from the ceiling to snare unsuspecting insects. Pretty disgusting because it really worked.
OSCAR MEYER WEINER MOBILE...Frank-ly speaking, this hot dog-shaped, publicity garnering vehicle first appeared in 1936. Mini replica pedal cars were even introduced for the kiddies.
THE OSMONDS...Toothy singing siblings who scored bubblegum biggies like YO YO and DOWN BY THE LAZY RIVER as a group; DONNY also forged a solo career as a teen idol, then teamed with sister MARIE for even more sugary smashes.
OUIJA BOARD...Lights out game with an eerie ability to answer provocative questions administered by the players. Was it really the spirits talking?...or was it just the way you and your friends inadvertently glided the pointer around amongst the letters and numbers?
OVALTINE...This cocoa flavored drink mix for kids was developed in Switzerland...where the later, less tasty knock-off SWISS MISS cribbed its name from.
THE PARTRIDGE FAMILY...TV's first family of bubblegum, based loosely on real pop group THE COWSILLS. Oscar winning actress/singer SHIRLEY JONES headed the chart-climbin' clan, which included her real life stepson DAVID CASSIDY, famous for his perfect shag and teen idol good looks.
PEACE SIGN...Everyone has flashed the two finger "V" at one time or another for fun or as a friendly greeting. The famed logo encircled the foot of a dove (the symbol for "peace"), as prominent in pop culture as the Smiley Face.
PEDAL PUSHERS...Calf-length trousers also called Clam Diggers, originally worn by bicyclists...hence the name.
PERRY MASON...RAYMOND BURR played the broad shouldered lawyer who never lost a case in the immensely popular TV show based on ERLE STANLEY GARDNER's series of books.
PETER, PAUL & MARY...60s folk trio famous for PUFF THE MAGIC DRAGON and LEAVIN' ON A JET PLANE, among other ear-resistible singalongs.
PEZ DISPENSERS...Popular plastic candy dispenser based on cartoon and TV icons like BATMAN, BUGS BUNNY, and FRED FLINTSTONE. You simply flipped up the character's head to recieve a sugary rectangular pellet.
PHILLIS DILLER...Wild-haired, outlandishly attired comedienne famous for her jaded routines about her lack of looks, slovenly housework and no-good hubbie FANG. Most lines were punctuated by her trademark "HAA-HAAA!"
THE PILL...A popular birth control device that was easy to swallow; LORETTA LYNN scored a huge country hit about it.
THE PILLSBURY DOUGHBOY...The adorable, cuddly POPPIN' FRESH was voiced by veteran cartoon actor PAUL FREES (BORIS BADENOV, LUDWIG VON DRAKE, and many others).
PINBALL...Coin-operated, brightly lit game of skill found in bars and arcades; the object was to score points by bouncing a metallic ball off various targets via finger-controlled "flippers". THE WHO's trademark hit PINBALL WIZARD was almost as much fun as the setting off those buzzers and bells.
PINK FLOYD--Space rock to get stoned by, which is why their double album THE WALL came in so handy when you opened it up across your lap.
THE PINK PANTHER...The zany BLAKE EDWARDS-directed flicks starring PETER SELLERS as inept INSPECTOR CLOUSEAU spun off a hit theme song by HENRY MANCINI and a long running cartoon series.
PIXIE STRAWS...What went better with an already hyperactive tot than a paper straw full of colored sugar?
PLATFORM SHOES...High-steppin' footwear loved by disco divas and short guys alike.
PLAYBOY...HUGH HEFNER created this famed men's magazine which featured in depth articles, celebrity interviews, cartoons by legends like GAHAN WILSON and SHEL SILVERSTEIN, and...oh, yeah "tatsefully nude" women, commonly called "Bunnies".
PLEASE, DON'T SQUEEZE THE CHARMIN!...Grocery clerk MR. WHIPPLE's stern admonishment in a long-running series of paper towel commercials. CHARLIE WALKER even enjoyed a country hit called DON'T SQUEEZE MY SHARMON.
POGO STICKS...Childhood had its ups and downs; this spring-loaded joystick provided 'em.
POP ROCKS...They exploded and richocheted inside your mouth. Double dare ya to mix 'em with a Coke!...
POP-SICLE...Tasty fruit-flavored treat sometimes delivered by the ice cream man; typically, the last bite landed on the sidewalk when it fell off the stick and became a "plop-sicle".
POP TARTS...Out of the toaster or right out of the box, the "go-to" breakfast for youngin's on the run.
POPEYE...The sawed-off, one eyed sailor had cartoon series with at least six different companies, a comic strip, fried chicken franchise and his own brand of spinach. Who said you have to be a hunk to sell stuff?
PRINGLES...Rival potato chip companies claimed they weren't even real chips, but who could resist these perfectly formed tsate treats when you popped out of a can?
PSYCHEDELIA...Hippie-associated "experience" that was prominent in late 60s fashion, posters, and the trippy music of bands like THE GRATEFUL DEAD and PINK FLOYD.
QUISP & QUAKE...The original fueding cereal mascots, QUISP was a nasally voiced space alien, QUAKE a macho miner. Their battles over whose cereal was best unspooled in an entertaining series of JAY WARD-produced TV ads in the 60s. The forerunner for FRANKENBERRY vs. COUNT CHOCULA and the little remembered BARON VON REDBERRY and SIR GRAPEFELLOW.
R. CRUMB...The counterculture's best known "underground" artist, responsible for unforgettable characters like MR. NATURAL and FRITZ THE CAT.
RACQUEL WELCH...Voluptuous sex symbol who starred in the redoutable flicks ONE MILLION YEARS B.C., KANSAS CITY BOMBER, and MOTHER, JUGS & SPEED. Along with DOLLY PARTON, one of JOHNNY CARSON's favorite punchlines.
THE RAT PACK...FRANK, DINO, and SAMMY...plus sometimes JOEY BISHOP and PETER LAWFORD, but only if they waxed FRANK's cars.
RAT FINK...Grotesque cartoon mascot of the hot rod set characterized by bulging, bloodshot eyes and sharp, crooked teeth. Also a term for a traitor, much cooler than callin' someone a "BENEDICT ARNOLD".
ROBOTS...In film (FORBIDDEN PLANET), TV (LOST IN SPACE), and toys (ROCK 'EM SOCK 'EM ROBOTS), these mechanical marvels were everywhere in the 60s.
ROCK 'EM SOCK 'EM ROBOTS...The object of this mechanical boxing game was to knock the other guy's block off (shooting his head straight up in the air).
ROCKABILLY...Wild singin' and jacked up country twangin' motivated these pompadoured, guitar slingin' cool cats...ELVIS, CARL PERKINS, and JOHHNY CASH cut their teeth on 'billy rhythms at SUN RECORDS.
RODNEY DANGERFIELD...Bug-eyed comedian whose trademark line was "no respect". When he finally got some in the 80s, he juggled a high profile film, beer commercial, and recording career.
ROLLER DERBY...This co-ed slam-jam-on-skates sport made ringside wrestling look easy by comparison.
THE ROLLING STONES...The biggest Brit Invasion band after THE BEATLES. Naysayers who predicted rock's early demise needed to look no further than KEEF RICHARDS...a man who died and STILL performs.
RUBBER DUCKY...SESAME STREET character ERNIE scored a TOP 40 hit about this cherished bath time toy. SQUEAK! SQUEAK!
SALLY, DICK & JANE...Your first grade school reader. "Look Jane, look! Dick is smoking Dad's filter tips!"
SCOOBY DOO...Scaredy cat great dane who reluctantly solved mysteries aided by his equally skittish human pal SHAGGY. Voiced by HANNA BARBERA legend DON MESSICK, who also embodied the SCOOBY prototype ASTRO on THE JETSONS.
SCREAMING YELLOW ZONKERS!...Memorably named snack food consisting of sugary glaze-coated popcorn in a black box. Some enterprising rock band shoulda latched onto this title.
SEA MONKEYS...In the irresistible comic book ads, a happy family of tiny urchins cavorted in a carefree underwater paradise. In reality, all you got for your hard earned allowance was a few microscopic, faceless brine shimp no bigger than flakes of dandruff.
SHAFT...RICHARD ROUNDTREE starred as the big daddy of 70s BLAXPLOITATION films, while ISAAC HAYES scored the unforgettable mega theme. Shut yo' mouth!...
SHAG...Layered/feathered hairstyle that worked for both girls and guys...MICK JAGGER, JANE FONDA, and DAVID CASSIDY were just a few of the 70s' celebrity shaggers.
SHAG CARPETING...Wall-to-wall COOKIE MONSTER fur for your hip pad, preferably accented by a spiral staircase and blacklight posters.
SHAKE-A-PUDDIN'...Instant pudding kids could make themselves by shaking a container of flavored powder mixed with milk. If a mess occurred, well...that was a risk worth taking!
SHEL SILVERSTEIN...Children's author, hit songwriter (COVER OF THE ROLLING STONE, A BOY NAMED SUE), and PLAYBOY cartoonist. Focus SHEL, Focus!
SILLY PUTTY...You could stretch it, bounce it, and pick up comic strip pictures with it. It always wrecked your dad's sunday paper though.
SIMON & GARFUNKEL...Originally known as TOM & JERRY, the most successful folk/pop duo of the 60s, responsible for soft-rock hits like I AM A ROCK, MRS. ROBINSON, and BRIDGE OVER TROUBLED WATER.
THE SIX MILLION DOLLAR MAN...Hit boob-tube saga about a half man/half cyborg, back when six mil would actually BUY you something.
SKATEBOARDS...Known to some as "sidewalk surfin'", this plank with a roller skate attached was a fair weather sport kids really fell for.
SKITTLE BOWL...This game was a neato variation on bowling; the pins were knocked down by swinging a wooden ball chained to a post. GET SMART star DON ADAMS did the TV commercials for this and followup products like SKITTLE POOL and SKITTLE GOLF. Not to be confused with SKITTLES, the multi-colored candy.
SLINKY...Awwwww, what a gyp! It walked down the stairs JUST FINE in those TV commercials!
SMILEY FACE...That sunny yellow sphere that even a child could draw popped up on tee shirts, buttons, and every other imaginable product. Commercial artist HARVEY BALL never got rich from his universally recognized creation from 1963...that's kinda sad. :(
SMOKEY THE BEAR...Hairy poster child for preventing forest fires, armed with a grim expression, shovel and a yellow ranger's hat.
THE SMOTHERS BROTHERS...Sibling rivalry was never funnier than in the hands of TOM & DICK SMOTHERS, whose late 60s variety series mixed music, comedy and political statements before being yanked off the air by "the establishment".
SNAP! CRACKLE! POP!...As a kid, that's your breakfast cereal talkin'. Now it's your bones when you get out of bed.
SNOOPY...The top dog in the most popular comic strip of all time, CHARLES SCHULZ' irrespressible beagle masqueraded as a shortstop, WW I flying ace, and would be ladies' man JOE COOL. SNOOPY VS. THE RED BARON was a smash hit tribute by THE ROYAL GUARDSMEN.
SOAP OPERAS...Afternoon TV weepers orginally sponsored by cleaning products and peppered with organ music at dramatic interludes. Brutally parodied on THE CAROL BURNETT SHOW via AS THE STOMACH CHURNS, and THE AFTERNOON DELIGHTS scored the early 80s hit GENERAL HOSPI-TALE about popular couple LUKE and LAURA.
SOCK IT TO ME!...LAUGH-IN' trademark phrase, usually uttered by English comedienne JUDY CARNE. Almost always accompanied by a drenching bucket of water.
SOMETIMES YOU FEEL LIKE A NUT...Sometimes you don't. ALMOND JOY/MOUND's tasty candy catch-phrase. ALMOND JOY had nuts...MOUNDS didn't.
SONNY & CHER...In spite of all the short jokes lobbed by CHER on this pop duo's hit TV variety show, SONNY was actually a bit taller than his sultry wife...but who knew with those high shoes and wigs of hers?
SOUL TRAIN...The hippest trip in America. Made BANDSTAND look like a DORIS DAY flick. Sponsored by AFRO SHEEN cosemtics.
SOUPY SALES...Bowtie wearin', pun-spewin', pie in the puss receivin' slapstick comic who was all the rage on early TV. Friend of POOKY THE LION, as well as WHITE FANG and BLACK TOOTH, a pair of humongous, unitelligible canines.
SPAGHETTI-O'S...Tiny pasta rings in tomato sauce, often accompanied by mini meatballs or sliced franks. Uh-oh!, SPAGHETTI-O'S!
STAR TREK...GENE RODDENBERRY's sci-fi western starred WILLIAM SHATNER as cocksure CAPTAIN KIRK and LEONARD NIMOY as emotion-free Vulcan MR. SPOCK. Countless motion picture and TV spin-offs ensued, but none ever approached the cheeseball nirvana of the original.
STREAKING...RAY STEVEN's chart-toppin', clothes droppin' hit THE STREAK concerned a mid 70s fad where you ran through public places "nekkid as a jaybird" (except for sneakers).
SUPERBALL...Bounce it hard enough and high enough and you had to wait till next week's allowance to get another one.
SUPERMAN...Less vulnerable than BATMAN, but SUPE didn't have a cool mask or souped-up car...then again, he didn't have a dorky sidekick either.
SURF MUSIC...Sunny, carefree, guitar-driven ditties about hangin' ten, shootin' the curl, and gettin' the girl.
T SHIRTS...Formerly "just underwear", these became colorful billboards for your favorite rock group, advertsing slogan, or hilarious expression like "I'M WITH STUPID".
TARZAN...EDGAR RICE BURROGH's iconic ape man starred in movies, his own TV show, and comic books. The original "swinger" was spoofed handsomely by JAY WARD via the cult cartoon classic GEORGE OF THE JUNGLE.
TEEN IDOLS...RICKY NELSON, DONNY OSMOND, DAVID CASSIDY were a few of the best known. Good hair, perfect teeth and a passable singing voice required.
THIS BUD'S FOR YOU...Of the dozens of memorable suds slogans over the decades, this is still one of the simplest and most often recited from "The King of Beers".
THE THREE STOOGES...Most quotable, physical, memorable comedy knuckleheads of all time. They were really six of 'em all told, but who could count with their eyes poked out? Men loved 'em, women mostly just loved to hate 'em.
TIGER BEAT...Chick fanzine featuring teen idols and their deepest, darkest secrets. The NATIONAL ENQUIRER for the braces-'n-bubblegum set. Sample article: "DONNY (OSMOND) vs. DAVID (CASSIDY)...Learn the TRUTH about their secret war!"
TIKI BARS...Exotic, tropical-themed drinkin' establishments that served up potent rum-based cocktails with cool names like the ZOMBIE. EARL GRANT's 1960 hit HOUSE OF BAMBOO really laid out "the scene".
TINA TURNER...Sultry soul siren with the best legs in the music biz...not counting the ones on FATS DOMINO's piano stool.
TINKER TOYS..Colored wooden rods of varying lengths and round "connectors", this building toy came housed in a handy round container resembling a QUAKER OATS can.
TINY TIM...Long-haired, helium-voiced, ukelele strummin' novelty singer best remembered for TIP-TOE THROUGH THE TULIPS. A staple on late 60s talk shows, he married "MISS VICKI" during a highly rated episode of JOHNNY CARSON's TONIGHT SHOW.
TOM & JERRY...Cartoondom's funniest and most violent cat and mouse team, brutally paradied on THE SIMPSONS via THE ITCHY & SCRATCHY SHOW.
TONKA TRUCKS...Boys loved to put these realistic metal replicas of pick ups and steam shovels that claimed to be "built TONKA-tough" to the test...in sandboxes and driveways all over America.
TONY THE TIGER...KELLOGG's striped spokesman for FROSTED FLAKES, whose tag line was "They're GRRRRRREAT!". Deep-voiced THURL RAVENSCROFT also provided the sinister singing parts in HOW THE GRINCH STOLE CHRISTMAS.
TRIX..."Silly Rabbit!...TRIX are for kids!" If you don't remember that long-running cereal slogan, you never owned a boob-tube.
TROLL DOLLS...Sometimes called WISHNIKS, these cute little rascals were distinguished by their untamed shock of colorful hair and ever present glassy-eyed smile.
TRUCK DRIVIN' MUSIC...The choice of country lovin' big rig drivers everywhere, preferably played on 8-track tape. Genre classics include enduring odes to the road like MERLE HAGGARD's RAMBLIN' FEVER and DAVE DUDLEY's SIX DAYS ON THE ROAD.
TUPPERWARE...Plastic food containers that sealed in freshness and "burp"-ed like your Uncle Leo at Thanksgiving. For decades, available only at neighborhood TUPPERWARE parties hosted by ninja-mom's.
TV DINNERS...Long before microwaves, these frozen entrees complete with sides and a dessert were all the rage among tired housewives and hapless bachelors. Souther rock trio ZZ TOP paid tribute during their new wave reinvention of the 80s.
THE TWILIGHT ZONE...BURGESS MEREDITH's myopic bookworm, WILLIAM SHATNER's gremlin-spotting plane passenger, and BILLY MUMY's truly creepy, wide eyed brat are indelible memories from ROD SERLING's moody black & white anthology series...doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo.
TWINKIES...HOSTESS' most famous snack, golden sponge cake injected with cream filling...if you could get the darned package open, that is. Archie Bunker had one in his lunchbox every day, so they MUST have been good for ya.
THE TWIST...CHUBBY CHECKER's note for note copy of originator HANK BALLARD's "who needs a dance partner" ditty was a huge hit not once but twice in the early 60s. The craze spawned dozens of sequels, including JOEY DEE's PEPPERMINT TWIST, GARY "U.S." BONDS' TWIST TWIST SENORA, and CHECKER's inevitable LET'S TWIST AGAIN.
TWISTER...Right foot blue! Left hand red! The plastic color-coded sheet that "tied you up in knots"...preferably with members of the opposite sex.
UFO'S...Unidentified Flying Objects. Could be a Flying Saucer...could be a glow in the dark Frisbee.
VALLEY OF THE DOLLS...Trashy JACQUELINE SUZANNE novel turned into a popular though much-maligned film starring SHARON TATE and PATTY DUKE.
VAMPIRES...BELA LUGOSI's immortal DRACULA may have been the most famous bloodsucker, but they also popped up in countless other horror flicks, best selling books, TV series like DARK SHADOWS, and songs like ZACHERLE's novelty hit DINNER WITH DRAC.
VELVEETA...KRAFT's classic processed cheese product came packaged in a long, wrapped brick. Pretty tasty, in spite of how it sounded.
THE VENTURES---Guitar-slingin' instrumental group that made over 100 albums with no singing whatsoever...are you listening, MICHAEL BOLTON?
THE VILLAGE PEOPLE...Other than KISS, the most famous costumed group of the 70s; their disco-fied "buddy" songs included MACHO MAN, YMCA and IN THE NAVY.
VW BEETLE...Also widely known as the BUG, this economical, round topped little car had its engine in the back. The subject of an "I saw it first" game for bored young travelers everywhere..."Yellow Punch Buggy!"...
WALTER KRONKITE...Most trusted newsman of them all. And that's the way it is...
WAX LIPS...First you wore 'em over your own lips for comic effect, then you chewed 'em up.
W.C. FIELDS...Children hating, hard-drinking movie comic who spit out acerbic observations such as "A woman drove me to drink and I didn't even have the decency to thank her." His laconic delivery was impersonated by everyone from RICH LITTLE to RICHARD DAWSON.
WHITE CASTLE...Best teeny onion-smothered square burgers on the planet, if you were lucky enough to live in a state that had one of these eateries.
WILLIE NELSON...Country music's leader of the 70s "Outlaw" movement (along with buddy WAYLON JENNINGS), SHOTGUN WILLIE brandished long braids, a bandana headband and a roach clip. Crossover hits included ON THE ROAD AGAIN and ALWAYS ON MY MIND.
WOLFMAN JACK...Until he appeared as himself in the classic flick AMERICAN GRAFITTI, no one knew what this iconic, howlin' disc jockey looked like...most assumed he was black due to his irrepressible jive patter. THE GUESS WHO did a hit tribute called CLAP FOR THE WOLFMAN, with a cameo from the wild man himself.
WOODSTOCK...Three daze of peace, love and mud during which JIMI HENDRIX, THE WHO, and SLY & THE FAMILY STONE were among the over two dozen iconic performers.
WRESTLING...Loud, sweaty slam-o-rama featuring flamboyant figures like GORGEOUS GEORGE, ANDRE THE GIANT, and HULK HOGAN. Of COURSE it was real! The managers, often ex-wrestlers themselves, were as colorful as their charges; eternal bad guys "CLASSY" FREDDIE BLASSIE and CAP'N LOU ALBINO both paid cheeky tribute to themselves in song, namely BLASSIE's PENCIL NECK GEEK and ALBANO's CAP'N LOU (with NRBQ).
X-RAY SPECS...Could you REALLY see through walls and ladies' dresses with 'em? Just one of the endless gag items that could be ordered from the backs of comic books, along with hand buzzers, pepper gum, and chattering teeth.
YOGI BEAR...JELLYSTONE PARK's infamous picnic basket-filching bruin, the subject of numerous cartoon series, a hit song by THE IVY THREE, and a live action movie in 2011.
ZOMBIES...ZOMBIES meant different things to different folks...walking dead movie monsters, strong TIKI BAR drinks, and a popular BRITISH INVASION group.
ZORRO...Masked swashbuckler portrayed by GUY (LOST IN SPACE) WILLIAMS in the DISNEY series, and spoofed by cartoon cowpoke QUICK DRAW MCGRAW as EL KABONG.
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POP HITS ABOUT POP CULTURE...THE POP 40:
AM RADIO-EVERCLEAR
AMERICAN BANDSTAND-BARRY MANILOW
BARBIE GIRL-AQUA
BATMAN THEME-NEIL HEFTI
BELA LUGOSI IS DEAD-BAUHAUS
BELL BOTTOM BLUES-ERIC CLAPTON
BIGGER THAN THE BEATLES-JOE DIFFIE
BLACK SUPERMAN/MUHAMMED ALI-JOHNNY WAKELIN
BONGO ROCK-PRESTON EPPS
CAP'N LOU-NRBQ FEATURING CAP'N LOU ALBANO
CLAP FOR THE WOLFMAN-THE GUESS WHO
COCA COLA COWBOY-MEL TILLIS
CONVOY-C.W. MCCALL
THE CORVETTE SONG-GEORGE JONES
CREATURE FROM THE BLACK LAGOON-DAVE EDMUNDS
THE CURLY SHUFFLE-THE JUMP IN THE SADDLE BAND
DAVY CROCKETT-FESS PARKER
DINNER WITH DRAC-ZACHERLE
DISCO LUCY-THE WILTON PLACE STREET BAND
DING! DONG! THE WITCH IS DEAD!-THE FIFTH ESTATE
DON'T SQUEEZE MY SHARMON-CHARLIE WALKER
ELVIS IS EVERYWHERE-MOJO NIXON & SKID ROPER
FLYING SAUCER-BUCHANAN & GOODMAN
GENERAL HOSPI-TALE-THE AFTERNOON DELIGHTS
GODZILLA-BLUE OYSTER CULT
HAIR-THE COWSILLS
HIDE & SEEK-THE SHEEP
HOT PANTS (SHE GOT TO USE WHAT SHE GOT TO GET WHAT SHE WANTS)-JAMES BROWN
HOUSE OF BAMBOO-EARL GRANT
I TAWT I TAW A PUDDY TAT-MEL BLANC
ICE CREAM MAN-VAN HALEN
ITSY BITSY TEENY WEENY YELLOW POLKA-DOT BIKINI-BRYAN HYLAND
I WANNA BE A FLINTSTONE-SCREAMING BLUE MESSIAHS
JAMES DEAN-THE EAGLES
THE JOLLY GREEN GIANT-THE KINGSMEN
JUKEBOX MUSIC-THE KINKS
JUNK FOOD JUNKIE-LARRY GROCE
KEEP ON TRUCKIN'-EDDIE KENDRICKS
KING OF BEERS-TREAT HER RIGHT
KING TUT-STEVE MARTIN
KUNG FU FIGHTING-CARL DOUGLAS
LIFE IS A ROCK (BUT THE RADIO ROLLED ME)-REUNION
LITTLE GTO-RONNIE & THE DAYTONAS
MAN ON THE MOON-R.E.M.
MINI SKIRT MINNIE-BILL HALEY & THE COMETS
MONSTER MASH-BOBBY "BORIS" PICKETT
MONTERREY-ERIC BURDON & THE ANIMALS
MR. JAWS-DICKIE GOODMAN
THE MUMMY-BOB MCFADDEN & DOR
MUSTANG SALLY-WILSON PICKETT
NO MATTER WHAT SHAPE (YOUR STOMACH'S IN)-THE T-BONES
PAC-MAN FEVER-BUCKNER & GARCIA
PEACE SIGN-WAR
PENCIL NECK GEEK-"CLASSY" FREDDIE BLASSIE
THE PILL-LORETTA LYNN
PINBALL WIZARD-THE WHO
THE PINK PANTHER THEME-HENRY MANCINI
RAGTOP DELUXE-MOLLY HATCHET
RC COLA & A MOON PIE-NRBQ
ROLLER DERBY QUEEN-JIM CROCE
RUBBER DUCKY-ERNIE
SHORT SHORTS-THE ROYAL TEENS
SIDEWALK SURFIN'-JAN & DEAN
SNOOPY VS. THE RED BARON-THE ROYAL GUARDSMEN
SPEEDY GONZALES-PAT BOONE
STAIRWAY TO GILLIGAN'S ISLAND-LITTLE ROGER & THE GOOESBUMPS
THE STREAK-RAY STEVENS
SUPERMAN-HERBIE MANN
TEENAGE WEREWOLF-THE CRAMPS
TELSTAR-THE TORNADOS
TIN MAN-AMERICA
TRUCK DRIVIN' MAN-BUCK OWENS
TV DINNERS-ZZ TOP
THE TWILIGHT ZONE-GOLDEN EARRING
WHEN YOU'RE HOT YOU'R HOT-JERRY REED
WOODSTOCK-CROSBY, STILLS, & NASH
THE WOODY WOODPECKER SONG-DANNY KAYE with THE ANDREW SISTERS
X-RAY SPECS-STARZ
YOGI-THE IVY THREE
YO YO-THE OSMOND BROTHERS
ZORRO-THE CHORDETTES
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POP CULTURE "POP" TOP TEN:
POPPIN' FRESH, THE PILLSBURY DOUGHBOY
POPEYE
JIFFY POP
POP MUSIC
POP TARTS
TOOTSIE POP
POP ART
SODA POP
POP ROCKS
POP-SICLE
THE ADDAMS FAMILY/THE MUNSTERS...A pair of creepy/kooky sitcoms during TV's "supernatural era" of the mid-60s, both starring freaky families even weirder than yours. Some viewers actually mixed the two up, truly a frightening thought!
AFROS...Hip, uni-sex hairstyle was a "natural" for 70s blacks; SOUL TRAIN's main sponsor was AFRO-SHEEN products.
ALFRED HITCHCOCK...The undisputed Master of Suspense, responsible for REAR WINDOW, THE BIRDS, and LIFEBOAT. Squeamish women preferred baths to showers after PSYCHO, while MEL BROOKS paid homage in the fractured flick HIGH ANXIETY.
ALICE COOPER---Live snakes? Guillotines? Black widows?...Sorry! Not half as scary as the sight of ALICE in golf pants.
ALKA SELTZER..."Try it, you'll like it"..."Plop, plop, fizz, fizz, oh what a relief it is"..."I can't believe I ate the whole thing" were just three of this antacid's most popular slogans. THE T-BONES had an instrumental hit called NO MATTER WHAT SHAPE (YOUR STOMACH'S IN) based on yet another of their ad campaigns.
AM RADIO...That special place where 3 minute slices of pop, rock, soul, novelty, and country gloriously co-existed on a divine astral plane, interspersed with hip patter from jabber-jawed platter jockeys. EVERCLEAR paid fitting tribute several decades after AM's demise as America's audio taste-maker.
AMERICAN PIE...DON MCLEAN's seductive saga about "the day the music died"...not BUDDY HOLLY's death, YOKO ONO's birth.
ARCHIE...Redheaded teen comic book icon who could never seem to choose between BETTY (the sweet one) or VERONICA (the rich one). THE ARCHIES scored the sacharine bubblegum smash SUGAR SUGAR in the late 60s and starred in their own cartoon show.
ARETHA FRANKLIN...The undisputed Queen of Soul, her gospel background informed charismatic chart classics like RESPECT, CHAIN OF FOOLS, and THE HOUSE THAT JACK BUILT.
ARNOLD THE PIG...Popular porker who stole GREEN ACRES away from its stars EDDIE ALBERT and EVA GABOR, the ham. "ARNOLD! Turn down that consarn TV!"
ASTROLOGY...Star-gazing hobby that supposedly predicted human behavior.
"What's your sign" became one of the 70s' most popular pick up lines.
BACHELOR PADS...A wet bar, a waterbed, and a hi-fi were the basic ingredients...oh, and a chick didn't hurt either!
BARBIE...Best selling doll in the world, who had her own dream-house, corvette, camper, and hundreds of other cool accessories. She made KEN sign a pre-nup.
BARRELFUL OF MONKEYS...Kiddies got hooked on this breathtaking game of skill, which involved picking up the longest chain of brightly colored plastic chimps possible.
BASEBALL CARDS...Everyone's mother threw 'em away, leaving hordes of would be millionaires penniless and seeking therapy.
BATMAN...BIF! POW! OOOF! ADAM WEST was the intrepid Caped Crusader on TV's campiest show of the 60s. Everyone remembers FRANK GORSHIN's giggly portrayal of THE RIDDLER and JULIE NEWMAR's slinky, sultry CATWOMAN, but LIBERACE, TALLULAH BANKHEAD, OTTO PREMINGER, and VINCENT PRICE were also among the kitschy guest criminals.
BATTLESHIP...The ultimate game of naval strategy. Blowing up your best buddy's fleet was the idea here, vocal sound effects optional.
BAZOOKA JOE...Hard, pink, chewy bubblegum accompanied by a mini comic strip and cool stuff to send away for. All for one shiny copper penny.
BEACH BLANKET BINGO, etc...Interchangable series of FRANKIE & ANNETTE flicks featuring clueless greaser ERIC VON ZIPPER and a kitschy collection of comics from MOREY AMSTERDAM and DON RICKLES to BUSTER KEATON.
BEAT THE CLOCK...Game show in which contestants performed wacky stunts during an alotted time marked by a huge clock. Carrying tall stacks of dinner dishes while blindfolded was a typical task.
THE BEATLES...JOHN, PAUL, GEORGE and the luckiest drummer ever born.
BEATNIKS...Before hippies, the "cool" people were these goatee and beret sportin', poetry spoutin', bongo boppin' youths. BOB DENVER found pre-GILLIGAN stardom through his memorable portrayal of beatnik MAYNARD G. KREBBS on the DOBIE GILLIS series.
BEEHIVE HAIRDOS...Campy new wavers THE B-52s brought this high falootin' 60s hairstyle back in the late 70s, taking their band name and fashion sense from its wigged out look.
BELL BOTTOMS...Sailor-inspired pants ending in a wide "bell" were all the rage with hippies and with sporatic generations afterward. ERIC CLAPTON even did a song about 'em called (what else?) BELL BOTTOM BLUES.
BETTY BOOP...Early cartoon-dom's squeaky-voiced, wide-eyed "boop-boop-a-doop" girl. POPEYE made his film debut dancing the hula with her...honest.
BIGFOOT...America's answer to the Abominable Snowman. Both TED "LURCH" CASSIDY and wrestling freak ANDRE THE GIANT played SASQUATCH in episodes of THE SIX MILLION DOLLAR MAN.
BIKINIS...Double-take inducing two piece swimwear that revealed the "innies" and the "outies" of beach fashion. Immortalized in BRYAN HYLAND's broad-minded hit ITSY BITSY TEENY WEENY YELLOW POLKA-DOT BIKINI.
BILL COSBY...Beloved TV and recording icon who tickled our innards with whimsical tales of NOAH, parents, and FAT ALBERT. TO RUSSELL, MY BROTHER, WHOM I SLEPT WITH is quite simply one of the funniest albums ever waxed. "The Cos" also enjoyed a Top Ten single with LITTLE OLE MAN (UPTIGHT-EVERYTHING'S ALRIGHT).
BLACK LIGHT POSTERS...Colorful, trippy paintings that "glowed in the dark" when exposed to ultra violet light. It made your girlfriend's white tee shirt stand out too!
BOB DYLAN...Legendary folkrock songwriter of the 60s, the man behind BLOWIN' IN THE WIND, IT AIN'T ME BABE, and LIKE A ROLLING STONE. Sure, he looked and sounded like your drunken brother-in-law...but at least BOB didn't owe you money.
BONANZA...Highly popular TV western featuring the CARTWRIGHT clan on their spacious spread THE PONDEROSA. There was no nonsense matriarch BEN and his three sons...HOSS (the big one), LITTLE JOE (the handsome one), and ADAM (the one who left the show).
BONGOS...A pair of small bottomless drums held between the knees and played with the palms and fingertips at hipster parties. PRESTON EPPS scored an instrumental biggie titled BONGO ROCK in the 60s, the fastest percussionist to ever hit the Top 40.
BORIS KARLOFF...King of the movie monsters, he did stunning star turns in FRANKENSTEIN, THE MUMMY, and even THE GRINCH. BOBBY "BORIS" PICKETT pulled off a dead-on impression of KARLOFF for his HALLOWEEN class-sick MONSTER MASH.
BOXTOPS...You ripped 'em off your favorite cereals and sent 'em in for groovy prizes. Also a blue eyed soul band best known for their 60s chart topper THE LETTER.
THE BOWERY BOYS...The poor man's THREE STOOGES, also known as THE EAST SIDE KIDS and THE DEAD END KIDS. LEO GORCEY and HUNTZ HALL were always good for a chuckle on a rainy Saturday afternoon.
BOZO...Everyone's favorite TV clown was an effervescent, chortling (and maybe a little scary) kiddie show host portayed by various actors and syndicated to some, but not all parts of the country in the 60s.
THE BRADY BUNCH...Thanks to that ear-worm theme song, everyone can recite the story of a lovely lady and her fellow, six cute kids, and a wisecrackin' housekeeper.
THE BRITISH INVASION...American RNB music re-booted by hordes of admirers from across the big pond. CHUCK BERRY, BO DIDDLEY, and MUDDY WATERS never sounded so...energized.
BRUCE LEE...His portrayal of KATO on THE GREEN HORNET kick-started his career, but it was chop-socky flicks like ENTER THE DRAGON that really cemented his legacy.
BUBBLEGUM MUSIC...Sugary sweet 60s pop administered by studio groups with names like 1910 FRUITGUM COMPANY and THE OHIO EXPRESS. 80s pop groups THE RAMONES, BLONDIE, and TALKING HEADS occasionally incorporated the bubblegum sound into their music.
BULLWINKLE...Creator JAY WARD's "moose with the most" and dim-witted scene-stealer of the pun-perforated BULLWINKLE SHOW. His pal ROCKY the flying squirrel (the smart one) helped him outwit nofarious no-goodniks BORIS BADENOV & NATASHA FATALE in kooky cliffhanger serials. For years, BULLWINKLE had his own gigantic balloon in the annual MACY'S THANKSGIVING DAY PARADE.
BUMPER STICKERS...Expressing yourself was easy when you stuck 'em on your car's rear end. "HONK IF YOU'RE HORNY!" was just one popular slogan.
CANDID CAMERA...ALLAN FUNT's voyeuristic boob-tube classic caught everyday people in sensational, silly situations. Talking mailboxes anyone?...SMILE! You're on CANDID CAMERA!
CAP GUNS...Toy pistols that detonated tiny "caps" of gunpowder attached to a paper roll. Both the sound and the acrid smell got people's attention.
CAP'N CRUNCH...According to the cartoon CAP'N, this cereal stayed crunchy even in milk. DAWS (YOGI BEAR) BUTLER provided the CAP'Ns voice, while BULLWINKLE creator JAY WARD directed the long running series of commmercials.
CAPTAIN KANGAROO...Gentle kiddie TV host so named due to his navy blue coat with oversized pockets, which often held surprises. Cronies included BUNNY RABBIT, MR. MOOSE, and MR. GREENJEANS.
CASPER THE FRIENDLY GHOST...His only motive was to be pals...but some could see through that.
CB RADIO...Citizen's band radio, the trucker's best buddy, best explained in the snash hit CONVOY narrated by C.W. MCCALL. "Smokies" were state troopers, "seat covers" were chicks, and so on...
CHEECH & CHONG...Anyone who thinks their stoner humor wasn't funny probably exhaled too soon.
CHEEZ WHIZ...It could be dispensed from an aerosal can and spread on crackers. It was nearly impossible to control the crazy flow of "cheez", but that was half the fun.
CHICKEN MCNUGGETS...The fowl fave of youngin's everywhere...God only knows what part of the clucker this MCDONALD's staple came from.
THE CHIPMUNKS...The original trio of chart-climbing rodents ALVIN, SIMON & THEODORE not only enjoyed bona fide hits like THE CHIPMUNK SONG, they had their own cartoon show in the 60s. Followed in the 80s by a lesser animated version and in the next millennium by a series of computer animated movies.
CHUCK BERRY---The FATHER OF ROCK & ROLL wrote the same song 50 times...but apparently, it was the RIGHT song. In spite of time honored classics such as JOHNNY B. GOODE, MAYBELLINE, and ROLL OVER BEETHOVEN, his only number one single was the novelty singalong MY DING-A-LING, appropriated from a ribald RNB oldie.
CLACKERS...Two hard plastic balls on strings that kids "clacked" together in order to drive your parents/teachers bonkers. Taken off the market due to numerous injuries.
COCA COLA...Most popular soft drink in the world...tho' it never tasted quite the same after the seven ounce green bottle was discontinued.
COFFEE HOUSES...Hip hang-outs for folkies, beatniks, and plain old caffeine junkies.
COLORFORMS...Rubber images of popular cartoon and TV stars that could be stuck to cardboard backgrounds; POPEYE was the first character the company licensed.
COMIC BOOKS...Cheap color magazines filled with the adventures of your favorite cartoon personalities and super heroes. When the cover came off the staples, you knew you'd read it one too many times.
CONVERTIBLES...Most popular throughout the 60s, you could "drop the top" on these cool cars and get the full effect of a sunny day. The MONKEEMOBILE and the BATMOBILE were two of the most famous ones.
COOL MCCOOL...BATMAN creator BOB KANE also came up with this animated spy spoof whose rogues' gallery included THE OWL, JACK-IN-THE-BOX and MADCAP...suspiciously reminiscent of BATMAN's foes THE PENGUIN, THE JOKER, and THE MAD HATTER. Voice artist BOB MCFADDEN patterned MCCOOL's calm vocal inflections after JACK BENNY.
CRACKER JACK...Candy-coated popcorn, peanuts and a prize. The prizes got progressively crappier over the decades, but the edible bits never faltered.
CRAYOLA 64 COLORS...The epitomy of coloring book cool, a box stuffed with exotic shades like "perriwinkle" and "burnt auburn", and a built in sharpener to boot.
CREATURE FEATURE...Hilariously low-budget monster flicks with titles like THE THING WITH TWO HEADS, THE BEAST FROM HAUNTED CAVE, and ATTACK OF THE KILLER SHREWS. MYSTERY SCIENCE THEATER made a kitschy cottage industry of this glorious mess!
CREEPY CRAWLERS...Sticky colored "goop" was suirted into a mold and heated in a Thingmaker to create spiders, worms, and flies. Try not to burn down dad's garage, Junior.
DAIRY QUEEN...Americas's fave stop-over for tasty treats such as the DILLY BAR and the BUSTER BAR, not to mention their trademark curly-topped soft-serve ice cream cones. Who cared if frozen custard was really made from powdered seaweed?
DARK SHADOWS...This CREATURE FEATURE for the soap opera set spotlighted scene-stealing vampire BARNABAS COLLINS...plus werewolves and zombies and ghosts, oh my!!
THE DATING GAME...A pretty bachelorette would ask provacative questions and choose her "date" from three guys hidden behind a screen...or sometimes the other way around. Popular HERB ALPERT & THE TIJUANA BRASS instrumentals were employed as incidental music, while ADAM WEST, PAUL LYNDE (!) and MAUREEN ("Marsha! Marsha! Marsha!") MCCORMICK were among the celebrity guests dates. MWAH!
DAVY CROCKETT...FESS PARKER played both the insanely popular, coonskin capped frontiersman in a trio of DISNEY movies and
lookalike DANIEL BOONE in a long running TV series that followed.
DEAR ABBY...Long-running newspaper advice columnist whose only serious competition was her twin sister ANN LANDERS.
DICK TRACY...Lantern-jawed crime-bustin' copper whose adversaries were named for their grotesque features...BB EYES, FLATTOP, and PRUNEFACE were the best set of bizarre arch-villians this side of BATMAN.
DICKIE GOODMAN...Master of the "break-in" record in which a faux news announcer would interview a celebrity like NIXON or JAWS, with the humorous answers provided via short snippets of popular hits. FLYING SAUCER was his first and best known effort.
DINERS...Before fast food chains encroached on their territory, DINERS offered home cookin' and a friendly atmosphere at a reasonable price. "Adam & eve on a raft!" was waitress jargon for two eggs on toast.
DIPPITY-DO-Cool lookin' hair gel in a jar, the female equivalent of BRILL CREAM.
DISCO...The "boom-boom" dance boom of the late 70s that allowed marginally talented artists like KC & THE SUNSHINE BAND and THE VILLAGE PEOPLE to kill off an embarrassingly large number of legit soul stars. Rock & rollers ROD STEWART, KISS, and THE ROLLING STONES jumped on the bandwagon briefly, while pop stars THE BEE GEES revived their flagging career with a string of RNB-flavored DISCO hits.
DODGEBALL...Gym class game best experienced while wearing a thick pair of eyeglasses held onto your noggin by a tight strap. OWITCH!
DOLLY PARTON...Country music personality whose assets included a chirpy voice, blonde wigs, and her buxom anatomy; the latter was the butt of endless JOHNNNY CARSON jokes in the 70s.
DOO-WOP...When street corner harmony singing reigned in the 50s, it didn't even have a name. The term DOO-WOP was applied well after the fact, in the following decade.
DR. SUESS...Inventive father of THE GRINCH, YERTLE THE TURTLE, and THE GRINCH. He told great bedtime stories.
DRIVE IN MOVIES...B monster movies, bad snack food, steamy windows...who could ask for anything more?
EASY-BAKE OVEN...Pint-sized gourmet cookin' via a simple light bulb. Teeny weeny chocolate cake anyone?...
ED SULLIVAN...There was no other TV host as hilariously wooden or variety show as diverse as this one...THE BEATLES, dog acts, plate spinners, and TOPO GIGIO the Italian mouse were on the "something for everyone" guest list.
EIGHT TRACK TAPES...The nadir of recorded music, briefly popular due to their portability in cars and early boomboxes. The downside?...they broke easily, and some songs were "split up", requiring a long pause as it switched over to the next "track". We swore at 'em, some truck drivers still swear by 'em.
ELTON JOHN...Occasionally this piano poundin' pop star auctions off his old stage outfits for charity. JIM HENSON's people buy 'em up and make new MUPPETS out of 'em.
ELVIS...We're not talkin' COSTELLO folks, but THE UNDISPUTED KING OF ALL POP CULTURE...thank you very much.
ETCH A SKETCH...Tough to master magic screen kids could draw with merely by twisting its knobs to create vertical and horizontal lines. The inevitable mistakes could be "erased" simply by shaking the gadget vigorously.
EVEL KNEIVEL...The 70s' most famous daredevil, known for his star spangled attire and jumping motorcycles over buses. An aborted attempt across the Grand Canyon on a rocket-cycle proved his most infamous defeat. The subject of two movies, one starring EVEL himself, as well as the long forgotten song parody EVIL BOLL WEEVIL.
THE EXORCIST...Teenaged LINDA BLAIR turned a lot of heads in this pea soup-strewn film adaption of WILLIAM PETER BLATTY's best selling novel about satanic possession.
FAKE PLASTIC VOMIT...Merely one of a long line of "gross-out" items available for order in the back of your favorite comic book. Fake doggie-doo was just as much fun and possibly even more disgusting.
FELIX THE CAT...This animated feline icon started in silent 'toons, later graduating to talkies, where he often exclaimed, (in an annoying, high pitched voice) "Rightee-o! HA HA HA HA HA!"
THE FLINTSTONES...HANNA BARBERA's modern stone-age take on THE HONEYMOONERS were pop culture's first "rock stars". MEL BLANC played BARNEY RUBBLE, his most famous voice apart from the LOONEY TUNES stable.
FLUFFER-NUTTER...Gooey sandwich treat concocted of Marshmallow Fluff and lots of peanut butter. The only serious competiton the classic PBJ ever had.
FLYING SAUCERS...They were all the rage in the 50s and 60s; "little green men from Mars" were spotted in movies, TV shows, and cool novelty songs like MARTIAN HOP by THE RAN-DELLS and BILLY LEE RILEY's FLYING SAUCERS ROCK & ROLL.
FRANK SINATRA..."Old Blue Eyes" and "The Chairman of the Board" were two nicknames for this most popular of crooners. THE RAT PACK's undisputed leader scored an endless chain of classics included THE LADY IS A TRAMP, STRANGERS IN THE NIGHT, and MY WAY.
FRANKENSTEIN...Universal Studio's most famous monster was fodder for TV shows (THE MUNSTERS), film comedies (YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN), cartoons (THE GROOVY GHOULIES), and a chart topping instrumental single by THE EDGAR WINTER GROUP.
FRITO BANDITO...LOONEY TUNES legend MEL BLANC voiced this "south of the border" corn chips crook, who was eventually changed to a new character called W.C. FRITOS due to backlash from latino groups. BLANC's "fastest mouse in all Mexico" SPEEDY GONZALES recieved similar criticism.
THE FUGITIVE...No TV star ever played a paranoid man on the run more convincingly than DAVID JANSSEN, who said more with an expression than most actors could with pages of dialogue.
FUNNY FACE...KOOL-AID competitor that featured silly characters named after fruity drink flavors...GOOFY GRAPE was their leader, but INDIAN ORANGE and CHINESE CHERRY vanished from the market faster than you can say "ethnic backlash"...JOLLY OLLY ORANGE or CHOO CHOO CHERRY anyone?
GEORGE CARLIN...The 70s' fave hip, pony-tailed observational comic, who pontificated on class clowns, recreational drug use, and the infamous seven dirty words you can never say on television.
G.I. JOE...Realistically jointed military action figure whose accessories included machine guns, grenades, even an Army jeep. BARBIE's beau KEN was a real wimp by comparison.
GILLIGAN'S ISLAND...TV's all time "love it or hate it" sitcom about seven stranded castaways; GILLIGAN and the SKIPPER amounted to a poor man's LAUREL & HARDY, GINGER GRANT channeled MARILYN MONROE, and millionaire THURSTON HOWELL III naturally sounded like JIM BACKUS' crotchety cartoon alter ego MR. MAGOO.
GIRL GROUPS...These sexy songbirds of the early 60s were an influence on male rock acts from the BEACH BOYS and BEATLES to the NEW YORK DOLLS and RAMONES. The SHIRELLES, SHANGRI-LAS, and SUPREMES were just a few of the best known.
GIVE-A-SHOW PROJECTOR...A glamourized plastic flashlight you shined on a dark bathroom wall or ceiling while pulling celluloid strips of fave cartoons through a slot. The polar opposite of VIEW MASTERS' vivid, high-tech 3-D images, but still a lotta fun on a rainy Saturday.
GLAM/GLITTER ROCK...Flamboyant, beat-heavy 70s rock from Great Britain accented by outrageous makeup, duds and hairstyles. SLADE, THE SWEET, GARY GLITTER, SUZI QUATRO, and T-REX were among GLAM's biggest heroes.
GODZILLA...The laser-spewing king daddy of all Japanese monsters, this overgrown lizard battled everyone from MOTHRA to KING KONG, leveling TOKYO in every flick. BLUE OYSTER CULT made some big buckaroos off his name; he's still pissed off about it and still lookin' for 'em.
GO-GO BOOTS...Hip 60s footgear for chicks, especially cool for dancing on HULLABALOO or SHINDIG.
GOOBER GRAPE...Peanut butter and jelly mixed in the same jar. I kid you not.
GOOBERS & RAISINETS: Chocolate covered peanuts and raisins that tasted especially scrumptious in a dark movie theater.
GOOD 'N PLENTY...Pink and white candy coated licorice bites that sounded like a train chugging when you shook the box. CHOO CHOO CHARLIE loved 'em!
THE GRAND OLD OPRY...Country music's biggest live showcase, a weekly radio concert originating from Nashville, Tennessee; the prestigious membership included ROY ACUFF, JOHNNY CAHS, and DOLLY PARTON.
GRATEFUL DEAD...San Francisco's ultimate hippy group, best known for their endless concert "jams" and the world's most rabid fan base, collectively known as Dead-Heads.
THE GREEN HORNET...Cult TV classic from the producers of BATMAN, featuring VAN WILLIAMS as the masked avenger and BRUCE LEE as his butt-kickin' sidekick. Trumpeter AL HIRT blasted out the frenzied theme song.
GTO...The MONKEEMOBILE was one of these sleek muscle cars, and RONNIE & THE DAYTONAS scored a hot rod hit with LITTLE GTO.
GUMBY...Before becoming a bitter, stogie-chewing old man that looked a lot like EDDIE MURPHY, GUMBY was every kid's rubber-limbed pal on TV and in the toybox.
GUNSMOKE...TV's longest running western spotlighted JAMES ARNESS' stoic MARSHALL MATT DILLON, AMANDA BLAKE's no nonsense saloon gal MISS KITTY, and DENNIS WEAVER's limping deputy CHESTER. This is how the west was fun.
HAPPY MEALS...Like sugary cereals, we cajoled our parents into buying MCDONALD's burger, fries, and drink kiddie combo for the cool plastic prize inside the box.
HAWAIIAN SHIRTS...Colorful, flowery casual wear good for beaches, barbeques, and beer blasts. DON HO and JACK LORD (on his days off) looked sharp in 'em.
HEE HAW...Hick spin on LAUGH-IN permeated by bodacious babes, corny jokes, and lots of good ol' country music. SA-A-A-A-A-LUTE!
HERB ALPERT & THE TIJUANA BRASS...Latino flavored instrumental pop from one of the most successful acts of the 60s via hip horn hits like A TASTE OF HONEY, WHIPPED CREAM, and THE LONELY BULL. The TJB sound was everywhere, from game shows to TV ads to movie soundtracks.
HILLBILLIES...These barefooted, shotgun totin', suspender wearin' hicks were all the rage in comic strips (L'IL ABNER, SNUFFY SMITH), TV (THE BEVERLY HILLBILLIES) and the movies (the MA & PA KETTLE series). THE HATFIELDS vs. THE MCCOYS was the most famous of the longstanding hillbilly fueds.
HIPPIES...Long hair, love beads, torn jeans, and peace signs were just part of their groovy "scene".
THE HOLLYWOOD SQUARES...Ever-grinning PETER MARSHALL hosted this game show played with nine clebrities residing in a giant TIC-TAC-TOE board. CHARLEY WEAVER, ROSE MARIE, and PAUL LYNDE were three of the funniest regulars.
Peter Marshall: Paul, why do Hell's Angels wear leather?
Paul Lynde: Because chiffon wrinkles too easily.
THE HONEYMOONERS...The most beloved of JACKIE GLEASON's many over-the-top characters was blustery bus driver RAPLH KRAMDEN; the world's greatest second banana ART CARNEY was his happy go lucky pal ED NORTON. The classic year long series was a blueprint for both THE FLINTSTONES and YOGI BEAR, who was basically ED NORTON wrapped in a fur coat.
HOPE & CROSBY...Ski-nosed comic Bob and blue eyed crooner Bing were inseperable con men in their hugely successful "ROAD TO"...series of buddy movies starting in the 1940s. RIO, SINGAPORE, and HONG KONG were just a few of the exotic locations where they regularly broke into song & dance routines, ran from bad guys, and fought over sarong-clad DOROTHY LAMORE.
HOT PANTS...Cheeky attire for women that basically amounted to very short shorts. JAMES BROWN provided exposure via his funky tribute HOT PANTS (SHE GOT TO USE WHAT SHE GOT TO GET WHAT SHE WANTS). Say it loud, JAMES!
HOT WHEELS...MATCH BOX cars with racing slicks and twin pipes. VAROOOOOOOM!
HOWARD COSELL...Pompous, nasal-toned, toupee-wearin' sportscaster who was the profession's most recognizable (and by many, the most disliked) voice in the 70s. "The mouth that roared".
HOWDY DOODY...This ever smiling, freckle-faced marionette was a smash hosting his own early kiddie show along with human buddy "BUFFALO BOB" SMITH.
HULA HOOPS...If it didn't go "shoop" when you slung it 'round your waist, you had a cheap knock-off.
HUSH PUPPIES...Comfy, casual brushed-suede footwear whose mascot was a cute, sad faced basset hound. These were perfect if your "dogs were barking".
INSTANT COFFEE...Spoon a few granules in your cup, add hot water and viola!...instant early morning gratification. Good to "go".
THE INVISIBLE MAN...CLAUDE RAINES' indelible portrayal of H.G. WELL's tortured transparent hero inspired countless spin-offs in the form of films, TV series, and even an 80s music group called THE INVISIBLE MAN'S BAND.
JACK BENNY...Hilariously vain radio/TV skinflint and violin molester (it was all an act), remembered for his impeccable timing, the all-purpose catchphrase "Well!..." and a funny, feminine walk.
JACK LALANNE...The original TV fitness guru. Amazingly, he performed 1000 jumping jacks and 1000 chin-ups in under 90 minutes to promote his exercise show going national in the late 50s.
JAMES BOND...SEAN CONNERY. Any questions?...
JAMES BROWN...The screamin', dancin', testifyin' Godfather of Soul. Accept no substitutes...as if anyone else ever came close. JAMES BR-"OWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW"-N!!!
JAMES DEAN...His brooding legacy rests in a trio of classic films and a killer car crash at the age of 24. DEAN's name popped up prominently in DAVID ESSEX's smash hit ROCK ON, and THE EAGLES titled a song after him.
JELL-O...You used to watch it wiggle on your plate and BILL COSBY hawk it on TV.
JERRY LEWIS...Half of one of the great movie comedy teams with DEAN MARTIN, the solo star of slapstick hits like THE NUTTY PROFESSOR, and perrenial MUCSULAR DISTROPHY host.
JIFFY POP...You shook the flat aluminum foil pan over a stove burner and it miraculously "poofed" into a container of popcorn...that is, if you didn't burn it and stink up the whole house!
JIMI HENDRIX...The six string shot heard 'round the world, JAMES MARSHALL HENDRIX paid his dues playing behind LITTLE RICHARD and THE ISLEY BROTHERS before achieving guitar guru status.
JOHN WATERS...This campy director of PINK FLAMINGOS and HAIRSPRAY put the "eccccch!" in eccentric casting. DIVINE, PATTI HEARST or IGGY POP were among his more daring choices.
JOHN WAYNE...King of the Cowboys. 'Nuff said, Pilgrim.
JOHNNY CARSON...The undisputed King of Late Night TV. Watching THE TONIGHT SHOW was of the only things you could do in bed besides...sleeping.
JOHNNY CASH..."The Man in Black" is probably the best loved of all country performers; he rubbed shoulders with ELVIS and JERRY LEE at SUN RECORDS and scored big crossover pop hits including I WALK THE LINE and A BOY NAMED SUE.
THE JOLLY GREEN GIANT...HO-HO-HO! Even vegetable-hating kids loved this gargantuan guardian of gardens, voiced by character actor HERSHEL BERNARDI, who also did CHARLIE THE TUNA for STARKIST. The subject of THE KINGSMEN's biggest hit other than LOUIE LOUIE.
JUKEBOXES...Tabletop or huge and freestanding, these colorful, brightly lit record machines dispensed popular hits of the day for mere pocket change.
KEEP ON TRUCKIN'...An R. CRUMB-inspired bumper sticker/poster as well as a number one pop hit by ex-TEMPTATIONS singer EDDIE KENDRICKS.
KICK-BALL...If you struck out in this game, you might just as well take your ball and go home.
KING KONG...This champ of all chimps was featured in movies, his own cartoon series, a BOB NEWHART stand-up sketch, and charting singles from DICKIE GOODMAN, GEORGE JONES, and JIMMY CASTOR.
KISS...Rock's infamous make-up sporting, bubble-glam-spouting, mega-merchandising juggernaut, offering everything from action figures to caskets. Could they BE any more POP CULTURE?...
KOOL-AID...Sugary sweet kid's drink which came in a powdered packet that your mom mixed with water.
KRAZY GLUE...According to the TV ad depicting a contruction worker hanging from his hardhat glued to a steel beam, "You can do some crazy thing with it!"...the secret weapon of practical jokers everywhere.
K-TEL RECORDS...The original mix-tape. 22 Original Hits! 22 Original Stars!...no one ever said anything about "original length" of the song. For a complete K-TEL essay, please return to my home page.
KUNG FU...DAVID CARRADINE's popular chop-socky TV series, as well as the subject of CARL DOUGLAS' chart-kickin' smash KUNG FU FIGHTING.
LAUREL & HARDY...Funniest tag team ever...and they didn't even wrestle.
LAWRENCE WELK...Smiling accordianist/bandleader who hosted his "champagne music" series for over two decades, sponsored of course, by GERITOL. "An'a one-uh, an' a two-uh..."
LEGO...Classic plastic building bricks you could never pry apart after using them a few times.
LIFESAVERS...Sweet round fruit flavored candies with a trademark hole that came in a roll. GROUCHO tossed one of these sweets to a drowning THELMA TODD in the MARK BROTHERS comedy HORSE FEATHERS.
LINCOLN LOGS...You built log cabins with 'em, natch. Is this what pioneer kids used to do on rainy days?
LITTLE DEBBIES... A scrumptious staple in lunchboxes everywhere, these sweet snack cakes with a cute little girl logo on every box.
THE LITTLE RASCALS...Also known as OUR GANG, their ranks included precocious SPANKY, ALFALFA, DARLA, and BUCKWHEAT, the funniest lineup of mishief makers to ever grace your boob-tube.
THE LONE RANGER...TONTO's beloved "Keem-o-sabe", a masked cowboy do-gooder whose trademark was a seemingly endless supply of silver bullets. Werewolves hated him.
LOONEY TUNES...Starring brash upstarts such as DAFFY DUCK, FOGHORN LEGHORN, and YOSEMITE SAM, was this the best cartoon series ever? As a certain "wascally wabbit" was known to slyly utter, "Hmmmmmmm, COULD be!"
LOUIS ARMSTRONG...New Orleans' ever smilin' good will ambassador of swingiin' jazz, trumpeter/vocalist SATCHMO's biggest pop hits included HELLO DOLLY and the posthumous WHAT A WONDERFUL WORLD.
LUCY...No last name needed, the (sorta) red-headed queen of comedy helmed a trio of slapstick-laden TV shows in the 50s and 60s...Say "VITA-MEATA-VEGIMIN" three times fast.
LUNCH BOXES...Status symbol metal food containers you brought to school to show off to your friends. They were adorned with hot characters like SNOOPY, DANIEL BOONE, and THE JETSONS...unless, (God forbid!) your mom got you the generic "plaid" one.
LYNYRD SKYNYRD---Southern rock's most famous casualty. What song is it you wanna hear for the thirteen millionth time?...
MAD MAGAZINE...Long running publication aimed at male teens, chock full of bizarre cartoons, screen parodies, and gross-out humor. "What, Me Worry?..."
MAE WEST...Ahead of her time cinematic sex symbol who purred provocative lines like "Why don'tcha come up and see me sometime?"...She recorded a tunelss version of TWIST & SHOUT late in her career.
MAGIC 8-BALL...Ask it a question, shake it, turn it over, and viola!...Instant answers like "Ask again later."
MAGIC SLATE...Anything you drew or scribbled on it could be magically "erased" by merely lifting the sheet of plastic paper. This worked even better than White-Out.
THE MAN FROM U.N.C.L.E...TV's most popular JAMES BOND spin-off, starring ROBERT VAUGHAN and DAVID MCCALLUM as super spies NAPOLEON SOLO and ILLYA KURYAKIN (try THAT one three time fast).
MARILYN MONROE...Iconic, doomed bottle blonde queen of sultry, carefree flicks such as THE SEVEN YEAR EACH and SOME LIKE IT HOT...also the inspiration for ELTON JOHN's CANDLE IN THE WIND.
THE MARX BROTHERS...Fast-talkin' GROUCHO, non-talkin' HARPO, double-talkin' CHICO...and, oh yeah...ZEPPO.
MATCHBOX CARS...Teeny replicas of firetrucks, ambulances, and convertibles designed for driveway play, or kitchen linoleum on rainy days.
MEL BLANC...Cartoondom's legendary "Man of a Thousand Voices" not only embodied practically every LOONEY TUNE from BUGS to TWEETY to PORKY, he also spoke for BARNEY RUBBLE, GEORGE JETSON's boss MR. SPACELY, and JACK BENNY's sputtering Maxwell automobile.
METAL PEDAL CARS...Rugged kid-sized replicas of firetrucks (complete with real wooden ladders and a ringing bell!) and sports cars. So much cooler than the generic, plastic BIG WHEELS that arrived on the scene much later.
MICKEY MOUSE WATCH...Fashion accessory recognized the world over. Who knew one of MICKEY's gloved hands actually was shorter than the other?
MILTON BERLE..."MR. TELEVISON" and "UNCLE MILTIE" were two nicknames for this pioneering boob-tube comic, whose schtick included gap-toothed slapstick and dressing in women's duds.
MINI SKIRTS...Thanks to our retro-centric society, this hip fashion statement STILL has legs.
MINIATURE GOLF...18 holes of windmills, miniature houses, and storybook characters, all designed for play with a kid-sized putter. Sink the last hole in one shot earned you a free game.
THE MONKEES...The Pre-Fab Four. Who SEZ they couldn't play their own instruments? Ever see DAVY wail on that tambourine?
MONOPOLY...America's favorite money-grabbin' pasteboard pasttime started out in the early 1900s as THE LANDLORD'S GAME. It's popularity eventually spawned versions starring KISS, PEANUTS, THE RED SOX, and many other pop culture icons.
MONTY PYTHON...British televison's irreverent comedy troupe starred in a looney sketch comedy series as well as fractured film fare like THE HOLY GRAIL and LIFE OF BRIAN. JOHN CLEESE and ERIC IDLE were amng its members.
MOTHER-IN-LAW JOKES...Fair game for 60s comedians everywhere, MOTHER-IN-LAW was also a chart-topping hit by New Orleans singer ERNIE K-DOE.
MOTOWN: Billed as "The Sound of Young America", Detroit-based MOTOWN RECORDS backed up their claim with with an impressive soul roster that included THE SUPREMES, MARVIN GAYE, STEVIE WONDER, RARE EARTH, THE FOUR TOPS, SMOKEY ROBINSON, THE JACKSON 5, and THE TEMPTATIONS.
MOUSE TRAP: Interactive board game patterened after RUBE GOLDBERG's kooky contraptions; players built the "perfect mouse trap" piece by piece...it seldom worked right, but that was half the fun.
MR. BILL...Luckless, whiny clay character on SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE who suffered innumerable mishaps and indignities at the hands of his "creator" MR. HANDS and frowning nemesis MR. SLUGGO. "OHHHHH NOOOOOOOOO!"
MR. BUBBLE...PLEASE tell me I'm not the only one who thought he really came out of the plastic bottle and talked, just like on TV.
MR. CLEAN...Chrome-domed mascot for PROCTOR & GAMBLE household products; even his head was squeaky spotless.
MR. ED...Architect WILBUR POST got everything straight from the horse's mouth...his pet palamino MR. ED not only talked, he also used the phone, surfed, and danced to rock music.
MR. PEANUT...Everyone was nuts about this nattily attired mascot for PLANTERS, resplendent in his top hat, monacle, and cane.
MUHAMMAD ALI...Boxing's most outgoing personality was a rope-a-doper, a poet, and HOWARD COSELL's sparring partner. He was also the subject of JOHNNY WAKELIN's hit ska-pop charter BLACK SUPERMAN/MUHAMMAD ALI.
THE MUPPETS...JIM HENSON's colorful, irreverent, fur-covered puppets got their big break on SESAME STREET before graduating to their own variety series. KERMIT THE FROG, MISS PIGGY, and OSCAR THE GROUCH were exactly like real people we all know and love.
NERF...A soft, spongey ball you could throw in the house!...Honest, Mom!
NO PEST STRIP...A yellow strand of sticky flypaper you hung from the ceiling to snare unsuspecting insects. Pretty disgusting because it really worked.
OSCAR MEYER WEINER MOBILE...Frank-ly speaking, this hot dog-shaped, publicity garnering vehicle first appeared in 1936. Mini replica pedal cars were even introduced for the kiddies.
THE OSMONDS...Toothy singing siblings who scored bubblegum biggies like YO YO and DOWN BY THE LAZY RIVER as a group; DONNY also forged a solo career as a teen idol, then teamed with sister MARIE for even more sugary smashes.
OUIJA BOARD...Lights out game with an eerie ability to answer provocative questions administered by the players. Was it really the spirits talking?...or was it just the way you and your friends inadvertently glided the pointer around amongst the letters and numbers?
OVALTINE...This cocoa flavored drink mix for kids was developed in Switzerland...where the later, less tasty knock-off SWISS MISS cribbed its name from.
THE PARTRIDGE FAMILY...TV's first family of bubblegum, based loosely on real pop group THE COWSILLS. Oscar winning actress/singer SHIRLEY JONES headed the chart-climbin' clan, which included her real life stepson DAVID CASSIDY, famous for his perfect shag and teen idol good looks.
PEACE SIGN...Everyone has flashed the two finger "V" at one time or another for fun or as a friendly greeting. The famed logo encircled the foot of a dove (the symbol for "peace"), as prominent in pop culture as the Smiley Face.
PEDAL PUSHERS...Calf-length trousers also called Clam Diggers, originally worn by bicyclists...hence the name.
PERRY MASON...RAYMOND BURR played the broad shouldered lawyer who never lost a case in the immensely popular TV show based on ERLE STANLEY GARDNER's series of books.
PETER, PAUL & MARY...60s folk trio famous for PUFF THE MAGIC DRAGON and LEAVIN' ON A JET PLANE, among other ear-resistible singalongs.
PEZ DISPENSERS...Popular plastic candy dispenser based on cartoon and TV icons like BATMAN, BUGS BUNNY, and FRED FLINTSTONE. You simply flipped up the character's head to recieve a sugary rectangular pellet.
PHILLIS DILLER...Wild-haired, outlandishly attired comedienne famous for her jaded routines about her lack of looks, slovenly housework and no-good hubbie FANG. Most lines were punctuated by her trademark "HAA-HAAA!"
THE PILL...A popular birth control device that was easy to swallow; LORETTA LYNN scored a huge country hit about it.
THE PILLSBURY DOUGHBOY...The adorable, cuddly POPPIN' FRESH was voiced by veteran cartoon actor PAUL FREES (BORIS BADENOV, LUDWIG VON DRAKE, and many others).
PINBALL...Coin-operated, brightly lit game of skill found in bars and arcades; the object was to score points by bouncing a metallic ball off various targets via finger-controlled "flippers". THE WHO's trademark hit PINBALL WIZARD was almost as much fun as the setting off those buzzers and bells.
PINK FLOYD--Space rock to get stoned by, which is why their double album THE WALL came in so handy when you opened it up across your lap.
THE PINK PANTHER...The zany BLAKE EDWARDS-directed flicks starring PETER SELLERS as inept INSPECTOR CLOUSEAU spun off a hit theme song by HENRY MANCINI and a long running cartoon series.
PIXIE STRAWS...What went better with an already hyperactive tot than a paper straw full of colored sugar?
PLATFORM SHOES...High-steppin' footwear loved by disco divas and short guys alike.
PLAYBOY...HUGH HEFNER created this famed men's magazine which featured in depth articles, celebrity interviews, cartoons by legends like GAHAN WILSON and SHEL SILVERSTEIN, and...oh, yeah "tatsefully nude" women, commonly called "Bunnies".
PLEASE, DON'T SQUEEZE THE CHARMIN!...Grocery clerk MR. WHIPPLE's stern admonishment in a long-running series of paper towel commercials. CHARLIE WALKER even enjoyed a country hit called DON'T SQUEEZE MY SHARMON.
POGO STICKS...Childhood had its ups and downs; this spring-loaded joystick provided 'em.
POP ROCKS...They exploded and richocheted inside your mouth. Double dare ya to mix 'em with a Coke!...
POP-SICLE...Tasty fruit-flavored treat sometimes delivered by the ice cream man; typically, the last bite landed on the sidewalk when it fell off the stick and became a "plop-sicle".
POP TARTS...Out of the toaster or right out of the box, the "go-to" breakfast for youngin's on the run.
POPEYE...The sawed-off, one eyed sailor had cartoon series with at least six different companies, a comic strip, fried chicken franchise and his own brand of spinach. Who said you have to be a hunk to sell stuff?
PRINGLES...Rival potato chip companies claimed they weren't even real chips, but who could resist these perfectly formed tsate treats when you popped out of a can?
PSYCHEDELIA...Hippie-associated "experience" that was prominent in late 60s fashion, posters, and the trippy music of bands like THE GRATEFUL DEAD and PINK FLOYD.
QUISP & QUAKE...The original fueding cereal mascots, QUISP was a nasally voiced space alien, QUAKE a macho miner. Their battles over whose cereal was best unspooled in an entertaining series of JAY WARD-produced TV ads in the 60s. The forerunner for FRANKENBERRY vs. COUNT CHOCULA and the little remembered BARON VON REDBERRY and SIR GRAPEFELLOW.
R. CRUMB...The counterculture's best known "underground" artist, responsible for unforgettable characters like MR. NATURAL and FRITZ THE CAT.
RACQUEL WELCH...Voluptuous sex symbol who starred in the redoutable flicks ONE MILLION YEARS B.C., KANSAS CITY BOMBER, and MOTHER, JUGS & SPEED. Along with DOLLY PARTON, one of JOHNNY CARSON's favorite punchlines.
THE RAT PACK...FRANK, DINO, and SAMMY...plus sometimes JOEY BISHOP and PETER LAWFORD, but only if they waxed FRANK's cars.
RAT FINK...Grotesque cartoon mascot of the hot rod set characterized by bulging, bloodshot eyes and sharp, crooked teeth. Also a term for a traitor, much cooler than callin' someone a "BENEDICT ARNOLD".
ROBOTS...In film (FORBIDDEN PLANET), TV (LOST IN SPACE), and toys (ROCK 'EM SOCK 'EM ROBOTS), these mechanical marvels were everywhere in the 60s.
ROCK 'EM SOCK 'EM ROBOTS...The object of this mechanical boxing game was to knock the other guy's block off (shooting his head straight up in the air).
ROCKABILLY...Wild singin' and jacked up country twangin' motivated these pompadoured, guitar slingin' cool cats...ELVIS, CARL PERKINS, and JOHHNY CASH cut their teeth on 'billy rhythms at SUN RECORDS.
RODNEY DANGERFIELD...Bug-eyed comedian whose trademark line was "no respect". When he finally got some in the 80s, he juggled a high profile film, beer commercial, and recording career.
ROLLER DERBY...This co-ed slam-jam-on-skates sport made ringside wrestling look easy by comparison.
THE ROLLING STONES...The biggest Brit Invasion band after THE BEATLES. Naysayers who predicted rock's early demise needed to look no further than KEEF RICHARDS...a man who died and STILL performs.
RUBBER DUCKY...SESAME STREET character ERNIE scored a TOP 40 hit about this cherished bath time toy. SQUEAK! SQUEAK!
SALLY, DICK & JANE...Your first grade school reader. "Look Jane, look! Dick is smoking Dad's filter tips!"
SCOOBY DOO...Scaredy cat great dane who reluctantly solved mysteries aided by his equally skittish human pal SHAGGY. Voiced by HANNA BARBERA legend DON MESSICK, who also embodied the SCOOBY prototype ASTRO on THE JETSONS.
SCREAMING YELLOW ZONKERS!...Memorably named snack food consisting of sugary glaze-coated popcorn in a black box. Some enterprising rock band shoulda latched onto this title.
SEA MONKEYS...In the irresistible comic book ads, a happy family of tiny urchins cavorted in a carefree underwater paradise. In reality, all you got for your hard earned allowance was a few microscopic, faceless brine shimp no bigger than flakes of dandruff.
SHAFT...RICHARD ROUNDTREE starred as the big daddy of 70s BLAXPLOITATION films, while ISAAC HAYES scored the unforgettable mega theme. Shut yo' mouth!...
SHAG...Layered/feathered hairstyle that worked for both girls and guys...MICK JAGGER, JANE FONDA, and DAVID CASSIDY were just a few of the 70s' celebrity shaggers.
SHAG CARPETING...Wall-to-wall COOKIE MONSTER fur for your hip pad, preferably accented by a spiral staircase and blacklight posters.
SHAKE-A-PUDDIN'...Instant pudding kids could make themselves by shaking a container of flavored powder mixed with milk. If a mess occurred, well...that was a risk worth taking!
SHEL SILVERSTEIN...Children's author, hit songwriter (COVER OF THE ROLLING STONE, A BOY NAMED SUE), and PLAYBOY cartoonist. Focus SHEL, Focus!
SILLY PUTTY...You could stretch it, bounce it, and pick up comic strip pictures with it. It always wrecked your dad's sunday paper though.
SIMON & GARFUNKEL...Originally known as TOM & JERRY, the most successful folk/pop duo of the 60s, responsible for soft-rock hits like I AM A ROCK, MRS. ROBINSON, and BRIDGE OVER TROUBLED WATER.
THE SIX MILLION DOLLAR MAN...Hit boob-tube saga about a half man/half cyborg, back when six mil would actually BUY you something.
SKATEBOARDS...Known to some as "sidewalk surfin'", this plank with a roller skate attached was a fair weather sport kids really fell for.
SKITTLE BOWL...This game was a neato variation on bowling; the pins were knocked down by swinging a wooden ball chained to a post. GET SMART star DON ADAMS did the TV commercials for this and followup products like SKITTLE POOL and SKITTLE GOLF. Not to be confused with SKITTLES, the multi-colored candy.
SLINKY...Awwwww, what a gyp! It walked down the stairs JUST FINE in those TV commercials!
SMILEY FACE...That sunny yellow sphere that even a child could draw popped up on tee shirts, buttons, and every other imaginable product. Commercial artist HARVEY BALL never got rich from his universally recognized creation from 1963...that's kinda sad. :(
SMOKEY THE BEAR...Hairy poster child for preventing forest fires, armed with a grim expression, shovel and a yellow ranger's hat.
THE SMOTHERS BROTHERS...Sibling rivalry was never funnier than in the hands of TOM & DICK SMOTHERS, whose late 60s variety series mixed music, comedy and political statements before being yanked off the air by "the establishment".
SNAP! CRACKLE! POP!...As a kid, that's your breakfast cereal talkin'. Now it's your bones when you get out of bed.
SNOOPY...The top dog in the most popular comic strip of all time, CHARLES SCHULZ' irrespressible beagle masqueraded as a shortstop, WW I flying ace, and would be ladies' man JOE COOL. SNOOPY VS. THE RED BARON was a smash hit tribute by THE ROYAL GUARDSMEN.
SOAP OPERAS...Afternoon TV weepers orginally sponsored by cleaning products and peppered with organ music at dramatic interludes. Brutally parodied on THE CAROL BURNETT SHOW via AS THE STOMACH CHURNS, and THE AFTERNOON DELIGHTS scored the early 80s hit GENERAL HOSPI-TALE about popular couple LUKE and LAURA.
SOCK IT TO ME!...LAUGH-IN' trademark phrase, usually uttered by English comedienne JUDY CARNE. Almost always accompanied by a drenching bucket of water.
SOMETIMES YOU FEEL LIKE A NUT...Sometimes you don't. ALMOND JOY/MOUND's tasty candy catch-phrase. ALMOND JOY had nuts...MOUNDS didn't.
SONNY & CHER...In spite of all the short jokes lobbed by CHER on this pop duo's hit TV variety show, SONNY was actually a bit taller than his sultry wife...but who knew with those high shoes and wigs of hers?
SOUL TRAIN...The hippest trip in America. Made BANDSTAND look like a DORIS DAY flick. Sponsored by AFRO SHEEN cosemtics.
SOUPY SALES...Bowtie wearin', pun-spewin', pie in the puss receivin' slapstick comic who was all the rage on early TV. Friend of POOKY THE LION, as well as WHITE FANG and BLACK TOOTH, a pair of humongous, unitelligible canines.
SPAGHETTI-O'S...Tiny pasta rings in tomato sauce, often accompanied by mini meatballs or sliced franks. Uh-oh!, SPAGHETTI-O'S!
STAR TREK...GENE RODDENBERRY's sci-fi western starred WILLIAM SHATNER as cocksure CAPTAIN KIRK and LEONARD NIMOY as emotion-free Vulcan MR. SPOCK. Countless motion picture and TV spin-offs ensued, but none ever approached the cheeseball nirvana of the original.
STREAKING...RAY STEVEN's chart-toppin', clothes droppin' hit THE STREAK concerned a mid 70s fad where you ran through public places "nekkid as a jaybird" (except for sneakers).
SUPERBALL...Bounce it hard enough and high enough and you had to wait till next week's allowance to get another one.
SUPERMAN...Less vulnerable than BATMAN, but SUPE didn't have a cool mask or souped-up car...then again, he didn't have a dorky sidekick either.
SURF MUSIC...Sunny, carefree, guitar-driven ditties about hangin' ten, shootin' the curl, and gettin' the girl.
T SHIRTS...Formerly "just underwear", these became colorful billboards for your favorite rock group, advertsing slogan, or hilarious expression like "I'M WITH STUPID".
TARZAN...EDGAR RICE BURROGH's iconic ape man starred in movies, his own TV show, and comic books. The original "swinger" was spoofed handsomely by JAY WARD via the cult cartoon classic GEORGE OF THE JUNGLE.
TEEN IDOLS...RICKY NELSON, DONNY OSMOND, DAVID CASSIDY were a few of the best known. Good hair, perfect teeth and a passable singing voice required.
THIS BUD'S FOR YOU...Of the dozens of memorable suds slogans over the decades, this is still one of the simplest and most often recited from "The King of Beers".
THE THREE STOOGES...Most quotable, physical, memorable comedy knuckleheads of all time. They were really six of 'em all told, but who could count with their eyes poked out? Men loved 'em, women mostly just loved to hate 'em.
TIGER BEAT...Chick fanzine featuring teen idols and their deepest, darkest secrets. The NATIONAL ENQUIRER for the braces-'n-bubblegum set. Sample article: "DONNY (OSMOND) vs. DAVID (CASSIDY)...Learn the TRUTH about their secret war!"
TIKI BARS...Exotic, tropical-themed drinkin' establishments that served up potent rum-based cocktails with cool names like the ZOMBIE. EARL GRANT's 1960 hit HOUSE OF BAMBOO really laid out "the scene".
TINA TURNER...Sultry soul siren with the best legs in the music biz...not counting the ones on FATS DOMINO's piano stool.
TINKER TOYS..Colored wooden rods of varying lengths and round "connectors", this building toy came housed in a handy round container resembling a QUAKER OATS can.
TINY TIM...Long-haired, helium-voiced, ukelele strummin' novelty singer best remembered for TIP-TOE THROUGH THE TULIPS. A staple on late 60s talk shows, he married "MISS VICKI" during a highly rated episode of JOHNNY CARSON's TONIGHT SHOW.
TOM & JERRY...Cartoondom's funniest and most violent cat and mouse team, brutally paradied on THE SIMPSONS via THE ITCHY & SCRATCHY SHOW.
TONKA TRUCKS...Boys loved to put these realistic metal replicas of pick ups and steam shovels that claimed to be "built TONKA-tough" to the test...in sandboxes and driveways all over America.
TONY THE TIGER...KELLOGG's striped spokesman for FROSTED FLAKES, whose tag line was "They're GRRRRRREAT!". Deep-voiced THURL RAVENSCROFT also provided the sinister singing parts in HOW THE GRINCH STOLE CHRISTMAS.
TRIX..."Silly Rabbit!...TRIX are for kids!" If you don't remember that long-running cereal slogan, you never owned a boob-tube.
TROLL DOLLS...Sometimes called WISHNIKS, these cute little rascals were distinguished by their untamed shock of colorful hair and ever present glassy-eyed smile.
TRUCK DRIVIN' MUSIC...The choice of country lovin' big rig drivers everywhere, preferably played on 8-track tape. Genre classics include enduring odes to the road like MERLE HAGGARD's RAMBLIN' FEVER and DAVE DUDLEY's SIX DAYS ON THE ROAD.
TUPPERWARE...Plastic food containers that sealed in freshness and "burp"-ed like your Uncle Leo at Thanksgiving. For decades, available only at neighborhood TUPPERWARE parties hosted by ninja-mom's.
TV DINNERS...Long before microwaves, these frozen entrees complete with sides and a dessert were all the rage among tired housewives and hapless bachelors. Souther rock trio ZZ TOP paid tribute during their new wave reinvention of the 80s.
THE TWILIGHT ZONE...BURGESS MEREDITH's myopic bookworm, WILLIAM SHATNER's gremlin-spotting plane passenger, and BILLY MUMY's truly creepy, wide eyed brat are indelible memories from ROD SERLING's moody black & white anthology series...doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo.
TWINKIES...HOSTESS' most famous snack, golden sponge cake injected with cream filling...if you could get the darned package open, that is. Archie Bunker had one in his lunchbox every day, so they MUST have been good for ya.
THE TWIST...CHUBBY CHECKER's note for note copy of originator HANK BALLARD's "who needs a dance partner" ditty was a huge hit not once but twice in the early 60s. The craze spawned dozens of sequels, including JOEY DEE's PEPPERMINT TWIST, GARY "U.S." BONDS' TWIST TWIST SENORA, and CHECKER's inevitable LET'S TWIST AGAIN.
TWISTER...Right foot blue! Left hand red! The plastic color-coded sheet that "tied you up in knots"...preferably with members of the opposite sex.
UFO'S...Unidentified Flying Objects. Could be a Flying Saucer...could be a glow in the dark Frisbee.
VALLEY OF THE DOLLS...Trashy JACQUELINE SUZANNE novel turned into a popular though much-maligned film starring SHARON TATE and PATTY DUKE.
VAMPIRES...BELA LUGOSI's immortal DRACULA may have been the most famous bloodsucker, but they also popped up in countless other horror flicks, best selling books, TV series like DARK SHADOWS, and songs like ZACHERLE's novelty hit DINNER WITH DRAC.
VELVEETA...KRAFT's classic processed cheese product came packaged in a long, wrapped brick. Pretty tasty, in spite of how it sounded.
THE VENTURES---Guitar-slingin' instrumental group that made over 100 albums with no singing whatsoever...are you listening, MICHAEL BOLTON?
THE VILLAGE PEOPLE...Other than KISS, the most famous costumed group of the 70s; their disco-fied "buddy" songs included MACHO MAN, YMCA and IN THE NAVY.
VW BEETLE...Also widely known as the BUG, this economical, round topped little car had its engine in the back. The subject of an "I saw it first" game for bored young travelers everywhere..."Yellow Punch Buggy!"...
WALTER KRONKITE...Most trusted newsman of them all. And that's the way it is...
WAX LIPS...First you wore 'em over your own lips for comic effect, then you chewed 'em up.
W.C. FIELDS...Children hating, hard-drinking movie comic who spit out acerbic observations such as "A woman drove me to drink and I didn't even have the decency to thank her." His laconic delivery was impersonated by everyone from RICH LITTLE to RICHARD DAWSON.
WHITE CASTLE...Best teeny onion-smothered square burgers on the planet, if you were lucky enough to live in a state that had one of these eateries.
WILLIE NELSON...Country music's leader of the 70s "Outlaw" movement (along with buddy WAYLON JENNINGS), SHOTGUN WILLIE brandished long braids, a bandana headband and a roach clip. Crossover hits included ON THE ROAD AGAIN and ALWAYS ON MY MIND.
WOLFMAN JACK...Until he appeared as himself in the classic flick AMERICAN GRAFITTI, no one knew what this iconic, howlin' disc jockey looked like...most assumed he was black due to his irrepressible jive patter. THE GUESS WHO did a hit tribute called CLAP FOR THE WOLFMAN, with a cameo from the wild man himself.
WOODSTOCK...Three daze of peace, love and mud during which JIMI HENDRIX, THE WHO, and SLY & THE FAMILY STONE were among the over two dozen iconic performers.
WRESTLING...Loud, sweaty slam-o-rama featuring flamboyant figures like GORGEOUS GEORGE, ANDRE THE GIANT, and HULK HOGAN. Of COURSE it was real! The managers, often ex-wrestlers themselves, were as colorful as their charges; eternal bad guys "CLASSY" FREDDIE BLASSIE and CAP'N LOU ALBINO both paid cheeky tribute to themselves in song, namely BLASSIE's PENCIL NECK GEEK and ALBANO's CAP'N LOU (with NRBQ).
X-RAY SPECS...Could you REALLY see through walls and ladies' dresses with 'em? Just one of the endless gag items that could be ordered from the backs of comic books, along with hand buzzers, pepper gum, and chattering teeth.
YOGI BEAR...JELLYSTONE PARK's infamous picnic basket-filching bruin, the subject of numerous cartoon series, a hit song by THE IVY THREE, and a live action movie in 2011.
ZOMBIES...ZOMBIES meant different things to different folks...walking dead movie monsters, strong TIKI BAR drinks, and a popular BRITISH INVASION group.
ZORRO...Masked swashbuckler portrayed by GUY (LOST IN SPACE) WILLIAMS in the DISNEY series, and spoofed by cartoon cowpoke QUICK DRAW MCGRAW as EL KABONG.
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POP HITS ABOUT POP CULTURE...THE POP 40:
AM RADIO-EVERCLEAR
AMERICAN BANDSTAND-BARRY MANILOW
BARBIE GIRL-AQUA
BATMAN THEME-NEIL HEFTI
BELA LUGOSI IS DEAD-BAUHAUS
BELL BOTTOM BLUES-ERIC CLAPTON
BIGGER THAN THE BEATLES-JOE DIFFIE
BLACK SUPERMAN/MUHAMMED ALI-JOHNNY WAKELIN
BONGO ROCK-PRESTON EPPS
CAP'N LOU-NRBQ FEATURING CAP'N LOU ALBANO
CLAP FOR THE WOLFMAN-THE GUESS WHO
COCA COLA COWBOY-MEL TILLIS
CONVOY-C.W. MCCALL
THE CORVETTE SONG-GEORGE JONES
CREATURE FROM THE BLACK LAGOON-DAVE EDMUNDS
THE CURLY SHUFFLE-THE JUMP IN THE SADDLE BAND
DAVY CROCKETT-FESS PARKER
DINNER WITH DRAC-ZACHERLE
DISCO LUCY-THE WILTON PLACE STREET BAND
DING! DONG! THE WITCH IS DEAD!-THE FIFTH ESTATE
DON'T SQUEEZE MY SHARMON-CHARLIE WALKER
ELVIS IS EVERYWHERE-MOJO NIXON & SKID ROPER
FLYING SAUCER-BUCHANAN & GOODMAN
GENERAL HOSPI-TALE-THE AFTERNOON DELIGHTS
GODZILLA-BLUE OYSTER CULT
HAIR-THE COWSILLS
HIDE & SEEK-THE SHEEP
HOT PANTS (SHE GOT TO USE WHAT SHE GOT TO GET WHAT SHE WANTS)-JAMES BROWN
HOUSE OF BAMBOO-EARL GRANT
I TAWT I TAW A PUDDY TAT-MEL BLANC
ICE CREAM MAN-VAN HALEN
ITSY BITSY TEENY WEENY YELLOW POLKA-DOT BIKINI-BRYAN HYLAND
I WANNA BE A FLINTSTONE-SCREAMING BLUE MESSIAHS
JAMES DEAN-THE EAGLES
THE JOLLY GREEN GIANT-THE KINGSMEN
JUKEBOX MUSIC-THE KINKS
JUNK FOOD JUNKIE-LARRY GROCE
KEEP ON TRUCKIN'-EDDIE KENDRICKS
KING OF BEERS-TREAT HER RIGHT
KING TUT-STEVE MARTIN
KUNG FU FIGHTING-CARL DOUGLAS
LIFE IS A ROCK (BUT THE RADIO ROLLED ME)-REUNION
LITTLE GTO-RONNIE & THE DAYTONAS
MAN ON THE MOON-R.E.M.
MINI SKIRT MINNIE-BILL HALEY & THE COMETS
MONSTER MASH-BOBBY "BORIS" PICKETT
MONTERREY-ERIC BURDON & THE ANIMALS
MR. JAWS-DICKIE GOODMAN
THE MUMMY-BOB MCFADDEN & DOR
MUSTANG SALLY-WILSON PICKETT
NO MATTER WHAT SHAPE (YOUR STOMACH'S IN)-THE T-BONES
PAC-MAN FEVER-BUCKNER & GARCIA
PEACE SIGN-WAR
PENCIL NECK GEEK-"CLASSY" FREDDIE BLASSIE
THE PILL-LORETTA LYNN
PINBALL WIZARD-THE WHO
THE PINK PANTHER THEME-HENRY MANCINI
RAGTOP DELUXE-MOLLY HATCHET
RC COLA & A MOON PIE-NRBQ
ROLLER DERBY QUEEN-JIM CROCE
RUBBER DUCKY-ERNIE
SHORT SHORTS-THE ROYAL TEENS
SIDEWALK SURFIN'-JAN & DEAN
SNOOPY VS. THE RED BARON-THE ROYAL GUARDSMEN
SPEEDY GONZALES-PAT BOONE
STAIRWAY TO GILLIGAN'S ISLAND-LITTLE ROGER & THE GOOESBUMPS
THE STREAK-RAY STEVENS
SUPERMAN-HERBIE MANN
TEENAGE WEREWOLF-THE CRAMPS
TELSTAR-THE TORNADOS
TIN MAN-AMERICA
TRUCK DRIVIN' MAN-BUCK OWENS
TV DINNERS-ZZ TOP
THE TWILIGHT ZONE-GOLDEN EARRING
WHEN YOU'RE HOT YOU'R HOT-JERRY REED
WOODSTOCK-CROSBY, STILLS, & NASH
THE WOODY WOODPECKER SONG-DANNY KAYE with THE ANDREW SISTERS
X-RAY SPECS-STARZ
YOGI-THE IVY THREE
YO YO-THE OSMOND BROTHERS
ZORRO-THE CHORDETTES
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POP CULTURE "POP" TOP TEN:
POPPIN' FRESH, THE PILLSBURY DOUGHBOY
POPEYE
JIFFY POP
POP MUSIC
POP TARTS
TOOTSIE POP
POP ART
SODA POP
POP ROCKS
POP-SICLE
