When We Were Young - An 80s And 90s Pop Culture Podcast

Can you imagine living in a world where millions of people are glued to their screens 24/7, watching the life of an ordinary person unfold while being bombarded with advertisements that are disguised as part of the entertainment? Of course you can! It’s 2024, and we’re already there. But back in 1998, the premise of THE TRUMAN SHOW was still a pretty radical idea, giving moviegoers a glimpse of the future shortly before the reality TV boom of the 2000s and long before the rise of social media. Audiences who thought they were in for a summer comedy starring Jim Carrey found themselves instead confronted with deep philosophical questions about freedom versus choice, artifice versus authenticity, surveillance versus privacy, and other heady topics - unaware that they were witnessing the rise of the world’s first influencer. The film stars Jim Carrey as likable everyman Truman Burbank, who’s lived his entire life unaware that every move he makes is broadcast to adoring fans across the globe. His mom

Following the breakout success of the Backstreet Boys in the mid-to-late 90s, a wave of warbling wannabes took to the airwaves, all vying for coveted poster space on the walls of teenagers across the globe. For many 90s kids, the latter half of the decade is best remembered as a hunky blur of chiseled abs, soulful harmonies, and frosted tips. But only one band had what it took to be a true rival to the Backstreet Boys. That is, of course, *NSYNC, another Orlando-bred quintet whose origin story is strikingly similar to BSB’s. That other major boy band’s breakout in the U.S. took place in 1998, when “I Want You Back” announced the arrival of five new dreamboats for impressionable young girls to obsess over. (Or hate with fiery vengeance, if they were BSB 4 LYFE.) In this episode, the When We Were Young podcast revisits Lance, Chris, J.C., Joey, and Justin and tries to classify the type of thing they do. We also discuss our favorite and least favorite members of the group (prepare for surprises!),

Are they original? Not a bit. Are they the only one? Certainly not. Are they sexual? Well, that’s up for debate!  The When We Were Young podcast dives into all these questions and more as we discuss the Backstreet Boys, pioneers in the bubblegum pop craze that was larger than life in the late 1990s and early 2000s.  Boy bands were all the rage around the turn of the millennium, starting with the international success of everybody’s favorite musical act named after an Orlando flea market. (Okay, maybe they are the only one.)  The Boys broke out big time with “I’ll Never Break Your Heart,” the first of many heart-related tracks that would soon hit the charts. Over the next few years, Nick, Brian, Kevin, Howie, and A.J. rocked our bodies, showed us the meaning of being lonely, and announced their return before most of us had even heard of them. They also fought to dominate the charts against a wave of other crooning gentlemen seeking to capitalize on their formula for teenage infatuati

New Year, new you? Who better to turn to for inspiration than a good-looking, well-educated, wealthy New York City investment banker with a razor sharp wit and killer taste in music?  Patrick Bateman has a flawless skin care routine, does one thousand crunches per day, stays up to date on the latest in fashion and food, can share insightful music criticism at the drop of a hat, and always returns his videotapes on time. Aside from his need to engage in homicidal bloodlust on a massive scale, he’s practically perfect! At least, that’s what too many viewers of 2000’s AMERICAN PSYCHO seem to think, based on the way Christian Bale’s suave psychopath has been memed and emulated across the internet. Fresh off our last episode, which examined the problematic worship of Scarface’s Tony Montana, we’re scrutinizing an even more deranged cinematic role model. Patrick Bateman first stirred up controversy in the publishing world as the narrator of Bret Easton Ellis’ 1991 novel, then caused an u

Bright lights, joyful music, expensive baubles, and white powder everywhere! Could it be Christmastime again? Or is it perhaps a sweltering, sweaty drug war in Miami, circa 1983? Actually, it’s both, as When We Were Young celebrates the holidays the only way we know how - with narcotics, chainsaws, and expletives galore, all courtesy of Brian De Palma’s ultraviolent crime classic SCARFACE. Americans have a long history of looking up to men who aren’t the best role models. That explains why Tony Montano, the Cuban crime lord unforgettably embodied by Al Pacino, became an unlikely role model for millions of moviegoers who turned the controversial gangster flick into a stone cold classic over the four decades that followed its release. Some viewers find inspiration in Tony Montana’s upwardly mobile immigrant story, while others find the film’s execution of the American dream to be even more crass than the capitalist excess it’s critiquing. And then there are those who just really like the F-word an

Death comes to us all - unless you're Meryl Streep and Goldie Hawn. These two actresses have found the secret to living forever: being immortalized in one of the most beloved horror comedies of cult cinema, DEATH BECOMES HER (1992). Robert Zemeckis broke new ground with the movie's mind-bending Oscar-winning (and neck-twisting) special effects, and the film was a hit at the box office despite critics not being too impressed by the literal death-defying antics of these two frenemies. Has time been kind to Mad(eline) and Hel(en) in the last 30 years? Or is "Death Becomes Her" just a rotting corpse covered in spray paint? Join us as we revisit the past and share our own insecurities about aging. Bottom's up! Follow When We Were Young on Twitter and Instagram at @WWWYshow, on Facebook at Facebook.com/WWWYShow and email episode suggestions to wwwyshow@gmail.com. Don’t forget to subscribe and review us on Apple Podcasts and Google Podcasts (or wherever you get your podcasts) so more folks check

Put on your yarmulke, it’s time to celebrate ADAM SANDLER! In the third and final installment of our series Saturday Night Leavers - Celluloid Man-Children Of 90s Cinema, we revisit Adam Sandler’s most memorable Saturday Night Live sketches, from Canteen Boy to Opera Man. Then we dive into his big-screen adventures in BILLY MADISON, HAPPY GILMORE, and THE WEDDING SINGER, where Sandler plays men who range from romantic losers to (arguably) lovable idiots with anger issues. Adam Sandler has perfected the art of buffoonery in his decades-long, billion-dollar-earning career, but does his first chapter as a leading man still bring the laughs? Or are we all now dumber for having listened to it? One last question: Do you have any more gum? Follow When We Were Young on Twitter and Instagram at @WWWYshow, on Facebook at Facebook.com/WWWYShow and email episode suggestions to wwwyshow@gmail.com. Don’t forget to subscribe and review us on Apple Podcasts and Google Podcasts (or wherever you get your p

Saturday Night Live is not just a TV comedy institution but also an incubator for some of the brightest comedy stars of the silver screen. In our three-part miniseries Saturday Night Leavers - Celluloid Man-Children Of 90s Cinema, we are surveying the careers of three men who left the show in 1995, and who took their SNL fame to new heights by becoming movie stars. In Part Two of the miniseries we discuss Chris Farley, one of the hottest stars to ever burst out into national fame from Saturday Night Live. Farley took his unforgettable comedic persona and superstardom to the cinema immediately after SNL fired him in 1995, but his career was tragically cut short by his death in 1997 at the age of 33. We begin by discussing our own childhood needs for attention and approval from strangers, and then we investigate Chris Farley’s upbringing as a hell-raising but sensitive and devoutly Catholic boy in Wisconsin, his meteoric rise in improv comedy, and our own favorite moments of Farley’s career in SNL

Here's a bonus mini-sode where we discuss Mike Myers' SO I MARRIED AN AXE MURDERER (1993) as well as our own childhood pop cultural touchstones. Join us for the rest of Mike Myers’ epic journey from schwing! to swinger in Part One (Episode 124) of our Saturday Night Leavers - Celluloid Man-Children Of 90s Cinema mini-series! Follow When We Were Young on Twitter and Instagram at @WWWYshow, on Facebook at Facebook.com/WWWYShow and email episode suggestions to wwwyshow@gmail.com. Don’t forget to subscribe and review us on Apple Podcasts and Google Podcasts (or wherever you get your podcasts) so more folks check out the show! Help us defray the costs of creating this show, which include recording remotely, purchasing movies/shows/music to review, delivery food to eat our feelings, and producing & editing in-house at the MFP Studio in Los Angeles, California by donating to our Patreon account at patreon.com/WhenWeWereYoung

Many of the big screen’s most successful comedians got their start on the small screen, and no TV series has launched more comedy all-stars than Saturday Night Live. In 1995, the long-running weekend staple experienced a major shakeup with the exit of many of its most popular cast members, including Adam Sandler, Chris Farley, and Mike Myers - all of whom followed up their successful stints on SNL with feature comedies. In the first of three episodes focusing on the film careers of these SNL funnymen, we set our sights on Mike Myers, who kicked off the sketch-to-film trend of the 90s by bringing Saturday Night Live’s Wayne Campbell from public access television in Aurora, Illinois to nation-wide box office smash in 1991’s WAYNE’S WORLD. The irreverent comedy co-stars SNL’s Dana Carvey as sidekick Garth and boasts more catchphrases than you could count in a lifetime, but do these wacky slackers have what it takes to party on into the 21st century, or… NOT? Next up, we th

We hope you like the color pink, because that's all you're getting in this episode! In the second part of our Toys of Summer series, we look back at the most popular toys from our youth that were targeted at little girls - the gentle equines of MY LITTLE PONY, the disturbing, dead-eyed CABBAGE PATCH KIDS, the complicated backstory of JEM AND THE HOLOGRAMS, and of course the ubiquitous BARBIE, who first appeared on shelves wearing a black-and-white-striped bathing suit and has since become synonymous with the color pink.  Mattel has sold billions of Barbie dolls in the last 60 years despite often being the target of controversy; the doll has been a best friend and role model to the little girls who play with her while also contributing to their low self-image. Is there still a place for Barbie today? The inevitable box-office success of Barbie's first live-action big-screen adaptation might make you say Yes, but when it comes to the dolls, are we as willing to let the next generation of women spend thei

In this "Boys' Toys" episode of our two-part TOYS OF SUMMER podcast, we revisit icons ranging from Zack the Lego Maniac to Sergeant Slaughter in remembrance of the toys we played with in the 80s and 90s that were marketed primarily to boys. As it turns out, some of our favorite cartoons from childhood were more than meets the eye - they were advertisements in disguise, created explicitly to get us to buy plastic playthings! The toy-to-TV-show trend kicked off with Hasbro’s relaunch of its G.I. JOE action figures in 1982, rebranded as the “Real American Hero” in a corresponding animated series. It was soon followed by action figure juggernauts HE-MAN AND THE MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE and THE TRANSFORMERS. Using bulging muscles, explosive hardware, and cartoon violence to appeal to young boys, these series often wrapped up with a wholesome life lesson to balance out the mayhem (before cutting to a commercial break encouraging us to buy the latest bazooka-toting action figures). Along the w

After thoroughly raiding the lost ark in their previous outing, Chris, Becky, and Seth found themselves on shockingly shaky ground with Indiana Jones superfans. Can the three opinionated podcasters escape the wrath of Indy’s admirers this time around? When We Were Young excavates the further adventures of cinema’s favorite tomb-raiding hunk, digging into Steven Spielberg’s wildly different sequels. First up is 1984’s INDIANA JONES AND THE TEMPLE OF DOOM, which saw Harrison Ford joined by Kate Capshaw and Ke Huy Quan for a disturbing descent into human sacrifice and child slavery. Stuffed with gross-out gags and ultra-macabre special effects, the film outraged parents and alienated critics, but still managed to rake in plenty of that sweet summer movie money and become a staple in many VHS collections. (Thanks in large part to a McDonald’s promotion!) And finally, we delve into 1989’s INDIANA JONES AND THE LAST CRUSADE, which hewed closer to the adventuresome tone of the 1981 original, with daddy

Why did it have to be podcasters? After seven years of fan requests, When We Were Young is finally getting around to the beloved Dr. Henry Walton Jones, Jr. franchise - better known to moviegoers by his canine-inspired nickname, Indiana Jones. With Harrison Ford stepping back into the role after a long hiatus for this summer’s INDIANA JONES AND THE DIAL OF DESTINY, it’s the perfect time to look back at the film that started it all.  Blockbuster groundbreakers George Lucas, who created the character, and Steven Spielberg, who helmed all three films in the original trilogy, joined forces in 1981 for RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK, a film that defied low expectations to become one of the most treasured movies of the 80s. The summer smash was hailed as a masterpiece upon its release, raking in cash at the box office for almost an entire year and earning a nomination for Best Picture at the Oscars.   How does everybody’s favorite archaeologist hold up as an action hero four decades after his first foray ont

The Karate Kid features one of the most beloved movie mentors of all time in Mr. Miyagi, who teaches young Daniel valuable lessons about patience (taking time to breathe), efficiency (putting the whole body’s strength into a single punch), and achievement (if you can catch a fly with chopsticks, you can accomplish pretty much anything). In this special interview episode, When We Were Young talks to author and keynote speaker Chris Clews about more life lessons that can be found in ‘80s pop culture, whether in films with iconic movie mentors like The Karate Kid and Dead Poets Society, or those with much more questionable role models like The Lost Boys and Road House. In his new book Raised on the ‘80s, Chris Clews identifies 30+ life lessons from the music and movies that defined pop culture’s most excellent and totally awesome decade, including Trading Places, Cocktail, The Breakfast Club, Die Hard, and the music of Prince. We talked to Chris about his favorite bits of wisdom from our favorite '

If you're an '80s kid, you can remember karate being the chosen after-school activity of pretty much everyone in your class (and likely yours too). You can thank THE KARATE KID for getting everybody in a gi. In our latest episode, we revisit the original 1984 film in the hit franchise that would span decades, as well as multiple sequels and reboots, discussing how this movie set the formula for nearly every mentor-protege story that would follow. We're also happily joined by Becky's big sister Chelsea, who shares why she's been a big fan of this movie since she was a kid. (It only has a little to do with crushing on a baby-faced Ralph Macchio.) Follow When We Were Young on Twitter and Instagram at @WWWYshow, on Facebook at Facebook.com/WWWYShow and email episode suggestions to wwwyshow@gmail.com. Don’t forget to subscribe and review us on Apple Podcasts and Google Podcasts (or wherever you get your podcasts) so more folks check out the show! Help us defray the costs of creating this show,

Do you feel that chill in the air? This holiday season, When We Were Young’s listeners will be visited by three all-knowing spirits who serve as guides through the past, present, and future of all things Muppet. Our last episode chronicled the humble beginnings of Kermit and company through their rise to global superstardom with The Muppet Show and The Muppet Movie in the late 70s. In this episode Chris, Becky, and Seth discuss their youthful memories of more recent Muppets exploits like the original MUPPET BABIES cartoon of the 80s, the MUPPETS TONIGHT primetime series that aired on TGIF in the 90s, and a star-studded pop album called KERMIT UNPIGGED that at least one of our hosts cherished. Next we revisit the Muppets’ musical retelling of Charles Dickens’ classic ghost story in 1992’s THE MUPPET CHRISTMAS CAROL, which stars a pitch perfect Michael Caine as yuletide-loathing miser Ebenezer Scrooge, and a bunch of puppets as Bob Cratchit, Tiny Tim, the Marleys, and even the author himself. Then

It’s When We Were Young’s most sensational, inspirational, celebrational, Muppetational episode yet! Gonzo, Miss Piggy, Fozzy, and friends may be best known for kid-focused fare these days, but Jim Henson’s world-famous puppets originally had roots in more grownup entertainment, including The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, the first season of Saturday Night Live, and a “Sex & Violence” TV special that provided a test run for puppets on primetime.  In this episode of the podcast, we look back at the very beginning of Henson’s puppeteering career on public access television more than two decades before the gang got their very own variety program in THE MUPPET SHOW, which became a worldwide phenomenon starting in 1976. Chris, Becky, and Seth rewatch some of the series’ most notable episodes with guest stars Rita Moreno, Steve Martin, Harry Belafonte, and Elton John, and discover that their mileage for puppets delivering dad jokes may vary. Then we revisit Kermit and com

It's Part 2 of Hanksgiving, our special holiday series showing gratitude for America's Dad TOM HANKS! In this episode we revisit 1994's FORREST GUMP, the blockbuster dramedy from Robert Zemeckis that won as many Oscars as it had catchphrases. Becky, Chris and Seth debate whether this light-as-a-feather stroll through mid-to-late 20th century America is just as beloved now as it was upon its release, or if it's gone as stale as a 30-year-old box of chocolates. Elvis, John Lennon, JFK - anyone who's anyone is making a computer-generated appearance in our latest episode! Follow When We Were Young on Twitter and Instagram at @WWWYshow, on Facebook at Facebook.com/WWWYShow and email episode suggestions to wwwyshow@gmail.com. Don’t forget to subscribe and review us on Apple Podcasts and Google Podcasts (or wherever you get your podcasts) so more folks check out the show! Help us defray the costs of creating this show, which include recording remotely, pu

Happy Hanksgiving, everyone! In our first of two episodes sharing our gratitude for one of Hollywood's most endearing, reliable stars - that would be none other than TOM HANKS, of course - we take a look back at the actor's breakthrough performance in the hit 1988 comedy BIG. Is a romance between an adult woman and a 12-year-old boy in a 30-year-old man's body problematic? Kind of! We also discuss some other less-than-memorable body-switching flicks and what we would have wished for if we encountered a Zoltar machine at age 12. Let's see if BIG still captures our heart and soul (as played on a comically oversized piano). Follow When We Were Young on Twitter and Instagram at @WWWYshow, on Facebook at Facebook.com/WWWYShow and email episode suggestions to wwwyshow@gmail.com. Don’t forget to subscribe and review us on Apple Podcasts and Google Podcasts (or wherever you get your podcasts) so more folks check out the show! Help us defray the costs of creating this show, which include re