80s

90s

The Hair-Raising History Of How Trolls Became One Of The Longest-Lasting Toy Trends

By Tanya
I think we can all agree that looking back on our childhoods makes us reevaluate some of our obsessions. Did we need all of those Beanie Babies? Probably not. Did we need every POG available? Probably not. Was Tickle Me Elmo really worth the effort our parents put in? I guess not. But those things were just short little trends that passed by in a few short years. There was another toy, one that's even weirder than a game based on cardboard disks that managed to last for decades, and is making its comeback now: Trolls. Troll dolls seemed like

80s

Remembering The Bizarre McDonald's Halloween Promotions You Used To Be Obsessed With

By Tanya
Halloween was basically the most important time of the year when we were kids. I mean, it's when you get to dress up in a costume that makes you happy and run around your town demanding candy from strangers, what's not to love?While it wasn't quite as hyped up as Christmas was, there was one place that always seemed to know how to do Halloween right: McDonald's. The fast food giant was always good at getting into the spooky spirit, bringing some of the best promotions and events for us to enjoy, and we still remember them to this

80s

Your Favorite Monster Cereals Actually Have A Bizarre And Controversial Past

By Tanya
Franken Berry, Boo-Berry, and Count Chocula were three of the best cereals to ever come across our grocery store aisles. As children, we would beg our parents to get us some of these marshmallow-filled treats instead of the boring, old, healthier options, and when they actually did it, we were so thrilled. Even though kids loved the cereals, there were actually a couple of different controversies involving the General Mills classics. Flickr - medea_materialCompeting against Tony the Tiger and Snap, Crackle, and Pop isn't the easiest task, but they managed to come up with some fun little creations for

80s

His Small Part In 'Ferris Bueller' Became Iconic, But Where Is Ben Stein Now?

By Tanya
The words "Bueller...Bueller...Bueller?" can only be read in one way, and with that simple, monotone delivery, a star was born. Ben Stein played the economics professor in the iconic John Hughes classic Ferris Bueller's Day Off, and that role managed to launch his career in a way that you may not expect for someone with such a small part. Sure, he's on screen for less than five minutes, but it's the delivery you remember. Yes, obviously the other characters are more present, and you can remember some of the more iconic moments as well, but it's Stein's line

80s

'Mannequin' Was One Of The Weirdest Movies Of The 80s, And We've Still Got Some Questions

By Tanya
I know that 80s movies are a category of their own. Sure, there are rom-coms and action movies, but then there are also 80s rom-coms and 80s action movies. They are different, they are unparalleled, and they are just better than other movies. Case in point: Mannequin. The outrageously bizarre 80s rom-com brings joy to all of our hearts (or at least those lucky enough to remember it) even though the premise is absolute bonkers. Here's the thing, I love this movie with my whole heart. I can probably quote the entire thing to you right now (I won't) but

80s

With Sears Filing For Bankruptcy, Let's Never Forget How Amazing The Wish Book Was

By Tanya
If you celebrate Christmas, then you know that the most important and exciting day of the year is the one whenever your Sears Wish Book arrives. That's when you know that it's time to start writing out your Christmas list, comparing all the potential toys that you might consider. Pages and pages of Barbies, Lego, and board games to dream about, before writing them down on your letter to Santa. The Wish Book is one of those things that you never really stop looking at. You just keep on flipping through the pages any time you get bored, probably because

80s

Another Iconic Video Game Is Getting A "Mega" Live-Action Movie

By Tanya
When you were growing up, the library of video games was nowhere near as extensive as it is now. There were obviously a lot of good choices, but compared to the variety now, it was such a small percentage. Clearly it was because video games were still new when we were all young, but what we lacked in quantity, we made up for in devotion. Sure, there weren't new games every day that we could play on our phones, or elaborate and large games with graphics that end up looking so realistic it's creepy, but we did have characters that

80s

We've Still Got Some Big Questions For Inspector Gadget Even After All These Years

By Tanya
Truth be told, I loved Inspector Gadget. The show was one of my all-time favorites when I was a kid, and the theme song still pops into my head from time to time. But just because I loved it, doesn't mean that I don't think it had some issues. I do, however, have some questions for Mr. Gadget, ones that still confuse me to this day. (And yes, I know it's a cartoon and it's best to not examine it too closely, but just for fun, let's do it anyways.) How did Gadget actually get his job? If he's a

80s

15 Things We'd Get On Halloween That Were The Worst Part Of Trick-Or-Treating

By Tanya
Halloween is a privilege that kids are mostly taking for granted. You get to dress up in ridiculous costumes, and when you're young, you get to walk around and get free snacks from everyone in your neighborhood. You can't really go trick-or-treating when you're an adult, but at least now we can buy our own candy supplies. Sure, it's not as satisfying as getting it for free, but at least we get our sugar fix. There is, however, one benefit to having to buy candy yourself instead of running around town asking strangers for it. Instead of being given a

80s

California Raisins Creator Has Passed Away At 70

By Awa
When the California Raisin Advisory Board (yes, it's a real organization) couldn't figure out a way to convince people to eat more raisins during the 80s, they decided that a band of claymation raisins dancing and singing "I Heard It Through the Grapevine," was the solution to the problem.  They appeared in a bunch of commercials, an Emmy Award-winning holiday special, a mockumentary-style movie, partnered with Michael Jackson, and eventually landed their very own cartoon show. The purple R&B singers also had a video game, board game, and figurines, and appeared on mugs, hats, books, backpacks, lunch boxes,
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