Fads - Totally the 80's

collage image of jolt cola in cans and bottles and poured in glasses

Why Jolt Cola Became the 80s Soda With Extra Caffeine

Most soft drink brands wanted to be refreshing. Jolt wanted to keep you awake through algebra homework, a midnight movie, and one more round at the arcade. Jolt Cola hit…

Pop Culture Discontinued Treats Fads Favorite Foods Toys and Games

Squeezit Drinks and the Squeeze Bottles Kids Couldn’t Resist

Some drinks were swallowed. Squeezit drinks were performed. You didn't sip one like a little grown-up. You grabbed the bottle, twisted the cap, squeezed with both hands, and felt like…

the original string thing candy snack ad

Pop Culture Discontinued Treats Fads Food

String Thing Fruit Snack: The Peelable Lunchbox Favorite

Remember that fruit snack you did not simply eat, you worked on? With String Thing Fruit snacks, you peeled it, tugged it, unraveled it, and stretched the moment out like…

Pop Culture Fads Favorite Foods Food Toys and Games

Ring Pop Candy was Sugar Dressed Up as Jewelry

Some candy disappeared the second you tore open the wrapper. A Ring Pops candy stayed on your hand like you'd just won the sugar lottery. That was the whole magic.…

Pop Culture Fads Fashion Trends

Why Swatch Watches Were the Wrist Candy Every Kid Wanted

Before phones took over our pockets and our attention, your wrist could do a lot of talking. If you grew up anywhere near the 1980s or 1990s, you probably remember…

A colorful plastic Skip-It toy on asphalt during golden afternoon recess.

Pop Culture Fads Toys and Games

Why the Skip-It Toy Took Over Recess

One plastic hoop, one swinging ball, one badly timed jump, and suddenly the whole playground had an audience. The Skip-It toy looked almost too simple to become a sensation, yet…

Pop Culture Action Figures Fads Toys and Games Trends

M.U.S.C.L.E. Figures: Tiny Wrestlers, Huge 80s Fun

They fit in your palm, vanished under the couch, and somehow became the most important professional wrestling athletes in your bedroom. M.U.S.C.L.E. figures were small, pink, weird, and ready to…

Pop Culture Fads Toys and Games Trends

Koosh Ball: The Toy Everyone Had to Squeeze

Some toys asked you to imagine a whole world. The Koosh Ball asked you to pick it up once, and that was enough. If you were anywhere near a toy…

Pop Culture Arcade Classics Fads Fast Food Favorites Food Toys and Games Trends Video Games

ShowBiz Pizza and the Birthday Party Every Kid Wanted

Before bounce houses and party packages took over, one birthday flex ruled the 80s: ShowBiz Pizza. If your name was on that cake table, you were the main character for…

Pop Culture Fads Fashion Toys and Games Trends

Slap Bracelets and the School Ban Panic

You could hear them before you saw them, that fast little snap in the middle of homeroom. Slap bracelets were cheap, bright, weirdly satisfying, and almost impossible for kids to…