Pac-Man Cereal and the Ghost Marshmallows We Still Miss
Some cereals fed you. A few gave you a whole little Saturday morning mood. Pac-Man cereal did that with one bright, goofy, brilliant move: it dropped Pac-Man and his ghost…
Posted inPop Culture Fads Toys and Games Trends
Rainbow Brite Dolls and the Colorful World Kids Couldn’t Resist
Some toys asked for attention. Rainbow Brite dolls practically glowed. If you were a kid in the 1980s, you probably clocked them in a split second. Bright yarn hair. Candy-colored…
Posted inPop Culture 80s Mixtapes Commercials Music Trends
Sony Walkman Memories and the Cassettes We Wore Out
You didn't just own a Sony Walkman. You carried your whole mood around with you. Before phones turned every pocket into a jukebox, that little cassette player felt like freedom…
Posted inDiscontinued Treats Commercials Food Pop Culture
Donkey Kong Cereal and the Barrel-Puff Breakfast Craze
Some cereals gave you flakes. Some gave you marshmallows. Donkey Kong cereal gave you barrels. That was the hook, and what a hook it was. In the early 1980s, when…
Posted inPop Culture Discontinued Treats Favorite Foods Food
Fruit Wrinkles Snack and the Stretchy Lunchbox Obsession
Some snacks disappeared in two bites. Fruit Wrinkles made a whole scene out of it. If you packed a lunch in the late 1980s or early 1990s, you probably remember…
Magic Middles Cookies and the Gooey Center Kids Loved
If you ever stood in a supermarket cookie aisle as an 80s kid, you know the feeling. Most boxes promised chocolate, crunch, or creme. Magic Middles cookies promised a surprise.…
Jem and the Holograms Was Every Glitter Kid’s Dream
One look at pink hair, star earrings, and a wall of neon, and you knew this wasn't ordinary Saturday morning TV. The boys had He-man, and the girls had Jem…
Posted inPop Culture Toys and Games
Pound Puppies: The Soft Shelter Dogs Kids Loved
Some toys asked to be bought. Pound Puppies and the Pound Puppies Classic line asked to be saved. That was the whole trick, and in the mid-80s it worked like…
He-Man and Castle Grayskull: Why the Power Still Matters
"By the power of Grayskull!" You can hear it, can't you? Even before the sword goes up, the castle is already doing half the work. For 80s kids, Castle Grayskull…
Posted inPop Culture Fads Toys and Games
Garbage Pail Kids: The Gross Trading Cards Schools Couldn’t Stand
Few things felt more dangerous, or more fun, than opening a wax pack and finding a card so disgusting you had to show somebody immediately. Garbage Pail Kids were rude,…