Toward the end of 2017, my buddies Derek, TC and I were discussing the idea of doing a podcast together. A few ideas came up, but the idea for a TGIF themed podcast came up, in jest, but as time went on, it turned out to be a good idea. So, from a silly group text discussion about Cody Lambert and Urkel, comes a new podcast!
Three great friends who have genuine love for these ridiculous shows and the insanity that went along with them. TGIF went through a lot of ups and downs during it's run and we plan on covering all of it! We all hope you enjoy the show and continue to listen. We've got some fun discussions coming and maybe even some fun guests from some of your favorite podcasts? Hmmm...I wonder who could stop by and join us?
Now, to clear up any confusion, The HorrorMovieBBQ Podcast, Graham and Chad Talk Rasslin' , and the Terror Twins Podcast are not going away. Far from it. In fact, you can expect more new episodes soon! This is just another show to sit down and chat with some geeky buddies about stuff we all love!
Kick back, grab some Ecto Cooler and some Pop Kwiz Popcorn (hopefully green!), and let's go back to the late 80s/early 90s for some good, clean TGIF-Fun (although, you may hear some blue language on this show.)
Oh and don't worry, we WILL get to the Urkel eventually!
You know me. You know that I love rabbits more than any other creature in the world. So of course once Valentines Day goes away, I know I'll become bombarded by every company in the world with their amazing bunny products for Easter. Now, much like Halloween, there's one store more than any other I expect to blow me away and give me almost an Easter sanctuary to visit when I'm feeling down. You know EXACTLY what I'm talking about. I'm talking Target. And when it came to delivering the fluffy goodness, they didn't let me down at all.
Hop Shop? Well, we're starting this experience off on the right foot...err...paw. Hey wait a minute...what's that near the produce section...
Bunny paws, eh? Hmmm...
Look I know better then to let my rabbits near the produce in my apartment otherwise I'll be out a dinner. I know this can't end well. Hey...is that...?
A-Ha! Of course! Bunnies love carrots, so it only makes sense that he'd stop in for a quick treat. After all, he's gotta get his energy for leaving Easter eggs all across the world. He deserves it!
Well there we are. Beginning at the front of the aisles, we're greeted by happy rabbits everywhere. But you have to be on your toes, much like the treats the Easter Bunny leaves for good children throughout the world, there will be fun Easter Eggs to be on the lookout for. Not just in the aisles but...
...the signage as well. That sneaky rabbit!
M&M's always brings the goods for every season. You can usually gauge what time of the year it is by the variety of the candy. This season is all about Neopalitan flavors, which I gotta be honest, I'm not a big fan of the dessert anyway, so I'll pass for now. But I get the sense those will be on every Easter brunch table. And hey, there's that sneaky rabbit again hiding behind those Peeps! Speaking of which...
I feel like every year, the Peeps madness just gets bigger and bigger. At the risk of sounding like a crazy old man, I can remember a time when peeps were yellow and pink and that was it. But now, we get every possible color and flavor as the somewhat avatar for every holiday and time of year. Which I happen to think is pretty awesome. A lemonade Peep for the summer? Ok, that has my attention. Until we get there though, let's gaze upon the marshmallow-y goodness and mass merchandising. A pillow buddy (or bunny buddy as I call it!), baskets, and festive headbands are offered to make your Easter season that more fun. You just know someone in your family is wearing that headband before getting drunk off red wine. You've been warned.
Gotta load up on your decorations. What fun is celebrating the season without large, crazy-looking signs and even a crazy wreath. I mean, my apartment is already overrun by spoiled rabbits, so technically that would be a good piece for all year round to hang on my door. The egg wreath though...yeesh. Not the biggest fan, but still pretty festive. I can't truly hate it mainly because it resembles something out of a John Waters movie. That's a lot of pastel.
Some motivation. "Hop To It". We all hit that wall when it comes to Easter planning and cleaning, but take a look at that sneaky rabbit. He doesn't know whether or not you can do this. A little reverse psychology on his part, because he's believed in you the entire time. Prove him right and keep up the hustle. That Easter bread isn't gonna bake itself, pal!
Oh stop everything. PAAS, the egg dying wizards are giving us something so amazing and charming. An egg whisk to help you dunk those eggs to make a new work of art. I'm pretty sure these are specifically made for coloring eggs but that won't stop me from buying it and attempting to make pudding using it. I'll post photos of my failure later...
This caught my eye on the end of the aisle, in a card display. Batman and Robin? An Easter message? Look I'm sure even the Dark Knight enjoys the lighthearted nature and joy that Easter brings to everyone but what message would the Dynamic Duo want to share with me? My gosh, this just too much suspense to handle! A warning of the Penguin's nefarious behavior? Could Mr. Freeze be on his way to ruin Easter? Can I expect to make a seat at my table for Alfred? Could the Sportsmaster try to ruin the traditional softball game my neighbors usually play out in the courtyard?
WHAT IS IT?
Of course. Batman and Robin found time to wish us a very happy Easter. Batman may be the world's greatest detective, but let us never forget that he's still a man of the people. Even if he's one that dresses up like a flying rodent.
Need some last second Easter basket ideas? Don't worry, Target's got your back. If you're not looking for a giant bag of Reese's or jelly beans, there's always fun little toys and single packed candy. I remember one time my mom put a GI Joe in my Easter basket, so I can totally imagine the joy of a child who gets fun Peep stuff, Reeses, and a My Little Pony plush! Not a bad selection...wait...hold up...
Cheez-It's and dirt cake too? Now we're getting serious. Don't get me wrong, the Chessman cookies are fantastic too, but these dollar offerings can make the most cynical person happy to celebrate the season.
If we're going to be honest with ourselves, as great as Reese's and Peeps are, they're not the true champions of Easter. Cadbury is. Or maybe it's just my opinion. Yeah, it's me. Look, I get that Cadbury Eggs have changed in size and recipe and have expanded to even Halloween.but there's just something so satsifying about eating these no matter what. I've always been a huge fan and much like eating my first bowl of Chocula around Halloween, I know it's not truly Easter until I have my first Cadbury Egg. The cream, the hard shell, and let's not ignore the fact that they still show that almost 30 year old commercial!
They may taste different but my gosh they're still so good! Even if they've got some competition in many forms...
...those eggs are great but it's truly hard to dethrone the king.
The last thing I saw before I left were these adorable plush figures and dolls. Bunnies, chicks, happy sheep and wooden pull-string dolls. Target offers them every year and I can't help but get a huge smile across my face every time I lock eyes on them. Those chubby sheep are just too adorable and I want to buy all of these to create the happiest farm diorama you could ever imagine.
Well, it's time to go. But it's been a fun trip and I'm sure next year will be...WAIT WHAT IS THAT?!?!?
A BB-8 BASKET?!?!?!?! Yup, just hiding right around the corner waiting for the right person to come adopt him, is our favorite droid from the new Star Wars movies. Easter just got even better. Don't discount Mickey and Minnie's feelings either. They're happy to see their colleague get the spotlight, they know they're gonna be around for more holidays so let the droid win this one. A BB-8 holiday basket though? Makes sense! He's the perfect companion and very loyal, so how much joy does he get knowing he can help provide a very memorable Easter morning? That's a real friend.
That's all she wrote, folks. Easter isn't exactly the biggest and most money-making holiday, but it's a nice time to enjoy bunnies and chocolate eggs. What better way to kick off Spring?
It's been a while since I've featured WWF Hasbros on the blog, which considering how great they are, makes no sense. I should at least be doing 8 writeups a day on how great they are. Until that happens, we'll have to just spend a few moments looking at some of the finest (and not so finest) mini-superstars, as Lord Alfred Hayes would refer to them as. So bust out that beat up ring, grab some Ecto Cooler and let's check out some of the best figures from a byegone era!
Hacksaw Jim Duggan:
A favorite of so many young kids due to his loud and reckless behavior as well as giving fans the thumbs up as he enters the ring, Jim was one of the biggest WWF superstars in the late 80s/early 90s and the only wrestler to, my knowledge, who walks down to the ring with a giant board to beat up bad guys and still be perceived as a good guy. His action feature of slamming his fist down like your drunk uncle at a picnic and bashing his opponents with his 2x4 (missing here) makes him easy to play with but not as easy to look at. Then again, Jim will be the first to tell you he didn't get through life based off looks.
The Mountie:
Oh boy, this guy caused some controversy in his day. Originally just a comedy heel character who hit people with a cattle prod and screamed "I ALWAYS GET MY MAN!", The Mountie actually got his biggest amount of heel-heat with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. Apparently they didn't find the joke as funny and deemed him to be a poor interpretation of their values and demanded he not portray this character when preforming in Canada.
Another figure that came with an accessory that gets lost all too easily but that doesn't stop this figure from being a load of fun and looking great in your collection. Play value isn't there as much due to his awkward hat being in the way of some fun moves but come on, you totally want this figure! Look at how smug he is! It's like he just wants you to beat him up! Just...don't do that to the actual Mounties. They're nice.
Demolition Crush:
Make no mistake about it, Demolition is my all time favorite tag team. Ax and Smash literally made history by having the longest tag team title run until it was broken by New Day in 2017. They looked like Jason Voorhees and Kiss had two babies and made no apologies about beating their opponents in nasty fashion. Of course, when it was time to wind down, and Ax got sick, WWF brought in a new member of the team: CRUSH! Crush was a little hard to swallow as a fan because we had been accustomed to Ax and Smash for so long. He wasn't as popular as the the classic team but his figure is pretty cool. I'm a fan of the clothesline feature, mainly due to the joint of the elbow that made it easier for the figures to grab a hold of their opponent and slam them down. Crush, as a figure looks great and was actually only available in a two pack with Smash, but did little to bring steam back to the dying team.
British Bulldog:
Davey Boy Smith was one of the most impressive specimens in wrestling but also one of the most "hired/fired" records. Vince McMahon always had a soft spot for Davey, as did the fans, so he brought him in and let him go multiple times. Of course, he always had something new in store for Davey. For a lot of fans, this is the era that defined him. I find it funny that in the early 90s, one of Bulldog's biggest opponents was The Warlord and they both share the same action feature. Which would make it easier to recreate their far from exciting feud. I just wish they could've done something about that Mad Magazine face of his but otherwise, it's a great figure.
Jim Neidhart
I've got a lot of love for this figure mainly because it makes Jim look like a cereal pitchman. Known as "The Anvil" or simple "a big rhino", Jim was the muscle of the feared Hart Foundation duo as compared to the brains of Bret Hart. This figure depicts him in his later solo career where he wore Hammer pants, yellow boots with what seem to be a checkered pattern from a bicycle helmet, and looked as if he should've been guest starring on a TGIF show. Having that awesome "clothesline" feature and a very puffy stomach with a six-pack, this may be my favorite of this particular lot. Mainly due to his taxi-cab/Hammer pants and crazy grin.
Some of the most interesting figures from the time. Most memorable? Perhaps not, but
still fun nonetheless!
