The Flopcast

This week we're looking at 1986 -- a year that was so bright, we had to wear shades. (At least that's what Timbuk 3 told us, and we've learned to trust their judgment.) 'Twas the year Crocodile Dundee came to America, Mr. Miyagi went back to Okinawa, and Rodney Dangerfield went back to school. (And so did C. Thomas Howell, in a super-inappropriate way.) Meanwhile, we thought we'd save the world by lining up and holding hands with millions of creepy strangers. (What could go wrong?) But at least the radio was still bursting with wonderful 80s pop -- and so Kevin and Kornflake share a Top 4 1/2 List of the songs of 1986! Prepare to dance on the ceiling, walk like an Egyptian, or just Wang Chung tonight. Also: We announce our New Year's resolutions. And they're sort of ridiculous.

Direct download: Flopcast_086.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 8:39am EDT

You know how this works: It's episode 85, so Kevin and Kornflake have set Doc Brown's DeLorean for 1985! It was the year of USA For Africa and Live Aid... and more importantly, Mr. T at Wrestlemania. The Brat Pack was stuck in Saturday detention, Pee Wee's bike was stolen, and the Goonies were good enough. Yikes, what a year -- the only thing missing was a basketball-playing werewolf. (Oh, wait!) And of course, we have some holiday fun too, thanks to Kornflake's scary singing Santa hat, a lobster trap Christmas tree, National Egg Nog Day, and a special holiday edition of Chickens in the News.

Direct download: Flopcast_085.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:36pm EDT

Yes, we're in the middle of the holidays, but more importantly, we're in the middle of the 1980s. This week our ongoing 80s coverage brings us to 1984 -- the year of Footloose, The Karate Kid, Ghostbusters, and Footloose. (Footloose is very important, people.) But our focus is Saturday morning, as we present a Top 4 1/2 List of 1984 Saturday morning TV shows. Expect plenty of Muppet Babies and Super Friends, a trip to the Flipside with Kidd Video, and of course, Mr. T. Also: Check your batteries, because it's time for National Flashlight Day. And that's one to grow on.

Direct download: Flopcast_084.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 3:00am EDT

We're up to 1983 in our ten-part look back at the 1980s, and we have something special for you crazy kids. Back at DragonCon, Kevin participated in a panel called "1983 Geek-a-Mania in TV and Movies" -- and this week, we're sharing that panel with you! (Seemed like a better option than doing a whole new show, which would have involved time, and effort, and other such unpleasantries...) Kevin is joined by an all-star lineup of authors, bloggers, and podcasters: Van Plexico, Michael Gordon, Jessa Phillips, and Keith DeCandido! (And despite Kevin's best efforts, this panel isn't JUST about the 1983 Mr. T movie D. C. Cab.) And worry not, faithful Flopcasters: Kornflake is here too, revealing her very favorite song of the 1980s (and if you weren't listening to Boston-area radio in 1983, you probably missed it).

Direct download: Flopcast_083.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 10:46am EDT

This week we're looking back at 1982! Time Magazine said the "Man of the Year" was a computer -- and it was, thanks to Tron. 1982 was also the year we learned about Stupid Pet Tricks, vegemite sandwiches, and, uh, the Weather Channel. Most importantly, we learned how to "Do the Donkey Kong" -- but we never did. Also: Kevin and Kornflake are back from Super Megafest, where we met Balki, Chicken Joe, pirate mermaids, and Darth Santa.

Direct download: Flopcast_082.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:41am EDT

Kevin and Kornflake look back on 1981, the year that brought us MTV, Indiana Jones, and a seemingly endless supply of goofy soft rock. Our Top 4 1/2 List of songs from 1981 is indeed dominated by the likes of Christopher Cross, REO Speedwagon, and yes, of course, Air Supply. And you'll learn which hit song of 1981 was later covered by Sponge Awareness Foundation, but with alternate chicken-themed lyrics. Also: National Parfait Day and Frank Black Friday are this week. You should celebrate. 1981 Kool and the Gang would want you to celebrate.

Direct download: Flopcast_081.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 8:05am EDT

Hang on, kids -- starting this week, we're taking a TEN-episode trip back to the 80s! (Yeah, it's a radical departure from our usual topics...) Up first, of course, is 1980 -- the year that kicked off the 1980s, according to most scientists. Come along for our Top 4 1/2 List of movies from 1980, as we do battle with Ming the Merciless, Ursa, and a bunch of gopher puppets. Also: World Hello Day (featuring Robbie Rist), a bizarre audio edition of What's in the Bag, and the (mercifully brief) return of The Sponge Awareness Foundation.

Direct download: Flopcast_080.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:10am EDT

The Mayor of Chickentown joins Kevin and Kornflake to discuss the upcoming holiday movie season -- we're looking for anything with hobbits, thunder gods, or time-traveling turkeys. (But mostly time-traveling turkeys.) Also: We reveal the existence of a secret (and possibly evil) Button Society, we start a crazy new rumor about Calvin and Hobbes creator Bill Watterson, and we learn which celebrity guest at the Super Megafest convention is going to make Kornflake freak out. (Oh, we also learn that Kornflake hates Velcro, but deep in your heart, you already knew that.)

Direct download: Flopcast_079.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 7:37am EDT

Kevin and Kornflake get ready for Marooned Without a Compass Day (we'll need a volleyball, a hidden immunity idol, and Mary Ann); Kornflake gets silly on The Pod of Destiny, stares at the clouds in Vermont, and prepares for Early Doornail Thanksgiving; the Pudding Pages teach us about scary 90s fashion (was there any other kind?); and we end with some "Chickens in the News" from a Moscow airport, where poultry-themed smuggling has become a big problem. Maybe they shouldn't have put Yakov Smirnoff in charge of security.

Direct download: Flopcast_078.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:25am EDT

It's Halloween in Chickentown once again, and we're celebrating with a "monster cereals" taste test! That's right, we're sampling Count Chocula, Franken Berry, and Boo Berry, as well as (available for the first time in decades!) Fruit Brute and Yummy Mummy. Is this stuff delicious, or disgusting, or (ideally) both? Let's find out together. Along the way we'll enjoy some classic monster cereal commercials, and (with a little help from Siri) make a startling discovery about Boo Berry. Hey, if you've always secretly dreamed of just listening to people eat cereal... well, this is the show for you. (Also, you have a problem.)

Direct download: Flopcast_077.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 9:52am EDT