Author: theMFP

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THE SIMPSONS (1989-1999 Seasons)

Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie and the seemingly unlimited citizens of Springfield have been up to their TV hijinks for nearly thirty years. But chances are every episode you love from THE SIMPSONS likely aired in just the first decade of the show’s run. The Simpsons’ Golden Years (1989-1999) are referred to fondly as producing some of the best TV in history, reflecting just about every aspect of our world while making its own undeniable impact on pop culture.

So how do “King Size Homer,” “Marge vs the Monorail,” “Itchy and Scratchy and Poochie” and all the other classic episodes hold up? Have the show’s takes on sexual politics, immigration and gun control become dated over time, or are they still relevant? And how many Simpsons references can Becky and our guest host, writer/comedian Justin Zirilli, make before Chris explodes? Up and at them! We’re taking a deep dive into this perfectly cromulent show this week on WHEN WE WERE YOUNG.

When We Were Young is a podcast devoted to the most beloved pop culture of our formative years (roughly 1980-2000). Join us for a look back to the past with a critical eye on how these movies, songs, TV shows and more hold up now. You can follow us on Twitter at @WWWYshow, on Facebook at @WWWYShow, you can Email us at wwwyshow@gmail.com, and don’t forget to subscribe and review us on iTunes!

You can help us defray the costs of creating this show, which include purchasing movies/shows/music to review, ordering delivery food to eat our emotions, and producing & editing in-house at the MFP Studio in Los Angeles CA, by donating to our Patreon account at patreon.com/WhenWeWereYoung

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STAND BY ME (1986) & STEPHEN KING’S IT (1990)

Stranger things have happened than what happened on Stranger Things — thanks in large part to one of horror’s most prolific names. In honor of the Netflix nostalgia-fest’s second season, When We Were Young takes a look at the 1980s oeuvre of its biggest influence, Stephen King.

Following two true blue horror masterpieces, Carrie and The Shining, King unleashed a wave of spine-tingling adaptations with varying degrees of schlock, from pyro pixie Drew Barrymore in Firestarter to the killer car in Christine. We discuss these titles and their influence on Stranger Things, then dwell on the 1986 coming-of-age classic Stand By Me, which blends some macabre moments with a more melancholy tale of boyhood, mortality, and purple vomit. Finally, we all float over to 1990, where Tim Curry’s fearsome fanged clown Pennywise awaits us in the sewer-dwelling TV movie It, recently remade as the most successful horror film of all time.

How does Stranger Things — which tries so very hard to emulate the 1980s — stack up against the stuff that actually scared us back then? Can looking and feeling like when we were young really capture the essence of when the When We Were Young hosts were young? If your brain is exploding from all the nostalgia-within-nostalgia nesting doll action happening here, great.

When We Were Young is a podcast devoted to the most beloved pop culture of our formative years (roughly 1980-2000). Join us for a look back to the past with a critical eye on how these movies, songs, TV shows and more hold up now. You can follow us on Twitter at @WWWYshow, on Facebook at @WWWYShow, you can Email us at wwwyshow@gmail.com, and don’t forget to subscribe and review us on iTunes!

You can help us defray the costs of creating this show, which include purchasing movies/shows/music to review, ordering delivery food to eat our emotions, and producing & editing in-house at the MFP Studio in Los Angeles CA, by donating to our Patreon account at patreon.com/WhenWeWereYoung

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 2:01:20 — 124.6MB)

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THE BIRDCAGE (1996), ELLEN: “THE PUPPY EPISODE” (1997), IN & OUT (1997)

Come one, come all, and COME OUT ALREADY for When We Were Young’s most same-sex-loving episode yet! In honor of Coming Out Day, Episode 26 takes a furtive glance back at the gay 90s, which marked a sea change in pop culture’s depictions of people who are — yep! — gay.

First, our hosts coop up in The Birdcage, Mike Nichols’ 1996 comedy that pushes Robin Williams and Nathan Lane back in the closet to appease Ally McBeal’s right-wing parents. Next, we touch on Ellen DeGeneres’ game-changing “Puppy Episode,” the coming out party heard ’round the world. And finally, we celebrate the 20th out-iversary of In & Out, starring Kevin Kline as a small-town teacher outed at the Oscars, and Joan Cusack as his increasingly desperate bride-to-be.

Plenty of social progress has been made in the days since Don’t Ask Don’t Tell and DOMA, so how do these mid-90s gay characters hold up in 2017? Practice your John Wayne walk, book some therapy with Oprah, and stop dancing to “I Will Survive,” because our hosts’ opinions of these films are definitely NOT homogeneous.

When We Were Young is a podcast devoted to the most beloved pop culture of our formative years (roughly 1980-2000). Join us for a look back to the past with a critical eye on how these movies, songs, TV shows and more hold up now. You can follow us on Twitter at @WWWYshow, on Facebook at @WWWYShow, you can Email us at wwwyshow@gmail.com, and don’t forget to subscribe and review us on iTunes!

You can help us defray the costs of creating this show, which include purchasing movies/shows/music to review, ordering delivery food to eat our emotions, and producing & editing in-house at the MFP Studio in Los Angeles CA, by donating to our Patreon account at patreon.com/WhenWeWereYoung

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BLADE RUNNER (1982)

Do androids dream of electric sheep? Do replicants dream of unicorns? Does Sean Young dream of being in a movie where she isn’t manhandled by a major movie star? In Episode 25 of When We Were Young, the lines between man and machine are blurred as we discuss Ridley Scott’s sci-fi thriller Blade Runner, starring Harrison Ford, Rutger Hauer, and Daryl Hannah, in advance of the Ryan Gosling-starring sequel Blade Runner 2049.

First, the gang shares childhood visions of Things To Come, and wonders why there are so many dystopias in the fictional future (and so few utopias). Then, we dive into the year 2019 (by way of 1982, in 2017) to revisit the darkest, wettest, most neon-geisha-filled depiction of Los Angeles ever. We all agree that Blade Runner has amazing parking meters and fierce eye makeup, but is the story itself worth the film’s cult classic status? Opinions may differ!

In a special bonus segment for WWWY superfans at episode’s end, the gang celebrates a full year of podcasting. We’ll share the pop culture revisits that surprised us most, our favorite funny moments that are all about Becky, and the resurrection of Playtime – in which a Death Match determines once and for all what movie, album, or TV show held up the best over the years. (Hint: it’s not Roger Rabbit, Kevin Smith, or Buffy.)

When We Were Young is a podcast devoted to the most beloved pop culture of our formative years (roughly 1980-2000). Join us for a look back to the past with a critical eye on how these movies, songs, TV shows and more hold up now. You can follow us on Twitter at @WWWYshow, on Facebook at @WWWYShow, you can Email us at wwwyshow@gmail.com, and don’t forget to subscribe and review us on iTunes!

You can help us defray the costs of creating this show, which include purchasing movies/shows/music to review, ordering delivery food to eat our emotions, and producing & editing in-house at the MFP Studio in Los Angeles CA, by donating to our Patreon account at patreon.com/WhenWeWereYoung

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THE FRESH PRINCE OF BEL-AIR (1990-1996)

This is a story all about how Will Smith’s life got twist-turned upside down when he seamlessly transitioned from rap star to sitcom star with his hit NBC series “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air,” which ran from 1990 to 1996.

It’s almost easy to forget Smith’s TV days, since he’s spent most of the last two decades as one of the most bankable movie stars of all time. But before “Suicide Squad,” before “Independence Day,” and yes, before “Gettin’ Jiggy With It,” Smith was showing off his comic (and dramatic) chops as one of TV’s freshest talents.

In our latest episode, we take a look back at Smith’s sitcom days and discover that “Fresh Prince” was basically the king of the “very special episode.” We also realize that none of us fully understand the weird turns that take place in Smith’s pre-TV single “Parents Just Don’t Understand.”

When We Were Young is a podcast devoted to the most beloved pop culture of our formative years (roughly 1980-2000). Join us for a look back to the past with a critical eye on how these movies, songs, TV shows and more hold up now. You can follow us on Twitter at @WWWYshow, on Facebook at @WWWYShow, you can Email us at wwwyshow@gmail.com, and don’t forget to subscribe and review us on iTunes!

You can help us defray the costs of creating this show, which include purchasing movies/shows/music to review, ordering delivery food to eat our emotions, and producing & editing in-house at the MFP Studio in Los Angeles CA, by donating to our Patreon account at patreon.com/WhenWeWereYoung