It's the birth of Gen X Culture! What do Rocky, Sid Vicious, Miss Piggy and Slime all have in common? They all made their debuts in 1976, kickoff year for the Stupid Gen X Tricks review of our generation's childhood. We've got the Fonz' leather jacket and Farah Fawcett's bathing suit. The rapid rise and tragic falls of both the Sex Pistols and Mark "The Bird" Fidrych. And all the bicentennial bunting you can handle, brought to you by two guys who saw it all from the privileged perch of the elementary school playground. If you had a favorite team in Battle of the Network Stars, a favorite regular on The Gong Show, or a favorite character from The Bad News Bears, this is the podcast for you!
[00:00] – 🎬 Cold Open: Raw Eggs & Sides of Beef
[00:59] – 🇺🇸 Bicentennial Everywhere (fife, bunting, quarters)
[09:45] – ⚾ The Bird: Mark Fidrych Mania
[12:00] – 🧸 Stretch Armstrong (and the freezer myth)
[15:20] – 🥇 Montreal ’76: Nadia, Sugar Ray, Jenner
[22:00] – 🥊 Rocky: Why It Still Slaps
[24:50] – 🎥 Movies of ’76: Taxi Driver, Steadicam Origins
[28:00] – 👶 Sweary Kids & Bad News Bears
[31:00] – 📺 TV Ruled: Happy Days, Muppets, Battle of the Network Stars
[38:30] – 🐷 Miss Piggy: Icon or Ick?
[42:00] – 💿 Music Charts: Eagles vs. Punk Energy
[45:20] – 🎸 Max’s Kansas City Poster: Punk Before the Albums
[52:00] – ⚡ AC/DC, Boston Art, Joni’s Hejira
[59:30] – 🟢 Wormhole #1: The Original Slime
[01:03:30] – 📻 Wormhole #2: Car Radios & the 16⅔ RPM Mistake
[01:07:45] – 🔔 What’s Next + R.E.M.’s Bertis Downs Tease