PCPS Town Hall: YOUR Questions (and ours) Answered!
Kristin Nilsen 0:01
If you like what you hear, let us know by becoming an official supporter of the pop culture Preservation Society on Patreon. This show is created, researched, produced, distributed, edited and paid for by us, Kristen, Carolyn and Michelle. And your support allows us to keep the lights on and keep on truckin. For the price of one or two cups of coffee a month, you can become a supporter by going to pop preservationists.com and clicking on the Patreon link, or go to our Lincoln bio on Instagram and find the Patreon link in our link tree. We appreciate you and thank you so much for helping us do what we love. It was like a team building exercise or something new basically. No, you know what it is? We just had a slumber party. Ah, we just had a slumber party and all the listeners were invited. I'm just so glad that you guys invited me
Carolyn Cochrane 0:56
Hello, this is a song that we're saying. Come on guess
what we're gonna be bringing will make you welcome to the pop culture Preservation Society, the podcast for people born in the big wheel generation who got all their most pressing questions answered from a 20 sided block in a black ball.
Michelle Newman 1:23
It's an icosahedron. I tried to
Kristin Nilsen 1:26
look that up. I thought Is it a dodecahedron?
Michelle Newman 1:30
icosahedron you know, my kids played Dungeons and Dragons. And they've gotten us to play with them. And so I know these things now. Oh, smart to know. But
Kristin Nilsen 1:38
anyway, we believe our Gen X childhoods gave us unforgettable songs, stories, characters and images. And if we don't talk about them, they'll disappear like Marshall will and Holly on a routine expedition.
Michelle Newman 1:50
And today we'll be sharing a bit more of ourselves and our Jennex childhoods with you, our lovely listeners in another PCPs townhall episode. I'm Carolyn. I'm Kristen. And I'm Michelle. And we are your pop culture preservationists
Kristin Nilsen 2:08
and Matt times
Michelle Newman 2:21
in the past 116 episodes of the PCP s, we've done a lot of sharing ourselves with you. A lot of the things that were shared were shared very deliberately, and some of the things not so deliberately. But it's because we not only feel like we're talking to our friends here, meaning all of you who are listening, we know we are so right. Did
Kristin Nilsen 2:47
you expect that when we started this podcast, did you think this would become a place to like confide your personal secrets from your childhood? No.
Michelle Newman 2:56
And well, with the two of you, we kind of had already had that relationship, but very quickly, it turned into listeners, we feel you out there. And I think that's because you're also engaged with us and you send us DMS and emails and stuff. But we honestly do feel like we're talking to a much bigger group that I just
Kristin Nilsen 3:14
thought we'd be talking about Fonzie. I had no idea we'd be talking about ourselves. I had no idea. But it just happened.
Michelle Newman 3:20
This has been a little therapeutic for me. I'll say, oh, one
Kristin Nilsen 3:24
10% Yes,
Carolyn Cochrane 3:27
I was telling that to someone last night just about organic this is this would we would be having these conversations together in another environment. I think like over coffee, but we just happen to do it. In front of a lot of other people that are now
Michelle Newman 3:44
our friends. I feel like I trust you guys. Like those of you listening. I really do. I feel like we're in a big trust tree.
Kristin Nilsen 3:49
It's interesting when we get when we when we get Kristen, when we get messages from people. They are so kind, open, forgiving. You're not judgmental. And what that has done is it has helped me form an opinion or an idea or a feeling for the people who are out there listening and it's up. It's a really admirable group. Thanks, you guys. Yeah, you're good people.
Michelle Newman 4:14
Without a doubt.
Kristin Nilsen 4:17
What's Carolyn fine.
Michelle Newman 4:18
So yeah. So for. For those of you who have been longtime listeners, we know you know a lot about us, but you don't know everything. And for those new to the society, we thought we'd take this time to specially let you get to know us by answering some fun questions that you sent in. And
Kristin Nilsen 4:37
we also had a zoom happy hour with our Bicentennial level patreon supporters where they had a chance to ask us anything they wanted anything, kind of like giving them first dibs on getting in line at the town hall with the idea that part of that conversation or parts of that conversation could be shared in this episode. So you'll get to hear from some of the people who pledged their support each month to help us produce this pot. iCast and get it into your hands. That is a
Carolyn Cochrane 5:02
super fun, happy hour. It's so fun to meet and chat, you know, kind of one on one ish with our listeners and those questions. Some of them were doozies. Yeah.
Kristin Nilsen 5:14
expected to be sure, yes,
Michelle Newman 5:15
they they opened up some cans of worms. So today, we're going to pretend we're all at maybe our partners company party, he or she knows everyone you don't. And you suddenly find yourself alone with an age mate who looks every bit as uncomfortable as you. You could talk about the weather. But don't expect to ever be friends with John Davidson. If you do listen to that episode. Yeah, those of you who don't know what I'm talking about, go back, please. And listen to our wonderful conversation with the just delightful and incredible, John Davidson is incredible. Or you could ask them one of these questions. You guys ready to go? There we go. Question one. What was your favorite department store when you were growing up?
Carolyn Cochrane 6:03
Okay, well, I'm gonna share mine and I actually have to I hope you guys will give me a little leeway there
Kristin Nilsen 6:09
because I it's gonna be the whole episode.
Carolyn Cochrane 6:11
I'm allowed to say it goes remember, I moved as you did, Michelle. So you did do Chris. In Texas, I would say it was Foley's so that was no longer Foley's. But was then. And in New Jersey, it would be watermakers, which also no longer I do believe that the monopoly of Macy's has overtaken both of those department store chains and that's what they became. But just such fond memories of going with, you know, my parents when I was younger, so Foley's was lots of times with my mom, and then wanna makers was more late middle school, high school work, that's where you'd shop for your perfume and your clinic makeup and
Kristin Nilsen 6:54
oh, I was gonna say clinic. Yeah, he'd go to the cleaning counter clinic and you're honest, and I'd
Carolyn Cochrane 6:58
always go to the perfume counter and ask for samples. Oh, that was always the big thing. You'd have some samples. So those were my two department store choices. Kristen,
Michelle Newman 7:06
what about you? This
Kristin Nilsen 7:08
is this is going to be a dirge. This is this is a funeral for I know for department stores is what this is. Dayton's department store. The angels are now singing Dayton's department store in downtown Minneapolis. Although you could go to Dayton's at any of the Dalles the quote unquote Dales in the Twin Cities metro area there was Rosedale ridgedale Brookdale and the first indoor mall in the nation Southdale. And Dayton's was the anchor store at all of those but going downtown to the downtown Dayton's that was something special and it was a go to spot for everybody. Do you need a Christmas dress? Do you need to buy winter boots? Are you going school shopping? Do you need some records. Dayton's was your best friend. And everyone had their favorite floor? That was the thing about these big department stores? Yeah, they had departments? No. And so for me it was the fourth floor. That's where the book department was it. This is where I stood in line and got my copy of James and the Giant Peach signed by Roald Dahl. Thank you, Linda. Also, my mom was on
Michelle Newman 8:13
that right department stores had a book department, they had a book department,
Kristin Nilsen 8:17
they had a book department, they had a record department has crazy candy. They sold candy, that candy counter, where I go with my dad and get malt balls when my mom was like looking at sheets and towels or something like that. There's a very important there are two very important things that I need to mention before we move on because it's going to make people's hearts hurt. On the second floor was what was called the kitty care room. Now I know that was childcare. Oh, but at the time when I was a child, it was like the special play experience for children there. My mom would drop me off and they put a name tag on me right in the middle of Dayton's there were art stations with with art supplies that I had never seen before. Like Cray pause. Right? Oh, they had romper stampers they had a life sized elephant statue in the middle of the room and you could climb up inside the elephant come out its head and the trunk was a slide. You guys were
Carolyn Cochrane 9:16
a unique idea.
Kristin Nilsen 9:20
Isn't this the kitty care room?
Carolyn Cochrane 9:22
I felt like well, yeah, had come up with. I was thinking of ideas.
Michelle Newman 9:25
Well, yeah. But
Kristin Nilsen 9:26
to round out our Dayton's discussion I'm sure that the people in the Twin Cities will remember the 12th floor called the sky room that was blanketed in this palm frond wallpaper. It was oh seven days and I wanted my house my apartment someday my Mary Tyler Moore apartment to have all this palm frond wallpaper. The sky room was for women. The Oak grill down the hall was for men. But most importantly, and you guys will probably remember this because you've been in Minnesota for a while now. Of course gone. Everybody cross yourselves ever A year, on the eighth floor of Dayton's was turned into what is almost like, it's a small world. It was like a ride except that you walked you didn't ride. And it was it would be turned into a themed experience. Every single year was a different theme. There was Charlie in the Chocolate Factory, The Hobbit, Paddington. And when when it was Charlie in the Chocolate Factory, it felt exactly like walking into the chocolate factory. And you would stand in line at Christmas time, you'd stand in line for hours to get into this thing. And it was, I mean, I have memories of every single year that I went, because it was so unique, so creative, so imaginative and they'll never do and my
Michelle Newman 10:45
my girls, I mean, obviously I didn't live there as a child. But taking my girls there was one of my favorite things to do, Mark and we only got to do it for like four years before or five years. Mm
Kristin Nilsen 10:55
hmm. The whole place the whole experience of Dayton's was so iconic and so it was almost pampering it was such a lovely a beautiful upscale experience. My
Michelle Newman 11:06
memories of department stores are very much like that, that kind of all encompassing event and you dressed up so I have three because they're in three different sections of my life but pre fifth grade it would have been Neiman Marcus, my memories are tied to Neiman Marcus because every year we got to get taken out of school one day to go Christmas shopping. And so but it was but it was dress up. Right it was we were dresses, my mom loved Neiman's. I mean she grew up she was a Dallas girl she grew up with, you know, just all the fanciness of everything. But the reason we went to Neiman's, two reasons. One is she always bought herself a bottle of Narelle perfume that we gave her them for Christmas. So we had to go get it at the perfume counter. And then we went to the restaurant and Neiman's, which was kind of fancy, but we wouldn't be in dresses and it just made it feel like a very big deal. We could have been shopping at a whole bunch of other stores that same day, but my memory will always be tied to Neiman Marcus for that. from fifth grade to ninth grade, which for me was 1979 to 1984. It would be Nordstrom at Vancouver mall and Vancouver, Washington or van mall or the downtown store, like you said it was not the Dayton's at the malls as much as it going into downtown Portland and going into the big Nordstrom you guys for my birthday in ninth grade. You know you're kind of out have birthday parties by now but I wanted to have a little get together with like four of my friends. So the big deal for us is that my mom took us all downtown Portland and dropped us off at Nordstrom for like four or five hours
Carolyn Cochrane 12:39
to work downtown downtown. Yeah.
Michelle Newman 12:43
And then high school for me would have been Dillards in Scottsdale Fashion Square, which it's not Dillards anymore. Sadly,
Kristin Nilsen 12:50
none of these are anything and the probably all Macy's shopped around. Okay, here's a question that we talked about at our zoom happy hour. It comes from Gail and Gail wants to know what of the PCPs was turned into a made for TV movie. And the tagline would be three women one podcast nine pairs of blue light blocking reading glasses. Gen X will never be the same. But here's your question. Which 70s actress or Muppets I think that's funny she has that are Muppets would portray the hosts and society members and she first she puts it The Society members and on purpose because she really wants mod Yeah, I love that and wants mod to portray her my favorite. So this was a really fun conversation that we had with the resume Happy Hour people
Michelle Newman 13:37
I first had to differentiate am I talking about a 70s actress who would be 54 You know, who's my age mate now, but if I have to go back to that time. I mean, I'm just gonna go I'm just gonna be like, shoot for the moon and say Jacqueline Smith. You guys, there's no reaction.
Kristin Nilsen 13:57
I'm expecting Carolyn to say something. bad. That's bad. Oh, Dream on. Exactly. No, here.
Carolyn Cochrane 14:07
I've been kind of being Amelia Bedelia. Yan and going. Well, Jacqueline Smith wasn't 54 Well, it's hard.
Michelle Newman 14:15
me so I'm an BD? What Betty Davis and no, and I'll be I'll be Alice. But
Kristin Nilsen 14:26
I was thinking I was thinking in terms of an older woman. And so I then this is that's not appropriate at all. But it was, it was just wishful thinking. It's just hero worship on my part. The first person that came to mind was Michael learned. I want to I want to live in Walton to play me in the PCPs paying fee but
Michelle Newman 14:42
at least you're going age appropriate. You're right. erlin Jack Smith, it was probably all of 30 best.
Carolyn Cochrane 14:49
Lindsay Wagner for mine she though was but Kristen was quick to point out like, Oh no, I've already cast you Carolyn. Like you don't even Oh, I was Carol Burnett. I was gonna play that. We have a discussion about that. Yeah. So to
Michelle Newman 15:05
Wagner though perfectly
Kristin Nilsen 15:07
I really can't see Lindsay Wagner. Yeah, but there was the age thing that I was getting hung up on a little bit, but it could be Carol Burnett might have been 30 as well. I mean, it's just really hard to tell when you're, you know, nine years old. I don't know how old people are
Michelle Newman 15:19
if it does have to be maybe I'll pick like Carol Channing. I mean it has to was that all you guys like? Seriously? No need to go Google who was 54 in 1978?
Kristin Nilsen 15:31
It's like Jacqueline Smith or Phyllis Diller. There's nothing in the
Carolyn Cochrane 15:33
Middleton Well, yeah. Didn't even mean that all you guys she wasn't she
Kristin Nilsen 15:37
was like 42 Or no, she I think she was 49. Yeah. When all in the family started Jean Stapleton was 49.
Michelle Newman 15:43
Here's a fun question listeners. Since we clearly we can't figure this one out. We want you guys to send us messages send us an email or DM would have played us in the 70s. But it needs to be age appropriate. They need to be at 5455 and Carolyn, how old are you? 58.
Carolyn Cochrane 16:00
Yeah,
Kristin Nilsen 16:01
so what we're finding is that there weren't any women in the 50 in their 50s Which is why we are having such difficulty with our aging faces because the only the only people that we had were Jean Stapleton and Phyllis Diller and whatever.
Michelle Newman 16:16
Okay, here I just Googled actresses born in 1925. Are we ready? Oh my god. Angela, Lance, Mary. Great, Lee Grant. We're not talking to the woman yet. We're not talking about Mary Tyler Moore spouse. That's Lou. Okay, we have Arlene doll. Doors related to her. Oh, yeah. She's related to her. Yeah, it's
Kristin Nilsen 16:42
Afridi. Now I'm related to her. Okay, so no, Howard.
Michelle Newman 16:45
She's yours. Yeah. Yes. Well,
Carolyn Cochrane 16:46
Arlene Dahl will play you then. Yeah. Okay.
Michelle Newman 16:49
We have June Lockhart.
Kristin Nilsen 16:51
Oh, you want me elbow?
Carolyn Cochrane 16:53
I love June Lockhart and lost in space, right.
Kristin Nilsen 16:55
Oh, that's right. That's right.
Carolyn Cochrane 16:56
I want you Lockhart. Okay. Okay, that's a good one. I
Michelle Newman 16:59
highly cited who I want just because I'm looking at all their names. I can't decide if I want Elaine Stritch to play me.
Kristin Nilsen 17:07
Oh my god. But
Michelle Newman 17:09
you guys remember I just passed her. Julie Harris. I loved her. So, Julie Harris was nominated for one Oscar. She has six wins and 70 nomination. Oh, she was Lily Mae and Knott's landing. That's it
Kristin Nilsen 17:31
there was one person that they that somebody in the Zoom brought up that they wanted to play me in the movie, which was very unexpected, and I was like, Oh, I think I think you're right. It was Linda Lavin.
Michelle Newman 17:44
Let's see how old Linda Lavin actually was. Okay, so yeah,
Kristin Nilsen 17:48
I like Linda Lavin. I think that's a really good choice for all beasts.
Carolyn Cochrane 17:51
But I'd probably have to be Flo. Oh, yeah, it would be weird. Other ones name wasn't a Vera. Oh, yeah. Vera doc. Okay.
Kristin Nilsen 17:59
I'm Alice, and your flow. And Michelle is Vera. I think
Michelle Newman 18:03
we could pull that off.
Kristin Nilsen 18:04
And in a really strange way. I really do. Feel like, as a kid, I may have identified with Alice a little
Unknown Speaker 18:12
bit, but she was probably only in liquid.
Michelle Newman 18:16
Well, in I think in 1978, she was 41. So that's,
Kristin Nilsen 18:21
I think a 1978 41 is a 2024 55. Yeah, I
Michelle Newman 18:27
think you're right. Yeah,
Kristin Nilsen 18:27
there's that point to per our conversation about not having any role models, right?
Michelle Newman 18:32
Yeah. Yeah. So
Kristin Nilsen 18:34
she was 41 Yeah, cuz Philip McKeon. What was his name? Yeah, it was the son's name. Tommy. Tommy. Tommy. Yeah, because he was a teenager So yeah, that makes sense.
Michelle Newman 18:50
As a fresh face if you guys want more people that age if you want her age mates, yeah, we're gonna get into some good ones. So if you want to stay in that age range 41 We're gonna get Jane Fonda. I think I'll be Jane Fonda.
Kristin Nilsen 19:08
Yeah, that word. I'm
Michelle Newman 19:08
going to be Jane Fonda. You could be Roberta Flack. I'm trying to find women here. You could be Vanessa Redgrave or Marlo Thomas. Maybe it'll be Marlo Thomas.
Kristin Nilsen 19:22
I would love to be Marla
Michelle Newman 19:26
dream. Marlo Thomas Robbie Linda Lavin. Okay. Do I know who Carolyn is? Who Loretta sweat. Oh.
Unknown Speaker 19:37
Okay, here we go. That's good. Marlo
Michelle Newman 19:39
Thomas, Linda Lavin and Loretta sweat. Okay, well, that took a long time to get
Kristin Nilsen 19:45
Okay, when is that movie coming out? Oh, yeah. Never know.
Michelle Newman 19:49
Where the river runs through the country to a shining sea and you
Carolyn Cochrane 20:05
Alright guys, here's a good question. It'll kind of tell us if you fell for peer pressure or not name a fashion trend that wasn't not flattering on you. But you wore it anyway, because it was in style.
Kristin Nilsen 20:20
This was a really hard one for me, because if it wasn't flattering on me, I was not wearing it. I was not of course,
Carolyn Cochrane 20:26
that is correct.
Kristin Nilsen 20:29
And also, at the same time, if everybody was wearing it, I was probably not wearing. But there is one exception to the rule. And it came with a big fuss at Kenny Kenny shoe store, because I really desperately wanted duck boots. And my dad, this must have been like 1981 I'm thinking 1981 1982 I want to duck boots. And my dad is beside himself. He's like, Kristen, if I told you you had to wear those. You would say no. You would say I'm not going to school. I'm not wearing those boots. And he was trying to make this point that I'm that I was wearing it that was wearing this ugly thing because everybody else was and but I really didn't think they were ugly. I thought they were funny and cool. And I just I had to have him he did buy them for me what color? Dark blue, navy blue. I
Carolyn Cochrane 21:21
bet they look really cute on you too. With
Kristin Nilsen 21:23
my vago pants. Yeah, they were awesome. And my rugby shirt, my pearls. Well,
Michelle Newman 21:27
my fashion trend comes from my sixth and seventh grade years and that would be very, very wide leg jeans, Washington. Little tiny town in Washington. Very wide leg jeans, San Francisco riding gear. We had railroad striped ones. We had painter pants. But you guys, I was short and a little bit chubby. So I basically looked like an equilateral triangle. Like I literally was just like, because also, they were too long for me. But they're so wide leg. I had to roll them up. But when you roll up a wide leg, it doesn't stay up. So they would always be a one on roll and living in Washington. It's always raining so they were always wet and muddy dragging behind you. Yeah, but I had them I had the Yeah, and I had the the railroad striped ones were kind of my favorite painters pants cuz I could stick my comb and my pocket. This is like 1980 81
Carolyn Cochrane 22:26
Okay, well, mine would have to be candies, those sandals. It was a catch 22 for me. Of course I had to have them because everybody had them and you just needed to have them. And as you all know about me, if somebody else had it, I had to have it. But also I was very self conscious of my height. Okay, I just I was so round shouldered. My dad was always poking me in the back telling me to stand up straight stand up straight. And if you recall, candies had very high heels. Yeah. And it was really, really hard for me, but I had to do it because everyone else was doing it. So I just want you to picture this. Okay, a very gangly. Amazon like, stuff. 12 year old round shouldered, by the way, kind of super bad posture who never really wears high heels because she never wants to be tall, so she has no experience wearing high heels. And those candies don't really provide a lot of support. So I am literally like, you know, a three year old in their mother's high heeled shoes, walking around thinking, why like hating every moment of it yet feeling like I had to do it, because everyone else did it. And if I didn't, they would think oh, what she's not cool or what her parents won't buy or candies. And to be honest, now that I think back they probably weren't candies. They were probably like Mandy. Regardless, they were those wooden, high heeled shoes that I could not walk in. And also then they were really
Michelle Newman 24:00
loud. The clickety clack wacky
Carolyn Cochrane 24:04
Did you wear them? No, this would be like, you know, out to wherever we were. That was I mean, I guess to the mall. And I mean, some people wear them to school, but you couldn't wear them to Bishop Eustace. And so I think there was maybe it kind of crossed over into my high school years. But yeah, it was the candies I've got to go with. I
Kristin Nilsen 24:21
mean, you were tortured by them. They were basically Dr. Scholes because you just have this little strap over your toe to hold them on. And you could very easily walk right out of them and twist an
Michelle Newman 24:32
ankle. Those are dangerous. Yeah, they were so dangerous. Yeah, like wearing a romper stomper without the strap without the handle. Okay, so, Okay, moving on. If you could visit a retail store that no longer exists, which store would you visit and why?
Carolyn Cochrane 24:51
I am choosing a store that I think was maybe regional. It was called the lodge. It was in the Cherry Hill Mall. So any of my North East friends New Jersey, Pennsylvania that plate slip let me know if you remember the lodge it was lots of preppy stuff. It was kind of like your one stop shop for Fair Isle sweaters and argyle socks and corduroys and
Michelle Newman 25:13
it was like that the crew was the little whales that went around that Yeah. Oh
Carolyn Cochrane 25:17
the whales and your turtlenecks. It was a shock.
Michelle Newman 25:22
What if you had this turtleneck with the whales with the sweater with the whales that I had? I think I had that at one point. I think I think
Kristin Nilsen 25:29
those turtlenecks with the tiny prints on them with the whales are the stars of the hearts. That might be my favorite 1980s fashion trend. turtlenecks.
Carolyn Cochrane 25:39
That's how we got on the Dickie conversation we
Michelle Newman 25:45
are season one we did you guys Caroline. Dickey has just ordered some Dickies from Amazon and we're like excuse us should you really want to tell us that
Carolyn Cochrane 25:54
don't bother doing that because they like the the bottom part of the Dickies or you're just punching under your stuff people can tell you're wearing a dickey and I know people knowing I'm wearing a Dickies. Supposed to be less
Michelle Newman 26:12
sure why
Kristin Nilsen 26:14
it's like cousin Eddie and Christmas vacation. Why
Michelle Newman 26:16
can't we have those turtlenecks today?
Kristin Nilsen 26:18
Yes. Why Can't We?
Carolyn Cochrane 26:20
Why we can probably find them. Let's bring him back because I want I'm sorry, we were talking about aging and everything. I do want to hide my gobble as my kids call it.
Kristin Nilsen 26:27
Oh God, your family's so cruel. Of my self image is so good because I don't have any children in the home. Guys, my
Carolyn Cochrane 26:36
husband
Michelle Newman 26:40
that's a horrible guys. I know.
Carolyn Cochrane 26:42
I love you, Andy. I'm kidding.
Michelle Newman 26:43
I know those of you listening would want those turtlenecks to yeah, we'll bring them back.
Carolyn Cochrane 26:48
Let's do it in the PCPs we
Kristin Nilsen 26:50
totally should. We told the end the wheels were the best the wheel. Okay, you
Carolyn Cochrane 26:54
guys challenge me right now. I'm going to figure out a way to get whale turtleneck in the store in our shop.
Kristin Nilsen 27:02
Okay, and I'm gonna go buy a K necklace right now Google K on it that you can make. While you're at
Carolyn Cochrane 27:07
a bx? Yeah, and if you're at a beads or your pearls, okay. Are you okay? Yep.
Kristin Nilsen 27:11
Okay, so my, my deep now defunct retail shop. And I think this was regional. But I want to find out how regional Did you guys have the Pop Shop?
Michelle Newman 27:21
Okay, I don't think so
Kristin Nilsen 27:22
it must be Midwest because it's got the word pop in it. So the Pop Shop was just that it was a place where you went to buy pop. And they came in these little barrel glass bottles that were returnable, and you'd go get a crate and and you'd go as a whole, the whole family, the whole family would go to the Pop Shop. And you would grab a plastic crate the kind of plastic crate that they have in cafeterias where they put the glasses in. I love that you get that and you'd put it on a cart. And then you would walk up and down these aisles and choose your pop and fill up your crate. And you had all of the pop all of the pop. So it wasn't just coke and seven up and root beer. You'd have cream soda and cherry and grape. And was it actually everything or was it Cola, no D Cola, it would be cold. in it. You're
Michelle Newman 28:09
saying it wrong if you need to be saying pap, pop,
Kristin Nilsen 28:11
the pop shop, shop Pop Shop. And it was like an event to go to the Pop Shop.
Carolyn Cochrane 28:18
You're thinking of the way it sounds pap shop. Sorry, but I get it okay.
Kristin Nilsen 28:26
And there was also an I know a lot of people who are who are my age who get have real feelings about the pop shop because it was not just that you were getting soda pop to bring home. It was a visual treat these tiny bottles were so adorable. They were collectible. And then you'd have them in all these bright colors because you're getting strawberry and orange and lemon lime and grape. It was such a treat.
Michelle Newman 28:49
Well mine if those of you listening? Listen to our episode. Oh my gosh, maybe a year two years ago on the mall, and all our mall stores. This is going to be a repeat but mine would be t shirt check. Because God that's a good one go in and not only do I want to flip through like I'm flipping through record albums, but pick my very own decal and then decide if I want my name on the back or something else. I want to just stand there and inhale. Just inhale that melted plastic smell again. Gosh, you guys. So that would be my number one. I did have a close second that I just wanted to mention, which would be one of the OG record stores like Sam Goody or Tower Records. Because those of you guys remember and I think we do mention this in our mall episode, but it wasn't just a record store. There were posters. There were buttons. There were tape by the time we were old enough there were also cassette tapes and you could just hear your cue could hear the clip. Yeah, yeah. So I want to go into I mean, we still I still love to go into vinyl stores, record stores, but it's not the same
Kristin Nilsen 30:00
Here's another great question you guys. Name and you're going to think hard about this one. Name. Oh, I just came up with another one. Name one Gen X moment you wish you could relive.
Carolyn Cochrane 30:10
I
Michelle Newman 30:12
don't have to think heart at all on this one. Sorry, not sorry everyone to mention this yet again. But it's the Duran Duran concert on February 2 1984. No question immediately to be in that arena, again, surrounded by my best friends, the moment when that music started, and the lights came up, and we saw them in real life. That was enough adrenaline and serotonin to get me through the rest of my life. Let me tell you, so again, I mean, I was like, like, filled right up to the top. And I often do really, in my mind, when I'm having a bad day. And I've talked about this in Duran Duran episodes, or in and music video episodes we've had, but I will often go on to YouTube and watch. There's footage of that concert tour, not my actual show I was at, but especially when I watched the reflex video because they shot that like they were at the concert. And they did exactly that in my concert where they all ran forward and jumped at the same time. And so I can kind of relive it, thanks to YouTube. So yeah, that's hands down. That was an easy one for me. Yeah,
Carolyn Cochrane 31:18
I think I would have chosen that one for you. Have you?
Michelle Newman 31:22
I started talking listeners. Carolyn was just nodding her head and I wanted to stop and say, You know what I'm about to say though.
Carolyn Cochrane 31:35
Well, this wasn't hard, but want to share the first one I came up with. But I want to preface it with I love my husband. Oh, no.
Kristin Nilsen 31:44
This isn't gonna be good. I guess it's the
Carolyn Cochrane 31:46
first time that I experienced fireworks. Like when you kiss somebody, and it was an eighth grade Christmas dance, oh, this is different. And people knew who my crush was. And they came up with some mistletoe when he was talking to me. Oh, we got to kiss me.
Michelle Newman 32:04
And have such wonderful lightning right now. It was like the fireworks
Carolyn Cochrane 32:08
that you hear about and see and like movies and stuff. It was
Kristin Nilsen 32:11
it was like Peter Brady and Melissa. Oh, yeah.
Carolyn Cochrane 32:19
It was that moment. So it was unexpected. And there's just this crush I had had, my friends knew and he didn't like, you know, shirk away and be like, Oh, because gosh, what were you going to do if someone? Because of course, people are running around with that. Mistletoe? Caroline. I'm so happy you have
Michelle Newman 32:36
that moment in your Yes,
Carolyn Cochrane 32:38
I do. I do. But I wasn't sure if I should share that one. So that was really special. And then the other one that I wanted to share was seeing Star Wars with my dad.
Kristin Nilsen 32:48
That just came to me graded. Yes,
Carolyn Cochrane 32:53
it was, it was so exciting on different levels was so fun to go to the movies, to my dad never went to the movies. I think I've probably told you guys sound of music. And I think Star Wars were the only two times. And he was so excited. So you know, like to share that moment. And of course be with my dad again, when he was so excited and giddy like, Oh, this is gonna be so fun and CON Kids and my mom didn't even go, which also was kind of fun. not know. But you know, it was this special moment with my dad that he was so excited about. And then I almost as you all know, my stories of doing things, because I thought they would make my dad happy. So I don't even think I was very excited about the movie itself. At that point. It was like, oh, it's kind of science fictiony whatever. I'll go to make dad happy. And then of course, the movie was so wonderful and great, too. So
Kristin Nilsen 33:46
interesting. Because it just that popped into my mind when right after I read the question, having never thought of it before, but there was that was such a Gen X moment, quite literally, like you're sitting in the seat and the and the words, the yellow words start to go on the screen data, data, data, data, data, data, data data that I'm getting to blending right now. And I've I have revealed several times in this podcast that when to this day when I see Star Wars movies and those yellow words start to scroll on the screen. I cry. Yeah, just it brings me to tears. And again, I've said before, I am not a Star Wars person. I don't even I actively dislike science fiction. But that was such a moment and it was such a cultural moment. It was such a collective moment. I went with all my neighbors. We were all sitting in the row together. I spilled my lemon drops because of the because the Stormtrooper scared me. So that was another question that you can bring to a dinner party when you don't know people, everyone. You know, people are starting to talk about movies and you can put out there. Raise your hand if you saw Star Wars in the theater, right? Because that immediately identifies what generation you're from. And if you did if you are amongst the people who's saw Star Wars in the theater. It's almost like a badge of honor that we wear
but that's not my answer. Right? That's just my soapbox. And it's very exciting. My actual answer was similar to Michelle's, I would like to go back in time and go to the Purple Rain concert again, if I didn't, I think part of it is because I went twice. I went twice because two people asked me because God forbid, I should, you know, get my own money and buy my own ticket. I didn't know how historic it was. In the moment. I didn't know how historic Purple Rain would be. I didn't know how historic prince would be. I didn't know how historic his death would be. I wish I could have seen into the future to see myself on the street in front of First Avenue with 10,000 other people on the day that he died, right we all everybody just flocked to downtown and and it stopped traffic for for miles in every direction because there were so many people there if I had known that in 1984 that that that purple rain would affect me that far in the future. I don't know I would have I would have felt differently. And I have just like I have spotty memories of it which I'm I'm really disappointed and I wish I could remember it frame for frame. The only thing that I remember super clearly was when his guitar ejaculated during darling Nikki and we were Oh my goodness.
Michelle Newman 36:43
Wow. Yeah, like really? Like, yeah, he's
Kristin Nilsen 36:47
around nearly gyrating. He's playing the guitar solo and darling Nikki, and then as liquid starts squirting out the end of the guitar. I know. And we were we were just like a dog. We were a dog. It was so dirty. I probably did
Michelle Newman 37:00
like, oh, no, like, I don't think I would have like got under notice. Yeah, I would have been thinking something else like oh, like his guitars also found his leaking.
Kristin Nilsen 37:09
Guitars leaking.
Carolyn Cochrane 37:13
Oh, gosh, that was such a great question. I love being able to think about that. So I love Thank you listener who sent that question in. Okay, so here is another question that a listener sent in. It read you three have saved so many great items from your Gen X childhoods? Is there anything you wish you would have saved? Or is there anything on your Gen X wish list?
Kristin Nilsen 37:40
i Okay, so I recently acquired thanks to Carolyn, the 1970s version of the board game Clue. That was my favorite game. But what I really wish I could reacquire and I'm sad that I don't have is my Andy Gibb poster. If I had my anti poster, I would frame that fucker
Michelle Newman 37:57
right now I
Kristin Nilsen 37:58
would put it on my wall. I really, really would. The other thing that I wish that I had is the Tiger Beat magazine featuring Shaun Cassidy and Parker Stevenson that I split with my cousin. And when she lived in a different part of the country, and it was time for me to go home, we drove all over the Bay Area looking for a store with a Xerox machine. So we could photocopy the magazine. But now in retrospect, I'm like, Why didn't we just buy another magazine? Why did we have to find
Carolyn Cochrane 38:25
a way for a Xerox comm? Grocery Store, whatever. Remember when you could do that? Yeah.
Kristin Nilsen 38:31
So like Walgreens or something, you'd
Michelle Newman 38:33
go to the Xerox machine, the quality look what it looks like.
Kristin Nilsen 38:37
I wish whether it was the photocopies or the magazine itself, I wish that I had it. We were on that vacation. We were all Hardy Boys all the time, including reading the books almost in a competitive fashion. So it was the TV show it was Shaun Cassidy was Parker Stevenson, it was the it was the books, it was like what we were immersed in it was our identity during that vacation. So I just want to let it be known that the Hardy Boys really did encourage reading.
Michelle Newman 39:03
Well, it is true that I have saved and I should I should give credit where it's due. It was my mom who saved so I'm like, Oh, my old Fisher Price and my old weebles. And so many of my old things. So many of my old books, and I had hung on to a lot of my old journals and diaries. I even have my first pair of tattoos and I have a lot of stuff. However, there are a few things of course that I wish I had. And most likely they're still in my mom's garage, even though she just moved. So anyway, one of the things that I wish I had, and it's on my wish list of something that I keeping an eye on on eBay is an old telephone like Kristen has, you know, I wish that I had one of our old telephones to imagine all the conversations I had on that telephone. But if I get the avocado green when I want from eBay, I will imagine well that's why I like getting old vinyl like old records or even I don't feel bad when I get old Fisher Price toy He's off eBay because I think I imagine the stories they have to tell me.
Carolyn Cochrane 40:03
Right, exactly. But you know what? Remember, we didn't own our phones back in the day like that's part of your phone bills
Kristin Nilsen 40:13
like the cable box. Yeah,
Carolyn Cochrane 40:14
exactly. So that's
Michelle Newman 40:16
maybe why you don't have the one I want from the avocado green one I want is like Kristen's orange one that kind of listeners that sits down and then the cradle, you know, you put the phone on the cradle on top, and the ones that I remember having are more of the kind of like one banana banana shaped kind of slim. We also we did have the one though, like the old fashioned one that the little thing goes to your ear and you hold
Carolyn Cochrane 40:40
on to like a fake a fake Vintage
Michelle Newman 40:44
Decor, but ours worked. And it looks like an American flag. Ours looks like an American flag. But
Carolyn Cochrane 40:48
it was made, you know, modern, but it was to look old. But
Michelle Newman 40:53
um, and Kristen, what I have is my second that I really wish I had and I guarantee you I did not get rid of these. So these are in a box and they've been eaten and they're now all pulp from mice from my mom's garage. But would have been all my Scott Peyo Duran Duran posters by Rob Lowe posters, my What would I have done with them just opened them and just imagined my own hands, taping them on my wall or even just seeing maybe where I ripped the corner off getting them off my wall when I had to move or something and just Yep, they are somewhere. But like I said, they're if they're still in a box that my mom just moved their fluff by now,
Kristin Nilsen 41:28
but they contain, you know, why are these important? What are you going to do with them, but they contain our pre pubescent feelings
Michelle Newman 41:34
contain so many things Christian, like love that contain Yeah, that contain my first love. I mean,
Kristin Nilsen 41:41
the first time we experienced romantic love was with one of those posters.
Carolyn Cochrane 41:44
And I'm very fortunate that I do still have mine. I remembered I think I showed you guys they were in this big band folder that I put them in when I took them off the wall, I think when we moved from New Jersey to I mean from Texas to New Jersey. And you know, that was kind of a growing up time too. And then I also think my mom wasn't going to let me put stuff on the walls in the new house because it was really bad. I would just take a thumbtack in the wall. Yeah, that didn't go over very well. I think when we were moving from Texas and cheese
Michelle Newman 42:15
ticky tack and I've one last thing on my list that I wish I had and I wish I had one of my old OG Asprey sweatshirts, because I would still wear it and I'd still be able to wear it because this would have been probably at 45. I would say because I live I know where I live. But we weren't really oversized, right? Yeah. And they were huge. I would still wear it. And you can get them on eBay. But that's that's that's not the same as me getting an old album or an old Fisher Price toy at imagining the stories. I don't want someone's old sweater. too
Carolyn Cochrane 42:46
close for comfort. Oh, gosh, well, I've got to say, since doing this podcast, I've become quite envious Michelle, of your collection of toys that you grew up with and that your girls were able to play with and experience. And I think that I wish I had some of those toys back that I could now watch my one day, grandkids play with, I think there's one thing to have the memories that you had with those items, but then to see a new generation, people that you love creating new memories with these things that you have such fond memories of. And we talk about that sometimes in the podcast, too. When you want your child to read a book that you love, like come on, Maggie, it's argued there. God, it's me, Margaret, you got to read it, then we're going to talk about it. Anyone have the shared experience? And then they're like, I don't want to read it. So I think some of my, the toys that I had when I was a kid, but I think because we moved several times and my mom was super practical. It was like, we don't need these anymore. And so garage sale time there they weren't. So I'd love some of those again. All
Michelle Newman 43:54
right, we're ending our listener questions with a doozy. a doozy. This question says, Do you think the three of you would have been friends if you were all in the same homeroom and Middle School? At first? We all read it. And that's a cute question. And then we all were like, oh, oh, yeah, that's really good. I
Carolyn Cochrane 44:16
immediately went, Oh, and you guys were like,
Michelle Newman 44:18
That's fine. Like Carolyn gets to answer for serious question. And, oh, am I gonna hurt any of our feelings? No, no, because we're all friends today.
Carolyn Cochrane 44:28
This is true. Okay. So my answer would be of course, I would be friends with both of you. And this is why one because Michelle is friends with everybody. We know that she is the nicest sweetest person and you're just gonna have to be friends with her cuz she's right there and she's so nice. And she's Michelle. So there's without a doubt friends with Michelle and why wouldn't you want to be?
Michelle Newman 44:53
I feel like there's
Kristin Nilsen 44:55
no well there's a big but
Carolyn Cochrane 44:57
yeah, the button is right there in the middle of the screen. For me. My, my answer to this was, well, of course, I would be friends with Kristen, because I wouldn't want to be her enemy.
Kristin Nilsen 45:14
I don't know how meek and mild I was in seventh grade.
Carolyn Cochrane 45:21
Well, the fact that even just in this episode today, you're like, I'm not gonna wear anything that's, you know, if it's not flattering to me, I don't care this the style, I just thought you seemed very independent, you are not gonna like beef II, we're gonna stay at your mind and state your, you know, opinion. And to me that my middle school was self would have been intimidated by someone who had the confidence to do that. And so I would think, gosh, if she does that, like, what else could she do? Like, I want to be friends with her. Because if she doesn't like me, then she's probably going to tell people she doesn't like me.
Michelle Newman 45:53
So I need her to like,
Kristin Nilsen 45:54
although all of those feelings all those thoughts and feelings in seventh grade, only sit in my head. They weren't said out loud. Yeah. So I was really a wallflower for a very long time. And I was thinking all of these things, and I had all of this. I did have this confidence. Now. I'm in seventh grade. Nobody has confidence, but you know, a certain degree of confidence that maybe some seventh graders don't have. But I was quiet. And I did not announce things to the world. I did not stand up and fight because that's dangerous. In seventh grade. You can't call things out. You can't. You don't want people to look at you. You can't
Michelle Newman 46:32
stand out. Well, it's status quo all the time. It's status
Kristin Nilsen 46:35
quo. And so I was pretty close lipped. I didn't say too much. So I wouldn't have scared you.
Michelle Newman 46:40
Or you did have enough. You did have enough balls to say I'm not wearing those or I you know, yeah, whatever. Yeah. But
Carolyn Cochrane 46:49
like, let's just say we're in seventh grade. And you know, Michelle and I are wearing those uncoil bottom pants or whatever. We're
Michelle Newman 46:57
wearing San Francisco riding gear with her Candis stepping on my hem the whole time.
Carolyn Cochrane 47:04
Kristen is just back there shaking her head in that last desk in that row. Just
Kristin Nilsen 47:08
Well, that's That's it. You nailed it. That's what I was.
Carolyn Cochrane 47:12
on that? Because I had. That's my super sense. I would be like, what does everyone think I'm that girl back there. Kristen. Look, she's thinking, and I would have admired that so much. In a person that I would have. Yeah, I would have wanted to be your friend.
Kristin Nilsen 47:27
But I also really wanted to, even though I was bucking the trends, sometimes I like everybody else in seventh grade I really wanted to fit in. And I remember recognizing at one point that the cool people didn't first of all the cool people didn't sit in the front row. So stop sitting in the front row. Kristin. Right. That's why have you in the back. That's right. Gotta go to the back where the cool people are. And then the cool people somehow didn't look at the teacher when the teacher was talking. And that was exactly right. Which you have to pay attention. You have to look at the teacher. Yeah, I actively worked at looking down at my desk or maybe doing or looking out the window. I was not successful. I mean, it hurt. It hurt. Yeah, it hurt to not look at the teacher. But I was trying so hard to look like a cool person. Oh, and I and the goody two shoes just sits there looking at the teacher. But that's how I, how am I going to take the test if I don't listen to what she has to say, hey, that was the right thing to do. It was the right thing to do. But you know, just like all seventh graders, I had to figure out how to not get noticed and fit in with everybody else. And that's what I thought it required. It's not looking at the teacher. But this is not the first time this has come up we have because every once in a while some one of us will state Oh, I loved this. I loved this. And oftentimes it has to do with music. And one of us would say, Oh, you would not have been friends. And I think as much as all of the things that Carolyn said are true, those are all true. I think I think we were very different people in middle school. We were and especially when it comes to to high school, when it comes to music, you're really seeking out your identity at that moment time. And at that moment in time. It's a very trial and error kind of period. We have vastly different needs the three of us when we were growing up, middle school, and high school is dicey for a lot of people. And as we know, we don't just gravitate to the people who are nice. It involves more than that. And I think we were all in different corners as far as what we needed to feel whole or what we were fighting for, which is survival. That's all anybody's fighting for and some of the greatest survival but that looks different on different people. But I think that this is important because it shows that just because your chemistry wouldn't have a line when you were kids does not mean that your passes won't cross in the future and then at that time, your chemistry will be perfectly complimentary. 100%
Michelle Newman 49:58
Now this question And I believe it was Pam, who asked this question. It's either Pam or Aaron, one of our patrons, but said, specifically said in middle school, and that is dicey, because like you guys have just said, this is when we're all very concerned of who we're hanging out with what we're wearing. Right? If they would have said, Would you all have been friends when you were in fourth grade? Third grade? Totally different, different, right? But what I love about being in our 50s I don't give a crap what anybody's wearing what anybody's doing anything. It's like, we're all just people right? Now, I said earlier, if you don't like you know, Donny Osmond, or you didn't retire me, you can't be my friend. Right. But do you not? I mean, all of us who listen, I love meeting our listeners, because I feel like all of us, we are all drawn together by this, this commonality, right? And it's we all love these things at the same time. And we still do. I will say, this is like therapy. You guys my answer? It really is. Yeah. I just said if this would have been would we have all been friends in third grade? Fourth grade? Yes. And are we all friends on our 50s? Yes. But in middle school, the reason I'm going to say we wouldn't have been, and this is going to tell this is going to make you guys say, Michelle, back to therapy. I know you haven't found a therapist in Denver yet, but just should. We're working on it as I still can go back to middle school and I was that rule, follower, goody two shoes. Now I know Carolyn's going to show his eye. And Kristen just told us that's who I was, too. But I feel like you guys would have looked down on me. I'm putting myself back as a middle school kid. And I feel like I had so many insecurities. And so I was trying really hard. And I had a great group of close friends who I felt like I could be myself with, but I feel like just things we I've learned about the two of you and middle school. I feel like would you have made fun of me? Or would you have thought I was this big goody goody. And I've told you many times, especially in our great conversation about the cardigan and carnival Sandy. I still struggle with trying to break free of this good girl image it was It wasn't something I was proud of. I was just being myself. So like, my gut tells me No, even though I would love to say yes, we would have all been friends. Because we would have we would have you know, gone to the same movies and wanted to listen to the same records. But my gut tells me that you guys want to lie to me. That's my gut. And that's my that's an issue I just had that's an adult issue that I have to work. Well, I
Carolyn Cochrane 52:23
think Kristen, you really made me think about this differently. And then it's correct. And that we were all looking for different things. Yeah, as part of who we are and what I am working through in therapy itself as well as not being left out and not and belonging. And so of course, I'm going to want to be friends with everyone. More importantly, I want them to, to want to be friends with me. So I'm going to say that and that's been a part of me forever, I guess that I'm, you know, I am working through but a lot of the decisions I have made in my life from wearing the candies to, you know, wanting to be friends with everyone is kind of why I answered the way I did. So thank you for making me think of it in those terms.
Kristin Nilsen 53:11
Okay, so now it's our turn. You guys sent in all of your questions we've heard from you. Now we each get a turn to ask a question of the other two. All right, you guys ready? Here's my question. When did you first start feeling nostalgia for the things from your childhood? Was there a moment, a thing? When did you start embracing your childhood nostalgia?
Carolyn Cochrane 53:36
I want to go back to a very specific moment that I've shared with you guys before. It's a moment I felt like I kind of did this crossover from maybe being a kid to maybe more of an adult and it was my freshman year of college. And it was the series finale of Happy Days was studying for calculus final. And so there were a lot of emotions because I failed calculus. So it was awful. And he didn't want to make this final. But I watched and wanna cry thinking about it, because I watched it. And I thought it's like, it's kind of over, you know, like, waiting for Tuesday nights in the show that, you know, everybody watched. And it just it's kind of gone. And it became like, Oh, now when I refer to it, it's going to be this thing from when I was a kid or a child, which in a way is kind of in college, you all of a sudden realize like, oh, you watch Romper Room to like, kind of those moments of when you are a child and that bring you this feeling of warmth and comfort and you realize other people had those too. And here you are away from home and you're meeting people from all over the country and all of a sudden it's like, oh, you had that too and then you can have those shared moments but honestly, I will never forget that night and watching that and thinking it's so For, like, this kind of melee,
Michelle Newman 55:02
very evolved to to be thinking of that while it was happening.
Kristin Nilsen 55:06
Yes, it is. It's an acknowledgment. And I had a very similar experience to you, Carolyn, I think that? Well, in addition, it wasn't for me, it was in college, it was meeting two particular people. So just like you said, you're coming into contact with new people, and you're saying, Oh, you wash Romper Room, you did this, you're finding commonality because you're all the same age, everyone is exactly the same age. And so when I met my friend Colleen, and we discovered that we both had Shaun Cassidy as our first crushes. And all of a sudden, we were fast friends, when neither one of us had thought of Shaun Cassidy for 10 years. But in that moment, we went back in time and acknowledged this childhood touchpoint that we had. But to your point about the happy days moment, again, with Colleen and with our friend, Martha. The day that Andy Gibb died, was the day that we we acknowledged the three of us that our childhood had died, that we all love to this person. And again, hadn't thought about him for 10 years. But he died and with him went our childhood. And then when Soldier of Love came out, do you guys remember Soldier of Love? Oh, yeah, Donnie, and and it was Martha. So the three of us Colleen, Martha and Kristen, and it was Martha who came running home and it was like, Do you know who sings this song? Do you know? Yeah. And remember, it was a surprise. Like they wouldn't tell us who sang the song. And then they reveal it. It was Donny Osmond he, yes, brilliant. It was such a brilliant move, and she came running and it's Donny Osmond. And this gave the three of us permission to get all excited and nostalgic, and walk down memory lane about the Donny and Marie show, which naturally led to this full on declaration that we loved 70s music, the three of us loved 70s music, we used somebody's mom's credit card to buy some, like made for nerds advertised on TV cassette tape with all the time life ones. And we all shared it like we didn't even live together. But we would like pass the table on whose day is it for the tape? I get the tape today.
Michelle Newman 57:12
And much like you, Kristen, I would say to thinking of it this way, it's when I met my friend Julie in 1997, who were still great friends today and hydraulic because I know she's listening. But we we moved into you know, we moved to Minneapolis and we moved into this neighborhood. And the next door neighbors had had us over for dinner and had Julie and her husband over for dinner. And we started talking People Magazine award shows current occurrence stars, but it quickly turned into the Brady Bunch. And it turned into these old shows the neighborhood invited us over could not participate in the conversation because she didn't get into that stuff. Well, it was probably the first time in my adult life. And I'm not quite 30. Right, where all of a sudden, it's my first adult friend that I can go on this journey with as a as a mom, I you know, I had I had an almost two year old daughter at the time. And so I would I would say that that's definitely it is when I met Julie. Yep. It was your People magazine Moment, your first adult that you can share this type of stuff with and share everything we've we've shared through the PCPs with Well,
Carolyn Cochrane 58:15
yeah, I think there's that element of it's one thing to look at a picture and go, Oh, I remember this or whatever. But to have this, you know, these conversations and these connections that are based on these nostalgic Yeah, moments. And you do that too. Oh my gosh, I thought it was just there's nothing like it. And I think that's one of the reasons that were as successful as we are. Because
Kristin Nilsen 58:39
we share this with these other people. Yes. Okay,
Carolyn Cochrane 58:42
I did something a little different. So there is a really fun account called Gen X girls grow up. And lots of times they'll have a checklist like did you do this or lots of fun things. So I kind of went on their account and I grabbed a couple of these little checklists that I'm just going to ask you some questions from and just to get to know you guys a little bit better. So the first section of questions are going to have to do with denim. So your memories of Ghana, okay. And really, this is just the yes or no, like, Are you checking the box? Did you do this or had this? Okay, so did you have acid washed or stonewashed jeans? No, yes. Oh,
Kristin Nilsen 59:20
that's one of those things. I was like, That's ugly, and I'm not wearing it.
Michelle Newman 59:23
Okay,
Carolyn Cochrane 59:24
there you go. Well, did you have any DoorDash or Gloria Vanderbilt's?
Kristin Nilsen 59:29
No, remember belts?
Carolyn Cochrane 59:33
So just particularly not George ash or glory. Did you have any designer jeans? No,
Michelle Newman 59:39
I had, I think I had gotten
Kristin Nilsen 59:40
actually I did. I did want that. Actually, I did want the designer jeans. But I knew they were expensive. And I didn't feel like I could ask.
Carolyn Cochrane 59:49
Wow, I mean, you're a great kid. I asked and I would be so mad if I didn't get them and mine was more so that designer Jean era was kind of eighth grade. arrayed beginning of high school, and you better believe I wanted this as soon I wanted the Calvin Klein's the Sergio Verlinde days, the DoorDash school or Vanderbilts. I wanted them all and yeah, my
Kristin Nilsen 1:00:14
girl Naka, I
Michelle Newman 1:00:14
think I've already answered that question with San Francisco riding here.
Carolyn Cochrane 1:00:21
Oh, gosh. Well, and you also answered one of my next questions. Did you ever roll your jeans at any point in style?
Kristin Nilsen 1:00:27
Oh, yeah. Are we called Peggy Lee? You mean like peg? Yeah. Yeah. And that's what the the phones your bows. I didn't have reels your bows, but I headphones your Bose. Okay. I
Carolyn Cochrane 1:00:37
don't know what that is. But I'm glad they were fo g
Kristin Nilsen 1:00:40
i RBAUD.
Carolyn Cochrane 1:00:44
I was pricing do your bots or something? Yes. Oh, the. I remember this. I don't think I had a pair. Okay, I really want but you're right. Those were the pick.
Kristin Nilsen 1:00:51
And those were tight. Right around your ankle. Yes. Yes.
Carolyn Cochrane 1:00:55
Okay. This one I thought was kind of fun. Okay. This is kind of revealing if there was any bad girls sides of you guys. Okay, probably. We're thinking more of high school here. Okay. Did you ever sneak alcohol into somewhere?
Kristin Nilsen 1:01:09
Oh, hell yeah.
Michelle Newman 1:01:11
Hell no. I feel like this needs to be one of those. Never have I ever we have. Well,
Carolyn Cochrane 1:01:17
I guess that could be to
Kristin Nilsen 1:01:21
anywhere like, well, not your house or right.
Carolyn Cochrane 1:01:23
Just snuck alcohol in anywhere.
Kristin Nilsen 1:01:26
I had, I had a bottle of champagne stashed away. Okay, this.
Michelle Newman 1:01:32
Oh, I mean, college. Definitely. Before it was legal, but not but not
Carolyn Cochrane 1:01:35
in high school. These would be high school. Did you ever sneak someone into your house? Yes. No. If you're a patron, we're gonna score for the rest of the story. Okay, did you sneak in after curfew?
Michelle Newman 1:01:55
I didn't have any Yes. Oh, I was so good. I didn't have a bedtime a curfew. Any okay.
Carolyn Cochrane 1:02:01
Did you ever throw a party and get caught?
Kristin Nilsen 1:02:06
Sort of I had some people over we may have snuck some alcohol in the house. And the neighbor knocked on my door in the morning and wanted to have a little chat about that. So definitely. And he just also happened to be a teacher at my school and friends with my parents. And it was humiliating. It was horrible.
Michelle Newman 1:02:22
Oh, I should say I did actually at one of my slumber parties. Some of the boys from like my sixth grade class were entered. And they came to the backside. They knew I was having a slumber party and we opened the door and Letterman so I guess that's not even do anything. We're in like sixth grade. No, but they came in when it was very standard. Oh my god, the boys are in here. And we're watching like, you know, that is scandalous.
Carolyn Cochrane 1:02:45
But man, those split levels that really helped because Oh, absolutely. I was on the second story. I did remember someone wants throwing rocks at my window to get my attention. But I would have died probably if I'd ever tried to sneak out that way. And then there were just enough creeks in my house that like I would have had to slither because my parents bedroom was right at the top of the stairs. Sometimes
Kristin Nilsen 1:03:06
I would I would take my clothes off before walking up the stairs so that my clothes wouldn't swish
I'm like hearing my clothes better
Michelle Newman 1:03:19
for them to catch you walking in late naked. fully clothed. That was
Kristin Nilsen 1:03:26
my logic. Okay, that was my logic.
Carolyn Cochrane 1:03:28
I'm so glad I know those things about you guys. I love for many black male out of
Michelle Newman 1:03:33
I love these little list. Maybe we should put that website Gen X girls is definitely include that in our Weekly Reader. And for those of you who are not signed up for the weekly reader, go to our website@preservationists.com and make sure you sign up because not only do you get the week's episode emailed directly to you every Friday morning, we often put a lot of little fun extras from what we talked about in the show. Yeah, okay. I'm going to do a quick this or that with you guys. I don't want you to think I want you to answer what you would have chosen based on who you were in the 70s and 80s. Ready and we're just gonna go Kristen, Carolyn, Kristen Carol, so it's just quick okay, okay, here we go. The first this or that is terry cloth or satin,
Kristin Nilsen 1:04:16
terry cloth, terry cloth, um, terry cloth,
Michelle Newman 1:04:19
Freaky Friday or Herbie the lovebug
Kristin Nilsen 1:04:22
Sophie's Choice,
Michelle Newman 1:04:24
you got to pick
Kristin Nilsen 1:04:26
I know I'm supposed to say Herbie because we are a Herbie family. I'm gonna say Freaky Friday. See,
Michelle Newman 1:04:30
I'm glad I'm learning stuff about you. I would have thought you would have sent her me for sure. I
Kristin Nilsen 1:04:33
just really loved Jodie Foster. Yes,
Carolyn Cochrane 1:04:35
I would have said Freaky Friday as well. But I would have invited Kristen to go see her be with me. So yeah, I got points. Yeah, yeah, points with you. You wouldn't have had to choose it yourself. Okay,
Michelle Newman 1:04:47
sigma in the sea monster or Scooby Doo segment. Scooby Doo. Scooby Doo. feathered or permed
Carolyn Cochrane 1:04:57
feathered seven these feathers Aedes Pirkei
Michelle Newman 1:05:01
Yeah, I was feathered I think I was feathered permed to okay Love Boat or fantasy island,
Kristin Nilsen 1:05:07
Fantasy Island.
Carolyn Cochrane 1:05:09
Love Boat. Love Boat
Michelle Newman 1:05:12
Fonzie or Richie
Kristin Nilsen 1:05:13
Fonzie
Carolyn Cochrane 1:05:15
Richie. Really Potsie to be honest.
Michelle Newman 1:05:21
When I wrote that question, I thought I really want to say Potsie I think I would have said she really loved Fonzie. That's a hard one for me. Okay. Bon Jovi or Culture Club? Both 1983. This is both 1983.
Carolyn Cochrane 1:05:37
Yeah, I should have said Culture Club in 1980.
Michelle Newman 1:05:40
Even though you're in New Jersey girl. Yeah.
Carolyn Cochrane 1:05:43
Because that was in text. Well, yeah, just because it was. Culture Club was just on more I guess, or something. It seemed to be the popular thing I like would say Bon Jovi, probably from college on but in 1983, I would have said,
Kristin Nilsen 1:05:57
Yeah. And still she's aligning like, because that was the popular thing. Right? She's aligning yourself with what was popular. You can't can't very ghetto do the analysis? Where do I go? Okay,
Michelle Newman 1:06:08
swings or merry go round swings.
Can I just tell everybody what you're thinking? I really wanted to be on the swings. But all my friends were on the merry go round at recess. And so I had to go with America round.
Carolyn Cochrane 1:06:26
Well, no, actually was simple. I mean, well, I really loved the merry go round. But here's the deal. I was not one of those people that could run and jump on it when it was already moving. And that took a skill kind of like roller skating where people would just get off of the you know, floor and go onto the carpet in one swoop. So I would run at the speed of light to get out to that merry go round. So I could jump on it be kind of in the middle part. And not have to push it either because then there was the poor people who had to like push it and then you had to jump on what I had to do. Yeah. Oh, yeah. No, because I ran so fast and got out there before it started moving. Helped my place so that I could go so the miracle round I love but there were some times I couldn't go on it because it was already well,
Kristin Nilsen 1:07:14
and it was scary. As much as I love the merry go round. If what if there was a bad boy, and the bad boy would make it go so fast that you would be scared or you were gonna cry? So I would stay away just in case one of the bad boys was coming. Okay. Yeah,
Michelle Newman 1:07:27
I think we would have all been friends and I was at least on the playground. Swings. I love the swings or I played Foursquare, okay. Roller skates or tennis shoes,
Kristin Nilsen 1:07:37
roller skates,
Carolyn Cochrane 1:07:39
tennis shoes. Sonny and
Michelle Newman 1:07:41
Cher or Donnie and Marie, Sonny and Cher, Gianni Marie Don, Amory. Mork or Mindy.
Kristin Nilsen 1:07:49
Oh, that's hard, because I really loved Mindy, but the obvious answer is Mark, but I love Mandy.
Carolyn Cochrane 1:07:54
I'm gonna say Mindy, obviously and that's hard. I liked
Michelle Newman 1:07:57
her. But Mark Mark got on my nerves a lot. I know everybody right now is like I've probably should hide in my in like a bunker for the next five years for saying that. TV dinner or stay calm. Stay calm. Stay calm. Oh, is TV dinner. Saturday Night Fever or Greece?
Kristin Nilsen 1:08:15
Oh, again. Oh, oh. But you know what? I'm gonna go Saturday Night Fever. Yeah, Greece, Greece. And then just you know
that concludes this second installment of the pop culture Preservation Society Townhall. I was going to say, I hope you feel like you got to know us better. But the truth is, I think we we get to know each other better. Yeah, we got to know us a little bit better. Are we sure this is for public? And not just us heavy. It was like, it was like a team building exercise or something? Who basically no, you know what it is? We just had a slumber party. Ah, we just had a slumber party and all the listeners were invited. I'm just so
Carolyn Cochrane 1:09:05
glad that you guys invited me.
Kristin Nilsen 1:09:11
As always, thank you for listening, everybody, and we will look forward to being with you again next week.
Michelle Newman 1:09:16
Today's episode was brought to you by Jane, Susan. Barbara, Cindy, Claire, Raquel, Aaron, Jackson, Mike, Nina, Lisa, Nancy, Courtney. And Kimberly. Oh my God, that's
Kristin Nilsen 1:09:30
a lot of names.
Carolyn Cochrane 1:09:31
Say no, everything's a diary. Those I just, I get a little just pitter patter in my heart. That makes us be so happy. And these are actually just some of the wonderful patreon supporters and donors who honestly really do keep the PCPs truckin. We could not do this without them. So thank you. Thank you supporters. And if you'd like to become a supporter, check out our website at pop preservationists.com To learn how you can take your son work to the next level.
Kristin Nilsen 1:10:01
In the meantime, let's raise our glasses for a toast courtesy of three of our favorite roommates. Jack, Janet and Chrissy. Two good times to Happy Days
Carolyn Cochrane 1:10:11
to Little House on the Prairie cheers.
Kristin Nilsen 1:10:15
The information opinions and comments expressed on the pop culture Preservation Society podcast belongs solely to Carolyn the crush ologists and hello Newman, and are in no way representative of our employers or affiliates. And though we truly believe we are always right, there's always a first time the PCPs is written, produced and recorded in Minneapolis, Minnesota Home of the fictional w j m studios and our beloved Mary Richards Nananana. Keep on truckin and may the Force be with you