Whatever Happened to Pudding Pops?: The Lost Toys, Tastes, and Trends of the 70s and 80s [Paperback]

Gael Fashingbauer Cooper (Author), Brian Bellmont (Author)

Book Description

Release date: June 7, 2011

If you owe a couple cavities to Marathon candy bars, learned your adverbs from Schoolhouse Rock!, and can still imitate the slo-mo bionic running sound of The Six Million Dollar Man, this book is for you.

Whatever Happened to Pudding Pops? takes you back in time to the tastes, smells, and sounds of childhood in the '70s and '80s, when the Mystery Date board game didn't seem sexist, and exploding Pop Rocks was the epitome of candy science.

But what happened to the toys, tastes, and trends of our youth? Some vanished totally, like Freakies cereal. Some stayed around, but faded from the spotlight, like Sea-Monkeys and Shrinky Dinks. Some were yanked from the market, revised, and reintroduced...but you'll have to read the book to find out which ones.

So flip up the collar of that polo shirt and revisit with us the glory and the shame of those goofy decades only a native could love.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"A great nostalgia-inducing gift for fellow members of Generation X."
—Richmond (VA) Times-Dispatch

"With entries like 'John Hughes Movies,' 'Judy Blume Books,' 'Love’s Baby Soft' and 'Pen Pals,' it’s hard not to go into a state of nostalgic euphoria while reading Whatever Happened to Pudding Pops?"
—The Weekender, Wilkes-Barre, PA

"Gael Fashingbauer Cooper and Brian Bellmont are two people who obviously lived through and loved the '70s and '80s. They're funny and sharp, and their passion for pop jumps off the page."

—Whitney Matheson, USA Today Pop Candy

"A pop culture flashback"
—Jen Chaney, The Washington Post

"I was reading this book the other night and just howling at some of these entries."
—Rachel Martin, "All Things Considered," National Public Radio

"For those of us who think we're beyond the reach of pop culture, think again. It's hilarious to be reminded of how we were defined as a generation. I couldn't put Whatever Happened to Pudding Pops? down and I couldn't stop laughing. As we used to say, 'Wow, what a trip.'"
— Pamela Sue Martin, author and actress, "The Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries"

"This book is one that I never knew I needed, but I soon realized that it's the book I've always wanted...if you're a pop-culture junkie, want to take a time machine back to your past, or just like reading humorous books, pick this one up for sure."
—Monique Jones, MoniqueBlog

“Some pages had me nodding my head in agreement while some pages were like one big blast of memories since forgotten. It's a total blast to read!"
—Culture Brats

"This thing is a box full of squeals of delight alternating with wistful oooohs of nostalgia."
—Lisa Parsons, The Hippo

"..anyone whose childhood included hours leafing through the Sears Christmas Wish Book and playing lawn darts should enjoy the book."
—Damian Penny, BlogCritics.com

"Every single page will remind you of something from your childhood. Sea Monkeys! That’s Incredible! Lik-M-Aid! What a fun way to revisit all of that stuff."
—Sundrymourning.com

Product Details

• Paperback: 240 pages
• Publisher: Perigee Trade; First Edition edition (June 7, 2011)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 039953671X
• ISBN-13: 978-0399536717
• Product Dimensions: 5.7 x 0.5 x 7.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (31 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #157,714 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A Little Slice of Pop-Culture Heaven June 10, 2011

By A. Hurley

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

Gael Cooper and Brian Bellmont hit a home run with this compulsively readable anthology of the great Gen X trends of the '70s and '80s. But pop culture fans of every age will love it and find themselves humming random TV theme songs and suddenly dying for the taste of Quisp. It's all here, from ABBA to "Zoom," and the great thing about it is that it triggered my own memories from the era -- enough to suggest the authors to do a followup book.

It's a great gift--ridiculously cheap--but you'll find yourself picking it up again and again. Even my kids have been holed up on the couch this afternoon reading passages out loud.

Thanks for the memories, Gael and Brian!

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A Great Gift - But You'll Want Your Own June 10, 2011

By Ann Fillhart

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

I've already bought six copies to give to friends, and might have to get another, since I've been having a hard time prying mine out of my 13-year-old's hands. She loves it, and has been snorting with laughter over most of the entries. This book lends itself to multi-generational bonding; from my daughter's questions about George Clooney's mullet to my Mom's memories of mixing vats of Funny Face drink mix for the five of us each summer. The index alone is worth the price of the book - every word is a link to our generation's mutual survival of a couple of memorable decades.

The opening paragraphs of the entry on candy cigarettes immediately transported me back to my own chidhood; crazy eights, necco wafers, Laverne & Shirley, and all. It's not just a touching collection of memories, though, it's also a wonderfully written book full of hilarious commentary. You'll laugh, you'll cry, you'll remember that you're still mad at your brother for marking up the cards on your Mystery Date game. It's a great book!

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Put Down Your Smarty Phone.... June 11, 2011

By sharon proctor

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

....turn off your computer, and take a walk down memory lane. You will not be disappointed. The writing is witty, sharp and fun. I love this book!