Click here to check it out.

I have to admit I don’t know most of the bands listed except the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Marilyn Manson, Alice Cooper and KISS.

What costumed bands do I know besides the ones above? Check out this 5 on Friday and find out!

5 Bands in Costume

1. Let’s a “Go-Go” to this Hulla Baloo dance party with Paul Revere & the Raiders! Anyone know who the cute guy is that introduces them? I do.

Visit Paul Revere & the Raiders to see them still rocking in costume http://www.paulrevereraiders.com

2. Move over Paul Revere & the Raiders because Adam & the Ants are riding through. Stand & deliver artsy fashion, also known as cool costumes.

Adam Ant still delivers his New Romantic style, check him out at http://www.adam-ant.net

3. Uno, dos, tres, quatro…Wooly Bully time with Sam the Sham and the Pharaohs. Watch it now!

Find out what Sam the Sham is up to, visit http://www.samthesham.com

4. Cher! Okay so Cher is a singer and not really a band but it’s my site and I can post what I want to.

See what Cher is wearing these days… http://www.cher.com

5. Need an idea for a costume? Look no further than The Village People. They’re like a costume catalog on stage.

Click here to watch everyone’s favorite group dance song, YMCA.

Wow, 35 years of The Village People on their official site! Visit http://www.officialvillagepeople.com today!

I was at Henry’s Marketplace the other day, shopping for protein powders and healthier junk food. They always have a fun music list playing in the store and this time it was a whole lotta Rockabilly. I was practically dancing in the aisles. This got me thinking that I haven’t been listening to Rockabilly music lately.

I’ve always had a thing for 50’s and 60’s music. I have a thing for most music in general no matter the decade but my favorite activity when I was a kiddo, besides reading & watching TV, was blasting my mom’s 45’s in my room. She didn’t have every rockabilly record but she had enough to get me interested. By the time the Stray Cats strutted their way on the radio in the 1980’s, I was amped with rockabilly excitement.

“The term rockabilly is a portmanteau of rock (from rock ‘n’ roll) and hillbilly, the latter a reference to the country music (often called hillbilly music in the 1940s and 1950s) that contributed strongly to the style’s development. Other important influences on rockabilly include western swing, boogie woogie, and rhythm and blues. While there are notable exceptions, its origins lie primarily in the Southern United States.”—Wikipedia

So I’ve been rockin rockabilly style again, seems like a perfect reason for an HIH Five on Friday post.

Here are 5 of my Fave Rockabilly Tunes:

Eddie Cochran— C’mon Everybody

Bill Haley—Rock Around the Clock

Gene Vincent and His Blue Caps— Be-Bop-a-Lula

Elvis Presley—That’s All Right Mama

Stray Cats—Stray Cat Strut

What are your favorite Rockabilly tunes?

Check out the Rockabilly Hall of Fame, click here.

I’ve written about whistling before. The post was about master whistlers, click here to read. This 5 on Friday features five tunes that feature whistling. Say that 5 times fast!

I’m not a very good whistler but it is fun to try. A cool dude I know, thanks to the interwebs, posted the song “Let’s Go Surfing”  on his Facebook wall. After watching the video I spent a lot of time listening to The Drums beats and I dig the retro feel of their songs. I like how their sound can range from 60’s Beach Boys mode to 80’s Newro.  The whistling in “Let’s Go Surfing” makes this a catchy tune I want to play over and over again. I have to admit after watching this video I kind of want to try surfing or at least roast some S’mores out on the beach.

“Let’s Go Surfing” —The Drums

This next whistling tune is short but sweet and takes me back to my TV rerun watching days. Mayberry was a great place to hang out after school. I’d turn on the rabbit eared set, have a snack and watch as Sheriff Andy Taylor & Barney Fife socialized at the barber shop, went on double dates & solved Mayberry’s problems with good advice. It was always fun to learn a lesson or two alongside Opie and I felt sorry for poor Otis whenever he got stuck sleeping it off in the cell again.

The Andy Griffith Show theme song—Earle Hagen

My younger brother told me about Peter, Bjorn and John years ago and ever since I’ve been hooked on this whistling song.

“Young Folks” —Peter, Bjorn and John

When I was a kiddo I had a cool projector film toy and the film it came with was one about the Harlem Globetrotters. Their theme song comes from a vintage jazz tune from the 1920′s.  This is the sort of whistling that takes some practice. Not as much as Harlem Globetrotter basketball tricks though.

“Sweet Georgia Brown”—Harlem Globetrotters theme

You may think I’m twisted for adding this one by composer Bernard Herrman but it’s a great one to whistle while doing housework. This Whistling Song comes from the movie Twisted Nerve but Tarantino fans might think of the movie Kill Bill and they’re right too.

Bernard Herrmann composed this catchy yet psychologically disturbing whistling song. He’s also the one responsible for the tension evoking music in films Vertigo, Psycho and Taxi Driver. Just to name a few.

Give a little whistle if you have any more Whistling Tunes to add.

The Drums: http://thedrums.com
Harlem Globetrotters: http://www.harlemglobetrotters.com
Earle Hagen: http://www.earlehagen.net
PB&J: http://peterbjornandjohn.com/blog
Bernard Herrmann: http://www.bernardherrmann.org

Another Valentine’s Day approaches. Love is in the air or if you have a green thumb or two maybe in the garden.

1. A love serenade in his garden, Mr. Benny Hill:

2. English Indie musician, Baxter Dury sings Love in the Garden, video by a Dury fan that likes furry creatures:

3. This video shows boatloads of fan love to Ringo Starr & The Beatles with Octopus’s Garden:

4. Kiss calling out to Dr. Love at Madison Square Garden:

5. Here we are back in the Garden of Love. This time with Monika Načeva & Tim Wright:

Groundhogs and rabbits were trending this week with Groundhog Day and the Chinese New Year. Punxsutawney Phil says spring will come early and according to Chinese tradition “The Rabbit” will represent 2011.

With all the rabbit and groundhog talk I started thinking about hedgehogs. There’s a lot of hedgehog cuteness in cyberspace but I wanted to find 5 videos that really stood out from the hedgehog bunch. Take a look at these 5 videos that give hedgehogs some love.

1. The first selection is a popular YouTube video from a few years ago. The star is Shming, a domesticated hedgehog doing a bathtub aquatic routine. He’s so popular he has his own T-shirt line. Click here.

Shming’s water performance is lots of fun but the narrative between the two women cheering Shming along is what makes this video a YouTube classic.
Embedding is disabled on this one so click here to see the video.

2. Hedgehog in the Fog is a 1975 Soviet/Russian animated film directed by Yuriy Norshteyn, produced by the Soyuzmultfilm studio in Moscow. You can purchase the book version via Amazon. Watch this artistic, award winning stop motion animation:

Click here for the official Norshteyn Studios site.

3. Hedgehogs love to get busy on the dance floor. Well at least according to this song aptly called Hedgehogs. HEDGEHOG!!! Watch out it’s catchy.

4. What better way to give hedgehogs kudos then to name a band after one? Check out this Chinese Indie Rock band called Hedgehog with their song Wink:

5. In this last video we see hedgehog love in the form of a mini English Tudor cottage. I like the commentator’s accent.

In many places hedgehogs are illegal to keep as pets. For more info about domesticated hedgehogs & their wellbeing, check out the following links:
http://hedgies.com
http://www.hedgehogwelfare.org

Back in the 80’s day, there was a song called Five Minutes of Funk by Whodini. It wasn’t very funky, but it was five minutes of a great rap/ hip hop tune.
I caught myself singing the lyrics to 5 Minutes of Funk the other day, which led to the idea of 5 Videos of Funk. For those of you not familiar with Funk as a music genre let’s get a breakdown from Wikipedia:

“Funk is a music genre that originated in the mid-late 1960s when African American musicians blended soul music, soul jazz and R&B into a rhythmic, danceable new form of music. Funk de-emphasizes melody and harmony and brings a strong rhythmic groove of electric bass and drums to the foreground. Funk songs are often based on an extended vamp on a single chord, distinguishing it from R&B and soul songs centered around chord progressions….
…many of the most famous bands in the genre also played disco and soul extensively. Funk music was a major influence on the development of disco music and afrobeat, and funk samples have been used extensively in genres including hip hop, house music and drum and bass. It is also the main influence of go-go, a subgenre associated with funk.”—Wikipedia

As Whodini would say, “…separate the good stuff from the junk…” Here are 5 of my favorite funky videos:

I play this video whenever someone gets on my nerves. It helps me remember how to behave on this planet. The YAY at the end of this video & The Dating Game style groovy music is fun too!

I love this video, not only because the Ohio Players really know how to get funky, but because Wolfman Jack introduces them.

If we’re gonna get funky, we’ve got to Get Down with the Soul Train dancers.

It’s not only the guys that can get down and get funky. Here’s Chaka Khan with Rufus telling us something good.

Good God! Give us those funky horns! James Brown says… “Get Up Offa That Thing”

Remember these are 5 of MY favorite funk videos. What funky songs get you up offa that thing?

Love can be many things. It can make you see life through rose colored glasses or make you want to cry your eyes out. There’s puppy love, true love, forbidden love, and unrequited love. Love can be an emotion, a virtue, or just the thing that makes a great song.

Here are 5 Songs about a Thing Called Love:

Jerry Reed was a country music singer, guitarist, songwriter, and actor. You might remember him from Smokey and the Bandit, he was in the movie and he sang the theme song “East Bound and Down”.

Here he is with “A Thing Called Love”:

Queen is a British rock band that formed in 1971. Before his death in 1991, Freddie Mercury rocked the stage with his lead vocals, piano and theatrics. I think everyone with a TV, radio, or internet connection knows of, listened to, or rocked out with Queen. Many of their songs have been used and re-used in tributes, parodies, television and film.

Here’s Queen with “Crazy Little Thing Called Love”, the single was number two in the UK and became the first U.S. number-one hit for the band.

Before they signed a record deal this British rock band, The Darkness, made a name for themselves with their live shows.
Here they are with “I Believe in a Thing Called Love”:

Leo Reisman was a violinist and bandleader in the 1920s and 1930s. Every once and awhile I’m in a big band music mood. Time to break out the Ginger Rogers moves to “What Is This Thing Called Love” by
Leo Reisman and His Orchestra.

While on my quest for other “Thing Called Love” inspired songs I found the British trance music group Above & Beyond.

Check out this club video of Above & Beyond’s, “Thing Called Love” featuring Richard Bedford:

Queen still rocks on, visit their official site: http://www.queenonline.com/home

The Darkness split up but a few band members are reforming as The Stone Gods, check their MySpace for details: http://www.myspace.com/thedarkness

Visit the official Above & Beyond site for tour dates & more info: http://aboveandbeyond.nu/home

Did I mention I am forty years old now? Oh yes, I think I did. Back in the day, my day meaning the 80’s, it was all about big hair and of course ballads. The 80’s had a lot going on when it came to music mixed with pop culture. Some flaunted Madonna lace and gloves; others were rocking the Newro style. Prince and the Revolution followers wore purple, layered coats and ruffles while the long haired rockers smoked in the boy’s room.

It was an eclectic mix of musically inspired fashion but today I’m focusing on the Big Hair Ballads. The love songs millions could raise their cigarette lighters to with pride. This was a staple to the 80’s like Aqua Net and eyeliner. Here they are:

Still Loving You—Scorpions

Back when I was dating Mr. HIH, way back when this song was a big hit, he loved dedicating “Still Loving You” to me. Isn’t that retro romantic?

Nobody’s Fool—Cinderella

This is a ballad and power anthem all in one. It’s the perfect song to sing just before breaking up with your significant other.

Bringing on the Heartbreak—Def Leppard

Turn this one full blast and cry your eyes out!

Close My Eyes Forever—Lita Ford & Ozzy Osbourne

It wasn’t just the boys with big hair back in the day. Lita Ford adds a feminine quality to this duet with Ozzy.

The Price—Twisted Sister

Sometimes ballads are about loving life itself and because this video intro is priceless, here’s Twisted Sister performing The Price.

“The 80’s are about f’&*%$# partying! That’s what makes it so much fun!”
WARNING: bad words

As always it’s tough to pick just five but I named it The 5 on Friday so here we are. What are your favorite big hair love songs from the decade of decadence?

You might be wondering, why 40’s? On Sunday May 16, I’m going to be 40 years old. According to the Collins Dictionary age 40 is the start of middle age. I’ll go with the Oxford English Dictionary instead, “… the period between youth and old age, about 45 to 60″.

I got to thinking about the number 40 in pop culture. Some say 40 is a magical number. If anything it occurs frequently in literature. Take the idiom forty winks, or “forty days and forty nights”.  How about all those thieves and Ali Baba, there were 40 of them remember?

There’s the spray lubricant WD-40 and the food dye Red 40. Here’s Five more 40’s in Pop Culture I found interesting.

American Top 40

When I was a kiddo I faithfully tuned in to hear the American Top 40 with Casey Kasem. His weekly countdown show was right up there with Solid Gold on my coolness meter.
“Now, on with the countdown!”—Casey Kasem

American Top 40 was born the same year I was in 1970. The show is still around today as At 40 with Ryan Seacrest. Visit http://www.at40.com for more info.

Casey Kasem is one smooth talker. He used his voice over talents for commercials and TV shows, including being the voice of Robin from Super Friends and Shaggy from Scooby Doo.

Hey look at this via YouTube! It’s a faux Shaggy voicing Casey Kasem’s famous rant:
Warning-bad words!

U.S. Route 40

Historical roads have a way of making their way through pop culture.  Listen to Brak from Space Ghost fame & Freddie Prinze Jr.’s duet with “Highway 40” and Ricky Skaggs sing “Highway 40 Blues”.

Visit http://route40.net for history, info and even more songs about Highway 40.

The 40 Year Old Virgin

This “screwball comedy” was a big hit back in 2005. It also had a major impact on men getting their chests waxed. Ouch!
Click here if you’re not too squeamish.

Purchase The 40 Year Old Virgin on DVD via Amazon.

40 by U2

A song by U2 from 1983, enough said on this one.

UB40

UB40 had some big hits during my favorite decade, The 80’s. One of them was “Red Red Wine”. I remember hearing it for the first time over the intercom in 7th grade home room. It was a strange scene, all the 13 year olds bopping their heads to a song about wine consumption. I’ve never been a wine person myself, unless I can eat a whole pound of brie while sipping.
Click here for video.

Visit http://www.ub40.co.uk/ for upcoming tour dates and album information.

Chris Rock had a show loosely based on his real life family and the character named Rochelle is his mother in Everybody Hates Chris. You can watch the show via Nick at Nite, click here for more info.

It’s a Valentine’s weekend and love is in the air. What better way to get in the mood then with 5 songs from Air Supply? Don’t answer that!

Air Supply has every phase of love covered. If you’re Lost in Love, experiencing Young Love, asking The One That You Love for another day or even All Out of Love. For those of you with a love for 70’s and 80’s love songs Air Supply will be here Now and Forever.The 5 on Friday is back this week inspired by love and full of hot Air Supply:

Lost in Love

Young Love

The One That You Love

All Out of Love

Now and Forever

Become an AIRHEAD, find tour info, and much more at the Official Air Supply site: http://www.airsupplymusic.com

Happy Valentine’s weekend!

So I wasn’t going to post about this today because I’ve already posted more than a few times about the beloved street called Sesame. Jim Henson and his team of creative people have given us so much over four decades I just had to put together a quick post. One thing I’ve loved about Sesame Street is the fun edutainment clips that are usually animated in some way that teach us something. A number, a letter, a virtue, a feeling.

Take a stroll down Sesame Street with these 5 favorite clips:

Now don’t forget… a loaf of bread, a container of milk and a stick of butter.

Don’t hate her because she’s beautiful. She’s a Martian Beauty:

Roller Disco in Central Park:

They need to add a 0 on to this 4! Get FUNky!

V is for Vaccuum! Please don’t remind me:

Halloween is almost here and I’m still searching for a costume. This year I’m contemplating the idea of being myself. What will you be for Halloween? Maybe these videos will give us some ideas.

How about something retro in plastic and polyester?

There’s always the outer space theme?

Maybe 80′s Flashback Fashion? Let’s listen to Mr. T’s advice on this one.

For all you Star Trek fans out there Klingon never goes out of Halloween style, especially if you add a little hip hop.

Alright, how about something scary? A werewolf or a vampire?

Any other ideas?

I went to the hair salon last weekend wanting a drastic change. I’m a natural blond that needs artificial help going from Dishwater to Dazzling Blond. Every few years I get the urge to do something different. I’ve had long hair, short hair, brown hair, and during my Tori Amos phase in the mid 90’s I tried out being a redhead.

With my drastic change attitude the stylist suggested adding black to my blond color for a two-toned fun effect.
Why not?

After seeing my hair a few friends mentioned others that share similar Two-Toned Do’s. Let’s look at 5 in pop culture.

Deborah Harry

Deborah Harry, the lead singer of the pop rock group Blondie expressed her unique style with two-toned locks more than a few times.

Check out the cover of Parallel Lines from Blondie. You can purchase this CD via Amazon, click here.

http://www.deborahharry.com

Cruella de Vil

Cruella De Vil, Cruella De Vil, if she doesn’t scare you no evil thing will. This villain has a nasty obsession with the spots of 101 Dalmatians. She also has radical black and white hair.

Terri Nunn

http://www.terrinunn.com/

It would be easy to spot the lead singer from Berlin while “Riding on a Metro”. She’d be the one with the cute hat and Two-Toned do.

Artwork by Krayel Art Studio http://krayel.com/

Click here for the video of “You Don’t Know” by Berlin.

Rogue

Comic book fans and X-Men enthusiasts will know this character. Rogue is a young woman that can’t touch another without sucking out their life force. Speaking of sucking, the actress that played Rogue in the movie X-Men has a cute boyfriend that’s been sucking blood for decades. Anna Paquin played Rogue and now she plays Sookie Stackhouse in one of my favorite TV shows True Blood. Sookie’s hair is one nice shade of blond.

Speaking of True Blood how about a video by Depeche Mode:

Drew Barrymore

This month, Drew Barrymore made her feature directorial debut with the film Whip It at the Toronto International Film Festival. The debut of her Two-Toned hairstyle on the red carpet had the internet a buzz with Hate it or Love it polls.

Check out this footage from Red Carpet Diary:

Opening October 2nd, this film will be a must see. Based on the novel Derby Girl by Shauna Cross, Whip It stars Drew Barrymore, Juliette Lewis, Andrew Wilson and Ellen Page, sounds good doesn’t it?

Click here for the official Whip It site.

http://housewifeinhollywood.com/5-pop-culture-cups-of-joe/

Now on to new horizons, or at least a different perspective while watching the sunrise.

Teeccino

This caffeine-free herbal coffee has an interesting flavor and an aroma reminiscent of my dad’s old pipe tobacco. It can be brewed just like a Cup of Joe so you can still have that percolating habit in the morning. Every time I try to quit caffeine the first thing I miss is the coffee aroma and sounds of the coffee pot. Could be one too many Folgers Waking Up commercials but I love the routine of waking up to a hot, just-brewed beverage.

Teeccino has lots of great health benefits including potassium, and soluble fiber. It also helps restore alkaline balance and because it’s rich in inulin it can help improve digestion and absorb calcium and minerals.

Teecino comes in a variety of flavors. I think I’ll try Hazelnut next.

Postum

Postum was created in 1895. Yes, 1895!

If only I could find a retro commercial with the Postum invisible cartoon ghost named, “Mister Coffee Nerves”. I read he would appear in the ads to people suffering from coffee’s negative effects. Of course the people in these commercials always gave the instant beverage Postum a try and they’d say goodbye to irritability, insomnia, and of course “lack of athletic prowess”. This would send Mister Coffee Nerves running.

Click here to see a printed ad of Mister Coffee Nerves in action.

You can’t get Postum these days, it was discontinued in 2007, but we can look back at the history of coffee alternatives with a smile.

Roastaroma

This full bodied tea by Celestial Seasonings  is the ultimate tea trickster. It has a bold taste and dark thick color that can fool even the most caffeinated of coffee drinkers to sit and relax with a nice cup of herbal tea.

“This full-bodied, caffeine-free alternative to coffee has been a trusted favorite for more than 30 years. With the robust flavors of roasted chicory and barley, a hint of chocolate from roasted carob and just a touch of cinnamon and allspice, Roastaroma is hearty enough to give you a lift in the morning and delicious enough to enjoy all day long.” — Charlie Baden, Celestial Seasonings Blendmaster Since 1975

Soyfee

For those of you that find joy in soy you might want to try this coffee alternative. I think the name is fun and the taste isn’t bad. There are many benefits to soy and Soyfee can be brewed just like traditional coffee. It comes in many flavors too so try it for yourself and let me know what you think.

Smoothies

So after trying a few coffee substitutes I think I’ll mix it, or blend it up, a bit and go with a smoothie every other morning instead of my regular hot cup of something.

Here’s a Raw Food Rap from Dan the Man with the Master Plan

When I think of talk shows I think Merv Griffin, Arsenio Hall, Johnny Carson, David Letterman, and Tavis Smiley. When I think of radio talk shows I think about Petey Green, Howard Stern and my favorites on NPR.

With the popularity of podcasts these days we can find talk shows with niches that interest us and we can listen online. I’ve listed some of my favorite online talk shows all with their own unique style. Try them on and see if any fit.

5 Online Talk Shows:

1. PYDK Podcast

Eugene Ahn hosts the online interview show, the People You Don’t Know Podcast. Eugene talks to people who are doing interesting things in their lives. At the end of each interview they recommend someone they think would be great for an upcoming episode.

I was lucky enough to be a featured guest on Episode #16 Culture Shock. Click here to listen.

http://pydkpodcast.com

2. The Jeff Clark Spot

Jeff Clark doesn’t hold back when he hosts The Super Sonic Robot Talk Show. His latest is a Back to School Special starring Mary Birdsong and heavy metal stylist Tricia Hobby. Like I said Jeff doesn’t hold any laugh material back, the show has a parental advisory for explicit lyrics. While listening, you might also get a taste for grits, greens and sweet tea.

http://thejeffclarkspot.com

3. Geekland Podscast

“The Graceland for Geeks” and “Your one stop geek shop, for all things geek.”

These guys keep every geek satisfied with their comic book talk. If you think you know comic books then you need to listen in while Willie Gillis, Chris Eaton, Ben Songer & Justin Vactor break it down.

http://www.geeklandpodcast.com/

4. Random Talk Radio with Inga

You never know what you’ll hear when Inga talks with people in the entertainment industry on her Random Talk Radio show. It’s also the official radio for G Tom Mac. Remember “Cry Little Sister”?

This Friday’s episode she talks with actress and international model Jennifer Gimenez. Jennifer was on Inga’s show once before talking about Sober House. This time she’ll dish out details about her new show Model Latina: Miami and the upcoming Sober House Season 2.

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/randomtalkradio

5. You Tell Me

That’s right I couldn’t come up with a number 5. So I’m asking you the HIH viewers to tell me an online talk show you enjoy.

Leave me the name and URL of your favorite podcast in the comments below.

I heard about the news of John Hughes death yesterday via twitter. I quickly put this up:

RIP John Hughes. It’s hard to count the chapters he contributed to the Big Pop Culture Book of our lives. http://bit.ly/15Iwqf   — @suzannehih

In honor of John Hughes here are 5 of my favorite films that made being a teen in the 80’s so cool.

1. The Breakfast Club

This Hughes film probably packs the biggest pop cultural impact punch. While searching for a homage or parody video of the movie The Breakfast Club  I came across a dance club named after the film. Inspired by retro coolness this party place in New Jersey is called The Breakfast Club. Sounds like a blast to me.

Check it out if you’re in the area and let me know how it is. Click here to visit their fun website.

2. Weird Science

Oingo Boingo was a favorite band of mine back in the 80’s. When my friends and I found out they did the theme song to the movie Weird Science we were even more excited to rush into the theater.

3. Sixteen Candles

“The Brat Pack gets bunnied. The 1984 coming of age film, Sixteen Candles, starring Molly Ringwald, Michael Schoeffling John Cusack, and Anthony Michael Hall, gets the bunny treatment. Three words: Long Duk Dong.”
— Minisode Network

4. Ferris Beuller’s Day Off

Just like most of the films above, this isn’t the first time I’ve mentioned Ferris Beuller’s Day Off. I don’t think I go a week without seeing a reference or quote from this film on some form of social media. How many times have you seen a Facebook update ending with “Bueller? …Bueller? …Bueller?” or “Anyone? Anyone?”

The Ferris Beuller’s Day Off soundtrack had a great mix of music. One song, Oh Yeah, by the Swiss electronica duo Yello was also used in commercials, TV shows and other films. They’re coming out with a new album in October 2009.

Visit Yello’s official site by clicking here. Oh Yeah!

5. Pretty in Pink

John Hughes had a way of taking the worst part of our teenage drama and making it interesting on screen. Pretty in Pink is considered another “Brat Pack” movie. This one was less about getting into teenage trouble and more about teenage love.

He’s crazy about her, she’s crazy about him, and he’s just crazy . —tagline from Pretty in Pink

Pretty in Pink was written by John Hughes but directed by Howard Deutch.

The Psychedelic Furs did the theme song. Here they are in a more recent performance of Pretty in Pink.

What were your favorite John Hughes films?

Click here to get the High School Reunion Collection from Universal Studios.

Comic Con is going on this week in San Diego and much of the hype there is about The Twilight Saga’s New Moon movie. All this Twilight talk got me thinking about another pop culture favorite, the Twinkie. Get it Twilight, Twinkie?

Alright so it might be a bit of a stretch to that “Golden Sponge Cake with Creamy Filling”. Since Twinkie’s creation in 1930 it has been packed in lunchboxes, referenced in movies and television, and part of urban legend.

Rumor has it that the Twinkie has a shelf life that could rival a vampire. According to Snopes, Twinkies are not immortal. Click here for more info.

Here are 5 YouTube Videos with one thing in common, Twinkie’s.

Twinkie the Kid

Because every American snack should have a cute mascot:

Clone your own Twinkie

Do try this at home and let me know how it goes.

Twinkie Weiner Sandwich

Remember Weird Al’s UHF movie? Well I don’t, but this guy was moved so much by the film he decided to recreate this unique recipe made in the movie. Watch and wonder.

Deep Friend Twinkie

Hey it is summer fair time and I’m sure many of you are guilty of this decadent treat. I haven’t had one yet and after watching this informative video not sure that I will.

The Twinkie Movie

If you eat too many Twinkie’s at a time you might have a nightmare like this. Watch as two Twinkie’s, sporting cowboy hats, escape from the factory and hook up with a tribe of Twinkie’s for a sponge cake hoedown.

Still haven’t had enough, click here for Twinkie cuisine with the Official Twinkies Cookbook.

With the San Diego Comic Con coming up next week I’ve been thinking about favorite comic books again. Since I posted about this before I’d like to take a step over to cartoons. I’m not talking about full length animated features like Snow White or The Last Unicorn. I’m talking about cartoons, the kind I watched on a Saturday morning back in the day. You know, best watched with a bowl full of Frosted Flakes?

Much of my cartoon watching in the 70’s consisted of shows created decades before like Bugs Bunny (1940), Tom & Jerry (1940), The Jetsons (1962) and The Flintstones (1960). The 70’s wasn’t a great time for animation. There was a lot of skimping going on with productions but some of the characters and ideas were a lot of fun.

This 5 on Friday list contains cartoons created in the 70’s. Even though Rocky & Bullwinkle, George of the Jungle and early Tom & Jerry episodes were uber cool I won’t be listing them here. Only cartoons created in the 1970’s. It’s tougher than you think.

So here they are… 5 Favorite 70′s Toons:

Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids (1972)

Hey Hey Hey! Check this out thanks to the Minisode Network, “You may learn something before it’s done”:

Schoolhouse Rock (1973)

This series of mini edutainment episodes made learning fun. All that stuff in my textbooks seemed to make more sense after singing along with Schoolhouse Rock.

“Conjunction Junction what’s your function… Interjection!!” I love singing along to these fun learning songs. To view “I’m Just a Bill”, click here. Click here to watch “3 is a Magic Number”.

Cover of 30th Anniversary Edition DVD

Disney presents Schoolhouse Rock these days. I purchased the 30th Anniversary Edition via Amazon a couple years ago.

The Great Grape Ape Show (1975)

“Grape Ape, Grape Ape”

Not sure why I liked this show so much. I know lots of other 70’s kids that felt the same way. Might have been the bright purple color that kept us zoned in, or maybe the idea of a 40 foot tall gorilla was all we needed.

Titlecard for The Great Grape Ape Show, featuring Beegle Beagle and Grape Ape

For video clips of Grape Ape & his pal Beegle Beagle visit Retro Junk by clicking here.

Hong Kong Phooey (1974)

It seemed like everyone was into martial arts back in the 70’s. Bruce Lee, Chuck Norris, Black Belt Theater… this dog janitor turned Kung Fu hero was just what Saturday morning needed.

Sublime takes on the Hong Kong Phooey theme song. What do you think?

Own Hong Kong Phooey on DVD August 15th!

Super Friends (1973)

So here we are talking about comics again. Wonder Woman, Aquaman, Superman, Batman, The Wonder Twins, just a handful of the characters from Super Friends. This animated series was produced by Hanna-Barbera and based on the Justice League of America characters published by DC Comics.

Check out this Super Friends site for a grown up look at a Saturday Morning classic.

I know what you’re saying.

 “Housewife in Hollywood what’s wrong with you? Hula Hoops are circles and circles don’t have sides!”

I say, “Let’s try to think out of the hoop just a bit.”

Plastic Hula Hoops have been around since the late 50′s and in that time people have found many ways to express different sides of the hula hoop.

A twitter friend of mine specializes in fitness. She turned me on to the fit side of the hula hoop telling me that hula hooping is one of the best fitness toys you can buy. I decided to look up this favorite pastime and found out that hooping has many sides. Watch all 5 and tell me which one is your favorite.

5 Sides of the Hula Hoop:

1. Vintage

2. Retro

3. Sexy

4. Serious

5. Goofy

Stop by World Hoop Play  a charity dedicated to bringing toy and dance hoops to underprivileged children living in extreme poverty and underdeveloped neighborhoods of our world.