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Not Just for College Dorms Anymore
2008-06-06 18:10:00
I had no idea until recently (in other words, today) that Urban Outfitters was selling home furnishes online, or that they had expanded their home collection beyond futons and marijuana cookbooks. What a delight for a retro junkie like me to go on their site and see everything from rugs to bedboards to sofas, virtually all in retro designs, for reasonable prices. Some of the items are only available online. Looks like UO is competing in the same market as IKEA and Crate&Barrel.I've pulled a few of my favorites: the Pod chair (which also comes in lime green, white, or black), the Lulu chair, and the Hearts and Flowers rug, which has a very late 60s print: By the way, they're still selling marijuana cookbooks, for those who want not just a retro look but a retro feel as well in their home.
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Dunkie Donut Head
2008-06-06 16:32:00
MSN.com has informed me that today is National Doughnut Day. This announcement made me a wee bit curious about the beginnings of the famous pastry (cake? bread?). But along the way, I encountered an item from doughnut folklore that proved more interesting...and far scarier then anything else in the history of doughnuts... It is a toy that Hasbro was manufacturing in 1969 called the Dunkie Donut Head . It was basically a spin-off of their Mr. Potato Head, only with removable parts that could be attached to a donut (they partnered with Dunkin' Donuts to create the toy.) It's surprising that the hole in Mr. Dunkie didn't hinder his ability to sport a variety of fashions, limbs, and a pair of lips that look like they belong on Marilyn Monroe. Hasbro included the actual styrofoam doughnut part because let's face it, I don't think a real one would've lasted all that long. What kid in his or her right mind would mutilate a donut rather than eat it?Dunkie Donut looks like a character f...

The Noose is Tightening Around the Necktie
2008-06-04 21:38:00
I read a disturbing little tidbit of news this morning: the Men's Dress Furnishings Association, a trade group that represents American tie makers, is expected to cease operations tomorrow. It has been around for 60 years and at one time boasted 120 members in the 1980s. That number has declined to just 25. So what, you may ask? Well, the demise of this group means that the men's necktie may very well be on its way out, facing the same fate as public telephone booths. Men, it seems, aren't wearing ties very much these days...or at least not as often as they used to. During the 90s many companies introduced "casual Fridays" and the dressing down trend has pushed its way into Monday through Thursday workday culture as well. In fact, I can't think of a single man in my own company who regularly sports a necktie, except for our CEO (who wears them for media appearances) and our salesmen, when one of them is meeting with an agency for an in-person pitch or to give a presentation at a...
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Go Retro's Retro Hottie of the Month: Harrison Ford!
2008-06-04 02:05:00
Picture copyright Lucasfilms.The year is 1983, I am in the 6th grade, and it's the last day of school before Christmas vacation. We're sitting in Mr. Rapasardi's classroom, a TV and VCR at the front of the room, expecting to be shown the same old Christmas special a la Rudolph or Charlie Brown. Mr. Rapasardi puts a tape in and much to our surprise, it's a movie...as evident by the Paramount Pictures logo at the start of the tape. For the next two hours my classmates and I are enraptured by an action adventure movie (the likes of which many of us haven't seen before) filled with rolling giant boulders, exotic locations, chase sequences, snakes, Nazis with melting faces, and a man...a very hunky, grown-up, handsome man wearing a fedora and leather jacket and brandishing a whip. He knows how to whip it...whip it good. OK, so maybe that was a bit too melodramatic but ladies and gentlemen, that was my first introduction to Raiders of the Lost Ark and Indiana Jones, and it didn't ta...
More About: Ford , Harrison Ford , Retro , Hottie , Month

Ohhhhh nooooo, Mr. Bill is Back!
2008-06-03 21:20:00
It seems you can't keep a good clay man down. Mastercard is resurrecting the 1970s Playdoh figure Mr. Bill from NBC's Saturday Night Life for a new MasterCard debit television commercial, set to begin airing on Monday. The spot is the latest in MasterCard's "Priceless" campaign, and features Mr. Bill enduring one of his typical, pain-ridden bad days. He gets hot coffee spilled on him, a briefcase opened up in his face, and catapults through the air, landing on a bus windshield. It's nothing compared to the shorts we saw on SNL in the 70s and 80s - where Mr. Bill endured endless amputations, stompings, and other methods of claymation torture...but yet you just can't kill him off. MasterCard is hoping the spots hit at the hearts and funny bones of Baby Boomers who grew up watching Mr. Bill on SNL. He's actually had quite a career in commercials since leaving SNL. Click here to read more and scroll down to watch the clever ad before it hits the airwaves next week.
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Ranch Dressing
2008-06-03 16:06:00
Image copyright Atomic Ranch , 2008.When I first saw the title of this magazine, it reminded me of an early scene in the new Indiana Jones and the Crystal Skull movie where a key character (not saying who, but guess) survives a nuclear explosion. But according to the magazine's media kit, Atomic Ranch "celebrates midcentury houses?from 1940s ranch tracts to 1960s architect-designed modernist homes. With an emphasis on affordable solutions and homeowner renovations, our quarterly magazine shows you how to make your house cool, both inside and out." In other words, it showcases my favorite kind of architecture. Mid-century modern houses were once the common face of 1950s' American living; now they're considered historical structures worthy of preservation.The magazine looks as cool as the houses it covers, and is available at Barnes&Noble and other general bookstores nationwide. A single issue sells for $6.95; a yearly subscription (which comes out 4 times a year) is $19.95 in the U...
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Rest in Peace Bo Diddley, Yves Saint Lauren, and Pringles Can Inventor!
2008-06-02 23:21:00
So many recent deaths and not enough time to post about them all! Three pop culture legends recently passed away...musical pioneer Bo Diddley (at the age of 79), fashion designer Yves Saint Lauren (71) and the man who invented the Pringles can, Fredric J. Baur (89.) Baur's legacy is the most interesting in that he actually requested to be cremated and...yes, kids...buried in a Pringles can. (Gives new meaning to the old expression "It died in the can", huh?) Actually, some of his remains also went into an urn. Here's a really cool dress that Lauren designed in the early 60s, the Mondrian dress:Rest in peace, Bo, Yves, and the original Mr. Pringle!
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Jimmy Takes a Vacation...You Have All the Fun!
2008-06-02 18:26:00
When the language and content of modern TV shows and movies get you down and make you feel dirty (and not in a titilating way), nothing is more cleansing to the psyche than watching a good old fashioned movie from the 50s or 60s. I have my list of favorites, and my most recent addition is the 1962 comedy Mr. Hobbs Takes a Vacation , starring my favorite classic (and in my opinion, cutest) everyman actor, James Stewart. I requested the movie through my library (the only place, it seems, to get a hold of old movies these days) and liked it so much I watched it twice. There's no f-word, no nudity, and no potty jokes - just good, clean (if a bit slapstick) fun, much of it at the expense of hapless Roger Hobbs, who just wants to spend a quiet vacation with his wife. Those plans are blown up when she insists on inviting their grown children to join them in a rented house on the California coast. There are bratty grandchildren, a cantakerous water pump, and boorish houseguests to contend w...
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Cutie Patootie Retro Clothing
2008-06-02 17:32:00
I just discovered a new site to add to the ever-growing list of retro clothing sellers: Retro Cutie s.com. The site specializes in retro and vintage style clothing for women and features rockabilly and social occasion dresses with 50s flair for prices comparable to StopStaring.com. Oh, but I think I like the oxford and Mary Jane shoes the best. Ranging in price from $31.99 to $37.99, it's a safe best these aren't made of leather - or feet friendly for a long day - but at least they're a good price for adding that finishing retro touch to your outfit.
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RIP Harvey Korman
2008-05-30 22:10:00
Harvey Korman, star of The Carol Burnett Show and Mel Brooks' Blazing Saddles, passed away today. He was 81. We'll miss you, Harv, and I know I speak for others when I say I'm so glad we had this time together.

Double Takes
2008-05-29 19:40:00
All pictures courtesy the MediaPost site and copyright Armstrong flooring and BBDO New York. Armstrong flooring has launched a new print advertising campaign that features retro celebrity lookalikes to promote its laminate flooring (a hardwood substitute) with the caption "It only looks like the real thing." Lending their physical features are models that resemble Lucille Ball, Marlon Brando, James Dean, and Dean Martin. Of the four, I think James Dean looks remarkably like the real deal. Lucille Ball is a close second, Brando is just off enough to tell it's an impersonator, and Dean Martin reminds me more of Gregory Peck. But kudos to the BBDO New York advertising agency for resurrecting the famous faces. You can view all of the ads at full size here, here, here, and here.
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Mr. Roboto
2008-05-21 16:09:00
Let's go back to the future, shall we? It's 1989. A company called SynPet introduces Newton, a robot who was supposed to revolutionize the way our home lives were run. Looking like a cylinder-shaped panda bear with the voice of Stephen Hawkins, Newton was a security system, babysitter, and professor all rolled into one. He retailed for the bargain basement price of $7,000.But as with any new product, good marketing is essential. The acting (and hairstyles) in this video promo is really something. It makes me want to give Denise Richards an Oscar for her role in that James Bond movie. Check out the lady towards the end with the Mary Steenberger hairdo: "You're alright, Newton!" No wonder it never took off.

Swingtown Swings onto Network TV
2008-05-16 17:18:00
Photo copyright CBS 2008.Oooo, CBS is getting raunchy and controversial. A new series about the 70s swinging lifestyle called Swingtown premieres on June 8. According to TV.com, "This new period drama takes viewers back to the 1970s for a look at suburban households testing the murky waters of sexual revolution following swingers throughout open marriages, key parties, and other swingers extravaganzas." And here's the plot description: Susan and Bruce have moved their family to Chicago to try to find a different, unique sense of community that they haven't felt yet. Little do they know, they've stepped into the world of swingers and the American sexual revolution. Ooooo, are we rubbing our sweaty palms together in anticipation yet? Snore. I think this drama will last a total of four episodes. I can already predict the plotlines...Bruce is gonna fall in love with another swinger, which makes Susan jealous. Someone's teenage child is going to get teased at school for their parents...
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The Dumbest and Most Dangerous Toy - Romper Stompers
2008-05-13 20:58:00
I was reading the other day - I don't remember where - about the most hazardous toys of childhood. Among the suspects were the deceivingly innocent Legos (all fun until stepped upon, barefoot, in the middle of a dark night) and Mr. Stretch, who oozed sticky corn syrup if punctured. And of course, there was the Easy Bake oven, which just got into trouble again last year for inflicting burns on kids dumb enough to insert their hands into the oven. But nowhere did I see a mention of what I considered to be one of the most dangerous toys ever invented and touted during the 1970s, Romper Stompers. Remember these things? They were first featured on the children's show Romper Room and meant to give kids an idea of what it was like to be Frankenstein. Basically they were constructed of two upside down beach buckets attached to plastic straps. Granted, they weren't tricky for well coordinated kids like myself, but could you imagine an uncoordinated child trying to go down a flight of stai...
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Warm Up Your Knitting Needles
2008-05-09 18:01:00
A new retro knitting book has just been published. Retro Knits: Cool Vintage Patterns for Men, Women, and Children from the 1900s through the 1970s edited by Kari Cornell and Jean Lampe features...well, cool vintage patterns for men, women, and children from the 1900s through the 1970s. There's over 50 patterns collected here, along with vintage photographs of the designs. The book is selling for $16.47 on Amazon. Judging from the cover, I'm guessing the styles in here lean towards classic and timeless rather than knitting while eating grandma's green brownies.
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Be a Retro Slut Puppy
2008-05-07 17:39:00
With this 40s style "soda pop playsuit" from StopStaring. It's $117 (ouch) on the site. That's a little too much to pay for some retro daddy's attention, but check out the rest of the site. StopStaring is a great resource for 40s and 50s style clothing.
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Isaac Mizrahi for Target Scoopneck Mod Dress
2008-05-06 20:40:00
Target is still selling Isaac Mizrahi's mod navy blue and kelly green dress for only $29.99. If you can't find it at your local Target store, you can still order it through their site. It's made of everyone's favorite easy-care fabric, polyester. You can't get more retro than that.
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Retro Video of the Day: Jerry Lewis Needs Help!
2008-05-06 20:19:00
Where do I begin with this? I was wondering why I've never heard much about the musical variety teeny bopper show Hullabaloo. This video clip from YouTube answered that question and more for me, including why it isn't cool to wear a white sweatshirt with white socks and white sneakers. Whoa, dude, that....NBC peacock...is...spec...ta...cu...lar.
More About: Video , Retro , Lewis , Jerry , Jerry Lewis

Instant Retro with Wall Pops!
2008-05-05 20:31:00
Looking for a fun, creative, and low-cost way to bring some retro decorating into your home? I just discovered this product called Wall Pops. They're vinyl shapes that adhere easily to your walls and peel off just as easily, without leaving behind any trace that they were there. Available in several colors and patterns, they arrive in square, circle, and rectangular shapes that can be mix and matched to your retro heart's content. Visit their site to find a retailer near you.
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Go Retro's Retro Hottie of the Month: Bobby Darin!
2008-05-02 15:43:00
Who's your Mack Daddy?Picture copyright AP files.
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Don't Know If He's Coming Up or Down
2008-05-01 01:46:00
Jimi Hendrix has been supposedly spotted in a sex video and the footage is being released by Vivid Entertainment as part of a new documentary coming out on the infamous musician, who died of a drug overdose in 1970. It's not actually been confirmed that Hendrix is the man seen in the video having a threesome with two women, and a family member or friend or somebody is already disputing it. The DVD is going to sell for $39.95. That's an awful lot of moolah for barely seeing a dude with an afro and a bandana on the screen who *may* or *may not* be Jimi Hendrix. Two weeks or so ago it was or wasn't Mariyln Monroe. Now it's Jimi Hendrix. Who cares? Even if the footage clearly showed that it was him, it shouldn't surprise anybody. He was Jimi Hendrix! And my way of thinking is that everyone who was anyone is going to have a secret sex tape surface eventually, and it won't be pretty. People who you wouldn't watch having sex for free. People like Ernest Borgnine...Woody Allen...Don...

Ain't It a Kick In The Head...Or a Kick In the Groin
2008-04-22 22:55:00
Somehow I missed this one, maybe because it never received any publicity, but apparently late last year a bunch of people thought it would be a really neat idea to sing and banter along with Dean Martin on some of his old classics, the result being an album of "duets." Now you can see why "Forever Cool" didn't receive much publicity. Singers and stars like Martina McBride, Joss Stone, Chris Botti, Kevin Spacey, and Shelby Lynne contributed to the project.Do you hear Deano spinning in his grave? I sampled the album on Amazon and Finetune and the only suitable match for Dean's voice is Kevin Spacey's, still fresh from emulating Bobby Darin in "Beyond the Sea." He sings along with Martin on "King of the Road" and "Ain't That A Kick In The Head ." But some of the others...eh, furgettaboughit. Check out the promo video on the Amazon site and listen to what Robbie Williams has to say, namely that he wants to BE Dean Martin. Let's make one thing clear: Robbie Williams will never be Dea...

Volkswagen Goes Retro with New Ad Campaign
2008-04-10 19:07:00
Picture courtesy MediaPost.com.Let me just say that I have a soft spot for VW Beetles. I was practically in love with Herbie growing up, and my second car was the newly designed Beetle that VW launched in 1998. So when I saw this latest ad campaign for the famous German car maker, my heart went pitter-patter all over again. With the help of advertising agency Crispin Porter + Bogusky, Volkswagen has resurrected its original Beetle as the star of a series of very retro black and white print ads that are reminiscent of the ones they put out in the 1960s, right down to the sans serif type. On TV, the car comes to life as Max, the talking veedub with a German accent (he sounds a lot like Mike Myers' Dieter of Saturday Night Live) who stars in his own talk show. It's a clever campaign for VW, waxing nostalgia. To see the similarities, check out this vintage 1968 print ad courtesy AdClassix.com:.
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Go Retro's Retro Hottie of the Month: Charlton Heston!
2008-04-07 21:23:00
Well, who else could I pick for April's Retro Hottie of the Month ? Charlton Heston was a legend. Before there was Gladiator, there was the classic Ben Hur, and if you've never seen it you need to get thee butt to your local video store or library and rent it, now. Just remember that it was made before computer special effects, which makes the chariot race scene all the more astounding. Heston was 84 years old.

Happy Birthday, Peace Symbol!
2008-04-05 22:56:00
A famous pop culture and social icon recently celebrated a notable milestone, but the birthday boy isn?t an actor, singer, or any other famous human. Instead, we?re talking about the peace symbol, the beautifully simplistic arrangement of straight lines and a circle, which just turned fifty years old yesterday and enjoyed its pinnacle of fame in the 1960s. The peace symbol was created by a British graphic designer named Gerald Holtom in 1958 as the logo for the Campaign of Nuclear Disarmament (CND) in the UK. According to the web site Peace Symbol.org, Holtom said that the graphic was of himself: ?I drew myself: the representative of an individual in despair, with hands palm outstretched outwards and downwards in the manner of Goya's peasant before the firing squad. I formalised the drawing into a line and put a circle round it.? Holtom further explained that the inspired lines are a combination of the semaphore letters N (for nuclear) and D (for disarmament.) It was officially int...
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Hats Off to Herb
2008-03-28 21:33:00
Having been born in the early 70s, I've never known a world without an Egg McMuffin. That eggy, cheesy, salty goodness sandwiched between two halves of an English muffin is one of my favorite McDonald's food items and can be easily replicated at home. Earlier this week, the inventor of the Egg McMuffin - Herb Peterson - passed away at age 89. That's no small feat considering he worked for a food chain who is known for clogging arteries. Peterson's recipe was inspired by Eggs Benedict and one news source claims a local blacksmith let him borrow one of his circular molds to cook the eggs in a round shape. Peterson began his career with McDonald's as vice-president of the company's advertising firm where he wrote the chain's first national slogan, "Where Quality Starts Fresh Every Day." He eventually became a franchisee and owned and operated six McDonald's restaurants in the Santa Barbara area at the time of his death. He routinely visited his stores to chat with customers up ...
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Shoe's a Black Magic Woman
2008-03-24 20:54:00
For years Carlos Santana has known how to make a guitar squeal, and now it seems he's hoping to do the same to women by providing them with shoes. Carlos by Carlos Santana is being sold online and in Macy's stores. The site says that Carlos footwear "is designed for women who demand fashion and love shoes." Yes, but apparently not for women that care about their feet. When are men going to learn that not every women wears stilettos or pointy toes?A better option would be these mod patterned wedges, retaling for $89.99. There are also several styles of flats available as well. Oye Como Va!
More About: Magic , Black , Woman , Black magic

Happy St. Patty's Day!
2008-03-17 19:06:00
"You're always trying to steal me lucky charms!"
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When Hall and Oates Were Cool
2008-03-16 16:56:00
For a while during the 80s I was considered the uncoolest person to anyone who knew me because I was a Hall and Oates fan. Furthermore, I had a crush on Daryl Hall, which as you can imagine in a junior high full of Motley Crew fans, wasn?t something I offered to share with too many people. It caused unceasing torment from my oldest sister and even my brood of girlfriends, who worshipped Duran Duran and Wham, were not entirely accepting of my musical tastes. And let?s face it: even I can admit now that Daryl and John probably weren?t the coolest dynamic duo to rule the airwaves in the 80s. I got routinely told that they were gay, a rumor that has dogged them their entire career. It wasn?t helped by the fact that they were photographed on the cover of Rolling Stone in 1985 with Hall hugging Oates, his hand snugly tucked inside the pocket of Oates? jacket, next to the cryptic headline ?The Secret Life of Hall and Oates.? Their videos were cheesy and uninspiring compared to the creativi...
More About: Cool

Mary Ann Smokes Mary Jane
2008-03-12 16:41:00
This is old news by now, but Dawn Wells, who played Mary Ann on the TV series Gilligan's Island, was busted for pot. She looks perfectly blissed out in her mug shot, which was actually taken back in October 2007. She was sentenced to 6 months probation last month and five days in jail. According to E!Online, the 69 year-old Wells was on her way her home from a surprise birthday party thrown for her by friends on Oct. 18. She was stopped by a cop who witnessed her car swerving and speeding up and slowing down repeatedly. He caught the distinctive odor of pot wafting from her car. Her answer was that she had picked up three hitchhikers, but dropped them back off after they started smoking marijuana. Lame excuse!A search of her car revealed four half-smoked joints, plus two small cases used to store marijuana.This is all Gilligan's fault! Bob Denver was well-known for having an affection for weed and was busted himself in 1998 for marijuana possession. I'm sure he got Wells hooked. ...
More About: Smokes , Jane , Mary Jane