For that matter, what about TV Guide magazine? I think the circulation was once over 20 million, it made billions for the Annenbergs (who gave away a fortune for arts and education) and then was sold to News America in 1988 for $3 billion (at which point I think it was obvious that the magazine was doomed by the increasing number of channels). It’s still around, and Wikipedia says the circulation is 2.4 million (which is probably still among the biggest in America) but it’s nowhere nearly as important as it once was.
Anyone else remember “After Dark” screen savers (flying toasters, etc)? THE hot product for a couple of years. Then…poof.
Yep, monitors started getting power-saving features that turned them off and saved electricity when they were not in use for a while, so you couldn’t see the screen saver anyway.
I saw him last week. He was opening for Dylan.
DVDs, then YouTube.
Some other forgotten pop phenom:
The Dick Cavett Show, the Mike Douglas Show & the Phil Donahue Show - Nowadays, people tend to think Oprah invented the daytime gabfest show, and that the shows were always hosted by sassy diva women.
Simon! In fifth grade, one kid in my class had a Simon and brought it to school to show everybody. EVERYBODY, even the teachers, hovered around his desk the entire day. Class was even held up for 20 minutes while the teacher & that kid played with it.
Tie-dyes. A 60s craze that came back & was arguably even more popular in the 80s than it was in its’ “60s heyday.” I can’t remember the last time I saw one.
Reggae & Ska music. They were all the rage in the early 80s, in my youth. You’d never know that now from any 80s nostalgia movies or specials. Never even gets mentioned as being part of pop culture. One of those VH1 specials about the 80s even makes a passing mention of the English Beat and refers to them as a New Wave band!
You can’t remember the last time you saw a tie-dye shirt? Do you never leave the house and don’t watch any TV. They’re by no means popular any more, but I can’t say as if I’ve ever gone a whole week without seeing at least one.
He’s also currently touring with Bob Dylan.
I wonder if my Prodigy email still works. I used to use it when not on the BBSs (and for sysops, WWIV was rad)
Yep, I think TV Guide is still the top magazine in the US.
I can’t figure out how to read the channel guide pages in the TV guide, I only glance at Matt Roush’s column and Cheers and Jeers while waiting in the checkout line.
Tie-dye is still around, every mall has a shop full of new age crap, Indian imports, and tie dyed things. If you have a daughter in Brownies or Scouts, I guarantee you, she will someday ask for one of dad’s white tee shirts because they’re going to tie-dye them.
Here’s one: fondue pots, with a little sterno flame to melt the cheese.
From the computer gaming world (all of these at one time or another had the best selling games, and each new release would set some sort of new record):
Richard Garriot and Origin Systems, although somehow Ultima Online is still around
ID Software (apparently they’re still around, but not producing best-sellers anymore)
Sir-Tech software (Most well known for the Wizardry series)
Ken and Roberta Williams, Sierra On-Line (closed 2008)
Infocom stopped in 2002
They never went out of fashion at Swiss and Austrian restaurants, but they’re enjoying a renaissance here at the moment at private dinner parties. I’ve encountered fondue on the menu at three dinners so far this winter.
How about BMX? It used to be massive, but are any kids still into that?
Faces of Death videos - a very popular cult underground following but probably irrevelant now.
Oh yes, it’s huge. A BMX bicycle now set up for tricks is worth like $1k.
I remember buying a Mongoose for $20 used.
id Software is still one of the biggest PC developers in the world.
The one I remember before those guys was Virginia Graham. So there was at least one sassy woman before Oprah.
Lots of bands from that era got labeled as New Wave because it was a catch-all phrase for anything new and a little different from AOR.
Long time since I’ve heard anyone make any kind of reference at all to the Dinah Shore show.
I remember the Virginia Graham show! Used to watch it with my grandmother. I remember Malvina Reynolds singing “Little Boxes” - and Gypsy Rose Lee, as guests.
Older talk shows - Joe Franklin and David Susskind.
From wiki entry:
On June 24, 2009, it was announced that id Software had been acquired by ZeniMax Media. The deal would eventually affect publishing deals id Software had before the acquisition, namely Rage, which was being published through Electronic Arts.