# Stuff the youngsters will scratch their heads over... **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [July 18, 2000, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stuff-the-youngsters-will-scratch-their-heads-over/26005 "2000-07-18T19:12:05Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![SouthernStyle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b3f665/32.png) [@SouthernStyle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SouthernStyle)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2000, 1:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stuff-the-youngsters-will-scratch-their-heads-over/26005/61 "2000-07-19T13:03:39Z")
## quote: > [@](#): > > Posted by **UncaStuart** > > > [@](#): > > > > Originally posted by SouthernStyle > > > > Gas cap behind the tail light / license plate. > > As a kid, I always enjoyed pushing the reflector button on my grand-dad’s 54 Cadillac taillight and watching the taillight swing up to reveal the gas cap. The car equivalent of a puzzlebox. > > And speaking of gas. . . “pumping” gas meant just that: you’d turn the crank on the pump until the gas in the glass reservoir on the top of the pump reached up to the mark for the number of gallons you wanted, and then you’d reverse the cranking direction to have that gas flow down the hose into the tank. You win. I never actually saw one of those old pumps in use. I do rememeber the 54 Caddy, though not when it was new. 😉 How about the first electronic tuners on televisions. The TV would have about a dozen that you could preset and you changed stations just by touching the button for the desired station. I can still remember watching TV while lying on the floor and changing the station with my toe. ---
**Author:** ![gobear](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/8dc957/32.png) [@gobear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gobear)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2000, 1:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stuff-the-youngsters-will-scratch-their-heads-over/26005/62 "2000-07-19T13:18:47Z")
Slide rules Tang, Like The Astronauts Drink Freakies Cereal (we are the Freakies, we are the Freakies, and this is our Freakies tree…) The Frito Bandito Wooden TV/stereo cabinets The Emergency Broadcast System Women wore gloves when they went out of the house Men wore hats Taking the family to the drive-in theater 8-track cassettes TV stations played the National Anthem before going off for the night, leaving no TV at all between midnight and 6 am Vacuum tubes Smoking was permitted everywhere Bacon, eggs, and whole milk were considered a healthy breakfast The Campbell Twins (MM MM good, MM MM good, that’s what Campbell’s Soups are, MM MM good!) Dippity Doo and Brylcream Monte Hall and “Let’s Make A Deal” TV variety shows, like “The Red Skelton Show”, “The Ed Sullivan Show” There was no national speed limit Rotary dial phones wooden phone booths In NYC, the Automat Air travel was a luxury for the rich; most people drove cross-country on vacation We didn’t need a welfare state, everybody pulled his weight, gee our old LaSalle ran great, those were the days! ---
**Author:** ![SouthernStyle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b3f665/32.png) [@SouthernStyle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SouthernStyle)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2000, 1:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stuff-the-youngsters-will-scratch-their-heads-over/26005/63 "2000-07-19T13:57:10Z")
Does anyone else remember the Pilsbury Dough Boy getting a kiss from a cute little girl and getting embarrassed. ---
**Author:** ![CnoteChris](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/278dde/32.png) [@CnoteChris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CnoteChris)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2000, 2:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stuff-the-youngsters-will-scratch-their-heads-over/26005/64 "2000-07-19T14:03:56Z")
Wizardy? One Helluva interactive game on a orange monitor. ---
**Author:** ![RonA](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/73ab20/32.png) [@RonA](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RonA)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2000, 2:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stuff-the-youngsters-will-scratch-their-heads-over/26005/65 "2000-07-19T14:17:44Z")
I remember when “playing” meant GOING OUTSIDE!!! When the other kids and I would ask “Whatcha wanna do?”, the answer was always the same: “I know…let’s PRETEND!” Remember playing cops and robbers, cowboys and Indians (which is not even PC today), or Superman??? And remember when “playing with guns” meant pointing your finger and yelling “POW!!!” (Which was immediately followed by a round of “I got you!”, “No, you didn’t”, “Yes, I did, now fall down”, “You only winged me”). I have had great adventures, saved the world, and visited far-away places - all within the confines of my back yard. Back then, we had something we called “imagination”. ---
**Author:** ![ChrisP\_One\_Kenobe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e19b73/32.png) [@ChrisP\_One\_Kenobe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ChrisP_One_Kenobe)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2000, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stuff-the-youngsters-will-scratch-their-heads-over/26005/66 "2000-07-19T14:44:56Z")
Ah, yes, I did that. Except I was Snake Eyes on G.I. Joe… ---
**Author:** ![Feynn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ecb155/32.png) [@Feynn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Feynn)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2000, 2:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stuff-the-youngsters-will-scratch-their-heads-over/26005/67 "2000-07-19T14:54:42Z")
Hmmm… the good old days. I can only imagine what our kids will be telling our grandchildren… I remember when our computer took up a whole desktop and didn’t have a holographic display. It weighed at least 50 pounds. Cars used to use something called gasoline.It cost $.70 a litre. Some of those cars could go way faster than the electric fuel cell one we drive now but they were expensive and smelly. People used to carry paper money and coins to buy things. If you had too much change it was really heavy. Movies used to come on these really big discs or really big tapes. There were only 60 television channels and you had to watch shows at certain times. You could record them on a VCR which used really big tapes. We used to play video games on a pocket sized thing called a game boy, no… there was no such thing as a holosuite or personal VR’s. Nobody lived on the moon. We should go there for the weekend. Go talk to your grandfather, he will tell you things that will really freak you out. He remembers some really wierd stuff. ---
**Author:** ![wacky\_ninja](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/58956e/32.png) [@wacky\_ninja](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wacky_ninja)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2000, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stuff-the-youngsters-will-scratch-their-heads-over/26005/68 "2000-07-19T15:08:56Z")
Liquid Television REmote Control \ Jem Snorkels Popples Muppet Show was still airing new episodes Hot Wheels Turbo Booster Square One Television ---
**Author:** ![vandal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/858c86/32.png) [@vandal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vandal)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2000, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stuff-the-youngsters-will-scratch-their-heads-over/26005/69 "2000-07-19T16:42:42Z")
Airwolf Knight Rider Miami Vice A-Team Also… Top-loading VCRs. ---
**Author:** ![ChrisP\_One\_Kenobe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e19b73/32.png) [@ChrisP\_One\_Kenobe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ChrisP_One_Kenobe)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2000, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stuff-the-youngsters-will-scratch-their-heads-over/26005/70 "2000-07-19T16:57:02Z")
Hell yeah, someone remembers AirWolf. I also watched RipTide and Scarecrow and Mrs. King. Two questions for you old timers. What was the name of that show that Starred Pierce Brosnan and this other woman, they drove around in a Volkwagen Rabbit convertible. There was this other show that had the song “I need a hero” as the theme song when it came on. Does anyone know about those 2 shows? ---
**Author:** ![ChrisP\_One\_Kenobe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e19b73/32.png) [@ChrisP\_One\_Kenobe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ChrisP_One_Kenobe)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2000, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stuff-the-youngsters-will-scratch-their-heads-over/26005/71 "2000-07-19T16:58:07Z")
And don’t forget about Hardcastle and McCormick. That was a great show. ---
**Author:** ![BiblioCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ed8c4c/32.png) [@BiblioCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BiblioCat)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2000, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stuff-the-youngsters-will-scratch-their-heads-over/26005/72 "2000-07-19T17:00:53Z")
> [@](#): > > Two questions for you old timers. What was the name of that show that Starred Pierce Brosnan and this other woman, they drove around in a Volkwagen Rabbit convertible. There was this other show that had the song “I need a hero” as the theme song when it came on. Does anyone know about those 2 shows? The first has to be “Remington Steele.” The other…I know the song…but can’t think. Not “Greatest American Hero” ? ---
**Author:** ![ChrisP\_One\_Kenobe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e19b73/32.png) [@ChrisP\_One\_Kenobe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ChrisP_One_Kenobe)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2000, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stuff-the-youngsters-will-scratch-their-heads-over/26005/73 "2000-07-19T17:05:05Z")
I wouldn’t know if it even if that was the name. My mom really liked it and it came on in the evening on NBC. ---
**Author:** ![wacky\_ninja](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/58956e/32.png) [@wacky\_ninja](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wacky_ninja)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2000, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stuff-the-youngsters-will-scratch-their-heads-over/26005/74 "2000-07-19T17:05:49Z")
Hardcastle and McCormick! i have been trying to remember that name forever and a day! I loved AirWolf, and sometimtes still weatch it when it’s on. Yes, I think the other one is Greatest American Hero, but I am not sure. BTW, they are making a new movie of that. I don’t remember who is going to star in it, but they were talking about it in Wizard Magazine. ---
**Author:** ![jesuslynch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e99b99/32.png) [@jesuslynch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jesuslynch)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2000, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stuff-the-youngsters-will-scratch-their-heads-over/26005/75 "2000-07-19T17:27:27Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Lord Vega \* > \*\*And NOTHING had a remote control. You had to get out of the chair, walk to the tv, change the channel, and sit back down. And if you had a color tv, either you were rich or your dad was an engineer(as mine was) and built it himself(Heathkit). > \*\* You forgot the part about only having 3 channels, on a good day. And the big, out-door, TV antenna that was adjusted by someone outside turning it a little and calling over the intercom (i.e. yelling), “Is that better?” How about the phrase, “This has been a Filmways Presentation”? Josie and the Pussycats. ---
**Author:** ![cygnus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e0b2c6/32.png) [@cygnus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cygnus)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2000, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stuff-the-youngsters-will-scratch-their-heads-over/26005/76 "2000-07-19T17:33:27Z")
**SouthernStyle** , I still have a gas cap behind the license plate of my car!!! …but I drive an '85 Olds, so I guess that’s not as exciting as it sounds. Still annoys me every time I’m in a rental and have to hunt for it, though. **RonA** , yeah, remember PRETEND??? Wasn’t it the greatest game of all time? When I was a kid, board games were reserved for group gatherings (not that you weren’t allowed to play them other times, but why would you, when pretend was so much more fun?), and pinball, the only “video” game, was only for older kids, since little kids didn’t have any money. We never ran out of ideas, and I can’t remember ever complaining to my mom that there was “nothing to do”. Oh, and while you’re at it, a trip in the car (yeah, I loved riding in the back of the station wagon, facing backwards with the window down) meant you actually LOOKED OUT THE WINDOWS and PLAYED DUMB GAMES like license plate alphabet and bury your horses. I’m sure Mom and Dad got tired of antsy kids after the first 800 miles or so, but I can’t help thinking that the kids today who plug into the backseat VCR as they pull out of the driveway and play movies for the first hour and video games for the second until they get to the hotel where they can turn on the HBO - are missing out on something. Like, real experiences, maybe? I don’t quite get the idea that kids have to be entertained by one outside medium or another, quite literally around the clock. Scary. **BillH** , my oldest brother studied engineering and I remember seeing him many times out back at the picnic table with his slide rule and his homework. He would let me play with it, and I would slide its parts around wondering about the mystery of it. I never got into advanced math and so never used one myself, but by the time I got to high school, hand-held calculators had come into existence - although only the very rich kids could afford them. Remember when digital watches cost hundreds of dollars? Now you can get them in gumball machines (seriously). And I recall when my sister’s boyfriend brought over a borrowed “Pong” game and hooked it up to our tv. What an amazing piece of technology - a GAME on your TV that you could play by pushing little buttons and stuff. Roller skates with keys, which you wore around your neck on a string. 78 rpm records. Librarians who checked out your books by taking a white card out of the book pocket, putting it in the “chu-chunk” machine to stamp the due date on it for their file, and then putting a blue card back in the pocket with the due date on it for you. Library card catalogs that were big wooden cabinets with small sliding drawers filled with thousands of index cards. Swimming in a river with no thought of pollution. Going door to door all around the neighborhood to sell potato chips to total strangers for 4-H. Alone, no less. My teenage neice found one of those plastic swirl pieces you put in the center of a 45 rpm single to make it fit on the record spindle. She had no idea what it could be. ---
**Author:** ![JimmyNipples](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/eb9ed0/32.png) [@JimmyNipples](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JimmyNipples)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2000, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stuff-the-youngsters-will-scratch-their-heads-over/26005/77 "2000-07-19T17:33:49Z")
If you couldn’t afford a color TV, you could put colored screen in front of the black and white TV. Blue on the top,and various shades of flesh tones on the bottom…truly hideous. Big Jim action figures. Trick or Treating…and getting hot dogs and popcorn balls, being invited inside someone’s house to tour the haunted house and to put your hands in a bowl of noodles!! G.I.Joe…the **REAL** ones…not these dinky little things. Johnny West…Johnny Quest too. Good Times…Good Times ---
**Author:** ![Slithy\_Tove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slithy_tove/32/18248_2.png) [@Slithy\_Tove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slithy_Tove)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2000, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stuff-the-youngsters-will-scratch-their-heads-over/26005/78 "2000-07-19T17:39:01Z")
Super Elastic Bubble Plastic (by Whammo!): a little tube of rubbery sludge that you put on the end of a straw and blew into balloons STILL EXISTS! My daughter has some that her friends brought back from the Philippines. Accept no substitutes: Philippine knock-off Super Elastic Bubble Plastic is made from real toxic waste, not soy derivatives! ---
**Author:** ![Padeye](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a9a28c/32.png) [@Padeye](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Padeye)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2000, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stuff-the-youngsters-will-scratch-their-heads-over/26005/79 "2000-07-19T17:48:10Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Talkinsquirrel \* > \*\*::reads in disbelief:: > > How did you people LIVE back then? > > No remotes!?!? > > \*\* Yes, but there were only a potential 12 channels (six for practical purposes, had to skip to avoid interference) and a medium size city like Tucson where I grew up only had four, the _ **three** _ network affiliates and one local station. Who remembers local afternoon kiddie shows? I’m not talking about Chicago’s Bozo or Howdy Doody who got national distribution. Tucson had _The Uncle Bob Show_ on Channel 11, KZAZ. Bob Love was a Tucson institution for years. I was first on his show in '66 when my mom and her best friend drug the kids down because two of us had birthdays that month. When I went up for my birthday spanking, another anachronism, he asked me how old I was. I was five but at the time I hadn’t a clue what to tell him. My mother was mortified as he grilled me about my age on live television. Bob’s show evolved over the sixties and early seventies until it was cancelled. He always had the staple Hanna Barbera cartoon shorts like Wally Gator and Lippy the Lion but he took on a heavy space motif after Apollo 11. I remember Bob giving out space food sticks as goodies when I was there with cub scouts and him hawking Fisher space pens for a local jewlery store. ---
**Author:** ![ReservoirDog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8edcca/32.png) [@ReservoirDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ReservoirDog)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2000, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stuff-the-youngsters-will-scratch-their-heads-over/26005/80 "2000-07-19T18:03:51Z")
Oh, the good old days! I remember: The Spice Girls George Clooney as Batman The Yankees winning the World Series every year Playstation 1 Gas was only $1.80 per gallon War in Bosnia Clinton was President “Crack” was this little white cocaine rock that you smoked [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stuff-the-youngsters-will-scratch-their-heads-over/26005.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stuff-the-youngsters-will-scratch-their-heads-over/26005.md?page=5)