Oral History: When Tickle Me Elmo Ruled the World
The hottest toy of 1996—which led to concussions, mass hysteria, and one designer becoming a Unabomber suspect—is making a comeback.
The hottest toy of 1996—which led to concussions, mass hysteria, and one designer becoming a Unabomber suspect—is making a comeback.
The First Lady's catchphrase was everywhere in the 1980s. The problem? It didn't really keep kids from experimenting with drugs.
After his 2003 arrest for marijuana possession, a lot of newspaper headlines had the same pun ready: "Dude, you're getting a cell."
The quintessential annoying neighbor went from pitching milk and pizza in regional commercials to starring in 10 feature films. Let's see the Pillsbury Doughboy do that.
Attention ladies: The Iceman is willing to spring for a fancy dinner, but not at one of those places "where the menu is so fancy I don't know what I'm ordering."
The 1980s NFL alternative became so cash-strapped that athletes had to ride school buses to practice.
The Nazi invasion allegory was one of the highest-rated miniseries in television history, and the first to feature a leading character eating a guinea pig.
When art school dropout Ralph Shaffer was hired by American Greetings to illustrate greeting cards in 1964, the 23-year-old was tasked with depicting delicate flower petals and hopping bunny rabbits.
When U.S. Army Corps bombardier Max Spencer Adler was shot down over Europe and imprisoned by the Nazis during World War II, it’s not likely he dreamed of one day becoming the czar of penis-shaped lollipops and lava lamps.
The Saturday morning series was encoded with a signal that allowed enemy robots to "shoot" at viewers and their toys. (Batteries not included.)
The home computer typing tutor was such a hit that she kept getting invited for speaking engagements and interviews. Too bad she wasn't real.
How David Letterman and a bunch of teenagers helped kill Coors' clear beer, which recently made its way back onto liquor store shelves.
A magazine writer coined the phrase, which had roots in the 1960s, and Judd Nelson wanted to punch him for it.
1975's 'Trilogy of Terror' featured three Richard Matheson adaptations—one of which, "Amelia," became a permanent fixture of viewers' nightmares.
When the 704-page 'A Game of Thrones' hit shelves on August 1, 1996, it received positive notices and respectable sales, but there was little hint of the hysteria that would follow.
The studio was so optimistic about their adaptation of the Mattel toy line that they started pre-production on a sequel. Then the movie came out ...
The iconic crime hound got his name from a cereal box promotion.
The egg-shaped pantyhose packaging revolutionized how women bought undergarments.
The big red guy replaced Bugs Bunny, who was doing a poor job of getting kids to drink the Kool-Aid.
There was only one way you were ever going to see a shirtless David Letterman in a kayak: ABC's 'Battle of the Network Stars.'
"See Matt Dillon Eat Pizza!"
William Gruber made one of the definitive toys of the 20th century. He also thought Hitler was a pretty solid guy.
The fried egg/fried brain metaphor resonated with millions of teenagers, but the American Egg Board wasn't a fan.
The sea-dwelling excuses for a toy line bore a strong resemblance to the Smurfs. It was not unintentional.