The Pop Culture Diary

Paige Elmore
  • 5.0 (2)
  • ENTERTAINMENT NEWS
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

Open up The Pop Culture Diary! We’re going to flip through the pages of trends, gossip, and throwbacks. This is your time capsule for all things 80s to the 2010s. We're revisiting the pop culture moments that had us hooked: the scandals, the soundtracks, the toys, the tech, and all the drama in between. From the big hair and neon-soaked 80s nights to 90s after-school rituals, the wild early days of the 2000s, and much more. Let’s relive the fashions, the music, the gossip, the games, the news headlines, and the unforgettable stories that made pop culture more than entertainment; they became our memories.

Episodes

  1. 11/01/2025

    7. 1984 (Part III): Joystick Dreams and Toy Store Nightmares

    Arcades buzzed, robots and bears talked, computers were making their way into classrooms, and a lot of parents were in panic mode. In 1984, technology and toys didn’t just entertain us, they tested us! Were we the players… or were we we already being played? Sources: https://tfwiki.net/wiki/Diaclone https://tfwiki.net/wiki/Microman https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transformers https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/He-Man_and_the_Masters_of_the_Universe https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/G.I._Joe:_A_Real_American_Hero https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cabbage_Patch_riots https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cabbage_Patch_Kids https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Care_Bears https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/624675/how-care-bears-conquered-1980s https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strawberry_Shortcake https://strawberryshortcake.fandom.com/wiki/Kenner_Strawberry_Shortcake_Dolls https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/My_Little_Pony https://apnews.com/article/e8dcad7e652f89e02badaa55f763f6f1 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rainbow_Brite https://toybook.com/rainbow-brite-celebrates-40-years-of-magic https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trivial_Pursuit https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pictionary https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monopoly https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cluedo https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scrabble https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Candy_Land https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Game_of_Life https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dungeons_%26_Dragons https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Video_game_crash_of_1983 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atari_2600 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/E.T._the_Extra-Terrestrial_(video_game) https://www.nytimes.com/2014/04/28/arts/atari-video-game-burial-exhumed.html https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pac-Man https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dragon%27s_Lair https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marble_Madness https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Famicom https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nintendo_Entertainment_System https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commodore_64 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apple_II_series https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Donkey_Kong https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Super_Mario_Bros https://www.wired.com/2007/01/jan-22-1984-dawn-of-the-mac https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Macintosh https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sony_Walkman https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/VHS https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Betamax https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sony_Corp._of_America_v._Universal_City_Studios,_Inc https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commodore_64 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Speak_%26_Spell https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bigtrak https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Camcorder https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Video_home_system https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2024/jan/24/apple-macintosh-ad-super-bowl-1984-21st-century https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cabbage_Patch_riotshttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Consumer_Product_Safety_Commission https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Video_game_crash_of_1983 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Satanic_panic https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Easy-Bake_Oven https://www.history.com https://www.britannica.com https://www.rollingstone.com https://www.apnews.com https://www.mentalfloss.com  Social Media: Twitter / X: https://x.com/popcultdiarypodInstagram: https://instagram.com/thepopculturediarypodcastFacebook: https://facebook.com/thepopculturediaryContact: ThePopCultureDiary@gmail.com

    1h 13m

  2. 10/24/2025

    6. 1984 (Part II): Nude Photos, Tragedies, and Tabloids - Hollywood’s Wild Scandals

    Oh, 1984… when Madonna scandalized the VMAs, Vanessa Williams lost her crown, Lionel Richie’s love life made as many headlines as his hits, and much more. Fame was messy, loud, wild, sometimes tragic, and definitely impossible to ignore. Let’s get into some of the biggest scandals of the year! Sources: https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/1984/07/24/vanessa-williams-resigns-as-miss-america/https://people.com/vanessa-williams-on-losing-her-crown-and-redemption-1984-interview/https://www.vanityfair.com/culture/2015/09/vanessa-williams-miss-america-scandalhttps://time.com/4039256/miss-america-scandal-1984https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1984-04-02-mn-13672-story.htmlhttps://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-26832352https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-features/marvin-gaye-death-remembering-40-years-later-1234694786/https://www.biography.com/musicians/marvin-gayehttps://loudersound.com/features/the-car-crash-that-killed-hanoi-rocks-razzle-vince-neil-never-apologisedhttps://www.oxygen.com/martinis-murder/motley-crue-singer-vince-neil-killed-friend-razzle-dingley-car-crashhttps://ultimateclassicrock.com/vince-neil-car-crash/https://radiox.co.uk/news/music/who-nicholas-razzle-dingley-vince-neil-jail-timehttps://www.mtv.com/news/1984-vmas-madonna-like-a-virgin-performancehttps://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-lists/madonna-vma-1984-performance-controversy-125884https://www.billboard.com/music/pop/madonna-vma-history-most-shocking-performances-6228917/https://www.bbc.com/culture/article/20140827-why-madonnas-1984-vma-still-mattershttps://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-30715947https://www.theguardian.com/music/2014/oct/05/how-the-bbc-ban-made-relax-a-no1-hithttps://www.nme.com/features/music-interviews/frankie-goes-to-hollywood-relax-ban-controversy-1984-1974056https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-features/frankie-goes-to-hollywood-relax-ban-story-1227745https://www.upi.com/Archives/1984/06/06/The-FBI-and-the-Teamsters-union-were-silent-Wednesday/1594455342400/https://www.gao.gov/assets/hrd-87-25br.pdfhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jackie_Presserhttps://reason.com/1989/05/01/cleaning-up-the-teamsters1https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-features/janet-jackson-control-early-career-1234669659/https://www.billboard.com/music/rb-hip-hop/janet-jackson-before-control-7892341/https://people.com/music/janet-jackson-on-rumors-rebellion-reinvention/https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1985-05-05-ca-6405-story.htmlhttps://www.snopes.com/fact-check/richard-gere-gerbil/https://faroutmagazine.co.uk/did-sylvester-stallone-start-the-richard-gere-gerbil-rumour/https://www.villagevoice.com/richard-gere-finally-addresses-gerbil-rumor-and-changes-it/https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gerbillinghttps://people.com/music/lionel-richie-divorce-and-affair-scandal/https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/lionel-richie-private-life-scandal-1984-114368/https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1988-01-21-ca-9806-story.htmlhttps://www.biography.com/musicians/lionel-richie Social Media: Twitter / X: https://x.com/popcultdiarypodInstagram: https://instagram.com/thepopculturediarypodcastFacebook: https://facebook.com/thepopculturediaryContact: ThePopCultureDiary@gmail.com

    1h 10m

  3. 10/11/2025

    5. 1984 (Part I): When Ghostbusters Ruled, Miami Vice Debuted, and Orwell Felt Too Real

    Welcome to part one of 1984! Let’s go through everything from the politics of fear and the excitement of the movie theaters packed with Ghostbusters, The Terminator, Indiana Jones, and more. On TV, The Cosby Show marked its spot in sitcom history and Miami Vice made crime look cool. Flip open the diary, grab your popcorn, and relive the news, movies, and television shows of 1984 with me! Sources: https://www.onthisday.com/date/1984https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/october-11https://www.britannica.com/on-this-day/year/1984https://www.nytimes.com/section/todayspaperhttps://www.reaganlibrary.gov/archives/speeches/statement-action-senate-fiscal-year-1982-budget-resolutionhttps://www.boxofficemojo.com/year/1984/https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1984_in_filmhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_1984_box_office_number-one_films_in_the_United_Stateshttps://www.imdb.com/search/title/?year=1984&title_type=feature&sort=boxoffice_gross_us,deschttps://editorial.rottentomatoes.com/guide/best-movies-of-1984/https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1984_in_American_televisionhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1984%E2%80%9385_United_States_network_television_schedulehttps://www.imdb.com/list/ls061374559/https://classictvguide.com/tvseason.php?year=1984https://www.tvguide.com/https://www.animationmagazine.net/https://www.retrojunk.com/ Social Media: Twitter / X: https://x.com/popcultdiarypodInstagram: https://instagram.com/thepopculturediarypodcastFacebook: https://facebook.com/thepopculturediaryContact: ThePopCultureDiary@gmail.com

    50 min

  4. 10/04/2025

    4. 1983: Cabbage Patch Riots, MTV Rules, and Michael Jackson’s Moonwalk

    Imagine a year where shoppers brawled over dolls, a pop icon moonwalked into history, and the very first mobile phone cost nearly $4,000. That was 1983. But beneath the shoulder pads that were still going strong, there were scandals that rocked Hollywood and technology that quietly started to change what our future would look like. Sources: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1983_in_the_United_Stateshttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1983_Beirut_barracks_bombingshttps://www.nasa.gov/history/sally-ride-first-american-woman-in-spacehttps://www.chron.com/culture/article/atari-et-game-landfill-texas-new-mexico-21032868.phphttps://archaeology.org/issues/july-august-2014/digs-discoveries/new-mexico-atari-dump-site-excavationhttps://americanhistory.si.edu/explore/stories/landfill-smithsonian-collections-et-extra-terrestrial-atari-2600-gamehttps://www.thehenryford.org/collections-and-research/digital-collections/artifact/403754https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/E.T._the_Extra-Terrestrial_(video_game)https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atari_video_game_burialhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Video_game_crash_of_1983https://www.si.edu/spotlight/sally-ridehttps://airandspace.si.edu/stories/editorial/sally-ride-first-us-woman-space-and-morehttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Korean_Air_Lines_Flight_007https://www.nasa.gov/history/40-years-ago-sts-7-and-the-flight-of-sally-ridehttps://www.history.com/a-year-in-history/1983https://www.geekwire.com/2014/atari-cartridges-dughttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DynaTAChttps://www.mobilephonemuseum.com/phone-detail/dynatac-8000xhttps://andymcnally.medium.com/ataris-infamous-1983-video-game-burial-the-truth-behind-the-urban-legend-1d8a771e7d0bhttps://plaidstallions.com/reboot/1983-consumers-distributing-toy-catalogue-motu-gi-joe-star-wars/https://dinosaurdracula.com/blog/xmas-toys-1983/https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Billboard_Year-End_Hot_100_singles_of_1983https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Billboard_200_number-one_albums_of_1983 Social Media: Twitter / X: https://x.com/popcultdiarypodInstagram: https://instagram.com/thepopculturediarypodcastFacebook: https://facebook.com/thepopculturediaryContact: ThePopCultureDiary@gmail.com

    1h 5m

  5. 09/27/2025

    3. 1982: E.T. Phones Home, Jackson Breaks Records, and Gossip Never Sleeps

    1982 was a year dripping with drama. From Princess Diana giving birth under the world’s watchful eye to Hollywood couples burning hot in the tabloids, gossip was everywhere…and we were eating it up. Music, movies, fashion, and scandals collided in a year that defined the glossy side of the ‘80s. Sources: https://www.history.com/a-year-in-history/1982 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1982_in_the_United_States https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Billboard_Year-End_Hot_100_singles_of_1982 https://www.classicpopmag.com/features/1982-music https://www.wired.com/2012/12/dec-26-1982-times-top-man-the-personal-computer https://www.historic-newspapers.com/blogs/article/1982-timeline https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1982_in_American_television https://slicingupeyeballs.com/2013/05/01/best-albums-of-1982 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thriller_(album)  Social Media: Twitter / X: https://x.com/popcultdiarypodInstagram: https://instagram.com/thepopculturediarypodcastFacebook: https://facebook.com/thepopculturediaryContact: ThePopCultureDiary@gmail.com

    25 min

  6. 09/26/2025

    2. 1981: Reagan Shot, Diana Crowned, and MTV Killed the Radio Star

    In 1981, the world was restless. Style was bold, music was fierce, and scandal followed the stars like a shadow. Behind every hit song and fashion trend was drama, obsession, and the hunger for more. From the charts to the tabloids and the runway to the living room TV, this year left its mark… Loud, messy, and impossible to forget. Sources: https://history.state.gov/departmenthistory/short-history/hostageend https://bestsellingalbums.org/year-end/Billboard_Top_Albums_1981 https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/reagan-inaugurated-40th-president https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/march-30/president-reagan-shot https://www.oyez.org/justices/sandra_day_oconnor https://www.nasa.gov/mission/sts-1 https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/anwar-sadat-assassinated https://www.boxofficemojo.com/year/world/1981 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mistaken_Identity_(Kim_Carnes_album) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Billboard_Year-End_Hot_100_singles_of_1981 https://www.poynter.org/reporting-editing/2015/today-in-media-history-iran-releases-american-hostages-in-1981 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_highest-rated_television_programs_by_season https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/study-measuring-earths-vital-signs-warns-climate-tipping-points-180978320 https://www.vogue.com/article/princess-diana-wedding-dress-photos-history https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/strange-history-he-man-and-masters-universe-180956874 https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/pac-man-released https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Billboard_200_number-one_albums_of_1981  Social Media: Twitter / X: https://x.com/popcultdiarypodInstagram: https://instagram.com/thepopculturediarypodcastFacebook: https://facebook.com/thepopculturediaryContact: ThePopCultureDiary@gmail.com

    44 min

  7. 09/26/2025

    1. 1980: Wars, Walkmans, and Who Killed J.R.?

    Welcome to the very first entry of The Pop Culture Diary! 1980 was a year that simply refused to be boring. A President was elected, volcanoes erupted, and one of the world’s most beloved musicians was taken too soon. Meanwhile, fashion decided bigger was better, shoulder pads were mandatory, and neon was basically a personality trait. Rubik’s Cubes frustrated a generation, Walkmans made us nod to songs no one else could hear, and The Empire Strikes Back proved that sequels could actually be pretty freakin’ awesome. The gossip columns were overflowing, the box office was booming, and yes, the world was as chaotic as it sounds. Open up the diary and join me for headlines, hijinks, and highlights that set the tone for the wild decade ahead. Spoiler alert: it’s messy, dramatic, and oddly fun! Sources: https://www.capture.com/blogs/insights/what-was-popular-in-the-80shttps://www.womanandhome.com/fashion/80s-fashion-trends https://www.the-numbers.com/box-office-records/worldwide/all-movies/cumulative/released-in-1980 https://www.csmonitor.com/1980/1229/122956.html https://www.reddit.com/r/trivia/comments/1b27osn/the_80s https://www.womanandhome.com/fashion/80s-fashion-trends https://www.history.com/articles/1980s-tech-gadgets-obsolete https://www.timetoast.com/timelines/inventions-of-the-1980-s-in-computer-history https://pop-culture.us/1980-annual-history-facts https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Friday_the_13th_(1980_film)  Social Media: Twitter / X: https://x.com/popcultdiarypodInstagram: https://instagram.com/thepopculturediarypodcastFacebook: https://facebook.com/thepopculturediaryContact: ThePopCultureDiary@gmail.com

    24 min

  8. TRAILER

    Welcome to The Pop Culture Diary

    Welcome to The Pop Culture Diary where we will talk trends, gossip, and throwbacks! This podcast will be broken up into many seasons to cover all the pop culture moments that had us hooked: the neon fashions, blockbuster movies, chart-topping hits, celebrity scandals, and the toys we couldn’t live without. From 1980 to 2020, if it made us laugh, cry, or gossip… it’s in the diary! So get ready to flip back the pages, and relive the fads, the drama, and the moments that shaped a generation. Season 1 begins on September 26th! Social Media: Twitter / X: https://x.com/popcultdiarypodInstagram: https://instagram.com/thepopculturediarypodcastFacebook: https://facebook.com/thepopculturediaryContact: ThePopCultureDiary@gmail.com

    2 min

Trailer

Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
2 Ratings

About

Open up The Pop Culture Diary! We’re going to flip through the pages of trends, gossip, and throwbacks. This is your time capsule for all things 80s to the 2010s. We're revisiting the pop culture moments that had us hooked: the scandals, the soundtracks, the toys, the tech, and all the drama in between. From the big hair and neon-soaked 80s nights to 90s after-school rituals, the wild early days of the 2000s, and much more. Let’s relive the fashions, the music, the gossip, the games, the news headlines, and the unforgettable stories that made pop culture more than entertainment; they became our memories.

Information

  • Creator
    Paige Elmore
  • Years Active
    2K
  • Episodes
    8
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Paige Elmore
  • Show Website
    The Pop Culture Diary