This Was A Thing: The Retro Podcast

Robert W. Schneider
  • 4.9 (67)
  • HISTORY
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

This Was A Thing: The Retro Podcast is the nostalgia podcast that dives deep into the pop culture happenings of yesteryear! Join hosts Ray Hebel and Robert W. Schneider as they delightfully dissect some of the greatest fads, trends, and one-hit wonders from pop culture history. From box office hits to box office flops, from high fashion to low fashion, This Was A Thing: The Retro Podcast is your one-stop-shop for all things nostalgia.

  1. 08/27/2024

    87: The Golden Age of Musical Theatre; Or, You Gotta Have Hart - and Rodgers (Classic)

    This past week, on August 23rd, the world (A.K.A. musical theater nerds) recognized the anniversary of the passing of Oscar Hammerstein II, one of Broadway's most renowned contributors. So to honor Mr. Hammerstein in our own, special ThWAT way, here's Rob's episode all about the age in which Hammerstein ruled supreme: the Golden Age of Musical Theater. Enjoy! ~~~ Long before the barricades of Les Mis arose, before Adele Dazeem defied gravity, and before Mr. Alexander Hamilton took his shot, musical theatre in America had already emerged from one of the most formative and productive periods in theatre history. It only lasted 21 years, but those years gave the public such an expansive slate of shows and groundbreaking performances that it would take a professional historian to summarize in a single podcast episode. Lucky for you, one of our hosts has a career teaching and lecturing about the history of musical theatre! Penn State's very own Assistant Professor of Musical Theatre, Mr. Rob W. Schneider, teaches Ray all about the Golden Age of American Musical Theater which spanned from 1943 to 1964; how Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Oklahoma pushed the musical comedy into brand new territory; which musical accomplished the rare feat of winning the 1950 Pulitzer Prize for Drama; why Cole Porter had to be on his game when writing for Ethel; Rex Harrison’s backstage drama; and whether the current state of musical theatre qualifies as a “second” Golden Age. If you like what we’re doing, please support us on Patreon, or you can subscribe to our bonus content on Apple Podcasts. And we’d love to find even more listeners, so if you have time, please leave us a rating or review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts. And if you have any other thoughts or feedback you’d like to share with us, we’d love to hear from you - feel free to email us or send us a message on social media. TEAMRay Hebel Robert W. Schneider Mark Schroeder Billy Recce Daniel Schwartzberg Gabe Crawford Natalie DeSavia EPISODE CLIPSMy Fair Lady “Rehearsal” 1/29/60 Fugue for Tinhorns - Guys and Dolls (1955) a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZBktwR-3W\_k"...

    56 min

  2. 08/20/2024

    114: B.F. Skinner; Or, Thinking Inside the Box (Classic)

    Have you ever tried to build a new habit? Ever find yourself reaching for your phone even when it’s not in your pocket? Ever thought about whether free will actually exists? Yeah, that last one got deep, but that’s just how we roll here at This Was A Thing. Because this week, we’re talking all about a man who devoted his life to studying whether or not humans have a say in how they behave. His conclusion? We’re all pretty much rats pressing levers.  Daniel teaches Ray and Rob about B.F. Skinner, the psychologist, writer, and inventor whose ideas about free will and shaping behaviors made him famous and infamous; how Skinner bucked the trend of Pavlov and Freud to try to take a quantitative and objective approach to sudying human behavior; Skinner’s belief that pigeons could be the next big thing in missile technology; why Skinner’s book Beyond Freedom and Dignity earned him a spot on Noam Chomsky’s sh*& list; the real origin story of Splinter from TMNT; and how B.F. Skinner continues to influence everything from modern psychology to teaching technologies. If you like what we’re doing, please support us on Patreon, or you can subscribe to our bonus content on Apple Podcasts. And we’d love to find even more listeners, so if you have time, please leave us a rating or review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts. And if you have any other thoughts or feedback you’d like to share with us, we’d love to hear from you - feel free to email us or send us a message on social media.  TEAMRay Hebel Robert W. Schneider Mark Schroeder Billy Recce Daniel Schwartzberg Natalie DeSavia ARTICLES, BOOKS, AND ADDITIONAL LINKSPreschoolers: Box-Bred Babies - TIME BABY IN A BOX (Article by BF Skinner) The First Baby Tender “Skinner Air Crib” Article by Nick Joyce and Cathy Faye I was not a lab rat | Deborah...

    1h 15m

  3. 08/13/2024

    73: Howard Johnson's; Or, Get Your Licks on Route 66 (Classic)

    If you’ve ever ordered at a chain restaurant, then you know the homey feeling of knowing you’re about to eat the exact same meal as you could get at any other location. And even though the Golden Arches or a pair of red braids and freckles are some of the most recognizable franchise mascots today, if we flashback to the mid-1900s, then Simple Simon and the Pieman would’ve been just as recognizable as those other icons. Why? Because if you wanted a tasty clam belly, a delicious sundae, or to snag a couple of ZZZs, then there was one only one chain that fit the bill.  Rob teaches Ray about how the eponymous Mr. Johnson went from owning one small Massachusetts eatery, to running a national network of restaurants and lodges; why we can thank Eugene O’Neill for HoJo’s original boost in popularity; Jacques Pepin’s contribution to the franchise’s legacy; some unexpected controversies at HoJo’s; and how, even after the HoJo’s brand sank into obscurity, it still has a physical and cultural impact in today’s world.  If you like what we are doing, please support us on Patreon. TEAMRay Hebel Robert W. Schneider Mark Schroeder Billy Recce Daniel Schwartzberg Gabe Crawford Natalie DeSavia EPISODE CLIPSHoward Johnson’s Commercial 1962 Chef Jacques Pépin on working at Howard Johnson’s and his experiences on the American food scene HOWARD JOHNSON RESTURANT 1970 Howard Johnson’s Animated Commercial #2 Howard Johnson Restaurants This Is Howard Johnson Today 1988 TV Commercial HD ADDITIONAL MUSIC & SOUND EFFECTS“Happy Bee” and “Happy Boy End Theme” • Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) • Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Additional Sound Effects from Final Cut Pro, iLife, and Logic Pro

    44 min

  4. 08/13/2024 · BONUS • SUBSCRIBERS ONLY

    Member Special: ThWAT We're Watching

    We’re back! And we’ve got another exclusive clip for all you lovely members. This time, we talk about the things we’re watching: TV, movies, YouTube clips, it’s all fair game. Also, Rob and Daniel reminisce about MoviePass, Ray has opinions about soap operas, and Ray and Rob teach Daniel about iconic 80s actress Jackée Harry. If you want to share what you’ve been watching, or you also have opinions about movie theater subscription services, shoot us an email (thiswasathingpod@gmail.com) or leave us a comment on our social media (@thiswasathingpod). Anyway, as always, thank you all for your support, and enjoy!

    12 min

  5. 08/06/2024

    65: Crazy Eddie; Or, This Tax Fraud Is Insane! (Classic)

    Are you looking for a story that is 100% guaranteed to blow your mind? A true crime tale that'll leave you wondering how crooks got away with it for so long in the first place? Well, hold on to your girdle, because this one's a doozy. It's got everything: insurance scams, fake passports, an undercover sting operation, Israeli really bank accounts, and huge sales on some of the best TVs and VCRs around (sales tax not included). Best of all, you can listen to this story for the low, low price of FREE! Now that price is insane!  Ray teaches Rob about how a mom-and-pop consumer electronics store went from being a tri-state curiosity to a national sensation; who the real man is behind all those infamous ads; why having a CPA in the family comes in handy when you're committing tax fraud; and why building an empire on a foundation of shady financials and skimming off the top probably isn't the best business model. If you like what we are doing, please support us on Patreon. TEAMRay Hebel Robert W. Schneider Mark Schroeder Billy Recce Daniel Schwartzberg Gabe Crawford Natalie DeSavia WEBSITE White Collar Fraud   ARTICLES Mental Floss New York Times - 1985 New York Times - 2016 (1) New York Times - 2016 (2) New Yorker NJ.com Washington PostEPISODE CLIPS1987 Crazy Eddie Commercial Crazy Eddie 'Insane!' Commercial (NY, 1978) Classic Crazy Eddie Commercial 'Bathroom DooWop' (1977-1979) a...

    54 min

  6. 07/30/2024

    109: The Easy-Bake Oven; Or, Burning Down the House (Classic)

    We're busy behind the scenes here putting together a whole new batch episodes for the upcoming year, so while we do that, have a tasty, bite-sized treat on us - a chance to listen back to our episode all about the world's favorite mini-oven! ~~~ Happy holidays, listeners! We’ve got a delectable episode for you today, featuring a toy that has been a household staple for more than 60 years and is still going strong. In fact, it would be just the thing if you’re looking for some help with holiday baking, as long as you don’t mind your baked goods being on the miniature side…and possibly losing a finger or two in the process…  Daniel teaches Ray and Rob about the Easy-Bake Oven’s origins at the renowned toy company Kenner Products; how New York pretzel vendors played an essential role in providing inspiration for the product; all the different ways the word “cookies” can be pronounced; the battle to make a version of the Easy-Bake that wasn’t explicitly marketed for girls; and how this kitchen toy has influenced everyone from amateur bakers to professional chefs and which, despite its ups and downs, remains one of the most fondly remembered toys of all time. If you like what we’re doing, please support us on Patreon, or you can subscribe to our bonus content on Apple Podcasts. And we’d love to find even more listeners, so if you have time, please leave us a rating or review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts. And if you have any other thoughts or feedback you’d like to share with us, we’d love to hear from you - feel free to email us or send us a message on social media.  TEAMRay Hebel Robert W. Schneider Mark Schroeder Billy Recce Daniel Schwartzberg Gabe Crawford Natalie DeSavia ARTICLES“How Easy-Bake Ovens Work” by Nathan Chandler Easy-Bake Evolution: 50 Years of Cakes, Cookies, and Gender Politics | Collectors Weekly Light Bulb Baking: A History of the Easy-Bake Oven “Easy-Bake Oven Gourmet” by David Hoffman a...

    49 min

  7. 07/30/2024 · BONUS • SUBSCRIBERS ONLY

    Member Special: Holiday Traditions

    Hey everyone, we hope you’re staying safe and cool with all these summer heat waves. After a busy past few months, we are now regrouping here behind-the-scenes to plan out the next batch of new episodes as soon as possible. In the meantime, though, we don’t wanna leave all you members without some special content so today we’re bringing you a never-before aired clip we recorded back around the winter holidays. We’re going to try to do even more of these kinds of things in the future - where all three of us answer a random question about something either related or completely separate from the episodes. So if you’ve got ideas or questions you’d want to hear, shoot us an email at thiswasathingpod@gmail.com or leave us a comment on our social media. Anyway, as always, thank you all for your support of this crazy little show, and hope you enjoy this special clip!

    13 min

  8. 07/23/2024

    62: Murphy Brown vs Dan Quayle; Or, This Guy Was No Jack Kennedy (Classic)

    If you turn back the clocks to the early 90s, it would be impossible to avoid all the late night jokes about Vice President Dan Quayle. Likewise, if you followed the 90s TV scene, you couldn't miss the fact that Candice Bergen was raking in the Emmys for her role as the titular Murphy Brown on CBS. So when two media behemoths like that unexpectedly went head-to-head, it was bound to be a battle for the ages... Rob teaches Ray about Dan Quayle's life and career, and his sudden rise to prominence as the running mate of George H. Dubya Bush; how the Republican decision to focus more heavily on "traditional family values" emerged partly as an attack against Bill and Hillary Clinton; when spelling really does matter; why the V.P.'s condemnation of single mother families in general, and Murphy Brown in particular, brought him such a backlash; and how the outrage stirred up by this clash of cultural titans continues to this day. If you turn back the clocks to the early 90s, it would be impossible to avoid all the late night jokes about Vice President Dan Quayle. Likewise, if you followed the 90s TV scene, you couldn't miss the fact that Candice Bergen was raking in the Emmys for her role as the titular Murphy Brown on CBS. So when two media behemoths like that unexpectedly went head-to-head, it was bound to be a battle for the ages... Rob teaches Ray about Dan Quayle's life and career, and his sudden rise to prominence as the running mate of George H. Dubya Bush; how the Republican decision to focus more heavily on "traditional family values" emerged partly as an attack against Bill and Hillary Clinton; when spelling really does matter; why the V.P.'s condemnation of single mother families in general, and Murphy Brown in particular, brought him such a backlash; and how the outrage stirred up by this clash of cultural titans continues to this day. If you like what we’re doing, please support us on Patreon, or you can subscribe to our bonus content on Apple Podcasts. And we’d love to find even more listeners, so if you have time, please leave us a rating or review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts. And if you have any other thoughts or feedback you’d like to share with us, we’d love to hear from you - feel free to email us or send us a message on social media. TEAMRay Hebel Robert W. Schneider Mark Schroeder Billy Recce Daniel Schwartzberg Natalie DeSavia EPISODE CLIPS“You’re No Jack Kennedy” Clip From...

    51 min
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4.9
out of 5
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About

This Was A Thing: The Retro Podcast is the nostalgia podcast that dives deep into the pop culture happenings of yesteryear! Join hosts Ray Hebel and Robert W. Schneider as they delightfully dissect some of the greatest fads, trends, and one-hit wonders from pop culture history. From box office hits to box office flops, from high fashion to low fashion, This Was A Thing: The Retro Podcast is your one-stop-shop for all things nostalgia.

Information

  • Creator
    Robert W. Schneider
  • Years Active
    2021 - 2024
  • Episodes
    210
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Copyright 2021/https://bit.ly/3PU28aw
  • Show Website
    This Was A Thing: The Retro Podcast
  • Provider
    Robert Schneider