Synopses & Reviews
If you owe a couple cavities to Marathon candy bars, learned your adverbs from
Schoolhouse Rock!, and can still imitate the slo-mo bionic running sound of
The Six Million Dollar Man, this book is for you.
Whatever Happened to Pudding Pops? takes you back in time to the tastes, smells, and sounds of childhood in the '70s and '80s, when the Mystery Date board game didn't seem sexist, and exploding Pop Rocks was the epitome of candy science.
But what happened to the toys, tastes, and trends of our youth? Some vanished totally, like Freakies cereal. Some stayed around, but faded from the spotlight, like Sea-Monkeys and Shrinky Dinks. Some were yanked from the market, revised, and reintroduced...but you'll have to read the book to find out which ones.
So flip up the collar of that polo shirt and revisit with us the glory and the shame of those goofy decades only a native could love.
Review
"A great nostalgia-inducing gift for fellow members of Generation X."
—Richmond (VA) Times-Dispatch
Review
"With entries like 'John Hughes Movies,' 'Judy Blume Books,' 'Love’s Baby Soft' and 'Pen Pals,' it’s hard not to go into a state of nostalgic euphoria while reading
Whatever Happened to Pudding Pops?" —The Weekender, Wilkes-Barre, PA
Review
"Gael Fashingbauer Cooper and Brian Bellmont are two people who obviously lived through and loved the '70s and '80s. They're funny and sharp, and their passion for pop jumps off the page."
—Whitney Matheson, USA Today Pop Candy
Review
"A pop culture flashback"
—Jen Chaney, The Washington Post
Review
"I was reading this book the other night and just howling at some of these entries."
—Rachel Martin, "All Things Considered," National Public Radio
Review
"For those of us who think we're beyond the reach of pop culture, think again. It's hilarious to be reminded of how we were defined as a generation. I couldn't put
Whatever Happened to Pudding Pops? down and I couldn't stop laughing. As we used to say, 'Wow, what a trip.'"
— Pamela Sue Martin, author and actress, "The Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries"
Review
"...filled with nostalgia memory bombs that will apparently make you want to 'throw your ponytail into a scrunchie and take a swig from your can of Surge.'"
—The Huffington Post
"The language is snappy, the pace brisk, and the research impressive. Cooper and Bellmont know how to dig..."
—Pop Matters
[If] “and you just want to crawl under the covers and relive your youth with something sweet, check out Gael Fashingbauer Cooper and Brian Bellmonts new book The Totally Sweet 90s.”
—Jen X ‘67
“Its full of fun trivia and facts about all the games, toys, and pop culture that made the 1990s awesome.”
—How About We
Review
"This book is one that I never knew I needed, but I soon realized that it's the book I've always wanted...if you're a pop-culture junkie, want to take a time machine back to your past, or just like reading humorous books, pick this one up for sure."
—Monique Jones, MoniqueBlog
Review
“Some pages had me nodding my head in agreement while some pages were like one big blast of memories since forgotten. It's a total blast to read!"
—Culture Brats
Review
"This thing is a box full of squeals of delight alternating with wistful oooohs of nostalgia."
—Lisa Parsons, The Hippo
Review
"..anyone whose childhood included hours leafing through the Sears Christmas Wish Book and playing lawn darts should enjoy the book."
—Damian Penny, BlogCritics.com
Review
"Every single page will remind you of something from your childhood. Sea Monkeys! That’s Incredible! Lik-M-Aid! What a fun way to revisit all of that stuff."
—Sundrymourning.com
Synopsis
If you can tell the difference between the Petes in Pete and Pete, know every step to the Macarena by heart, and remember when The Real World was about more than just drunken hookups, The Totally Sweet 90s will be a welcome trip down memory lane.
With this hella cool guide, youll reminisce about that glorious decade when Beanie Babies seemed like a smart economic investment and Kris Kross had you wearing your pants backward. Whether you contracted dysentery on the Oregon Trail or longed to attend Janet Renos Dance Party, youll get a kick out of seeing which toys, treats, and trends stayed around, and which flopped.
So throw your ponytail into a scrunchie, take a swig from your can of Surge, and join us on this ride through the unforgettable (and sometimes unforgivable) trends of the 90s.
About the Author
Gael Fashingbauer Cooper is a journalist who writes the nationally recognized pop culture blog Pop Culture Junk Mail. Brian Bellmont is a former television reporter and producer who now runs a public relations agency