![]() We’re going to talk about Ronco more later…But I’ll say this: that infomercial made me want a food dehydrator. About 20 minutes later, I realized this was NOT SNL (but it was pretty funny and weird) and instead I was watching my first infomercial, for the Ronco Electric Food Dehydrator: One night I woke up assuming that I was watching a very long SNL skit as a man and his extremely enthusiastic female cohost went on about turkey jerky, salmon jerky, and fruit leather. I almost never made it because my body was used to getting up super early on school days (6 am), but sometimes I would wake up during the back half of it, which always felt like a sleepy victory. I was by default the in-house babysitter from about 4th grade on, so when my parents had something else to do on the weekends (or were just at work), I would try my hardest to stay up late to watch Saturday Night Live. One of my earliest infomercial memories (and it’s probably kinda my favorite infomercials) was for the Ronco electric food dehydrator. As kids of the 80s and 90s, these filled the late night and weekend afternoons on television, especially on local stations. Today Dustin and I are talking about something near and dear (or at least super nostalgic to us): infomercials. So far in my personal quest to understand all of the ways in which we have been sold stuff over the years, I’ve tackled catalogs, Saturday morning cartoons and “toy hysteria.” In fact, many of us now find common ground with one another because we share these memories: Happy Meals, Saturday morning cartoons, Fruit Roll Ups, American Girl dolls…entire communities are being built out of this shared nostalgia. The sad reality (which I explained on a recent episode of The Department), is that for any of us who were children in the late 1970s or later…products (especially licensed products), commercials, and shopping form the backdrop of our memories. One of my obsessions this year for Clotheshorse is untangling all of the ways in which we’ve been turned into consumers. Well, he’s always here with me when I’m working on Clotheshorse, because our offices are next to one another in our house and the walls are very thin. You’re probably wondering why Dustin is here with me today. Today I’m joined by a special guest, someone whose name you hear at the end of every episode, my other half, Dustin Travis White.ĭustin–would you like to introduce yourself to everyone? I’m your host, Amanda and this is episode 155. Welcome to Clotheshorse, the podcast that does not come with a money back guarantee. ![]() Have questions/comments/cute animal photos? Reach out via email: Find the transcript here! The deadline for this project is March 15.Ĭheck out Amanda's other podcast, The Department. When you email it, include your name, pronouns, and IG handle. Yes, I have received fully silent recordings. Record in a quiet room away from fans, air conditioners, bus stops, and howling hound dogs.īe sure to double check your recording before sending. It’s okay if you make a mistake while recording, just say that part again and keep going. If you want to be anonymous, that’s fine, too! If you want your contact info (name, instagram handle, business) to be included in the episode, please tell us in the recording. Write out what you want to say before you record it. ![]() Or maybe you have your own theme you would like to cover! That’s fine, too! How did shopping fit into your childhood? Was it a part of your relationship with a family member? Did it change over time?ĭo you find yourself engaging in so-called “ retail therapy?” Does it help? Have you found something that helps more?Īre you addicted to bargains and deals? Have you found a non-shopping way to scratch that itch?ĭoes shopping make you happy? Sad? Angry? Why?Īre there any specific shopping memories that have shaped how you approach clothing as an adult? Here are some ideas of things you can cover in your audio essay: For some families shopping is the only way they can spend time together and get along! Shopping is a social activity, the subject of copious amounts of magazine articles, blogs posts, and social media content. Popularity…and even in the case of the “romance industrial complex,” it means love and appreciation. From sticker collections to toys to the commercials on the Saturday morning cartoons, we have been told that new stuff = a better life. We’re going to be talking about our relationship with shopping!Īs we began to talk about at the end of last year, we are practically trained to be consumers from birth. ![]() "The Stepford Channel," Rick Marin, The New York Times. The Time Life Mysteries of the Unknown Series How did they become a billion dollar business in the late 80s? And when/where did they begin? We discuss all of that (and more) in this episode. Dustin joins Amanda to discuss something near and dear (or at least super nostalgic): infomercials. ![]()
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