The 80's Called...

[Howard_Casto]

Surprised nobody mentioned this yet. 

The only S**** B*** commercial this year that even managed to get it's point across imho.



and.... now you've got workin' for the weekend stuck in your head.  You are welcome!

[Howard_Casto]

Oh forgot to mention, if you go to their website they are giving away "totally rad" 80's stuff, including a pacman cocktail cab.

[Slippyblade]

Loved the ad.  Also have to say that I do like the changes the Shack has been doing.  They honestly seem to be trying to get more tinker and hacker stuff in stock.  The new CEO (new as of last year I believe) seems to be pushing in a good direction.  Maybe Radio Shack has a chance of becoming relevant again.

[jdbailey1206]

Thank you Howard.  Didnt get a chance to post this.

[DaveMMR]

I didn't even notice half the people the first time I saw this: Slim Goodbody, Devo (or just actors wearing Energy Domes) and Sgt. Slaughter were the ones I missed.

But yeah, it was a great ad.

[Malenko]

I missed Qbert the first time.

CHiPs is from the 70s (77-83) to me. California Raisins was a nice touch.

[bleargh]

Now I'm totally sad (and jealous)....

Up here in Canuck-istan, we don't have "Radio Shack" any more.  Due to stupid legal hassles, we now have "The Source", and its just pure crap.

Oh, how I yearn for those days gone past of a 80s Radio Shack... parts and bits hanging on the wall, and they actually had what you were looking for 90% of the time.  Unlike today, when I walk into The Source and am presented with a tiny little slab of wall no bigger than my refrigerator, and where they never have anything even close to what I'm looking for.

I'm also jealous because I don't even have a reasonably half-assed electronics shop anywhere within a few hours drive from here.  eds1275, you live on Vancouver Island... where do you go shopping when you need electronic bits?

[ChanceKJ]

"The Source" was InterTAN Canada. They used to Licence the RadioShack name from the US company. 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/InterTAN

We also had Canadian RadioShack locations.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RadioShack#Operations_in_Canada

[Howard_Casto]

I didn't even notice half the people the first time I saw this: Slim Goodbody, Devo (or just actors wearing Energy Domes) and Sgt. Slaughter were the ones I missed.

But yeah, it was a great ad.

Not Devo, but licensed from Devo... they were busy filming the Delta ad (which Alf was also in strangely enough.)

Here's a breakdown of all the people featured:

http://tv.yahoo.com/blogs/tv-news/he-definitive-guide-to-radioshack-s-epic--80s-super-bowl-ad-225842777.html

Something odd of note that I think (or am at least hoping) is a typo.  Q-bert is owned by Columbia pictures now?

[ChanceKJ]

Columbia is owned by Sony Entertainment, a division of Sony owns publishing rights to Q*bert.

[Howard_Casto]

Ahh ok, that makes a little more sense.  I didn't realize that Columbia pictures was owned gottleib at one point. 

You know, all these years and he's never gotten a sequel, unless you count that Hasbro abomination.

[Howard_Casto]

I missed Qbert the first time.

CHiPs is from the 70s (77-83) to me. California Raisins was a nice touch.

Agreed btw. My guess is they wanted somebody else like Hasslehoff and then realized he looks like a train wreck now and cast somebody that's aged better. 

With the Raisins I'm pretty sure they lifted that clip of animation directly from another commercial.  Maybe an old Hardees ad?

[DaveMMR]

I missed Qbert the first time.

CHiPs is from the 70s (77-83) to me. California Raisins was a nice touch.

On that note, Kid N Play always seemed more "90's" to me, even though technically they released albums towards the late 80's.

[Howard_Casto]

Yeah I tend to agree with you there as well, but then again I remember them more from the House Party films (1990 and beyond) and not their first two rap albums (88 and 89).  I suppose music fans would think differently?

Then again if we are going to put the robot owl in, which just barely squeezes by with a spring of 81 release, I guess it counts.

[yotsuya]

Yeah I tend to agree with you there as well, but then again I remember them more from the House Party films (1990 and beyond) and not their first two rap albums (88 and 89).  I suppose music fans would think differently?

Then again if we are going to put the robot owl in, which just barely squeezes by with a spring of 81 release, I guess it counts.

Hey, I was most excited to see Bupo the Owl in that commercial!!!!

[pbj]

Cute commercial, I was too busy entertaining to watch any of that game live.

Radio Shack still makes money hand over fist in small towns.   

[ChadTower]

Yeah I tend to agree with you there as well, but then again I remember them more from the House Party films (1990 and beyond) and not their first two rap albums (88 and 89).  I suppose music fans would think differently?

Their music career was already downward spiraling by 1990.  I remember them a lot more from the first two albums.  Never saw their movies at the time.

[DaveMMR]

Yeah I tend to agree with you there as well, but then again I remember them more from the House Party films (1990 and beyond) and not their first two rap albums (88 and 89).  I suppose music fans would think differently?

Their music career was already downward spiraling by 1990.  I remember them a lot more from the first two albums.  Never saw their movies at the time.

Their movies (released in the early 90's) were pretty much more well known, at least by my peers, than any of their songs. I used to ask people to name just one Kid N Play song and everyone struggled on that.

[BadMouth]

Hey, I was most excited to see Bupo the Owl in that commercial!!!!

Had to google it. 

[yotsuya]

Hey, I was most excited to see Bupo the Owl in that commercial!!!!

Had to google it. 

It's ---smurfing--- Bupo the Owl!!!!!1!!! was my reaction.

[Le Chuck]

Dee Snider is always great to see, whether on reality TV, testifying before congress, or knocking ---steaming pile of meadow muffin--- off shelves the man has got swag!

[ChadTower]

He never really went away.  Dude knows how to keep employed. 

[Howard_Casto]

Yeah he hosts a syndicated radio program that's on of the evenings... highly recommended. 

A lot of these guys never really went away tbh.  Obviously not Kid-n-Play and Sgt. Slaughter or Mary Lou but:

Q-bert was in Wreck it Ralph
Teen Wolf has been remade for MTV
Jason and Chucky are also in fairly current films.
Alf hosted a Tv Land talk show a while back and has a movie coming out. 
Twisted Sister and Devo still perform regularly and still release albums. 
Hulk can't keep his big wrinkly butt off of TV even though he doesn't seem to actually do anything on it. 
Eric Estrada is a huge star on latino television. 
Slim, believe it or not, still tours the country putting on school assemblies for children.  It's a bit of a stretch, but hey, he's not retired.
Oh.. and Bupo made a cameo appearance in the Wrath of the Titans film. 

[pbj]

Yes, very good, the point of spending money on celebrities is to use ones that people recognize.  Someone give the man a cookie.

[yotsuya]

Oh.. and Bupo made a cameo appearance in the Wrath of the Titans film.

Did he? The whole "TITANS WILL CLASH!!!" marketing turned me off to seeing it.

[Le Chuck]

Oh.. and Bupo made a cameo appearance in the Wrath of the Titans film.

*Pushes nerd glasses higher up on nose* well Howard, I think he <snort snort anthropomorphizing> also appeared in the Clash of the Titans the 2010 remake as well as the sequel you mentioned, and not to step on any toes Yotsuya, but <ahem cough> the name of the Athena's beloved owl is Bubo. 

[yotsuya]

Oh.. and Bupo made a cameo appearance in the Wrath of the Titans film.

*Pushes nerd glasses higher up on nose*

You wound me, sir! I demand satisfaction! Slide rules at dawn, maternal fornicator!

[wp34]

Wow.  The 80's literally are taking their stores back.

RadioShack to close about 500 stores
http://money.msn.com/business-news/article.aspx?feed=OBR&date=20140204&id=17320302

[Le Chuck]

Oh.. and Bupo made a cameo appearance in the Wrath of the Titans film.

*Pushes nerd glasses higher up on nose*

You wound me, sir! I demand satisfaction! Slide rules at dawn, maternal fornicator!

Please, *gnugh* physical violence?  How uncivilized.  I will draft a letter!

[yotsuya]

But seriously, as a kid, I always heard it as Bupo.

Calibos was such a bad-ass in that movie. Especially with that forked hand that he had.

Plus, BOOBS!!!

[Vigo]

Oh.. and Bupo made a cameo appearance in the Wrath of the Titans film.

Did he? The whole "TITANS WILL CLASH!!!" marketing turned me off to seeing it.

Haha, I never saw that movie either. I remember my exact words to my wife. "I am not watching that movie unless it has that friggin' robot owl in it."

I suppose now I will have to give it a watch. 

[Howard_Casto]

I watched em both when they came to cable.  Clash isn't very good imho, but with wrath they (ironically) tried to put in more stuff from the 81 classic.  It's enjoyable... not as good as the original, but what is. 

[yotsuya]

I watched em both when they came to cable.  Clash isn't very good imho,

BUBO! CALIBOS! BOOBS!!!

[ark_ader]

I watched em both when they came to cable.  Clash isn't very good imho,

BUBO! CALIBOS! BOOBS!!!

Calibos didn't have boobs.

Psssst hey hey look, check this out:

[yotsuya]

I watched em both when they came to cable.  Clash isn't very good imho,

BUBO! CALIBOS! BOOBS!!!

Calibos didn't have boobs.

No, but Perseus' mom did!

Psssst hey hey look, check this out:

Tiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiightttt!

I will personally print the side art for anyone who uses this theme on their bartop:

[BAMBOO]

The real question is how the hell hasn't Eric Estrada aged a day since 1978?

[ark_ader]

The real question is how the hell hasn't Eric Estrada aged a day since 1978?

I dunno but he would make a good Calibos without too much makeup.

[TopJimmyCooks]

The real question is how the hell hasn't Eric Estrada aged a day since 1978?

Mexican pharmacists and plastic surgeons are not subject to FDA rules.

[lcmgadgets]

Just saw this! Watched the ad! Awesome! Made me more than a little nostalgic, though...

[pbj]

The 90s respond...