CBS radio shows in the 1950s & ’60s had news, comedy, drama and sports — and they basically invented the formats we still love today.
humor
Spaceballs, Mel Brooks’ 1987 sci-fi spoof, took aim at Star Wars & Hollywood itself. See the original poster, stills & a period review.
The Pet Rock concept traces the 1975 fad that made millions — and now includes its 2026 comeback sparked by Taylor Swift’s Opalite video.
Max Headroom was a unique sci-fi satire TV show starring the inimitable Matt Frewer as the computer-generated star. Despite its short run, it made a max impact on pop culture.
There’s a reason that advertising has evolved over the decades – and these bad vintage Christmas ads from years ago show you exactly why!
Rube Goldberg turned a desk prank into a cartoon legacy filled with wild machines, clever comedy and an unexpected path to fame.
Take a fun look back at the stereotypical perfect ’50s housewife, as she vacuums in heels, washes dishes wearing pearls, and makes everything practically perfect.
George Burns & Gracie Allen brought laughs from vaudeville to TV. See how their real-life love story made them one of comedy’s most unique duos.
The ’70s TV classic ‘Match Game’ redefined the modern game show. It went against convention, appealed to a younger, hipper audience and ushered in a new era of television.
To get in the proper holiday spirit, Americana-style, let’s revisit some of the most iconic moments from the timeless TV classic, “A Christmas Story” – plus find out where to watch the sequel!
Mr Whipple: Please don’t squeeze the Charmin! 20 years of legendary TV commercial toilet paper drama
Discover the story of Mr Whipple and his famous “Please don’t squeeze the Charmin” commercials, one of the most memorable ad campaigns of the 20th century.
Remember I Love Lucy & the chocolate factory episode? Many people consider this classic scene from ‘Job Switching’ one of the series’ funniest.
Love 1950s comics? Here you’ll find more than 50 old names from the funny pages, like Hopalong Cassidy, Flash Gordon, Curly Kayo, Brick Bradford, Etta Kett, Grandma, The Lone Ranger, Moon Mullins, Myrtle and more.
Laugh In got people talking about television again. Its rapid-fire gags, many of them dreadful, were repeated by millions every Tuesday morning.
Explore the rich history of famous catchphrases that shaped generations and discover their timeless charm in our culture today!
The book “Little Folks of Animal Land” by Harry Whittier Frees was released in 1915, and featured mostly kittens and puppies in various human scenarios. Take a look!
After using AI photography tools, these vintage clown pictures looked so much more lifelike than before (those eyes!), and details that were easily overlooked before became obvious. See some before and afters here!
Listen up: You might think our Victorian forebears did everything with grace and elegance, but have you considered that may be fake news? In reality, the dames of high society were basically just influencers.
Marshall Pinckney Wilder was a hugely successful comedian during the late 1800s and early 1900s.
Trade cards, the granddaddy of today’s trading cards, were common in the 1800s, and often showed offbeat images that existed solely to build brand buzz. Here’s a strange set showing people as vegetables.
Apparently stuck for a way to make toilet paper – particularly rolls of colored toilet tissue – more attractive to ’50s housewives, advertising executives turned to the world of glamour and fashion for an assist.
Skippy Peanut Butter paid stars like Groucho Marx to endorse it in 1960—and the ads made no effort to pretend they weren’t in it for the money.
Vintage bumper stickers have been a common sight for decades, and were more than just a decoration on the back of a car or truck – they were there to make a statement. Here’s a look back at a few!
Remember Vintage Wacky Packages (also called Wacky Packs for awhile) that were popular when Gen Xers were kids? Here’s a look back at some of the best of these wild and crazy collectible stickers from way back!
The Nutty Professor is considered one of the best Jerry Lewis movies – a classic comedy in which he played a Jekyll and Hyde role, meaning he could play up his screwball style to great effect.
Since 1952, Mad Magazine has poked fun at everything from Superman to Yoda, M*A*S*H to hippies. But it’s about more than humor – it’s big business, too.
Do you remember these vintage Mad magazine back page Fold-Ins – where, with a couple of folds, you could change the page’s picture, and its message? Look back at a few of these clever pieces of art created by Al Jaffee.
The Monkees may have been a prefab TV band, but there was nothing made up about their real-world success. Here’s a look back!
A Tom Collins isn’t a drink just named after some guy, somewhere. Find out the story of ‘Have you seen Tom Collins?’ – and get recipes for four original, old-fashioned versions of the Tom Collins cocktail.
Here’s Groucho singing the song he’s famously associated with from his time with the Marx Brothers: ‘Hello, I Must Be Going,’ as seen in the 1930 film Animal Crackers.
On April 1, 1996 – April Fool’s Day – the Taco Bell fast food chain announced they’d bought the iconic Liberty Bell, and renamed it the Taco Liberty Bell.
April Fools’ Day is an old, old holiday – and was even pretty ancient when this history was written back in the 1800s. Find out more about this day of fools here!
Humorist Art Buchwald: ‘As a public service, I am printing instant responses for loyal Nixonites when they are attacked at a party. Please cut it out and carry it in your pocket.’
During the 1978 Saturn Awards ceremony, William Shatner, as Star Trek’s Captain Kirk, performed what can most accurately be described as a bizarre spoken-word rendition of ‘Rocket Man.’
Funny, fictitious Bullwinkle J. Moose leaped to fame on the popular cartoon series Rocky and His Friends. Here’s a look back!
Leave it to the kids if you want an honest opinion of TV’s effect on family life (1955) by Jack Cluett – June 1955 When
Find out about the classic TV sitcom Rhoda, and meet the star, Valerie Harper, in two different vintage interviews!
For the ’50s housewife, laundry was huge: the love you had for your kitchen paled only in comparison to the adoration you felt for your washer and dryer.
If you’re in the mood to get some laughs from a physical comedian with brilliant timing & improv skills, see these videos starring the late, great Tim Conway!
For the picture-perfect housewife of the ’50s, the kitchen was the heart of the home. And the heart of the kitchen was the refrigerator/freezer combo – the kind of luxury that mother and grandmother could have only dreamed of!
A lighthearted look back at the 50s housewife during the sunny days of yesteryear, when a woman’s home was her castle — and her kitchen was the heart of that home.
Full service gas stations: The forgotten art of the fill-up that actually impressed customers (1944)
Full service gas stations were once a way of life — and a 1944 training guide shows exactly how attendants were trained to keep customers happy.
Airplane! uses disaster movie conventions as platforms to interject humor at every turn. Like a streamlined club act, it’s all over before the welcome gets worn. Stars Robert Stack, Lloyd Bridges, Peter Graves, Julie Hagerty, Robert Hayes. Also: See the Airplane movie trailer!
Long before people started wondering why the vampires of Twilight sparkled, there were other questions being asked about these creatures…
