After a year that has flown by, it’s time to kick back and enjoy ourselves. There’s only one way to celebrate Thanksgiving, aside from stuffing yourselves, is listening to Matt and I reflect on the more nuanced aspects of the 1989 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade on the lastest Purple Stuff Podcast! We’ve covered several of these parades in previous years, but we agree that this one may be the best yet.
If you are into pure ridiculousness, this broadcast is right up your alley. Highlights include ALF, Chip and Dale’s Rescue Rangers, the Marvel Superheroes, and the New Kids on the Block. As if that wasn’t enough, we’ve got even more surprises for you, including a couple of commercial break spotlights.
Whether you are an occassional listener of the podcast or a die-hard, this is a must-listen to episode. I hope you enjoy the show and thank you for all of your support and kind words throughout the year. Happy Thanksgiving!
It’s astounding how quickly this year has flew by. That’s both good and bad because who wants this crappy year to drag on any longer than it has to, but at the same time, where the hell does time go? We’re already approaching 2021 and that blows my mind. For now though, it’s time for our annual Yuletide celebration on The Purple Stuff Podcast! Hopefully, a moose mug of egg nog and this episode will help you travel to that marshmallow world where all the BS of life vanishes for an hour.
We have arrived at our 6th installment of our annual Christmas Songs show! These are some of the most fun episodes for us and we hope you enjoy this one as much as you have in the past. Both Matt from DinoDrac and I love having Christmas songs on during the holidays and we compile songs that we think should have the spotlight each year. In our new installment, we’ve got quite an array of tunes including The Power Rangers and Kurt Russell! You read that correctly 🙂 There’s also a couple of tracks I highly doubt you will be hearing anyone else talk about this season so stay tuned for those as well.
Enjoy the episode and let us know what you think. A huge thank you goes out to you if you are reading this and always listening to the podcast, it’s so very much appreciated. On a personal note, I truly appreciate you supporting Sludge Central as well, i.e the occassional videos, the less frequent posts, the Sammi Curr swag and other product releases here and there. It’s beyond awesome of you! I wish you Happy Holidays and a kickass new year that is exponentially better than the current one!
It’s so hard to believe that the holidays are here are already. This year has obviously been abysmal for so many reasons, so The Purple Stuff Podcast is here to at least give you some good holiday feels. We’ve covered Thanksgiving Parades of the past on the show before, but this time we opted to go a little more modern. 2001 seemed like a perfect choice. The Tri State area was still in mourning after 9/11, NYC especially. What made this parade significant, was not only that it marked the 75th anniversary of the parade itself, but also the fact that the show went on despite the devastation that occurred in September. The idea was to come together with the American spirit at a difficult time and try to enjoy this annual tradition.
I watch the parade every year. As a person who isn’t the most hardcore Thanksgiving fan, the parade is a must for me, in fact, it’s not Thanksgiving without it. I could easily do without Turkey and Sweet Potatoes, but not without the parade. In the long lineage of the Macy’s Parade, this is one of the standouts, a show filled with a ton of uplifting, positive vibes.
In this episode, Matt from Dino Drac and I feast on a few of our favorite moments from the parade. It’s a given that these choices are probably not what you’d expect, well, aside from WWE, that’s an obvious selection. We’re also discussing Usher, Kenny G, Tim Curry and Pikachu!
Listen on your favorite podcast app, or click the link above. Thanks so much for all of your support throughout the years, it’s very much appreciated. We wouldn’t be able to do the show without you!
As the Halloween season enters the home stretch, The Purple Stuff Podcast is back with a new episode that will surely bring Halloween memories flooding back. In our new episode, Matt from Dinosaur Dracula and I break down the fine details of the original broadcast of Garfield’s Halloween Adventure from October 1985. Although it was the first airing of Garf’s special, it also served as a lead-in to the annual tradition It’s The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown. Not only do we get into the specials themselves, but also the commercials that aired during the breaks.
This is the perfect time capsule to October 1985. Considering these are two of the most iconic animated Halloween specials ever, it doesn’t get much more festive for Halloween than this. Join us to hear about Linus’ badassery, Binky’s workout regimen, a hot theme song for sandy cereal, and a TRU commercial that’s pure Halloween eye candy. This is a fun one and we hope you enjoy it. You can check it out wherever you listen to podcasts, i.e Spotify, Apple Podcasts etc. Thanks for being a part of the spooky season with us and have a Happy Halloween!
If you would like to support The Purple Stuff Podcast you can visit Patreon.com/PurpleStuff where we post monthly bonus episodes!
I feel ridiculous typing here every so often that the time flies by so fast. Whenever I actually do post, it certainly feels like we’re in light speed. Can you believe that this is the 5th installment of The Purple Stuff Podcast’s Christmas Songs show? It’s the holiday season and everyone is bracing themselves for that high level of family interaction, those often awkward gift situations, and way more food that any normal human being should be ingesting. All I can say is thank God for Tequila 🙂
Naturally, I’m half joking. I do enjoy the most wonderful time of the year, although with each year that passes, the holidays aren’t the holidays without the TUNES! To me, music makes the holidays. You’re well familiar with my love for Halloween music hence the annual Spooky Songs shows that Dinosaur Dracula and I do. Think about it though, can you really picture a wonderful December day close to the 25th where you’re in an ugly Christmas sweater sipping egg nog from a Marty Moose mug and you DON’T have imaginary eight notes and quarter notes from Christmas songs subtly dancing on air around the room?
This year we delve even deeper into our playlists. We’re presenting 10 songs that deserve some airplay on your bluetooth speaker this year. You’ll hear everything from Glow Worm Wackyness to Home Alone 2 hilarity on this episode. There’s no better week to listen to our Christmas songs show than right now!
Thank you for listening to the podcast and coming to this website. We truly appreciate your support! Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you and your family! We look forward to more fun in 2020. Also, a very special thank you to all of our PATRONIES! You guys are the absolute best! *If you are interested in supporting the show you can get a monthly bonus show at Patreon.com/PurpleStuff
It’s really unbelievable that every year it feels like the holidays just sneak up on us out of nowhere. I think it’s that we’re all so wrapped up in the daily grind that we forget what’s coming! It just hit me now that in a few short days I’ll be able to eat all kinds of pies that I wouldn’t ordinarily come within 5 feet of! Thanksgiving is the ultimate cheat day. To help you pause and take it all in, The Purple Stuff Podcast is here and is zero calories. You can even go back for seconds, guilt-free! Join us for our Thanksgiving show where Matt and I discuss some of the highlights from the 1990 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.
As we have discussed on the podcast many times, these parades are a super important aspect of the holidays to us. Some consider the tree lightning in Rockefeller Center the kickoff of the holidays, but for me, Santa’s entrance in the parade signals the official start of Christmas. And let me say that 1990 might sound like a totally random choice, but it’s so not. I still feel like I’m 20 so it’s easy to forget that’s before a lot of you were born so I’m going to ask you to trust us on this one, it’s quite a memorable parade broadcast. Most of these parades usually have a few “special” moments, but this one seemed to have way more than we expected.
We had a blast recording this one and we hope you enjoy it as well. I also want to take this time for an extra jumbo sized sentiment of appreciation to you as we approach THANKSGIVING! We couldn’t do it without you. I am very grateful to those of you who come back here to read my infrequent posts, watch my annual videos, and of course listen to the podcast, it means the world to me. Enjoy Thanksgiving and try to savor all the details, like how amazing Mom’s stuffing is (let her know) and sip the Cranberry Ginger Ale SLOWLY and notice how its fine subtle yet tart tones bounce around in your mouth.
Matt and I are getting into the Christmas spirit on a new episode of The Purple Stuff Podcast with our look at some of our favorite Christmas Commercials of all time! Check it out wherever you prefer to listen to podcasts! Also, we are on Patreon where we bring you a monthly bonus exclusively for our Patronies!
Ready or not, the holidays are here. To say that I am ill-prepared is an understatement. In the plus column though, a new episode of The Purple Stuff Podcast is on deck and all set to be fired up. Whether you are baking cookies, cleaning the house, or getting some last minute shopping done, whatever you find yourself doing you can make this episode your accompaniment since it’s Christmas cheer for your ears.
In this episode, me and Matt explore various Christmas customs that we’ve taken part in through the years. We talk about foods we look forward to each year, stuff we watch, and in my case, a special recurring piece of clothing. Nothing beats reminiscing during the holidays over a cup of egg nog (It’s good, it’s good.) At first, I didn’t realize that I had so many little traditions until I really sat and thought about it. It turns out that I have quite a few and at least 3 or 4 didn’t even make the cut! Do you have any Christmas traditions that you find yourself doing every Christmas season?
If you are here reading this, I want to take this opportunity to thank you for reading, listening, and watching my various endeavors. It means a lot to me that you take the time and show your interest here. My blog began to become a ghost town the past couple of years but as indicated in the pretty recent past, I am easing back into things. Who knows what 2019 will bring in terms of unexpected events, but either way I am still keeping this trash heap alive mark my words!
Chances are this may be the last post of the year (If I have time, I might post something quick) so I hope you enjoy the holidays and get to spend them with your loved ones. As much as I prefer my solo solitude, being with my friends and family during Christmas time is what it’s all about. There’s literally no other thing I’d rather do during this season than just hang out with the important VIP people in my life. I’m very grateful and appreciative of all of you! Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! Now go listen to that new episode ya’ filthy animals!
Christmas Wonderland at Maple Leaf Farms, Route 9 South, Manalapan, NJ
Finding quirky and offbeat stuff to do for Halloween seems to be super easy for me. Christmas on the other hand, there doesn’t seem to be nearly as much going on. It’s ironic to think about because Christmas is such a mega holiday in terms of spending and venturing out to holiday themed events with the fam. As you may have guessed, I’m not really one for the typical nonsense. For example, I ice skated once in my life and although I didn’t bust my ass, I felt like any second I could plummet into the darkest regions of hell. It was not fun. Sliding around in circles on ice, while balancing on a thin, sharp blade is not my idea of fun, especially in the cold. Going to see the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree is always an annual “must” for locals, but I’ve been there, done that a million times. Nowadays it’s even more of a hassle because the vicinity around the tree is so crowded with tourists, and as crotchety as that makes me sound, it’s even worse than you could imagine. I get claustrophobic in crowds and it isn’t just there, Manhattan in general during the holidays that gets overwhelmingly packed with people. So not my jam.
I had way more fun lounging on the couch sipping Diet Cranberry Ginger Ale and watching The Christmas Chronicles on Netflix than I could ever have battling holiday traffic and crowds. Ugh, such nonsense! If I sound like Scrooge, then I can’t argue. Recently, an esteemed colleague at work affirmed this very sentiment for me. She told me that during the holidays she goes away to Florida to her summer home (must be nice!) and for the entire stretch of the season she relaxes with her husband and they literally don’t do a damn thing except snack and watch movies on the couch. She went even deeper to declare that is what the holidays are all about for her. Not to beat a dead horse, but I recently learned that my co-host on The Purple Stuff Podcast, Matt from Dino Drac, feels the exact same way.
While I always consider myself a champion of vegetating on the couch whenever possible, conversely I may be a bigger proponent of devising elaborately stacked plans of themed things to do. What can I say? Points of interest pique my interest and Clark Griswold has always been one of my idols. Maximizing the fun is one of my main objectives in life.
I didn’t want to piss this holiday season away without some actual merry making. After a lot of useless Googling, it felt like finding a unique, Christmassy thing to do in Jersey was becoming hopeless. But, right around the moment when I was about to give up, we drove passed Maple Leaf Farms on the way home one night. I noticed a sign that said “Christmas Wonderland,” as I swung an abrupt General Lee style turn into the parking lot. The building’s exterior is similar to any other run of the mill country store, except for being adorned with an over-sized, inflatable Santa Claus. The best part about this is that I had no idea what to expect inside. Would it be a bunch of crafts, wooden soldier centerpieces, and cinnamon sticks OR would we be delighted by a decked out display of endearing decor? That sentence was Heavy on the D.
Watch the video to see what I discovered inside the Christmas Wonderland. If you don’t have 5 minutes to spare, it was a sight to behold and totally lived up to its namesake! This traditional walk through, accompanied by a laid back Christmas playlist running throughout the space, is comprised of animatronics that the proprietor has rescued from old store window displays, malls, and various other means. He restored them superficially as well as their electronic components inside that made them seem magically alive in their heyday. It’s like he is a human droid factory. After speaking with him about his undying attention to detail and his commitment to the Christmas spirit, his goal was creating a vintage Christmas vibe and he succeeded, and then some.
My nostalgia needle was off the charts in this place. In a world of Nintendo Switch and Occulus Rift, these old school animatronic characters may not bowl a lot of you over since our technology expectations are so far beyond them, but these are the kind of novelties that I absolutely love to gaze at. My affection for them can be likened to why I love the old Telco Motionettes. Those were like the home versions of these little dudes! Inside the Wonderland, the snowmen move in slow motion, Goofy’s arm goes up and down, and there’s even a little tribute to the time Santa conquered those Martians! Snow covered Christmas trees are set up in every corner and adorning the pipe and draped halls leading to each next display were actual Christmas themed product ad posters from the old days bestowing that extra spoonful of authenticity. Just when you think it’s over, the finale leads you to a BIG room with the BIG jolly man himself. That’s right, pictures with Santa are included with your minimal entrance fee.
Experiencing this throwback to simpler times was a much needed little break from the world. Take the family on a little drive to Manalapan, NJ down route 9 for a dose of Christmas cheer before the season is out and see for yourself. There’s a TON of heart and LOADS of Christmas spirit poured into this and making it a success will ensure that it continues every year!
In an effort to make your spirits bright, here’s a new episode of The Purple Stuff Podcast! The Christmas season is in full swing and that means me and Dino Drac are bringing you our 4th set of holiday song choices! We spent countless hours forming this merry mix of tunes and we hope you enjoy it. In this episode we’ve got some classics and some newer favorites, but all are quite “interesting” in their own ways. Twisted Sister, Britney Spears, and The Chipmunks are just a few of the artists featured in this episode. Refill your eggnog and enjoy! If you haven’t done so yet, please subscribe, or leave a rating if you can! Also, we are now on Patreon so if you would like to subscribe you can gain access to our exclusive monthly show that goes directly to our supporters! Thank you for reading and listening!
