"Whatever Happened to Pudding Pops?" Review

Reflectively, how old were you in the 1970s and 1980s? Were you a birth in one of those decades? Or perhaps you weren’t yet born? For those of you who remember the ‘70s and ‘80s well, did you ever enjoy pudding pops or marvel at the shag carpeting that ate doll shoes? Do you remember what Koogle is and did you ever eat Quisp cereal? How about record players? Do you have original Rock ‘Em Sock ‘Em Robots?

            If any of the above strikes a memory or two and suddenly you’re reminiscing about the ‘70s and ‘80s, you need to read “Whatever Happened to Pudding Pops?” (June 7, 2011) by Gael Fashingbauer Cooper and Brian Bellmont. Cooper was born and raised in the Twin Cities (now residing in Seattle), and Bellmont still lives there.

            It is not set up like a novel, but rather, as an itemized list of toys, tastes and trends that first came about in the two decades mentioned.  Some are still around and others were in and out before the next generation knew about them. Naturally, the authors didn’t write about everything and assure readers that if it’s not in the book, they still probably loved it, too. They either ran out of room or the writing deadline caught up with them.

            All items, which they refer fondly to as “childhood memories,” in this book are listed in alphabetical order. This makes it easy, for if you have a specific toy, taste or trend in mind, you can browse right through and see if it’s there. Occasionally the item is lumped. For example, ‘Rudolph’ and ‘Santa Claus Is Comin’ to Town’ aren’t their own listings, but grouped under ‘Rankin/Bass Stop-Action TV Specials’. Additionally, you won’t see ‘Sixteen Candles’, ‘The Breakfast Club’ or ‘Ferris Bueller’s Day Off’ listed by themselves, but instead under ‘John Hughes Movies’.

            Each childhood memory is affixed with an X-tinction Rating in which there are three rating types. They are self-explanatory: Gone for good; Revised and revived; and Still going strong. They may put in extra facts with the rating or add a Fun Fact. If it’s gone for good, they have tried to find what it was replaced by.

            I encourage anyone to read this. Whether you were in the brine of your youth in one or both of these decades or were a parent or grandparent, chances are you’ll be familiar with most – if not all – of these “memories.” Even for those who passed their childhoods in the ‘90s or in the current decade, I would guess there are a few items you would be familiar with. For example: who hasn’t had the candy known as Nerds? I don’t know exactly what it is about the tiny, tangy sweetness, but they are a favorite treat of mine, and I learned from this book that they were introduced in 1983. And who hasn’t watched a John Hughes movie or seen Benji? Eaten a Krackel bar? Or played Mouse Trap? And how many have ever owned a Trapper Keeper?

            Cooper and Bellmont incorporate fact and humor into their memories, so I hope that no one views this book’s cover and declares it boring. It is NOT. One of the memories I found really intriguing involves dark chocolate. I know not everyone is a fan of dark chocolate, but I am. In the 1970s, did anyone ever eat a Forever Yours? Despite its name, it is a candy bar. The name is gone, but the recipe is still used. What was it replaced by? Itself, but with a new name. Now, have any of you ever eaten a Milky Way Midnight (previously Milky Way Dark)? It uses the same exact Forever Young recipe. The authors call this bar “a candy Lazarus.”

            Whether you’re reading for amusement or reminiscence (or both) … Happy reading!