Author: David Buck

More Motel 6 — Y2K edition

Posted on by David Buck

Twenty years ago, the Y2K Millenium bug weighed heavily on our collective minds. It seems so far away in 2019. The same year Star Wars Episode I: the Phantom Menace arrived in theaters. “Weird Al” Yankovic‘s Running with Scissors album told the film’s story in great detail prior to the movie’s release. Al even mentions Y2K on the record (in “It’s All About the Pentiums,” if you were curious). The album received heavy airplay on The Dr. Demento Show that year—the only year I taped every single show off of the radio, commercials and everything. This recording came from one of my tapes.

Tom Bodett is in hilarious form here. Now that the threat of Y2K is looooooooooooooong since past (well, unless you have an older GPS, but that’s a different topic altogether). Without further ado, here’s my favorite radio commercial from that time of year. Watch it below:

 

 

“It makes sense to see the light at Motel 6…before it’s too late,” intones Tom Bodett in this Motel 6 radio spot from late 1999. It is certainly a relic of its time, so it is best to simply enjoy it for what it is. Nostalgia is truly is weird, isn’t it?

Motel 6 Commercials—Save a Buck

Posted on by David Buck

A little over a year ago, I wrote a piece for Tedium: the Dull Side of the Internet about Tom Bodett. You can read “Leavin’ the Light On” here. For that article, not only did I interview Tom Bodett, but I also did a deep dive into my radio show collection for the Bodett-voiced Motel 6 commercials I remembered hearing in my youth. Here is the first one.

Motel 6 — Save a Buck

In this spot, Tom tells us why a deer freezes when he sees headlights (“because he’s stupid”) and why you stop at Motel 6 when you see the light (“because you’re smart”). Enjoy this down-home slice of American advertising in glorious lo-fi below:

I’m always looking for new commercials to post to our YouTube channel and talk about over here, so stay tuned.

Looking back at Radio Shack

Posted on by David Buck

 

NW Space Logo.jpgWelcome back to Nostalgia Ward. Things have been slow around here, but we’ve dusted off some audio equipment and prepared an update. Today’s NW features one of our favorite defunct electronics stores—Radio Shack!

You’ve got questions. We’ve got answers.

The famous tagline of Radio Shack was prevalent throughout the nineties. While listening to some old radio show tapes this past year, I came across this 1995 radio commercial for the brand. This spot advertises a phone sale they were having at the time. Featuring a hilarious exchange between a man called Murray and his mother, we learn they could have won a large amount of money had they only owned a better phone. Certainly a bit outdated in this area of pocket computers (that can also make phone calls!), but that doesn’t render the spot any less hilarious.

 

 

Do you have an fond memories of Radio Shack? Please feel free to share them with us. We’ll be back soon (possibly) with more retro fun. If you have any suggestions or requests, we’ll see what we can do.

Welcome to The Nostalgia Ward

Posted on by David Buck

Nostalgia Ward is a podcast and web series that helps you remember the things you love with a mix of comedy, music and video. We also cover scale models, prop building and more! The channel is your one-stop shop for all your retro gaming, Dungeons & Dragons, interesting music and nostalgic video needs. So, hop on your hoverboard and ride the wave beam down into shark infested waters. Join us on a trip down memory lane right into…the Nostalgia Ward.

Paging Dr. Mario…

 

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