The Latchkey Kids

Mar 03 2025 144 ep. 46 mins 19
The Latchkey Kids Podcast artwork

Relive the magic of growing up in the American suburbs during the 1980s with siblings Aaron Selbig and Dr. Amy Besler. Every week, Aaron and Amy shine a spotlight on cultural artifacts from the era while processing what it was truly like to grow up a latchkey kid. And maybe they'll talk about their parents' divorce. Things could get weird.

  Society & Culture
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Episode 143: Crime Spectacular, Part 2: Serial Killers

Mar 03 2025 58 mins  
The 1980s was truly the golden age of the serial killer. With no DNA evidence, interconnected police databases, or multitudes of cameras everywhere, deranged psychopaths like Joseph DeAngelo, Dennis Rader, and Jeffrey Dahmer were free to roam about the country, committing their heinous crimes while the rest of us worried about the Russians (see our recent episode about the Cold War

Episode 142: Crime Spectacular, Part 1: Totally 80s Crimes

Feb 17 2025 53 mins  
Who is the most 1980s criminal you can think of? Is it John Gotti of the Gambino crime family? Perhaps John DeLorean, with his penchant for flux capacitors and cocaine? Or are you more of a serial killer kind of person? Whatever your flavor of crime, McGruff the crime dog says you should listen to TLK's three-part Crime Spectacular, which kicks off this week with totally 80s cr

Episode 141: School Book Fairs

Feb 03 2025 49 mins  
OMG the anticipation of the school book fair ... counting the days until they opened the makeshift little bookstore in the cafeteria, begging mom to load you up with dollar bills like you were headed to a strip club, and THAT AMAZING ORDER FORM! Dive into the past and present of school book fairs this week with The Latchkey Kids!

Episode 140: The Cold War

Jan 20 2025 54 mins  
Dr. Amy had her doubts about this episode. "The Cold War is not FUN!" she said over and over. But you know what? This is unequivocally the MOST FUN podcast episode about the Cold War you are ever likely to hear! It has everything: sporting event drama, hit songs in the gorgeous German language, and the existential threat of nuclear annihilation! Relive the Cold War in all

Episode 139: Time Capsule: January 1985

Jan 05 2025 53 mins  
Do you remember what you were doing 40 years ago, in January 1985? While much of the country shivered under a historic cold snap that derailed plans for President Reagan's second inauguration, Madonna climbed to the top of the pop music charts. Jump into the Latchkey Kids time machine this week as we take an in-depth look at a frozen moment in time.

Episode 138: Infomercials

Dec 23 2024 53 mins  
There's a couple of days left before Christmas so you still have time to pick up a few last-minute gifts for your treasured loved ones. You know, something they'll love ... like the Thighmaster, or The Clapper, or the miraculous Flowbee vacuum-powered haircutting machine. These are products you can trust! And you know that's true because the TV is telling you it's true! But wait, t

Episode 137: 'Wallace & Ladmo' and Regional Kids TV Shows

Dec 09 2024 50 mins  
Did your city have a quirky, wacky local kids TV show that ALL the kids watched before school every morning? Did it feature a clown or a sheriff or a salty sea captain as its host? Growing up in metro Phoenix in the 1980s, Aaron and Dr. Amy had "Wallace & Ladmo," one of the longest-running regional kids shows in America and the source of the oft-envied but ne'er-possessed "Ladm

Episode 136: TLK Salutes Our Military, Part Two: Military Comedies

Nov 25 2024 46 mins  
This episode, which showcases a few classic 1980s comedy films that parody life in the military, is an official VERY SPECIAL EPISODE in several ways. First, it was recorded live in front of a studio audience, just like "The Facts of Life." Second, Aaron and Dr. Amy were in the same room together during the recording of this very special episode. And lastly, at the end of this very

Episode 135: TLK Salutes Our Military, Part One: War Movies

Nov 11 2024 49 mins  
The 1980s was a golden era for war movies. As veterans of the Vietnam War grew older and processed their experiences overseas, Hollywood tapped superstar directors like Oliver Stone and Stanley Kubrick to tell their amazing, harrowing stories. Join The Latchkey Kids as we salute our military with this two-parter about some of the greatest movies ever made.

Episode 134: Scandals

Oct 28 2024 59 mins  
Have you ever truly done anything SCANDALOUS? Did you lose your job/end up in the news/go to prison because you made a sex tape/committed fraud/insulted the Catholic Church? Well, if you haven't lived a scandalous life, tune in to this episode of The Latchkey Kids to hear about those brave trailblazers of the 1980s who put scandal before themselves!