Become a Creator today!Start creating today - Share your story with the world!
Start for free
00:00:00
00:00:01
It's Gonna Be an X Christmas! PART 2
12 Plays3 months ago
Podcasting is hard! But we talked so much about Christmas that we had to make this special bonus Part 2 episode now with 10% Real Boxing Day Facts! Now you're probably wondering why we would spend so much time talking about Boxing Day, and we wondered that too! So we'll play a really hard game and laugh some more and we promise next week we'll talk about cartoons! So subscribe already!
Recommended
Transcript
A Christmas Surprise
00:00:00
Speaker
Hello, I don't know if this is too late but my toy story is I wanted I was obsessed I was about seven years old I was obsessed with getting a dog that came with its own brush that was a big deal to me for some reason and it was a Pekingese and
00:00:20
Speaker
We were at my grandmother's house and it was a gift from my grandmother and it was kind of the last gift under the tree sort of thing. And um everybody was watching me and I opened it up and it was a box labeled with a Phillips toaster. And fighting back tears, I held it for everybody to see saying, look everybody,
00:00:49
Speaker
I got a toaster. And then um after the laughter had subsided, I opened it and there was in fact my Pekingese stuffed dog with its own brush.
Introducing Yabba Zonkers Winx
00:01:05
Speaker
Welcome to Yabba Zonkers Winx, the Saturday morning podcast where your host Josh Downing, that's me, will yap with guests about their awesome Gen X childhood. You know, in front of the TV, in pajamas, eating bowls of crunchy sugar. I'm a Gen Xer toy collector, theater creator, and now podcast host with a series on pop culture stuff. You know, all that awesome cool stuff from the 70s and 80s, like cartoons and toys and TV shows.
00:01:32
Speaker
If you remember the Jetsons or HR Puff and Stuff or the Groovy Goolies, well, you're on the right channel. This very special first episode will be a tribute to Christmas and the memories of television specials and the toys we circled in the Sears Wishbook and snacks that kept us in a sugar high for the entire holiday season. So put on your fluffy slippers and your cowboy pajamas and join us on a Saturday morning sleigh ride through our childhood.
Episode Split Announcement
00:02:06
Speaker
Hey listeners, welcome back. I want to stop first of all to say thank you to Michelle my GenX pal for sharing that amazing Christmas memory. It's, you know, often tearful, but also joyful. And it's so amazing that we had those kinds of memories. So yes, thank you for coming back. We had so much to talk about that we had to split this episode into two parts. So we're going to jump right back in where we left off and listen to the fun.
Toy Game Introduction
00:02:34
Speaker
in anyways We're going to play one more game before we before we end this episode. We're going to play a game called Keep Toss Cell. Did that work? Did you hear that? I heard them. But what was the first one? Was it a kiss? It's a kiss. That's the key. OK. And the recycle bin was the toss. Yeah. And then the cells, the cash register. Yeah, absolutely heard that. OK, so the way this works, I'm going to I'm going to give you a toy. Now, I did some research because I wanted to find some really interesting toys. um I'm going to Give you a toy and you tell me if you would keep it because you're like, that's really cool. Toss it. Cause you're like, wow, that's just a piece of junk or sell it for medium bucks. And I don't say big bucks, but you know, you never know, but sometimes you're disappointed when you try to sell things. This is true. and Totally. As we have both experienced. Yes. Yes. I'm looking at you. kajijin ah Totally. Okay.
The Valuable Robin Toy
00:03:25
Speaker
From Batman and Robin. o It's a Robin.
00:03:28
Speaker
1960 wind up tin figure made in Japan by Tata. Um, not only do I keep that, I worship it under glass immediately. So thank you for quote unquote, giving me that toy because that is going to the grave with me because Robin rocks. That is awesome. that i i When I saw this toy, I'm like, Oh, definitely that's a keeper. Oh yeah. Here's the thing.
00:03:59
Speaker
One sold last year for over 22,000 US dollars. Isn't that something? Like, was it in decent shape? It was in mint condition. Wow. This thing was beautiful. The picture was just, it looked like it just came off the the factory line. Wow. So yeah, it was worth it, but man, that's crazy bucks. That is, we should talk about what's the most we've ever spent on something in another episode
Water Wiggle's Surprising Worth?
00:04:25
Speaker
of you. All right. For sure.
00:04:28
Speaker
I'd have to think about mine, but yeah. i Oh no, I know exactly what it is. There you go. Okay, next up, keep, toss or sell, water wiggle.
00:04:39
Speaker
1970 still in the box. Is that like an outdoor lawn toy? Yes. It's one of those things you connect to your garden hose and it's got a little short hose and then a little sort of bucket. And then the water comes up and it sprays around so you can run through it like a sprinkler. Yeah. How about I donate it rather than toss it? Is that, is that okay to have a fourth? that's kind of a toss okay cause Toss the, whatever you called it, water wiggle.
00:05:07
Speaker
All right. Yeah. add do yeah with gentile But you'll be disappointed to know that one just sold for over $2,000. Well, that's just crazy. So you just threw $2,000. So that's like what? $20,000 Canadian. I could have put a, yeah, I could have put a deposit down on a cool Robin with that money. Totally put your deposit down. Or put it on layaway.
Lord of the Rings Nostalgia
00:05:33
Speaker
Okay. Here's one more for you. Lord of the rings, 1979 Knickerbocker toys, Frodo's horse. Is that, uncovered is that the, like from the movie, the animated movie? Yeah, it would have been from the animated booth. Was it Tom Bluth? Um, I saw that movie, uh, for all you locals, I saw that movie, at the Scarborough town center.
00:05:57
Speaker
And my mom was kind enough to take me to that. And she got this big thing of popcorn. And the minute the movie started, she dropped the whole thing oh and just was not a happy camper through the rest of the movie. So yeah, so bad memories. um But yeah, i'm not a I'm not a fan. I appreciate that they made toys. um But yeah, oh I'll sell that one. I think that's probably my answer. yeah Good choice, because also if if I'd thrown in the Frodo figure on an unpunched card, you'd be talking over four grand. Wow. Yeah. Yeah. Are they still on the peg at Zeller's? No. Totally.
00:06:41
Speaker
I don't think they ever got here because I never saw those. I would have been really excited. oh yeah a Good point. yeah We might not have had them. We got used to these things over the years because you see them at shows or something, but yeah I don't know that they were really here at retail. No, I would not have seen those at all.
Sharing Christmas Memories
00:06:56
Speaker
They probably weren't. My Lord of the Rings memory was my dad took me to that and my dad never took me to movies. That was not a thing that we did. Not Disney movies? No. no we Funny story.
00:07:11
Speaker
When we were growing up, my, my parents would often just drop us off at the theater. Okay. Right. And then say, we'll see you later. And who knows where they went. Maybe they went out dancing or went out for some dinner or something, but they would just ah often drop. And I was the oldest of three kids and I would sort of, you know, take my two little sisters and we would go to see like, you know, Sleeping Beauty or Snow White. Okay. Sorry. I have to interrupt. Did you know that sleeping Sleeping Beauty is playing here, the Disney one, in a couple of weeks. I think it's December 20th or something like that. Anyway, I forgot to tell you. Okay. Well, I've got to go i got to find that now. Yeah. Yeah. Anyway. tell my That's one of my favorite Disney films. It's so incredibly beautifully animated.
00:07:59
Speaker
you know, if you're a fan of that style and I am, it's just, it's beyond perfect. And the character designs and, you know, the Maleficent dragon scene at the end, the you know, that particular actress, like just, it's, it's a masterpiece. And I'm sorry that it's as underappreciated as it is. Yeah, no, I totally agree. So back to my Lord of the rings story. My dad took me to see Lord of the rings because I think he, I might've said something like, Oh, I'd like to see that.
00:08:29
Speaker
because I had read the books and I was pretty excited. And so he took me to see that and I thought it was the weirdest thing in the world. oh I loved that movie. My dad hated it, of course. ah And, uh, it just wasn't his kind of thing. He's, he's an action figure. He's an action movie kind of guy. It's a long movie, isn't it? or am i wrong Fairly long, but it's because it's animated. It's, it's a little more difficult. And it was done in, in that, um, that style where they used real actors. So the movements are really fluid rotoscope. Is that what it's called? Yeah. rooscope Yeah. It was really cool to watch it. I'd never seen anything like it. It was just incredible. But just the fact that I got to see, you know, Lord of the rings on the screen was really incredible.
00:09:11
Speaker
but I never saw the toys, so they probably never made their way to Canada, which which is too bad. So if if listeners, if you knew that they came to Canada, that's a great thing you could you could mention. You can send me a note um on my Instagram site. That is genex4life underscore podcast. So that's genex number four underscore podcast um on Instagram and send me a note and just say, hey,
00:09:41
Speaker
I saw those toys. I loved those toys. I had the whole Lord of the Rings collection or whatever Christmas memory you have, that'd be really cool to hear about.
White Christmas Sentimentality
00:09:49
Speaker
Okay, one more for you, Tyler. Okay, I'm ready. One more. This is a special Christmas thing. This is a Christmas ornament. Uh-oh. Keep, toss, or sell. Okay. Limited Edition, Radco, White Christmas, movie ornaments with Bing, Rosemary, Danny, and Vera. Is that one that you own?
00:10:10
Speaker
No, I don't. I've never even seen this. This is really cool. They're they're actual glass ornaments. They're figural ornaments of the cast from White Christmas. Well, without having seen them, I would still say keep because White Christmas is another masterpiece. I can't say enough. I just got the 4K and I'm saving it till maybe Christmas Eve or the night before.
00:10:34
Speaker
um because I know it's it's just going to be beautiful to watch, and that's another Christmas tradition that just, you know, i i I have to share, I don't have to, I'll share that, you know, I don't understand the appeal of elf, I don't understand the appeal of Christmas vacation, um but the classics for me, you know, is what it's all about.
00:11:02
Speaker
you know, adults acting maturely, living adult lives and, you know, going to clubs at night and having dinner, you know, that's, uh, that's just a, a, a time that was just so elegant and so romantic. And so what's the word I want,
Entertainment: Then vs. Now
00:11:22
Speaker
Josh? It's so, um, and everybody dressed and, you know, it was just high society, but it was affordable maybe for some, for not just those at the top. I'm rambling, so maybe edit that. Sorry. No, it's okay. It's all good. It's all good. But I totally get what you're saying. like it was you know it It's beautifully captured. It's it's a sweet story.
00:11:46
Speaker
you know it's I, everybody in it just felt like they were having so much fun. It's yeah. Like it, it just, it takes a lot of boxes and I appreciate that it's fantasy, you know, but it's got, you know, it's got urban, it's got country, you know what I mean? It's got trains, you know, it's just, it's got musical dance numbers. Oh, the dancing, like I had to watch to see, is it just one take when it's the two of them,
00:12:15
Speaker
you know, um, only when we're dancing. I can't think of the name of the song. oh yeah I feel bad. Um, but it's just like, no, there is an edit in there because I just think, my God, how did you do it? And were you forced to take 50 takes? Like who knows? But it's just, we don't have that kind of entertainment anymore. You know, and I appreciate it. It's not everybody's thing, but I don't know. To me, nothing good came after 1979 except the internet. So Anything old is perfect. And that was, and that was a wait. We had to wait 20 years for that. Exactly. Yeah. Yeah. And I wouldn't want to live without it and I'm very grateful for it, but I just think.
00:12:55
Speaker
a whole lot of good hasn't happened since then. There's still lots of good. we still We're still making awesome memories. yeah well i want to I want to say thank you. like i'm This is such a thrilling thing for me, this this whole podcasting stuff. I'm really excited. I want to thank Tyler for being here and and getting most of the the trivia questions right.
00:13:17
Speaker
Oh, it's all a blur now. I'll have to listen back. I'm just sitting here waiting for my prize. Yeah, exactly. i And you know what? Thank you listeners. i This has been a great experience and we hope you come back and subscribe.
Sears Wishbook Disappointment
00:13:30
Speaker
um You can check check me out on Instagram, as I said, genex4life.com.
00:13:37
Speaker
Um, send me your notes and me your Christmas memories. Send me things that, you know, uh, thoughts on your favorite toy or what didn't you get it, uh, from this year's Christmas wish book. Cause that's a big one. Okay. Do we have time for the loaded thing? Okay. So I found out that.
00:13:55
Speaker
There may not have been a Santa Claus because when the Sears Wishbook 1980 came out and had the and entire line of the black hole, Migo figures available and Sears didn't follow through and Santa didn't follow through. That's when the heartbreak came. And so when I think of Sears Wishbook, I think about the 1981 or the 1980.
00:14:24
Speaker
catalog that had the only toys I cared about, including the ones that had never been released yet. And it was just going to be the best Christmas ever. If you couldn't get them at Sears, that's okay. Cause Santa Claus would deliver and it didn't happen. And that was, that was tough lessons,
Boxing Day Retail Chaos
00:14:43
Speaker
right? Tough lessons. And then to find out years later, all those figures were dumped in Canada somewhere. I think it was Kmart and I never saw them, but anyway, that's ouch.
00:14:54
Speaker
But like Josh, what are some of the topics you're going to talk about in in future episodes? we're We're going to talk more about some of our favorite TV shows, some of those live action shows that were so stuck in our heads. Lots more about cartoons. Those are all wonderful things. Yeah, we're going to talk more about toys. It's really it's it's about that Saturday morning experience. and and like I remember my Saturday mornings and and I remember how early I had to get up to make sure that I could get the prize out of the cereal box before my sisters. That was my whole strategy. And it worked. Did you have baking powder ready for all the Sunken Chips toys? Yep, to make sure they would sink. Yep, very good. And I had all my Winnie the Pooh bowl hangers. Yes, from Pooh. Yes, boxing day or favorite boxing day memory, but one that I have that basically guarantees that
00:15:52
Speaker
I pretty much don't go shopping on Boxing Day, is back in the day when I used to work retail, when Jacob Anix was around. I love that story. Anyway, so I had to work Boxing Day, first time ever working Boxing Day. And it was a day that I realized that people, your average good people, turn into monsters. Like people were just ripping things out of bins, throwing things, grabbing things, like just there was like this hunger to get the deal and it was just such an intense day that I was just like oh my god like I don't want to contend with that I don't want to be working on Boxing Day in that environment and I really don't want to go shopping um because yeah I just I thought it was just absolute mayhem so that's my Boxing Day story.
Boxing Day Traditions: True or False?
00:16:42
Speaker
Hey listeners, so I just want to say thank you to Natasha for that amazing Boxing Day memory and that's going to help us wrap up our Christmas episode. So we're going to talk a little bit more about this cultural event that most of us grew up with. So Tyler and I are going to play a true or false game to see what he knows about the mad day of shopping known as Boxing Day. Okay, so we're going to play a game.
00:17:06
Speaker
i um I collected some facts about Boxing Day because I thought it was kind of fun. And so this game is, this is the 26th, no wrongs or true or false game. So right so Tell me if this statement about boxing day is true or false. Um, it came from late Roman and early Christian era where Ohms boxes placed in churches were used to collect special offerings tied to the feast of St. Stephen. Well, that's a mouthful for you. You've just made up. So. Well, I could have, you know me. Yeah, ah I'm going to regret this, but I'm going to say false. No, that's actually true. That's that's one of the original one of the original origins. The Western Christian churches um also would would sort of do this day on on the second day of Christmastide, which is now called Boxing Day.
00:18:14
Speaker
ah So yeah, Christmas died. I think we should go back to calling it Christmas died. I think that's a better name for it. What's an interesting name? Don't know what it means. I'll have to look that one up. It keeps Christ in Boxing Day. yeah Sure does. Yes.
Boxing Day Around the World
00:18:31
Speaker
All right. True or false.
00:18:33
Speaker
uh there's a day called proclamation day and it's celebrated on the first weekday after christmas day or christmas day holiday in australia uh well they
00:18:53
Speaker
Folks help me out. Uh, call me at, um, well, let's all, I don't know. If I say true, I'm going to get burned. If I say false, I'm going to get burned. Let's go with false. No, this one is also true. owner let me take So boxing day is a public holiday except for the state of South Australia. And in South Australia, they have a public holiday and it's called proclamation day. And it's the day after Christmas day. And what does it mean?
00:19:22
Speaker
Uh, it's the same kind of thing. It comes from the same background. Um, but they also, they also use it for, um, like a special cricket match. And then there's also a yacht race that starts on Boxing Day because of course it's like hot and sunny in Australia. Yeah. That's what I was thinking. I'm like, so what does proclamation mean when it's sunny? I'm like, I don't know. Yeah. It means get out of the mall and go get some sun in your yacht. But the sharkies.
00:19:49
Speaker
Yes. the The very hungry shark. Christmas sharks. That's the Christmas tide. That's why it's called Christmas tide. Yeah, that's right. Because in comes the tide and in comes the chomp thing. Okay. So true or false. This is a Canadian one. oh In New Brunswick, Boxing Day is a holiday listed as a prescribed day of reclamation.
00:20:15
Speaker
Well, at this point I'm going to have to say true. and but wrong He's laughing. I'm laughing. No, this one's false. what It's actually called the prescribed day of rest. It's actually a thing. It is a holiday in New Brunswick and it's called prescribed day of rest. They do. they It's very exhausting. It's very exhausting to be in in the Atlantic region. Okay.
00:20:41
Speaker
Because, you know, like they're still getting snowstorms up until like March. Yeah, that part's ridiculous. Yeah, no, I know, but that's ridiculous. It is also a ah stat holiday here in Ontario, where Toronto is. But it's not a stat holiday in other provinces. Isn't that weird?
00:20:59
Speaker
Yeah, that's a shame. Yeah. Like I, I can't stand how rushed it is in the States. You know, I feel so bad for everybody, you know, it' so at least here there's a bit of a break more than it seems there is in the States. Yeah. I, I, like I said, I know that I always worked boxing days and I was, you know, I was out in
Retail Work on Boxing Day
00:21:20
Speaker
BC at the time. So it wasn't time and a half for you out there then?
00:21:24
Speaker
yeah yeah there was there was a holiday pay but we still had to work because that was go into a bonus if you had to work it's like Yeah, but also kind of sucked. I mean, there was a lot of people that wanted to work because they wanted the extra money. So it was, it was always cool to just get up and do it, but it's also exhausting. You know, yeah, I want to work it, work it. If you don't, then you should be able to not work it. But anyway. Yeah, totally. Totally. Okay. So we got, we got one more here for you. and oh Um, is boxing day celebrated in the U S?
00:22:02
Speaker
That would be false, Josh. No, you are incorrect. oh what You knew nothing about Boxing Day. That's because I'm asleep. You have to give your... eight zerora oh youre ah What is it called now? Not Sam's Club. The Sam the Record Man card back.
00:22:24
Speaker
Yeah, no, actually there is a US state in Massachusetts. The governor there in 1996 declared that the December 26th is Boxing Day. Crazy. Yeah. Does it mean anything different for them?
00:22:41
Speaker
No, it's it's not an employee holiday. And it's really just about the English tradition. So it was just really about recognizing that that that British origin of that. But to other than that, nobody else celebrates it. And lot of in fact, a lot of people probably aren't even aware of what it is. So Boston has Boxing Day. Yeah. That's weird. Isn't that strange? well They would know what it is, but they probably wouldn't understand what you're supposed to do.
00:23:12
Speaker
Everybody was going to work. No, no, exactly. you're Like, no, I have to. My boss told me I got to go to work. Exactly. Okay. I do have one more. oh god Okay. So in New Zealand, Trinidad, and Tobago, Boxing Day is primarily known as an anti-shopping holiday, where so shops are closed and people are encouraged to spend time with family. Sure. True. That one is so made up. Really? Sounds legit for these times. No, it's actually a shopping holiday.
00:23:48
Speaker
shopping all day Yeah, it's kind of like Canada. It's like go and shop your brains out. day Okay. Yeah. It's a holiday, but you, they encouraged to go and do some shopping. Nice. Right. So it was more international. If all your shopping is done on your phone, that's so boring.
00:24:06
Speaker
Yeah, it's not the same. I think that's what's happened to these these kind of holidays is that, um you know, the internet and and having shopping on your phone in your pocket has sort of taken away that that excitement of going out and and getting some deals and beating some people up for a TV. Yeah, exactly. Oh, wait, we still have that. It's Black Friday.
Episode Wrap-up and Future Tease
00:24:28
Speaker
Which is now what, 18 Fridays? Well, and now we we have it here. You know, it took so long. I thought we'll never have it. And then, you know, we finally do. Well, Hey listeners, thanks so much for joining us in our very first Christmas episode and our very first episode of Yabba Zonkers Oinks. We are so excited to have you here. We really want you to come back and see us again next week. We're going to talk about animals in cartoons. I know it's called Animal Hijinks. Looking forward to seeing you there and have a great Saturday.
00:25:01
Speaker
You've been listening to Yaba Zonker Zoinks, a Gen X for Life podcast. Don't forget to subscribe so you don't miss any exciting episodes. You can reach out on Instagram at Gen X for Life podcast. That's Gen X number four life underscore podcast, or send an email at Gen X for Life podcast, all one word at gmail.com. I'd love to hear about your favorite Gen X Saturday morning memory. Maybe a favorite toy or the cereal you just couldn't wait to tear into.
00:25:31
Speaker
Until then, have a yabba zonkers wings day and I'll be back right and early next Saturday morning.