In this show recorded live on January 5, 2017 at San Francisco’s Castro Theatre, Josh and Chuck delve into the history and the heyday of the church of consumerism and what it means for local communities and our capitalist society at large when malls die.
AI Summary
# Stuff You Should Know: The Mall
Josh and Chuck dive deep into the fascinating history and cultural impact of the American shopping mall, tracing it from ancient Rome's Trajan's Market all the way through to the mall's golden age in the late 20th century. They explore how Austrian architect Victor Gruen revolutionized retail with the enclosed, climate-controlled mall concept at Minnesota's Southdale in 1956, inadvertently creating one of the most powerful social spaces in American culture. The episode explores everything from the mall's peak as a gathering place for families and teenagers in the 70s, 80s, and 90s to the surprising phenomenon of mall walkers and the iconic stores and restaurants that defined mall culture, while touching on how malls have evolved in the modern era.
Back to the Future
1985
1h 56m
★ 8.3
"The Twin Pines Mall from Back to the Future. Which was actually the Puente Hills Mall. — Discussing the famous parking lot location from Back to the Future that was filmed at Puente Hills Mall."
— Chuck
Commando
1985
1h 30m
★ 6.7
"It also appeared prominently in Commando where Arnold Schwarzenegger beats up like a ton of guys at the mall. — Referencing famous mall scenes in movies filmed at Sherman Oaks Galleria."
— Chuck
"That's a joke from Fletch, if I'm not mistaken. I don't like Fletch. — Josh references a joke that comes from the movie Fletch."
— Josh
"On the podcast, Hey Dude the 90s called, David Lasher and Christine Taylor, stars of the cult classic show Hey Dude. — Mentioned in podcast advertisement at the beginning of the episode."
Night of the Comet
1984
1h 35m
★ 6.2
"Night of the Comet, you mentioned. Anyone? I remember seeing that as a kid. — Discussing a movie where survivors go to an abandoned mall after a comet destroys the world."
— Josh
Star Trek: The Next Generation
1987
★ 8.4
"Douglas Copeland, I don't know if any of you have read Generation X. It's a really great book. — While primarily a book, this is mentioned in context of Douglas Copeland's work; not a film/TV adaptation."
— Josh
The Blues Brothers
1980
2h 13m
★ 7.7
"The Blues Brothers had a very famous mall scene. They went through the Dixie Square Mall. — Mentioning a notable mall scene in this classic film."
— Chuck
Valley Girl
1983
1h 39m
★ 6.0
"You can't leave out Moon Unit Zappa, dude. She had a hit single, Valley Girl. — Referencing Moon Unit Zappa's contribution to valley girl culture, which is discussed in context of mall culture."
— Josh
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