August 1989 Pop Culture: Charlie, Spike & Rockmelons
How many calories in every hamburger McDonald's has ever sold? Was Booker the right career move for Richard Grieco? All this and more is covered in What Now. Watch it has, among others, a correct rating for Do The Right Thing and a wildly unfair rating for The Tall Guy. Listen Up finds us divided on The Ramones' "Pet Sematary," but united on 10,000 Maniacs. Dave agrees that Billy Zane is One To...
52m Aug 09, 2022
52m
August 1989 Teen Life: Gambling, Cheerleading & Flings
Want to learn how grim a teen's journey into gambling addiction actually is? NO? Well, too bad, because Catherine's piece on Kim Cohen leads off the features in the August 1989 issue. We also cover cheerleading, summer flings, the intimate results of the recent Sassy readers' poll, and a short story about a girl short-circuiting her mom's affair with an electrician (see what we did there). But ...
58m Jul 26, 2022
58m
July 1989 Slumber Party: Social Conscience, Cinema Boycotts & Sun In
The July 1989 quiz invites us to rate our social conscience and then feel very smug about ourselves -- but do we? Then it's on to your calls, which are the usual chaotic mix, careening from the summer movies of yesteryear to the unexpected cautionary tale that is the Harry Connick Jr. vehicle Copycat to the works of Canadian YA author Gordon Korman, with many stops in between. Get into or out o...
45m Jul 12, 2022
45m
July 1989 Fashion Etc.: Vests, Dots & Polymers
The time has come to discuss the fashion (etc) of the July 1989 issue! We're back in Morocco for stories on colonial costume and culturally appropriative beauty! We're also doing vests and polka dots! We're learning how to stay safe in the sun! And we're...making a bandana cap? Or not! In the "etc" section, we're reviewing Jane's staff's review of her in Diary and commenting on the latest round...
1hr 7m Jun 28, 2022
1hr 7m
July 1989 Pop Culture: Robert, Reggae & Road House
The pop culture coverage of the July 1989 issue gets into a lot of different areas. The breakup of Johnny Depp's latest engagement? An offensive Guns N' Roses song? Censorship? A surprising amount of Ken Ober? What Now goes there! We also get reviews of Say Anything..., Road House, Boy George, and Julian Lennon, among many others. One To Watch tells us about Alex Désert, yet another young actor...
59m Jun 14, 2022
59m
July 1989 Teen Life: Family Vacations, Fiction Winners & The Northern Lights
You're not going to believe this, but the first feature of the July 1989 issue -- about getting through vacations with your family -- is not extremely depressing; it's merely somewhat worrisome if you read between the lines about maintaining harmony amongst everyone on the trip. In fact, there's hopefulness in all the features, which also include a visit to Navajo and Hopi girls on an Arizona r...
54m May 31, 2022
54m
Special: Change, Self-Care & You
Listen To Sassy is changing from a weekly podcast to an every-other-weekly podcast; let us tell you why. (And also tell you we love you.) QUICK LINKS 🗒 Full episode notes can be found on this episode's page on ListenToSassy.com (https://listentosassy.com/episode/070/) JOIN THE LTS CLUB AND GET THE GOODIES 📖 Full cover-to-cover magazine PDFs 💬 Chat with us and your fellow listeners on Discor...
12m May 24, 2022
12m
June 1989 Slumber Party: TV Trivia, Taco Bell & Tampons
It's one thing to test your TV trivia IQ today, when there are hundreds of networks and dozens of streaming platforms. It's quite another to test how well you can recall TV trivia that, at its most recent, is 33 years old -- but your co-hosts bravely attempt it with the June 1989 quiz, Rate Your TV Trivia IQ. (Which of us got a perfect score? The answer won't surprise you.) Then it's on to your...
40m May 17, 2022
40m
Special: Movie Commercials Of Summer 1989
Summer movie season is just around the corner, so for our latest special episode, we're traveling back 33 years to recall the summer movie season of 1989. We've collected a bunch of TV spots from that year's movie hits (and misses) and are sharing our memories of what we rushed out to see that June, July, and August...or what we just possibly happened to be on for a $2 Tuesday when we needed to...
51m May 10, 2022
51m
June 1989 Fashion Etc.: Marrakesh, Navy & The Return Of Bloomers
Want to dress like a John Waters protagonist, but only half the time? Risk abuse in a Muslim-majority country by flouting their standards of modest dress? Find a new way to confound your loved ones with bloomers? Give yourself a migraine with wildly complicated braids? The June 1989 issue is here for you! Our podcast on its fashion (etc.) also covers whether navy is basic; how young the cover m...
1hr May 03, 2022
1hr
June 1989 Pop Culture: Anthrax, Tiffany & Turtles
Have you ever wanted to: know what's in a lava lamp? Get Sassy to approve of your taste in music? Find out where Karen and Tiffany stand one year after the disaster that was Karen's attempted profile? What Now covers all of this and more. Watch It reviews The Dream Team and Troop Beverly Hills (among others), but which is the Hit and which is the Bomb? The answer may surprise you! Opinions are ...
1hr 2m Apr 26, 2022
1hr 2m
June 1989 Teen Life: Summer Jobs, Activists & Pimples On My Butt
The June 1989 issue starts with a downbeat feature to end all downbeat features: first-person accounts from survivors of incestuous child abuse. Fortunately, the rest of the issue keeps it light: Karen tells you how to land a summer job; Christina profiles young-adult activists; all the female staffers discuss where the best guys come from. Outside the features, there's blisters, butt pimples, ...
52m Apr 19, 2022
52m
May 1989 Slumber Party: Sleep, Skid Row & Psych!
Have you ever wanted to know how susceptible you may be to possibly developing an addiction to...anything? The May 1989 quiz -- Rate Your Addictability -- claims to tell you how worried you should be about it, but we think it just might be too vague. As always, it's a joy to move on to your latest voicemails on such subjects as supporting your local abortion providers; which hair metal bands we...
32m Apr 12, 2022
32m
May 1989 Fashion Etc.: Blush, Stress & Split Ends
Let's just say it's a May tradition to do a spread on day-glo swimsuits and a spread on white garments, because we got both of those in the May 1988 issue, and here they are again! There's also a spread that's reggae in fashion form, lessons on how to use blush, and tips to reduce stress -- or at least its effect on your looks -- that have not all aged particularly well. We go in on denim style...
1hr 5m Apr 05, 2022
1hr 5m
May 1989 Pop Culture: Matthew, Deborah & Breathe
The full complement of pop culture coverage returns for Sassy's May 1989 issue, PHEW. Following a What Now full of shrug items that read a lot like placeholders (what fell out?!), we're on to a very effusive Watch It, featuring Chances Are in the HIT slot and four-star reviews for Sing (not the one with animated animals) and Heathers. Listen Up vibes with Robyn Hitchcock and Elvis Costello's la...
44m Mar 29, 2022
44m
May 1989 Teen Life: Weightlifting, Shoplifting & What Guys Want
We're opening up a brand-new issue and discussing its Teen Life topics! What's it like to be a competitive weightlifter who is also female? Which camp should you go to...next year, since if you're reading recommendations in May it's too late for this summer? Do guys REALLY only want sex? And what kind of slang are they busting out in Boulder? All this and much more in our latest podcast -- the ...
1hr 2m Mar 22, 2022
1hr 2m
Special: TV Commercials Of May 1989
As poorly qualified as I am to uplift individuals and communities on a global scale to prescribe a course of action, I hope you will bear with me while I begin this sincere and earnest attempt. And please don’t get mad with me if, in doing so, I must rail against the pseudoscience that attempts—and continually fails—to prove that it is Major American Corporate Conglomerates’s moral imperative t...
23m Mar 15, 2022
23m
April 1989 Slumber Party: Nerds, Brainers & Epilady Disappointment
Declining to submit ourselves to the literal vocabulary quiz in the April 1989 issue of Seventeen, we launch straight into your calls. What is it like indoctrinating your kids into They Might Be Giants fandom? What were the smart kids called at your school? How does Dave make flavored powder stick to his popcorn? And what call prompts a deep dive on colored toilet paper? Listen to our latest Sl...
30m Mar 08, 2022
30m
April 1989 Fashion Etc.: Hats, Blurs & Swamp Swimsuits
It's a slimmed-down Fashion (etc.) issue this month, but we still find plenty to yell about in the features. Why aren't any of the photos in "Going Fast" in focus? What is aspirational about a swimsuit shoot in a swamp? Who are they trying to kid with this friggin' hat story? All this plus a bunch of new ads, a deep dive on Sassy Club and much much more in our latest episode! QUICK LINKS 🗒 Ful...
54m Mar 01, 2022
54m
April 1989 Pop Culture: Debbie Gibson, Tiffany & Peter DeLuise
Pop culture offerings are slimmed down this month -- everyone was tired after the big anniversary issue, perhaps! -- but there's still lots of What Now to discuss, from the death of Acid House to the Brady ladies to Axl Rose's tresses, and...everything in between? A remarkably effusive Watch It delivers four-star reviews to the likes of Criminal Law, The Return Of Swamp Thing, and Big Man On Ca...
56m Feb 22, 2022
56m
April 1989 Teen Life: Spring Break, Cliques & Bra Sizes
The April 1989 issue is a little stripped-down -- no fiction, no quiz -- but still gives us lots to chew on. Catherine's profile of Andi, a teen addict, left us with a lot of questions. Laura Norton heads to a Yonkers high school to get close to its cliques. Christina and Jane's trip to spring break in Daytona Beach might not have gone into enough detail on a vacation that sounds like our worst...
1hr 2m Feb 15, 2022
1hr 2m
March 1989 Slumber Party: Accutane, Epilady & Popsicle Bras
The March 1989 issue's quiz invited us to Rate [Our] Social Style, so we did -- and we were all a bit dismayed by the results that came back. Then we get to your latest calls, which run the usual gamut from adding on to previous callers' remarks, sharing hilarious high school memories, and uninhibited musings (thanks, NyQuil)! We love all of you, and we hope you love our latest roundup! QUICK L...
47m Feb 08, 2022
47m
March 1989 Fashion Etc.: Prom, Pool & Big, Beautiful Eyes
Your prom is going to be here before you know it, so the March issues of every magazine marketed to teen girls is going to be full of dress inspiration, and Sassy is no exception. But how effective is "Photo Finish" at making its looks seem aspirational? We've got critiques! The issue also tells you how to dress for pool (as in snooker), which blouses will look best with your underwear (???), h...
1hr 9m Feb 01, 2022
1hr 9m
March 1989 Pop Culture: Surfing, Beaches & Unprepared Interviewers
If there's one thread that runs through nearly all the pop cultural coverage of the March 1989 issue, it's writers acting like preparation is for nerds. Christina admits in a What Now item that she assumed U2 was an inspiration for The Go-Betweens when it was actually the other way around. Neill reviews Rain Man without knowing anything about it. Christina jumps in on the Nightmare On Elm Stree...
57m Jan 25, 2022
57m
March 1989 Teen Life: Shyness, New Orleans & Period Myths
We spend a lot of time talking about what Tara was doing in March 1989 -- at band camp for what would be the last time -- and then it's another jokefest about REGINA, perhaps because none of us is that excited about discussing a very long and journalistically very questionable article about "Young White Racists." But Karen's advice about "How To Ask The Time Without Hyperventilating" is nearly ...
56m Jan 18, 2022
56m
February 1989 Slumber Party: Alice, Change Rooms & Retainers
After we take the confounding February 1989 quiz -- How Romantic Are You? -- and share our results, we dive into your latest calls, and they are doozies. Your fellow listeners tell us their experiences with: the scary "real" "memoir" Go Ask Alice; innovations in cursing by the children of Somerville, Massachusetts; and the antisocial uses of retail fitting rooms. But by far the most calls we've...
52m Jan 11, 2022
52m
February 1989 Fashion Etc.: Flips, Clogs & Baths
What looks did Sassy hope you would looooooove for Valentine's? Catalogue deliveries, mismatched prints, flipped hair, and Birkenstocks, for starters. The issue also tells you how to bathe, how to be a model (or, more accurately, why it's probably not as cool as you think), what's in your hair products, what Jane's assistant does with her days, and more! Grab a handful of cinnamon hearts and jo...
1hr 5m Jan 04, 2022
1hr 5m
Special: Spot The Sassy
We are off for the holidays but bring you the Listen To Sassy x The Great American Pop Culture Quiz Show episode featuring three LTS listeners testing their Sassy and Sassy-era knowledge! Featuring guests judges Tara and Pam! QUICK LINKS 🗒 Full episode notes can be found on this episode's page on ListenToSassy.com (https://listentosassy.com/episode/049/) JOIN THE LTS CLUB AND GET THE GOODIES ...
54m Dec 28, 2021
54m
Special: Sassy Era TV Commercials
It's Christmas, so in lieu of a regular episode, we've filled your stocking with a whole stack of TV commercials from 1988 and 1989 -- because what's more appropriate for the holidays than jingles? God bless us, everyone! (Especially 1988 Matt LeBlanc and his Cherry 7UP spot.) QUICK LINKS 🗒 Full episode notes can be found on this episode's page on ListenToSassy.com (https://listentosassy.com/e...
51m Dec 21, 2021
51m
February 1989 Pop Culture: DeLuise, Milano & LeBlanc
While the reviews and What Now items educate us about peace signs and future druid Julian Cope, it's two real Italians and a fake one who get the most attention. Peter DeLuise returns in a What Now blurb about a bad Valentine's Day; Alyssa Milano succeeds in convincing Catherine that she is not "stupid" (that's Catherine's word, not ours!); and One To Watch notches another win with future Frien...
45m Dec 14, 2021
45m
February 1989 Teen Life: Swimming, Braces & How To Tell If Someone Likes You
XXXOOO, says the February 1989 spine line, and the issue is full of Valentine's spirit...but first we need to talk about Christina's article on unhoused teens in New York. THEN we can get to her 12 DEFINITIVE ways to tell if a guy loves you, as a treat. (What He Said flips the question by asking a panel of dudes how they can tell when a girl likes THEM.) There's also another short story by the ...
1hr 1m Dec 07, 2021
1hr 1m
January 1989 Slumber Party: Mom Breasts, Swear Loopholes & Period Bears
Our callers have a lot to say about our most recent episodes, including talking back to previous callers. The best way to shave legs? Setting makeup with hairspray? We're getting feedback on the feedback! We also discuss the difference between GPAs from 1989 to the present, Afterschool Specials on YouTube, scandalous doings in the Merry Go Round dressing rooms, and so much more -- including a c...
47m Nov 30, 2021
47m
Special: Prove How Well You Know Sassy
We've carefully read 11 issues of Sassy so far, but how much information have we actually absorbed? For this special episode, Tara puts her co-hosts' memories to the test in a no-stakes trivia quiz! QUICK LINKS 🗒 Full episode notes can be found on this episode's page on ListenToSassy.com (https://listentosassy.com/episode/045/) JOIN THE LTS CLUB AND GET THE GOODIES 📖 Full cover-to-cover maga...
23m Nov 23, 2021
23m
January 1989 Fashion Etc.: Menswear, Pajamas & The National Teen-Ager Foundation
The holiday parties of late 1988 are behind us: time to hunker down for the long, long winter in pajamas and layered white leggings, sweaters, and shawls! If you simply MUST go out, why not remix your wardrobe with some menswear pieces borrowed from your boyfriend, or possibly your much, MUCH taller dad? There's also tips on achieving pretty hands, faking long lashes, and a future movie cutie h...
59m Nov 16, 2021
59m
January 1989 Pop Culture: Mary Stuart Masterson & Wacko Entertainment Poll Results
The pop culture topics of the January 1989 issue cover a lot of ground, from a sad update on June 1988 child genius profile subject Adragon DeMello to the movie Patrick Swayze's doing instead of a Dirty Dancing sequel (it's only ROAD HOUSE!!!), five-star reviews for two very dark movies, and a sweet profile of Mary Stuart Masterson. But there's also a lot of snarking at the stars! Duran Duran's...
54m Nov 09, 2021
54m
January 1989 Teen Life: Tattoos, Teen Dads & The First-Ever Sassiest Girl In America
3, 2, 1, HAPPY NEW YEAR! It's 1989, and we're kicking off our coverage of the January issue by talking about its Teen Life topics. What's teen pregnancy like for the dads? Why is your body going wacko? How did Christina survive an Outward Bound rafting trip? And who was named the very first Sassiest Girl In America? (Okay, the cover kind of gives that one away.) There's also What He Said about ...
1hr 8m Nov 02, 2021
1hr 8m
December 1988 Slumber Party: Honesty, New Jersey & Caboodles
We hope you brought your sleeping bag because it's Slumber Party time! Your co-hosts share their results from the December 1988 quiz -- How Honest Are You? -- and then play some of the most recent voicemails left on our hotline (720-SASSY-GO -- just program it into your phone and call us whenever the spirit moves you!). What memories did our episodes dislodge in the minds of your fellow listene...
42m Oct 26, 2021
42m
December 1988 Fashion Etc.: Marilyn, Layers & Spa Treatments
The fashion (etc.) of the December 1988 issue features one spread inspired by the style of Marilyn Monroe, and another that shows you how to layer to stay both cute AND warm! There's also a story that we might say culturally appropriated the Roma people, except (a) that's not the word in the headline and (b) the interpretation is pretty loose. There are also step-by-step instructions on getting...
1hr 7m Oct 19, 2021
1hr 7m
December 1988 Pop Culture: Tom Waits, Jason Bateman & R.E.M.’s Green
Time to unwrap another holiday-season podcast, this time about the pop culture topics of the December 1988 issue! What Now serves up smog, some Sassy superfan sisters, a book giveaway, what the stars want for the holidays, and "grotty"! Reviews include R.E.M.'s Green (featuring a legendary gaffe by our fearless leader Jane), Mystic Pizza, Clara's Heart, Bon Jovi's New Jersey, and Tom Waits's Bi...
53m Oct 12, 2021
53m
December 1988 Teen Life: Smoking, Preachers & Persimmons
It's time for festive fun with the December 1988 issue, and that means...kicking off with a real bummer of a Catherine story about two teen preachers, one of whom should have probably been removed from his father's care. Christina tries to fulfill Jane's request that she figure out what being "in love" actually is, and isn't. Karen brings us what is essentially a holiday "What Now," with gift i...
57m Oct 05, 2021
57m
November 1988 Slumber Party: Perfectionism, Australian Slang & Deborah Norville
Are You A Perfectionist? Only you can answer that for yourself (with Sassy's help); after you've finished completing the quiz, you can listen to your co-hosts' results. Then we play your latest voicemails and learn more about acne, salads, the Downtown Choir, what Australians REALLY think of the word "spunk," Deborah Norville, and which of us was owed an apology from one of our listeners. Join ...
42m Sep 28, 2021
42m
November 1988 Fashion Etc.: Suede, Sunflowers & Scent
It's hard to know what the editors think their reader is doing in November 1988, based on the issue's fashion and style content. Is she dressing drably for a job? Visiting the Southwest (again) in suede? Attending a formal girls-only party? Maybe all three in succession! At least the hair story suggests pleasantly un-fussy styles...not that you can really see them in the photos. We also learn a...
52m Sep 21, 2021
52m
November 1988 Pop Culture: Axl, Ricki & A Guy From INXS Who Is Not Michael Hutchence
What Now? Or should we be pronouncing it "What NOW"? An extraordinarily salty Christina fills the two-page spread by denigrating Jane Wiedlin's animal activism, casting doubt on Jason Gedrick's sincerity when speaking about his mental health issues, and saves her last bit of poison for Remote Control's Marisol, who was not even still ON Remote Control at the time! Watch It once again lets Neill...
57m Sep 14, 2021
57m
November 1988 Teen Life: Sick Moms, Fighting Sisters & Virgins
Sassy is, of course, very proud of the work they did in their first few issues -- describing what readers' first sexual experiences might be like, demystifying boys' bodies, profiling out queer couples, and so on. But apparently the hate mail we read in the October issue was just a tiny fraction of what they received, or so we must surmise given November's lead feature: "Virgins Are Cool"! The ...
53m Sep 07, 2021
53m
October 1988 Slumber Party: Zits, Scams & Pens
How Superstitious Are You? The October 1988 quiz helps us figure it out, but not all of us are happy with our results. Then we play some of your most recent calls: what happened to someone who did sew bells on an outfit; how effective cortisone shots are on cystic acne; which pens are actually superior; and what is a Pam filter? We also share some of your most recent podcast reviews. Make yours...
45m Aug 31, 2021
45m
October 1988 Fashion Etc.: Coats, Beats & Hate Mail
What are you wearing in October 1988? Sassy wants to show you a lot of coats (which look good when accessorized with a boyfriend), a story inspired by the Beats, and jumpers. It also wants you to ruin a sweater with an assload of bells, and stick a bunch of hatpins in the tallest hat you can find. A beauty feature on how to achieve perfect skin proves to be another strangely formative story for...
1hr 6m Aug 24, 2021
1hr 6m
October 1988 Pop Culture: Vibes, Dudes & Female Ones To Watch
Our coverage of October 1988's pop culture topics kicks off with a big announcement: <a href="https://listentosassy.com/club/">we're on Patreon</a>! And we've got lots of cool things planned for those who support us there! We get out our electron microscopes to peruse the two-page Columbia House spread and choose the 12 Hot Hits we're going to buy for a Cool Penny. We bring you highlights from ...
1hr 2m Aug 17, 2021
1hr 2m
October 1988 Teen Life: Fat Camp, Jelly Beans & Popcorn Lung
Our treat for October (as the spine line promises) is a brand-new issue, and we're starting things off by discussing its Teen Life topics! Catherine goes to a weight loss camp and collects insights from her fellow female staffers on how to ask out dudes. Karen facilitates as three readers make over their bedrooms in very different styles. Christina returns to the fiction department with a cauti...
1hr 1m Aug 10, 2021
1hr 1m
September 1988 Slumber Party: Best Friends, Narc Facts & Office Supplies
How Good A Best Friend Are You? We're not sure we totally agree with what ALL the options supposedly tell us, but we do share our results. Then it's time to play your latest voicemails! How did a listener end up with an apartment full of Cineplex Odeon popcorn sprinkles? What kind of glamor was Eric Stoltz serving when he was spotted on the streets of Toronto? Did we accidentally slander Coving...
43m Aug 03, 2021
43m
September 1988 Fashion Etc.: Fishing, Jean Jodhpurs & Unnecessary Accessories
We're dealing with the fashion, beauty, and magazine-y topics of the September 1988 issue, and not dealing with them well because the editors have given us so much to yell about! Which garments are not safe to wear in a creek, or without pants? Why would anyone hike their giant pants up so high? WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO YOUR DAD'S OLD JEANS?! We also look at the cold war between surfers and skateb...
1hr 6m Jul 27, 2021
1hr 6m