Can you imagine living in a world where millions of people are glued to their screens 24/7, watching the life of an ordinary person unfold while being bombarded with advertisements that are disguised as part of the entertainment?







Of course you can! It’s 2024, and we’re already there. But back in 1998, the premise of THE TRUMAN SHOW was still a pretty radical idea, giving moviegoers a glimpse of the future shortly before the reality TV boom of the 2000s and long before the rise of social media. Audiences who thought they were in for a summer comedy starring Jim Carrey found themselves instead confronted with deep philosophical questions about freedom versus choice, artifice versus authenticity, surveillance versus privacy, and other heady topics - unaware that they were witnessing the rise of the world’s first influencer.







The film stars Jim Carrey as likable everyman Truman Burbank, who’s lived his entire life unaware that every move he makes is broadcast to adoring fans across the globe. His mom, his wife, his best friend, and everybody else in town are in on it. The Truman Show gave Carrey newfound credibility as a dramatic actor and showcases peerless supporting performances from Laura Linney as Truman’s increasingly unhinged wife and Ed Harris as the God-like “creator” behind this massive production.







There’s no question that Peter Weir’s fable-like film was ahead of its time in numerous ways, which only lends itself to an even richer conversation than was possible back in the late 90s. But how does this unusual blend of comedy, drama, and satirical science fiction hold up as entertainment now that there are millions of Truman Burbanks among us? Is the movie held back by dated technology and a plot that hinges on 1990s broadcast television, or is it time to hail The Truman Show as a timeless masterpiece?







Follow When We Were Young on Twitter and Instagram at @WWWYshow, on Facebook at Facebook.com/WWWYShow and email episode suggestions to wwwyshow@gmail.com. Don’t forget to subscribe and review us on Apple Podcasts and Google Podcasts (or wherever you get your podcasts) so more folks check out the show!







Help us defray the costs of creating this show, which include recording remotely, purchasing movies/shows/music to review, delivery food to eat our feelings, and producing & editing in-house at the MFP Studio in Los Angeles, California by donating to our Patreon account at patreon.com/WhenWeWereYoung

Following the breakout success of the Backstreet Boys in the mid-to-late 90s, a wave of warbling wannabes took to the airwaves, all vying for coveted poster space on the walls of teenagers across the globe. For many 90s kids, the latter half of the decade is best remembered as a hunky blur of chiseled abs, soulful harmonies, and frosted tips.







But only one band had what it took to be a true rival to the Backstreet Boys. That is, of course, *NSYNC, another Orlando-bred quintet whose origin story is strikingly similar to BSB’s. That other major boy band’s breakout in the U.S. took place in 1998, when “I Want You Back” announced the arrival of five new dreamboats for impressionable young girls to obsess over. (Or hate with fiery vengeance, if they were BSB 4 LYFE.)







In this episode, the When We Were Young podcast revisits Lance, Chris, J.C., Joey, and Justin and tries to classify the type of thing they do. We also discuss our favorite and least favorite members of the group (prepare for surprises!), and debate whether their music still gets us high, or if we’re prepared to say “Bye Bye Bye” to *NSYNC’s entire catalog.







Did we drive ourselves crazy overdosing on bubblegum pop for this two-parter on the top gentleman crooners of the late 90s? You bet. But God must have spent a little more time on this episode of the podcast, because after chatting about every *NSYNC single, we still find time to reminisce about boy band also-rans like 98 Degrees and 5ive. 



*NSYNC die-hards, proceed with caution. We can’t guarantee this discussion won’t tear up your heart!











Follow When We Were Young on Twitter and Instagram at @WWWYshow, on Facebook at Facebook.com/WWWYShow and email episode suggestions to wwwyshow@gmail.com. Don’t forget to subscribe and review us on Apple Podcasts and Google Podcasts (or wherever you get your podcasts) so more folks check out the show!







Help us defray the costs of creating this show, which include recording remotely, purchasing movies/shows/music to review, delivery food to eat our feelings, and producing & editing in-house at the MFP Studio in Los Angeles, California by donating to our Patreon account at patreon.com/WhenWeWereYoung

Are they original? Are they the only one? Are they sexual? The When We Were Young podcast answers all these questions and more as we discuss the Backstreet Boys, the larger than life bubblegum pop pioneers of the late 90s and early 2000s.

Christian Bale’s star turn as suave psychopath Patrick Bateman in 2000's AMERICAN PSYCHO is memed across the internet, and even emulated by some audiences as a role model. Are both fans and critics misunderstanding a razor sharp, truly subversive satire?

When We Were Young celebrates the holidays the only way we know how - with narcotics, chainsaws, and expletives galore, all courtesy of Brian De Palma’s ultraviolent 1983 crime classic SCARFACE.

Meryl Streep & Goldie Hawn found the secret to living forever: starring in the beloved cult horror comedy DEATH BECOMES HER (1992). Has time been kind to this Robert Zemeckis hit, or is "Death Becomes Her" a rotting corpse covered in spray paint?

Put on your yarmulke, it’s time to celebrate ADAM SANDLER! We revisit Sandler's SNL career and his 1990s comedy hits BILLY MADISON, HAPPY GILMORE, and THE WEDDING SINGER. Do you have any more gum?

Chris Farley was an inescapable staple in American homes throughout the 1990s, on SNL and in the movies TOMMY BOY and BLACK SHEEP. Do- do you remember that? It was awesome!

Here's a bonus mini-sode where we discuss Mike Myers' SO I MARRIED AN AXE MURDERER (1993) as well as our own childhood pop cultural touchstones. Join us for the rest of Mike Myers’ epic journey from schwing! to swinger in Part One (Episode 124) of our Saturday Night Leavers - Celluloid Man-Children Of 90s Cinema mini-series!

Join us on Mike Myers’ epic journey from schwing! to swinger in Part One of our Saturday Night Leavers - Celluloid Man-Children Of 90s Cinema mini-series, starring three of SNL's most iconic funnymen.

In our Toys of Summer finale, we look back at the most popular toys from our youth that were targeted at little girls - the gentle MY LITTLE PONY, dead-eyed CABBAGE PATCH KIDS, the outrageous JEM AND THE HOLOGRAMS, and of course BARBIE.

In this "Boys' Toys" episode of our TOYS OF SUMMER series, we revisit icons ranging from Zack the Lego Maniac to Sergeant Slaughter in remembrance of the toys we played with in the 80s and 90s.

When We Were Young excavates the further adventures of cinema’s favorite tomb-raiding hunk, digging into Steven Spielberg’s wildly different sequels and revisiting 1984’s INDIANA JONES AND THE TEMPLE OF DOOM and 1989’s INDIANA JONES AND THE LAST CRUSADE.

Grab your bullwhip and fedora, watch out for massive balls, and join us for a podcast episode that’s bound to dig up some controversial opinions as we revisit the Indiana Jones franchise - starting here with 1981's RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK.

In a special interview episode, When We Were Young talks to author & speaker Chris Clews about the life lessons ‘80s movies can teach us - drawing important insight from movies as wide-ranging as THE KARATE KID, COCKTAIL, THE OUTSIDERS, and ROAD HOUSE.

We revisit 1984's THE KARATE KID, discussing how this movie kicked off a franchise and set the formula for nearly every mentor-protege story that would follow.

Chris, Becky, and Seth conclude our Muppetacular with a holiday episode discussing youthful memories of MUPPET BABIES, and revisiting THE MUPPET CHRISTMAS CAROL on its 30th anniversary.

In our most Muppetational episode yet, we look back at Jim Henson's worldwide phenomenon THE MUPPET SHOW (1976) and Kermit & company’s big screen debut in 1979’s THE MUPPET MOVIE. Do we still feel a rainbow connection to these early Muppets outings?

In Part 2 of When We Were Young's Hanksgiving episodes we revisit 1994's FORREST GUMP, the blockbuster dramedy from Robert Zemeckis and Tom Hanks that won as many Oscars as it had catchphrases.

Happy Hanksgiving everyone! Tom Hanks is one of Hollywood's most endearing and reliable stars, and in part 1 of 2 episodes honoring him we'll see if the actor's breakthrough performance in the hit 1988 comedy BIG still captures our heart and soul.