ASSOCIATES (vol. 9, no. 3, March 2003) - associates.ucr.edu

*The Land of Yesteryear*

by

Michael D. Brooks
St. Joseph's University
Francis A. Drexel Library
Philadelphia, PA
brooks@sju.edu

The next time you go to a party and a nostalgia trivia game is played, you can get a jump on the competition by first visiting Yesterdayland (http://www.yesterdayland.com/). It is on one of the best sites for nostalgia and nostalgia-related trivia. This is also a good site to start with for anyone doing research on pop culture.

Remember this: "A fiery horse with the speed of light, a cloud of dust and a hearty 'Hi-Yo Silver!' The Lone Ranger rides again! Return with us now to those thrilling days of Yesteryear..."

Or this: "We can rebuild him. We have the technology. We have the capability to make the world's first Bionic man. Steve Austin will be that man. Better than he was before. Better . . . stronger . . . faster . . ."

Or even this: "Once upon a time, there were three little girls who went to the Police Academy..."

The site is totally dedicated to our childhood, as the subtitle accompanying the sites name and logo attests: "Your Childhood is Here."

You can become a member of Yesterdayland and even engage in lively discussions about virtually any subject pertinent to the site’s content. The categories include "Saturday Morning" TV shows, "Toys", "Arcade Games", "Prime Time" TV shows, "Fashion", "Pop Music", and "Lunchboxes." Depending on the information presented, the time period ranges from 1930s to the 1990s.

There is more than fun information for those skipping down memory lane. The information is presented in a factual manner. Each area of interest is accompanied by an alphabetical list containing Synopsis, Memories, and Messages tabs. My favorites were the synopses. Each synopsis is a compact report detailing known and little known information about each show, movie, or selected paraphernalia.

You have to be a member to post anything to the Memories or Messages areas, but you can certainly read member’s comments, observations, and recollections. Some are useful and entertaining while others are just downright crass. But that is to be expected with any community endeavor with two or more people.

Interviews with television and movie celebrities give you insight on what childhood memories and experiences inspired them. As of this writing, Quentin Tarantino and Lucy Liu are the featured celebrities. Their childhood influences were not that much different from yours or mine. There is an Archives link to click on to read the interviews of more celebrities who have been featured on YL (as the site is also called). There are also obituaries, dedications, and informative features. (There’s even a Features page.)

At the end of each synopsis is a feedback link. If you noticed an error that needs correcting or want to add something pertinent, the Feedback link provides you with a form to enter your information.

If you want to send an eCard to someone or purchase some memorabilia, you can do that, too. The YL Store offers scores of items for the casual and serious collector, or even that nifty gift for mom, dad, or uncle Phil. Clicking on these items will take you to corresponding links on Amazon.com.

So the next time you get an itch to take a trip down memory lane or if the kids or grandkids want to know what kinds of fun things you did back in the "olden days" tell them to check out Yesterdayland.



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