RADIO FLYER IN POPULAR CULTURE
As the free-spirited 1970s came to a close, the 1980s began a period of decadent consumerism. The baby boomers, who had been children in the wholesome 1950s and ’60s, had grown up and were at the height of their spending years, which contributed to an increase in materialism and an influx of new consumer products. Shopping malls began popping up everywhere. The booming economy led to the birth of new technologies—from video games to personal computers to synthesizers in every band—earning the decade the nickname the “go-go eighties.”
There was an explosion in pop culture, as new shows, movies, and music artists were disseminated to the general population like never before. Television continued to thrive, particularly with the emergence of cable networks, like MTV, which introduced the music video, and the rising popularity of the VCR, which allowed families to watch the latest blockbusters from the comfort of their own homes.
Toy companies responded to this growing interest in consuming popular culture with their own discovery—licensing. Licensing was nothing new, but it reached a whole other level of relevance as toy companies released lines of dolls, vehicles, and action figures modeled after the nation’s most popular new films, shows, songs, and characters. Star Wars action figures flew off the shelves, along with E.T., Smurfs, Garfield, Transformers, and Pac-Man dolls. For Radio Steel & Manufacturing, the decade was similarly full of partnerships with kid-friendly shows and brands, and myriad new products to reflect the era.
Radio Flyer wagons have appeared in dozens of TV programs and movies.
By the 1980s, the Radio Flyer wagon had truly become an American classic, and it was often used as a recognized symbol of childhood in movies and shows. The company always gave products free of charge to prop houses, and when they needed a toy they would grab a Radio Flyer, which had become a ubiquitous part of American scenery and was often a feature in the ideal yard.
In the 1992 drama film Radio Flyer, directed by Richard Donner and starring Tom Hanks and Elijah Wood, two brothers grow up together with their little red wagon. At the film’s end, one of the brothers flies to safety in a Radio Flyer wagon converted into an airplane.
A CENTURY OF SMILES
RADIO FLYER STORIES
Courtesy of Brigid Anne Winn
—BRIGID W. • Longmont, CO
My son was born with deformed lenses in both eyes, which made him blind. Shortly after his first birthday, he began the first of ten major surgeries he would need before age two and a half. We had gotten him a little red Radio Flyer wagon for his birthday. We filled it with a blanket and toys and used it to pull him all over the hospital. He was too busy laughing and having fun to think about what was happening there. Because of the wagon, there were less tears (mine and his). Many years later, we are now busy restoring a Radio Flyer for my grandson’s first Christmas. I have decided that EVERY grandchild I have will receive a Radio Flyer!
—CHRISTIE B.
Courtesy of Michelle Pannell
Since my husband and I both grew up with Radio Flyers, we knew that when our son turned one, we would buy him one—you can’t ever be too ready for your first red wagon! Ever since then, he has pulled his toys around in it and used it as a space to “read” his books.
—MICHELLE P. • Mission Viejo, CA