What the HELL Were You Thinking? cover art

What the HELL Were You Thinking?

What the HELL Were You Thinking?

By: Dave Bledsoe
Listen for free

About this listen

 All the things that made the world the way it is now. Welcome to the podcast takes your nostalgia, tells you the history behind it and makes you ask What the HELL Were You Thinking. Host Dave Bledsoe takes the history, politics and pop culture of the past fifty years and explains what it was like to live through it and why it is still ruining the world today. So join Dave, his hapless Producer Gavin St James every Monday for time capsule of truth! Find us at whatthehellpodcast.com, @whatthehellpodcast.bsky.social and the show name on Facebook.Copyright 2023 © Dave Bledsoe. All rights reserved Art World
Episodes
  • Episode 506: Shamone Now

    Episode 506: Shamone Now
    Sep 8 2025
    Episode 506: Shamone Now This week Host Dave Bledsoe won third prize in a “Moonwalking” competition when he lost his balance trying to get up to take a piss and stumbled backward across the stage. (It was a $10 Gift Certificate to Hardees) On the show this week it is part one of a two part show about the biggest pop star of the 80s, Michael Bolton. (We kid, we are talking about Michael Jackson!) Along the way we find out that Dave once thought he was gay because he accidentally liked Michael Jackson’s music. (He had a very sheltered childhood) Then we dive into a brief history of Motown for script reasons before, and speaking of sheltered childhoods, we meet the Jacksons. (All dozen of them) We follow the rise of young Michael from his childhood parental abuse to the pinnacle of cultural dominance before the age of 30 years old. (Can’t imagine why Mike turned out the way he did). We talk about this music, the videos, the cultural impact and the world fell in love with him. We do NOT talk about the weird stuff. (We’re saving that for NEXT week!) Our Sponsor this week is Sequin Hut, all we sell is sequins, which was a pretty bad business choice. We open the show with the news about Thriller and close with Gipsy Danger inquiring about Annie. Show Theme: Hypnostate Prelude to Common Sense The Show on Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/whatthehellpodcast.bsky.social The Show on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/whatthehellpodcast/ The Show on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjxP5ywpZ-O7qu_MFkLXQUQ The Show on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/whatthehellwereyouthinkingpod/ Our Discord Server: https://discord.gg/kHmmrjptrq Our Website: https://www.whatthehellpodcast.com Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/Whatthehellpodcast The Show Line: 347 687 9601 Closing Music: https://youtu.be/NU4LsUPWZxI?si=iDcOK-3X5buMjkhP Buy Our Stuff: https://www.seltzerkings.com/shop Citations Needed: Wikipedia: The Motown Sound https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motown#Motown_sound Joe Jackson was one of the most monstrous fathers in pop https://www.theguardian.com/music/2018/jun/27/joe-jackson-one-of-the-most-monstrous-fathers-in-pop Michael Jackson’s 1987 Cover Story: ‘The Pressure to Beat It’ https://www.spin.com/2014/06/michael-jackson-bad-1987-cover-story/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
    Show More Show Less
    28 mins
  • Episode 505: Thanks For Your Support

    Episode 505: Thanks For Your Support
    Sep 1 2025
    Show Notes Episode 505: Thanks For Your Support This week Host Dave Bledsoe tried to impress an age appropriate woman by telling her he was in a wine cooler commercial, only to have his feelings hurt when she asked if played Bartles or Jaymes. (Ouch!) On the show this week we look back at that time when America was crazy about low rent Sangria in a bottle, only they called it a wine cooler. Along the way we discover that Dave lost his virginity much later in life. (Probably in his late 40s) Then we take a look at why Americans started worrying about their fitness (Boomers turned 30) and how advertisers used it to make money. (By selling them alcoholic fruit juice.) Then we meet the man who “invented” the wine cooler and ask the hard questions. (What does Lodi California have to do with “fun beach drinks”?) We met the two men who personified the wine cooler industry in the 80s and their direct connection to the election of Ronald Reagan. (He is EVERYWHERE) Finally, we learn why no one drinks wine coolers anymore. (That is on the first George Bush.) Our Sponsor this week is Super Happy Fun Booze, it only LOOKS like we are marketing it to kids! We open the show with a Canadian worrying about underage drinking. (We thought Canadians drank beer at birth!) and close with Weird Paul and his drink order. Show Theme: Hypnostate Prelude to Common Sense The Show on Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/whatthehellpodcast.bsky.social The Show on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/whatthehellpodcast/ The Show on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjxP5ywpZ-O7qu_MFkLXQUQ The Show on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/whatthehellwereyouthinkingpod/ Our Discord Server: https://discord.gg/kHmmrjptrq Our Website: https://www.whatthehellpodcast.com Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/Whatthehellpodcast The Show Line: 347 687 9601 Closing Music: https://youtu.be/0-dKNMYc1dg?si=ffvU_9dF9ziI-Wsb Buy Our Stuff: https://www.seltzerkings.com/shop Citations Needed: Michael Crete: Local boy becomes cooler king https://www.lodinews.com/opinion/columnists/rich_hanner/article_99f6ddd1-9598-5bf2-8cae-bdc762fce2bd.html The Weird and Wavy History of Wine Coolers https://www.vice.com/en/article/the-weird-and-wavy-history-of-wine-coolers/ Wikipedia: Bartles and Jaymes: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bartles_%26_Jaymes WHO ARE BARTLES AND JAYMES? ONLY ERNEST, JULIO KNOW FOR SURE https://www.orlandosentinel.com/1986/09/27/who-are-bartles-and-jaymes-only-ernest-julio-know-for-sure/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
    Show More Show Less
    31 mins
  • Episode 504: We Will Always Have Paris

    Episode 504: We Will Always Have Paris
    Aug 25 2025
    Show Notes Episode 504: We Will Always Have Paris This week Host Dave Bledsoe gate crashed a celebrity event by carrying a camera and claiming he was “with the media” just to get access to the open bar. (The only photo taken was his mugshot. Again.) On the show this week we pick up with Chuck and Diane after their fairy tale wedding and following it to its tragic conclusion of Chuck wishing he were a tampon. Along the way we discover why Dave never had any children. (He doesn’t like them and women don’t like him.) Then we dive right into why Chuck chose the crown over love because of his great uncle Eddie. From there we learn how neither of our two love birds really tried all THAT hard to make it work. (A lot easier to have affairs.) We see their marriage through to the bitter end and then we discuss Diana’s bitter end in a Paris tunnel. Do we talk about how the Queen and MI6 are responsible? Of COURSE we do! Our Sponsor this week is The Firm, you can check out any time you like but only WE say when you can leave. We open the show with new coverage of the fateful night that broke the world's heart and close with Alexander Mills with some traffic safety tips. (And it is still better than our first choice) Show Theme: Hypnostate Prelude to Common Sense The Show on Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/whatthehellpodcast.bsky.social The Show on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/whatthehellpodcast/ The Show on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjxP5ywpZ-O7qu_MFkLXQUQ The Show on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/whatthehellwereyouthinkingpod/ Our Discord Server: https://discord.gg/kHmmrjptrq Our Website: https://www.whatthehellpodcast.com Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/Whatthehellpodcast The Show Line: 347 687 9601 Closing Music: https://youtu.be/pvX4khWrFt8?si=lA8t-OHrvow5WXPn Buy Our Stuff: https://www.seltzerkings.com/shop Citations Needed: Prince Charles Found This Aspect of His Marriage to Princess Diana “Very Difficult to Cope With” https://www.instyle.com/prince-charles-found-marriage-princess-diana-difficult-cope-with-11700298 A Timeline of Prince Charles and Princess Diana’s Tumultuous, Tragic Relationship https://www.vogue.com/article/a-timeline-of-prince-charles-and-princess-dianas-tumultuous-tragic-relationship In pictures: how the world mourned and marked Princess Diana’s death https://theweek.com/news/society/957790/how-the-world-mourned-princess-diana-death Elton John's Diana tribute among most hated hits https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1313402/Elton-Johns-Diana-tribute-among-most-hated-hits.html?ICID=continue_without_subscribing_reg_first 'The Express' and Diana: Cover-ups, spies and conspiracies https://www.independent.co.uk/news/media/the-express-and-diana-coverups-spies-and-conspiracies-429277.html Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
    Show More Show Less
    33 mins
No reviews yet
In the spirit of reconciliation, Audible acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respect to their elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today.