Before chat rooms, My Space, Facebook, cell phones, WordPress, or messenger we had CB Radio. In the 1970’s this fad took off.
When Al Gross invented the CB radio in 1945, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) quickly opened up radio services for personal users of the radio. in the 1960s businesses and hobbyist used the radio frequently.
In the early 1970s, the oil crisis caused gas to go up in price and the speed limit dropped to 55 mph. It was then people realized that CB’s could be used to spread the word about what gas stations had gas and what speed traps were set up ahead. Not only truckers were using the CB but it had caught on as a fad.
Movies such as Smokey and the Bandit helped popularize it more and also songs such as Convoy.
As a kid, I remember cars having the CB antennas and people at home. Everyone was getting into the game. People used CB slang and nicknames. Even The First Lady, Betty Ford, was on as “First Mama”…yea some cringe-worthy moments.
CB radio is still used today but the popularity is not like it was through the 70s and 80s… 10-4 (I just had to add that)
PowerPop... An Eclectic Collection of Pop Culture 
thought of another 70s fad sort of regaining popularity in a slightly different fashion – Doodle Art. They were hugely popular in Canada, not sure that they were as successful in the US… anyway, they were just these big posters you’d buy with a theme, and they were like a mural you colored in with marker pens. An early version of adult coloring books really
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I just googled it… I remember that.
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Oh yes. This is very nostalgic for me. My dad was big into the CB craze and I was fascinated by it because I was fascinated by him. He wasn’t exactly who you’d assume as a CB enthusiast. He was sophisticated, in his own way. Very well dressed. Extremely articulate. Like you say, “everybody was in on it.” How true. My dad’s handle was “Hank the Bank”. Yeah, it’s bad. Never knew a CB handle that wasn’t.
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All of the handles were cringe worthy. My uncle was into it. Truckers put them to good use.
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lol thank you for a delightful blast to the past!
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My pleasure!
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We had one in the car and a base station at home.
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Some of the CB antennas on cars and pickups were huge, haha.
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Yeah, dad had a 102″ whip. That’s what they called it.
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In that K car?
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Haha, I love it!
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My handle? I was known as The Cartoon Kid. Yeah, my mom named me. LoL
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Lol that is great.
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It seems totally forgotten today how big the CB craze was. My dad and grandfather had them -everyone had them and then it seemed over night the craze ended.
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