The Death of Childhood

Season 2. Episode 2: The Death of Childhood. The Death of Childhood. And here are the questions we want to answer for history: On July 20, 1998 Gary Coleman assaulted a fan while buying a bulletproof vest for his job as a security guard. Was that the saddest day of the saddest post-script in TV history?  Moreover, was this the day that Generation X’s childhood officially died?

Stick with us on this “very special episode” of Recent Memories as we try to find an ounce of humor in all of this: From 1978 to 1985, Gary Coleman, Todd Bridges, Dana Plato and Conrad Baine were part of TVs most loving and lovable family on “Diff’rent Strokes.” They made us laugh every week and, occasionally in their “very special episodes,” they made us think. But then, when the show ended, things got gruesome. 

Join Matty Wishnow, Kevin Blake and their panelists, Christian Anthony and Judd Wishnow, as they search for humanity in this Greek tragedy. The search inevitably leads us to July 20, 1998 and the “jump punch heard around the world.” In breaking down the fracas that broke out between Coleman and his autograph seeker, we ask:

• Did Coleman really need a bulletproof vest or was he showing off?

• What are the mechanics of a “jump punch”?

• Was Coleman actually the victim of “assault by motorboat”?

• Was this the formal end of childhood for Generation X?

• What does this sad affair tell us about the year 1998?

Join us as we persevere through the darkness to find just a glimpse of sunlight.