The DORK Side

The 1990s were when sitcoms went from “warm family hug” to “passive-aggressive roommate with commitment issues”—and we loved it.

I grew up watching shows that taught me everything from how to fake sincerity (Seinfeld), to how to pivot furniture up a stairwell (Friends), to how to get rich in Bel-Air after one little fight in West Philly.

If the '80s sitcoms were a Norman Rockwell painting, the '90s were a mixtape made by a neurotic, self-aware college kid who didn’t know how to love but could recite every line of Frasier.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

I was practically raised by 1980s sitcoms. My babysitters were four Golden Girls, a talking car, and a bartender named Sam who never wore a tie but always had life advice. And honestly? They did a better job than most licensed professionals today.

This was the golden age of fake families solving real problems in 22 minutes—with hugs, hijinks, and no visible bathrooms. Back then, a “very special episode” meant someone learned a hard lesson… and you learned not to skip a Thursday night. The stakes were high. Someone might run away, OD, or worse—kiss their cousin.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

I grew up on 1970s sitcoms—which means I was raised by a cranky junk dealer in Watts, an overweight Italian sweat hog in Brooklyn, a cigar-chomping Puerto Rican janitor, a loudmouth bigot from Queens, and a dry-cleaning mogul who moved on up to the East Side. Basically, my entire childhood was like a diversity training program... that worked.

These shows didn’t just entertain—they indoctrinated. But not in the modern sense, where every sitcom feels like a gender studies dissertation disguised as a cooking show. No, back then, we learned real lessons. Like:

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Retro Rewind Fads of the Past 50 Years—a journey back to when humanity collectively lost its mind over rocks in boxes, screaming plastic eggs, and stuffed animals that ruined marriages.

a blast from the past as we rediscover the quirky fads that captured our hearts (and sometimes our wardrobes) over the last 50 years! Get ready for nostalgia, laughter, and a chance to share your own blast-from-the-past stories.”

From Tamagotchi-induced trauma to Beanie Baby bankruptcy, we’re digging up the dumbest trends that somehow convinced us to empty our wallets… and our dignity.

So grab your slap bracelets, adjust your JNCO jeans, and prepare for a nostalgia trip so intense, you’ll briefly forget that you’re an adult with responsibilities.

This… is The DORK Side. Let’s get stupid."*

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

*"Welcome back to The Dork Side—the show that digs into the galaxy of gullibility, the circus of conspiracy, and the museum of ‘Wait… people actually believed that?!’ Today, we’re talking about hoaxes so wild, so ridiculous, that they had folks running for their tinfoil hats like it was the last sale at Costco.

From ‘War of the Worlds’ sending people screaming into the streets to that one time everyone

Did a fake news story once make you side-eye your grandma’s Facebook posts? Did you ever get duped by a celebrity death hoax (RIP Betty White… again)? Or maybe you’ve heard the totally legit theory that Trump is the spawn of Hitler—which, if true, would make so much sense for 2016 Twitter. And let’s not forget the ultimate long-con: ‘Climate change 

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Let’s burn the script and dive into the real scandalous filth with names, fallout, and consequences that actually reshaped industries, politics, and culture. Here’s your fully reloaded, no-holds-barred DORK Side episode—now with more carnage, more hypocrisy, and way more WTF moments.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Welcome to The DORK Side—where curiosity is our superpower!

Today we’re uncovering the one skill everyone should learn—but doesn’t.

And no, it’s not how to fold a fitted sheet (though that is a dark art).

It’s that thing that your older self wishes it could have told your younger self.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

"In a world where heroes play by the rules… the bad guys get all the best lines, the coolest outfits, and, let’s be honest, way more interesting hobbies. Welcome to this episode of The DORK Side—we have ethically-sourced organic fear."

Villains shouldn’t be likable.

Yet here we are, secretly cheering when Hannibal Lecter serves someone their own liver with a side of fava beans. Why? Because villains—the great ones—aren’t just evil. They’re committed. They have standards.

Hannibal doesn’t just kill you; he critiques your lack of sophistication first…

Anton Chigurh doesn’t just hunt you down; he lets a coin flip decide your fate, which is somehow more terrifying than pure malice.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

What will we use robots for in the future?

I’ve already said that I want multiple robots: a butler, a maid, a flunky, an executive assistant, a chef, a chauffeur…

What about a love bot?

By 2030, your love life might be less Tinder and more Terminator meets Tinder. AI companions are already a thing—see Replika, Gatebox, and the eternally lonely dudes who proposed to their body pillows.

I saw a show where a married man had sex with his cyborg. Admittedly, she was gorgeous.

He and his wife were having troubles, potentially because of his sexy cyborg, and eventually he and robot hooked up.

Consider the implications…

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

I saw this meme and it asked you to score yourself if you had not used a rotary phone, owned a cassette, used a VHS VCR, and so on. It had 20 things, and I had done them all. I still don’t feel old, per se. But I do sense that feeling creeping around me.

Do you still use language that a 20-year-old would have no idea what you meant. Like “Katie bar the door”, or some other antiquated saying that is now weird?

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This show dives into the world of side hustles. We explore why people take them on—boredom with their day jobs or desperate need for cash. Also, how does one's education level steer hustlers toward passion-driven careers or perilous black market schemes that land them in jail.

Each segment offers a fresh angle, from legal gigs to illicit enterprises, with data, stories, and humor to keep you hooked.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Welcome to DORK, the Department of Random Knowledge, where we dive into the wild, whimsical world of learning with a side of sass and a sprinkle of self-discovery!

I’m your host, Kevin Jackson, the self-proclaimed nerd who once argued with a mirror about who’s the protagonist of my life. Spoiler: I won.

Today’s episode is all about that Main Character Moment—the instant you realize you’re not just a sidekick in someone else’s story, but the star of your own epic. We’re unpacking self-empowerment with four segments that’ll make you laugh, think, and maybe even high-five your reflection. 

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Consider the story of Julia Child, who didn't start cooking until her late 30s.

Her journey from a government worker to a world-renowned chef exemplifies how unexpected moments can lead to profound personal transformation.

There are many such stories, and yours is waiting to be told...

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Do you use AI? Of course you do, even if you don’t know it.

Alexa, any assistance via phone or computer. AI is everywhere, even where you don’t realize it.

Ever used the following:

• Dial-up internet: Celebrate the symphony of connection — that screechy modem song, the thrill of 19,200 baud, and yelling at someone to get off the phone.
• Cassette tapes & Walkman: Rewinding with a pencil like a surgeon.
• Rotary phones & tethered conversations: You had to sit still to talk — imagine that.
• Maps: The original GPS — Guaranteed Panic System.
• Boredom as a feature, not a bug: We were forced to create, not consume.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Would you want to live forever? I know there was a time when I did. I was young of course and living off of my grandparents.

I’m sure that even when I left home, I wanted to live forever for a bit. Youth is stupid like that. It’s easy to get caught up in the notion of living forever, when you have a great body, decent looks, likely to have your health.

Ask me today if I want to live to be 120 and I need to bring in my lawyers. I have lots of small print I need added. For example, only if I can reset my biological clock to 40 and keep it there.

Next, no chronic illnesses, e.g. arthritis, etc.

Then, I can’t be worrying about money, so I have to be RICH!

I’m sure I will think of a few more things, so as you can see I’m not messing around!

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.