The 80's

[funkymartini]

In keeping with the theme of 'that which I am glad I barely remember' I decided to post this up. Feel free to add more if you like.

And for those that grew up in that decade, what're you're most signifigant memories of the 80's?

You know you grew up in the 80's if...

1. You've ever ended a sentence with the word "PSYCHE."

2. You watched the Pound Puppies.

3. You can sing the rap to the "Fresh Prince of Belair"

4. You wore biker shorts under your skirts and felt stylish.

5. You yearned to be a member of the Baby-sitters club and tried to start a club of your own.

6. You owned those lil Strawberry Shortcake pals scented dolls.

7. You know that "WOAH" comes from Joey on Blossom ......................

8. Two words: M.C. Hammer

9. If you ever watched "Fraggle Rock."

10. You had plastic streamers on your handle bars.

11. You can sing the entire theme song to "Duck Tales."

12. When it was actually worth getting up early on a Saturday to watch
cartoons.

13. You wore a ponytail on the side of your head.

14. You saw the original "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" on the big screen.

15. You got super-excited when it was Oregon Trail day in computer class at
school.

16. You made your Mom buy one of those clips that would hold your shirt in a
knot on the side.

17. You played the game "MASH" (Mansion, Apartment, Shelter, House)

18. You wore Jordache Jean jacket and you were proud of it.

19. L.A. Gear...

20. You wanted to change your name to "JEM" in Kindergarten.

21. You remember reading "Tales of a fourth grade nothing" and all the Ramona books.

22. You know the profound meaning of "WAX ON, WAX OFF"

23. You wanted to be a Goonie.

24. You ever wore fluorescent clothing.

25. You can remember what Michael Jackson looked like before his nose fell
off...

26. You have ever pondered why Smurfette was the only female smurf.

27. You took Lunch Pails to school.

28. You remember the CRAZE, then the BANNING of slap bracelets.

29. You still get the urge to say "NOT" after every sentence.

30. You remember Hypercolor T-shirts.

31. Barbie and the Rockers was your favorite band.

32. You thought Sheera and He-Man should hook up.

33. You thought your childhood friends would never leave because you
exchanged friendship bracelets.

34. You ever owned a pair of jelly shoes.

35. After you saw Pee-Wee's Big Adventure you kept saying "I know what you
are, but what am I?"

36. You remember "I've fallen and I can't get up"

37. You remember going to the skating rink before there were inline skates.

38. You ever got seriously injured on a Slip and Slid e.

39. You have ever played with a Skip-It.

40. You had or attended a birthday party at McDonald's.

41. You've gone through this list occasionally saying "Totally awesome"

42. You remember Popples.

43. "Don't worry, be happy"

44. You wore like, EIGHT pairs of socks over tights with high top Reeboks.

45. You wore socks scrunched down.

46. "Miss MARY MACK MACK, all dressed in BLACK BLACK BLACK"

47. You remember boom boxes Vs. CD players.

48. You remember watching both "Gremlins" movies.

49. You know what it meant to say "Care Bear Stare!"

50. You remember watching Rainbow Bright and My Little Pony Tales"

51. You thought Doogie Howser was hot.

52. You remember Alf, the lil furry brown alien from Melmac.

53. You remember New Kids on the Block when they were cool.

54. You knew all the characters names and their life stories on "Saved By the
Bell," the ORIGINAL class.

55. You know all the words to Bon Jovi - YOU GIVE LOVE A BAD NAME.

56. The only rapper you knew of was Vanilla Ice.

[DarthToad]

All I have to say is that, to me, Ninja Turtles were 90's, and I still like Gremlins. Actually, I still like Ninja Turtles too.

Well, I only spent a couple of years in the 80's, but I still know the Inspector Gadget theme, and I vagely remember the Califonia Rasons.

By the way, do you think some day everyone will be remembering the 90's or the 00's? Here's a good idea:

You know you lived in the 00's if...

1. You ever 5|>0|<3 1337 and thought it was cool.
2. You actually thought it was cool to be a pimp

I hate this decade. I wish it was the 90's again. Or the 80's.

[Lissa]

See Sue? JELLIES.

Definitely a female centric list, and I can relate to almost every single one. Terrifying!

[pfrsue]

I associate quite of few of those with the really late 80's and early 90's really, and a lot are more (can't say kids, can I?) children-centric. I was a teensy bit older, although my sister did collect a gazillion smurfs figurines. Go figure. I was a teenager.

Most significant memories of the 80's? Most powerful memories are the Challenger explosion, Reagan being shot and the advent of MTV.

Ah, and AIDS. Definitely AIDS.

[Al]

I remember the Challenger pretty well because we watched it happen in school. Our two kindergarten classes got together to watch the first teacher-manned space shuttle, and the staff was so stunned at the explosion that no one turned the tv off. We all just sat there not quite sure what was happening, watching people scream and cry.

On a lighter note, one of the happier 80's memories was getting to meet He-Man and She-Ra outside the movie theater opening weekend of Masters of the Universe and hearing from my cousin all about attending Wrestlemania III.

I also quite vividly remember Optimus Prime dying, the cover my father's Poison album being absolutely hysterical for some reason, Nightmare on Elm Street 4 leaving me terrified beyond belief, and becoming obsessed with twirling the bright orange NES Lazer Pistol like Robocop in between rounds of Duck Hunt.

Al

[Head Mutant]

That list has quite a few 90's things on it, but it's interesting...

And yeah... definitely remember the Challenger explosion in the 4th grade. Huge and weirdly scary stuff to a kid, particularly one who was a fan of SpaceCamp.

[Hucklebubba]

pfrsue said:

I associate quite of few of those with the really late 80's and early 90's really,

It's a little-known fact that the 90s actually began in 1988.

Anyway. 80s memories. Yeah. I'm pretty sure I spent my whole 80s tenure playing Excitebike non-stop.

I also distinctly recall seeing an odd animated short at a friend's house that I think must've been tied to Heavy Metal in some way. I only say that because it had a moderate to heavy amount of naked boobs. This particular friend either had parents who didn't give a crap, or he had them snowed in some way.

No, wait, I'm pretty sure I remember him actually asking them directly if he could watch the aformentioned short. Perhaps they were subscribing to some pop-psych system of child-rearing that says exposing a five-year old to regulated amounts of frontal nudity makes them more socially apt later in life. Hmmm.

And then there was the time that every kid in my neighborhood got all up in a tizzy over Spike saying the dreaded "s" word in Transformers: The Movie.

So, most of my childhood memories involve cartoons, and things you don't normally find in them.

[DarthToad]

Actually, the 90's started with Nirvana's Smells Like Team Spirit in about 1993 and ended in...well...2000 I guess. And I think the 80's officialy started with the end of disco. And the 70's started with the end of Vietnam. And the 60's started with Kennedy. And the 50's started with Korea. And the 40's started with WWII. And the 30's started with the crash. And the 20's started with the end of WWI.

What I'm getting at is that the real social switch between decades aren't really in the numbers, they're in the events and that sort of thing.

[funkymartini]

I've also read something like the 90's started in the late 80's.

But in a couple of decades, I think the 90's will be remembered for it not being 'about' anything, and that it really didn't have an overriding theme that other decades did.

Edit: Or if I had to give it a theme, it would be the breaking down of many race and gender related barriers.

[Landatauron]

Now this is the story all about how my life got flipped, turned upside down and I'd like to take a minute just sit right there I'll tell you how I became the prince of a town called Bel-Air.

Man I loved that show when I was a kid. Yes, I still remember the entire song.

And #15 Oregon Trail day at school. Those were the best days of my entire academic career. Everyone hated me though cause I always had the high score. See I found a loophole in the game. At the starting city you buy oxen for 80 bucks each. Then you click on the trade button and you can trade those 80 dollar oxen for 100 dollars. Netting you a profit of 20 dollars. Repeat as needed and you have unlimted funds. Buy as much of everything as you want. If you ever run low...just buy more!

Hunting was always fun too. You shot 10 buffalo and carved up 1200 pounds of meat but can only carry 200 back to the wagon. And who cares if Jeb has cholera! I'm not stopping for anything.

.....What a great game.

Oh, and New Kids on the Block were never cool.

[Hucklebubba]

Landatauron said:

Hunting was always fun too. You shot 10 buffalo and carved up 1200 pounds of meat but can only carry 200 back to the wagon.

I'd always plant the excess meat, in the hopes of growing a buffalo tree. Or rather, I would have, if that had been a doable thing.

Or if I had to give it a theme, it would be the breaking down of many race and gender related barriers.

Nah. I'd say the primary theme of the 90s was Hootie and the Blowfish. Or possibly Collective Soul.

Actually, the fact that the 90s weren't particularly remarkable in any sort of thematic way is exactly what I liked about them. I still contend that the '89-'98 stretch represents some of the finest years ever in the history of time. And I realize that likely has nothing at all to do with the actual era, and everything at all to do with me being an apple(r)-cheeked youngster at the time. But hey, I just calls 'em like I sees 'em.

I agree with Darth. So far, the 00s have been, comparatively speaking, rather underwhelming.

[Head Mutant]

I think the 90's do have their own theme and feel to it... we just need to separate ourselves, time-wise, from it a bit more in order to see that. If I had to name two things off the top of my head that signified the decade for me, it would be grunge (clothing, garage bands, alt rock) and the birth of the popular use of the internet.

[Vorlina]

The 80s to me, apart naturally from being the best music decade ever (watch Rich shoot me for this) was the plethora of Simpsons merchandise.

I know that you can still get stuff today, but it seems like now it's all dvds and things. I still have four nightshirts with Master Simpson on them, not to mention a copy of Do the Bartman on..gasp... vinyl!

What else... Arguing with one of my friends who had a Betamax video recorder...My dad bringing home this mobile phone, and it was the size of his briefcase. Those were the days, my children!

[jenfrazer]

I didn't have to change my name to Jem in kindergarten. My handwriting was such that "Jenn" would inevitably morph. Now all I need are some earrings and a band.

I don't know about parties at McDonald's. They were definitely at the roller rink instead. But does anyone remember the McDonald's menu song?

[Lissa]

Big Mac, Fillet of fish, quarter pounder, french fries, icy Cokes, thick shakes, sundaes, and apple pies.

Yup.