The 80s Club

I’m starting to love YouTube, can you tell? ;)

This theme came to mind and, whaddya know, there it was for my viewing pleasure. I don’t even think that the VCR was all that popular yet when this show was on. Who knew a few decades later we could press a few keys on our laptop computers, access a website via our wireless connection, and conjure up just about any 80’s TV theme that we wanted? Would’ve sounded a bit like sci-fi back then (does still a little now to me!).

Anyway, here’s a good example of some classic 80’s fashion, graphics, and special effects. I don’t really remember the spaceship thing at the beginning, but all the bumbling around seems familiar. And the beetle ragtop rocks. My greatest memory of this is listening to the theme song on a record that my cousins had and belting it out in their living room. Strange what sticks with you, aye?

Generations of poets and composers have created some of the most beautiful songs of all time. Included among these are the traditional Christmas carols of Away in a Manger, What Child is This?, Silent Night, and God Rest Ye Merry Gentleman. And what did the great decade of the 1980’s contribute to this list of fine aural pleasures? That’s right, you guessed it (or you just looked at the picture, cheater), Grandma Got Run Over By a Reindeer.

Yep, that’s right, the song about, “the blue and silver candles that would just have matched the hair in grandma’s wig.” Classy. And yet, I still think I know all the words. Not that I have to remember them, the song, 20+ years later, still pops up in the stores while I’m shopping for those last few Christmas gifts. Must be why so many people are shopping on-line now. ;)

Still looking for the perfect gift for that child of the 80’s on your shopping list? You can’t go wrong with this Goonies inspired Truffle Shuffle t-shirt. Who wouldn’t be proud to show up in this for the office Christmas party?

Okay, so now you know that it’s best that I work from home in my pajamas. But still, I wonder how many images of the memories of our youth can be found plastered on the front of a $20 t-shirt. Odd. I shall begin the quest for the answer.

In the meantime, is someone going to get me this shirt for Christmas? Nothing says, “Happy Holidays” like a cheery, shirtless, chubby kid.

Mr. Belvedere was one of those shows that I remember our whole family sitting down to watch together. My main memories of this show:

• Seeing the Pittsburgh sign in the opening credits. I thought it was cool because we had a lot of family living there.
• Thinking it was odd that there was a man named “Lynn“.
• Thinking that the littlest kid got away with an awful lot for being such a brat.

So, for your viewing pleasure, the theme song to Mr. Belvedere. Scary how well I remembered the lyrics!

And for a long version from later in the series, click here. I would have posted it, but for some reason it’s very narrow. Enjoy!

I was introduced to The Far Side by a friend when I was in junior high. I remember getting The Far Side Observer for Christmas from her while at school. I sat through the first hour of school just reading page after page. In my head, I can still see the cartoon that had me laughing so hard that I couldn’t stop. That’s happened so many times since that first introduction.

For years after that first Christmas, I regularly asked for the Off-the-Wall Calendar, at least until 2002, the last year that they produced it. However, Gary Larson has been presented with a reason to bring the well-loved calendar back into production.

From USAToday:

All his earnings from the 3 million calendars printed, about $2 million according to publisher Andrews McMeel, will go to Conservation International for the organization’s work to help end the illegal trade in Asian elephants, Indochinese tigers, Asiatic black bears, pangolins, freshwater turtles, and Siamese crocodiles in Cambodia. The profits will also fund an awareness campaign in China aimed at reducing acquisition of of threatened species for exotic dishes, traditional medicine and for pets. There are also projects in Indonesia and other southeast Asian countries as well.

The calendar will continue to be a “best of” type of compilation, no new cartoons. I could just pull up all my old calendars and make one myself (yes, I think I still have all the past years’ individual sheets somewhere in the attic), but then I wouldn’t be able to help Gary Larson assist an organization that he wants to support. Guess the calendar can return to its spot on my Christmas wish list. Everyone writing that down? ;)

I mentioned earlier that I was going to be playing the Trivial Pursuit: Totally 80s game. Last weekend, I got my chance. I’ll tell you what, there’s a whole lot of useless information pertaining to the 80’s! More than I could have imagined. Yeah, I probably did better on it than I would have done playing the original Trivial Pursuit game, but still ended up feeling like an idiot when all was said and done.

I really thought I’d read somewhere that one of the game pieces was a Rubik’s Cube, but no. In fact, this was the first time I remember there only being 4 game pieces for a Trivial Pursuit game, instead of 6. There were so many other icons that would have been great to use: Pac-Man, Donkey Kong, a Cabbage Patch Kid, or even a Trivial Pursuit game piece with all its pies.

What would be your recommendations for the 80’s game pieces?

Yes, I can. I can admit that Europe’s The Final Countdown was one of my favorite 80’s albums. I remember taking my birthday check from my godmother to go out and buy this cassette all on my own. I was so proud to own it. Even as I’m writing this, I can hear the synthesized music streaming through my brain. Too fun.

What’s your favorite big hair band album?

I knew that the 80’s edition of Trivial Pursuit was out (I’ll be playing it this weekend!), but I didn’t know there was a Name That Tune 80’s Edition. Man, that would be way fun. Though I’m afraid I’d sit there the whole time trying to play only to have the names of the songs just on the tip of my tongue, while a few people I know would just kick my butt at it.

Has anyone played this edition yet?

Did you know that Fraggle Rock is now on DVD? I had no idea!

I used to be so jealous of all of my friends who had HBO because they would always come to school talking about the latest funny episode of Fraggle Rock. We would excitedly await the next free HBO weekend so that we could catch up on a few episodes.

And we were never disappointed when we finally got around to seeing them, which wasn’t any big surprise. Who doesn’t love any Muppet-filled Jim Henson production? Except for The Dark Crystal. I never did really get into that one.

What was your favorite Muppets feature?

You think I’m joking, don’t you?

From azcentral.com:

Jon Bon Jovi and Richie Sambora will soon have mini versions of themselves from Tempe-based McFarlane Toys.

Crazy, aye? Apparently, they aren’t the first musical figures from McFarlane Toys, but I still think it’s a bit odd. Go ahead and add them to your holiday wish list, for 2007. They’re not due out until July of next year. I’ll try to get a photo out here when they’re released.

I did love this album, though. Especially the record that my mom bought for my sister and me (how do you expect sisters to share an album?) that had the picture of Jon Bon Jovi on one side, and the whole band on the other. Yes, the photos ON THE RECORD. Too cool. I think we spent more time looking at the record than we did listening to it. Hmmmm….might have to search her house for that one.