More '80s Pop Culture??

Wow. VH-1 did it again. Now they're on to "I Love the '80s - 3D." And, I for one, *am* loving it. I think it's pretty clear that I'm a nostalgia freak, so no complaints here.

1980 and 1981 were on tonight. I'll admit that I'm too young to really remember living during those two years (I was 2 and 3), however I do somehow remember most of what they covered.

I know that the toys and fads, songs, etc., carried through to the mid and late '80s, but how do I remember some of the commercials? For instance, how is that I remember the Pepsi Challenge? Was that an ad campaign that continued in to, say, 1984?

Some things that really stood out for me were: the Fashion Plates...where you created fashions by rubbing over the template (clearly I was a gay in training); Little Darlings (reruns, I'm sure) - I still love Tatum O'Neil; Gimme a Break (loved that show); The Barbara Mandrell Show (LOVED it); Penny Racers (I had a couple)... Juice Newton (don't even get me started) and "Elvira....Gette up a' boomp a' boomp, a' boomp, a' boomp, a' mau, mau...".

The early '80s, for me, were a time of worshiping my teenage sisters and Wonder Woman. That's probably how I have such memories of '80s music, movies, etc., b/c I went everywhere with my big sisters.

Case in Point: 1981. My most young sister (10 yrs older than I) had some friends over. One of them brought the little girl whom she was babysitting. I was 3. They put on the Grease album and wanted us to dance. I was too shy until that little bitch started upstaging me, and then I let loose like nobody's bidness. I got quite a lot of attention for that one. Pretty sure I got the "Looooook at me, I'm Sandra Dee...." to a tee.

Case #2: Circa 1983. My sisters tried taking me to Annie. I cried because it was all sold out. My sisters proceeded to flirt with the ushers and shut me up with candy. Marylee, who's now a good Catholic PTA mom, said to a boy in a red vest, "So....do you work here??" He said, "Yeah, whaddyou think...? I wear this to school...?" I'm guessing they made out in the '75 Buick, in which we rode. Who cares? I had Junior Mints while my other sisters bitched.

Case #3: LOVING it when my sisters' friends would come over. They'd dart past said sisters when entering the house to pinch my cheeks and play Muppets with me. They wore satin jackets and had Smurf shoestrings, I remember...

ANYWAY....back to Wonder Woman. I remember overhearing my Mom telling my Grandma and Aunt that she was buying a Wonder Woman birthday cake and coloring book for my 5th birthday and she said, "I don't know why, but he just *loves* Wonder Woman...??" Isn't that nice that she was willing to forego her wish that I'd be a little sports lover (like my brothers) to give in to my wish to fight the Nazis with Lynda Carter??

Kiddo in 1983. And my Mother claimed she "didn't know" when I came out?? Please...Nice frosting job (and Dorothy Hamill Wedge), by the way. Alien Wonder Woman, I guess...

I used to tie my brother (one year older) up with a jump rope and demand that he tell the truth about the Nazis (I didn't know what Nazis were, but I knew Wonder Woman didn't like them), then I'd dramatically jump off the coffee table and run in circles. Obviously, I had super powers.)

Don't even get me started on the Charlie's Angels routine.