“I’m off like a dirty shirt”….
I’m totally stoked that you are back here on Ren’s “THE BLOG”, like fer sure. I’ll gag myself with a spoon if you can’t guess! If the title didn’t give you a hint, then here is a visual one:
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We used to eat these and because of a scary myth, be totally afraid of our stomachs exploding!
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Need another hint?
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We used to play with these for hours. Some people were great at it and then others, like myself would have to take it apart and put it back together - just so I wouldn’t go crazy!
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One more hint?
 We used to watch AND listen to this channel 24/7! It was the best! (in fact I was on a television commercial that aired on this channel exclusively and for a little while I sure felt cool!)Â
I’m sure you got it by now…give a big shout out to loving the 1980’s!!
Now to stay on the theme I’ve been using for weeks now…I’m going to be giving you…(big drum roll here!)…
“REN’S TOPÂ 6 EIGHTIES MEMORIES!”
Now I graduated High School in the 80’s so I could give 5,000 memories…but instead I’ll concentrait on 80’s Memories more generic to the masses…
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As “Ferris Bueller” said, “Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while you could miss it.” So let’s get to it…
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1) ATARI.  Forget your “Xbox 360″ or your “Wii”, back in the 1980’s ATARI was where it was at, dude. I mean totally. From playing “Space Invaders”, “Asteroids” and “Pac Man” to film games such as “Friday the 13th”, “Jaws” and even “A Nightmare on Elm Street”. It was our way to bring the local mall arcade into our own homes!  The cartrages looked like mini 8-Track cassettes (some might be saying ’what are those?’) and the console was very simple. Once you had your joy stick in hand and a partner to play against - before we knew it - hours had gone by!
  
   ATARI a great 80’s memory!
   ATARI a great 80’s memory!Â
2)The films of JOHN HUGHES. Let’s give a tiny rundown on this guys addition to our 1980’s memories: “National Lampoon’s Vacation“, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off”, “Weird Science“, “The Breakfast Club”, “Some Kind of Wonderful”, “Sixteen Candles” and “Pretty in Pink“. Totally Awesome! Believe me that this only touches the surface of what movies we’ve loved due to this man. He was pure genius when it came to giving our addolesent growing pains a visual medium up on the big screen. A way for young, good looking, popular and talented actors to bring our stories to life. All things we so desperatly wanted to be ourselves. Molly Ringwald, Anthony Michael Hall, Judd Nelson, Jon Cryer, Andrew McCarthy, Emilio Estevez and Ally Sheedy - just to name a few. Our pains, our troubles, our confusion, our heartache and our ability to love - all through the eyes of honesty and many times, incredible humor.Â
 
Film masterpieces.
Film masterpieces.Â
3)Mixed Tapes. Oh, the memories of this one. Sitting at the stereo, sometimes for hours just awaiting for the song you called in to request. Then as soon as it started you pressed REC on your tape recorder, held it up to the stereo speakers and then pray your Mother doesn’t yell out your name and ruin your recording! Now-a-days with “IPODS” and the like, kids don’t know what it means to not have every song at their fingertips. Back in the 80’s we still had to put some work into getting that right Pat Benatar, Billy Idol, Tears for Fears, Depeche Mode, The Cure or DEVO song on tape. Plus the giving cassette tapes full of music that it might have taken you a week to gather, was one of the sweetest gifts to give. Â
“Oh, a mixed tape! Thank you!!” Â
4)”FLASHDANCE” - the movie. When we first layed eyes on Jennifer Beals (double dancer Marine Jahan in reality) doing her fancy foot work and then getting drentched in water - we were hooked big time! The world went “Flashdance” crazy! From the best selling soundtrack to the fashions, everyone wanted to be their own version of the characters of “Alex”, “Tina Tech” and the rest of the flash-dancers. (Tina Tech was played by Cynthia Rhodes - who would go on to be in ”Dirty Dancing” and the “Saturday Night Fever” sequel “Stayin Alive” as well as being the lead singer for the 80’s group “Animotion”. She’s an 80’s legend in her own right!) From legwarmers, off the shoulder sweatshirts, fancy heels and tights all the way to glitter, strobe lights and fancy makeup. If creating your own flashy 80’s look is what you want then HalloweenMart.com has what you need.Â
 
One of my favorite movies of all time.
One of my favorite movies of all time.Â
5) “SQUARE PEGS” T.V. Show. This was my 80’s. If John Hughes had not already captured my life back then, this show most definatly did. Starring Sarah Jessica Parker, Amy Linker, Tracy Nelson, Jami Gertz, John Femia, Claudette Wells, Jon Caliri and my favorite Merritt Butrick. (At least one of those names I’m sure you know of very well.)  To me they were all perfect! This show did for television what the films mentioned above did for the big screen. The trials and tribulations of trying anything and everything to be noticed by the “popular” kids and simply “fit in” was each episodes theme. With special guest stars like Bill Murrary (of SNL fame) and DEVO (of “Whip It” fame) how could it not be a classic. Even though it only lasted for 20 episodes, with the recent release on DVD - those of us who lived to get home from school in time to see it - can watch it whenever we wish. And believe me…this guy…watches it often!Â
I still want to be “Johnny Slash“!Â
6) Moon Unit Zappa - the Valley Girl. It wasn’t until the daughter of Frank Zappa was called into the studio with him one night and asked to “do that funny voice you do” that a legend was born. Like, fer sher, MORE than a legend…a entire legacy craze was born!  Her crazy saying and voice inflections in the hit song, “Valley Girl” that spawned an entire generation of paraphernalia. From shirts, buttons, stickers and movies all the way to influencing a total “dialetic” used all over the world. She was pure comic genius in a way we totally will remember forever…gag me with a spoon….no waaaaayyyy….
 
The Complete 80’s all on one 45 RPM.
The Complete 80’s all on one 45 RPM.Â
Hope you totally enjoyed this trip like down memory lane, dude.
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Until next time,
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Don’t sleep with one leg out of the covers…otherwise that monster under the bed will eat it!
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Oh, and PS: The answers to the above hints are “Pop Rocks“, “Rubiks Cube“, an ad for MTV - music television and the quote for the title is from “Pretty in Pink” and was said by the character of “Duckie Dale“.
