Curse you, VH1.
Curse you, VH1. Their “I
❤ the 80s” and “I
❤ the 80s Strikes Back” series are captivating. Addictive.
Totally rad.
It’s a crash course in pop culture, which is really
helpful for people like me who lived through the 80s, were
defined by the 80s, but can’t quite call to memory
what it was about the 80s that was such a big deal. Of course, upon
further examination, you realize that it wasn’t a big deal in any way
— except for the fact that it was happening to you. So
it isn’t so much a course (implying some kind of academic,
inherently valuable pursuit of knowledge) but instead an egocentric,
decadent, nostalgic wank-umentary of all the stupid crap that
is so core to my very identity.
I’ve only seen bits of 1983
strikes back and 1984
strikes back (and a teeny little bit of 1982)
— a small fraction of the entire I ❤ the
80s canon — and already my mind is full of things I haven’t
thought about in years, like Glo-Worms, Trapper Keepers (John Mayer did
what with the ruler?), Bronson Pinchot, and “KHAN!” (OK, that
last one has stayed with me.)