Thursday, November 16, 2006

13 Things I Miss About the 80’s


Since I have been listening to soooo much 80's music this week, it inspired a Thursday 13!



1. Leggings – Okay, I realize leggings are coming back, but that has created an issue for me. I loved leggings in the 80’s. Loved them! I wore them all the time because they made my legs look thinner. When leggings came back in style, I was so excited, and I immediately went out and bought a pair. I was very excited for something that made my legs look thinner. Unfortunately, they don’t have the same effect now. After much thought, I’ve decided they used to make my legs look thinner because I was thin in the 80’s. Leggings don’t look nearly as good on me a few pounds heavier. It really sucked coming to this realization.

2. George Michael – Remember when everyone thought George Michael was straight? I remember those days fondly. I had the biggest crush on him after Faith came out. It was all in the ass.

3. Big hair – Okay, I have always had big hair. Since I have a curly blonde mop on top of my head, I really can’t help it. But in the 80’s, that was actually in style. And ohhhhh, could I tease up my hair. I had some serious gravity-defying bangs. It was an art.

4. Atari – I could stay up until all hours playing Pac Man and Donkey Kong. We now have the Atari-like games that you plug into the TV. It is sooooo not the same. Mainly because of the joystick. I vividly remember having “joystick” thumb. It was painful, but man, could I work a joystick.

5. Leg warmers – I loved leg warmers. They kept your legs warm, they were cheap, and they came in all colors. Yeah, yeah, I know. They’re coming back. But now, they’re considered a trendy fashion statement, which means they’ve quadrupled in price. Are you kidding me?!

6. The Cosby Show – We could all relate to one of the Cosby kids. Mine was Vanessa because I was closest to her in age. They don’t have good family shows like that anymore. They used to have The Cosby Show, Growing Pains, and Family Ties. Now, what do they have? I turned on Two and a Half Men the other night and turned it right back off because my son started asking too many questions. WTF?

7. Tom Cruise – Remember Tom Cruise before he was crazy? Good Lord, he was hot! I was 15 when Top Gun came out, and I saw it three times at the theatre. That inspired PG-13-related fantasies about Tom Cruise for several weeks.

8. Lack of technology – Jeez! If my parents had been able to install a GPS tracking device on my car at 16, I would have been in some serious sh*t! Don’t get me wrong, I’m all about technology. But with cell phones, pagers, etc., people can always find me. Sometimes, I really don’t want to be that available.

9. Hair bands – Poison. Bon Jovi. *sigh* I don’t think I ever got over it when Jon Bon Jovi cut his hair. It just won’t ever be the same.

10. Swatch watches – Oh, what a fashion accessory. Different colors and scents, remember? Scented wristbands! Now, that was fashion. I loved these damn things. I actually created my own fashion statement by wearing them in my hair. I would pile all my hair up into a big pony tail on top of my head, and secure it with a couple of Swatches. I was so cool.

11. Teen movies – Okay, I realize I am a 30-something mom, but teen movies nowadays suck. What happened to movies with a message like The Breakfast Club, or really good love stories like Say Anything. All my boyfriends in the late 80’s were held up to the standard of John Cusack. Not one of them held a boom box up outside my window. Huh.

12. Valley girl speak – I seem to remember tubular and radical being key words in my vocabulary. But most importantly – awesome. That is one word that never faded.

13. Rubik’s cube – I love puzzles, so this was about the best damn toy ever. It still amazes me that Yale began offering a course on mastering the Rubik’s Cube. Now, that’s a phenomenon!!




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The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Be sure to update your Thirteen with links that are left for you, as well! I will link to everyone who participates and leaves a link to their 13 things. Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!



27 comments:

Knitting Maniac said...

Oh holy cow!!!! I LOVE this list! I am a child of the 80s, and all of your entries .... oh man. So true, especially the Tom Cruise one. Remember when he seemed almost attainable? Now he is just plumb CRAZY!

And those Swatch watches. I so wanted all of them.

Hen Jen said...

what a totally awesome, tubular list!! I loved leg warmers mostly cause I have cold feet. I really want a pair now, but now I worry I'll look dumb in them. And swatches! I only owned one, but I loved it. cosby show, we don't watch t.v. anymore, but I did rent the first season for my kids, they really liked it, and it was so innocent to the shows on now.
and of course the teen movies!! add in 16 candles, and better off dead! such great catch phrases, oh and pretty in pink!!
thanks for the time-warp,
Jenny in Ca
happy TT! my list is up

Unknown said...

I looved Swatch Watches.

And I hate to say it, but I don't like the whole 80's clothes coming back.

EHT said...

I'm more like a child of the 70s since I graduated from HS in 1980, however, I miss the sound of PONG on the Atari.....it was so soothing. Blip, blip, blip, blip!

Thanks for taking me back.

Valtool said...

Awesome, Totally Awesome.

I must plug a new feature (just started last week) on my blog. The Friday Flashback will be bringing you weekly doses of 80's music videos from the wonderful days when MTV actually played music videos!

Michael c/o '89

Le laquet said...

But what about Rick Astley, Space Dust (those little crystals that used to crackle on your tongue) and Adam and the Ants? Or were those only in the UK?

Di said...

You must visit my TT this week...lots of 80's references in my 13 Things that Prove that I am Old (I'm 44). You will love the one from my kids watching the VH1 top 100 from the 80's.

I told my husband that I saw Wham at the Miami Baseball Stadium and he told me that I really should keep that information to myself and not discuss it in mixed company!

Slackermommy said...

I loved the 80's! The music was the best and teen movies were definitely better back then. Remember The Last American Virgin? Loved that movie! I don't know how teens nowadays get by with anything. My SIL's son was getting a BJ in the car and he accidently called home on his cell. She heard the whole thing. Can you imagine?!

Unknown said...

Awesome list..George michael rocked..Hope hubby (www.valtool.blogspot.com) finds this post!

Anonymous said...

I have to say I cheated on the cube :(

Caylynn said...

Great list. :) Thanks for the walk down memory lane. I graduated from grade 13 (yes, we went to grade 13 in Ontario when I graduated) in 1991, so most of my formative years were doing the 80s.

I'm not happy that leggings are coming back. They look good on thin teenagers, and on younger children, but usually don't look good on anyone else. As for big hair, I was never a fan of it. ::shrug::

I loved my Swatch watch, and I still use "awesome" to this day.

Happy T13. :)

Jodi said...

Oh my gawd.. LOL I loved reading your TT today!! Brought back lots of memories!!! Thanks for that!! My TT is up, stop on by!

Happy Thursday!

Twyla said...

I love this list! I miss the 80's too. Life seemed so much more simple back then. Happy TT :-)

Barb said...

My kids had/did all those things :)

Mo and The Purries said...

I, too, am a child of the 80's.
Big hair, yap I can like totally relate.
Instead of #1 & 5, I had bleach-splattered jeans with the knees artfully ripped out.
#2 -- um, I never thought George Michael was straight. My gaydar was working overtime on him! I tried to tell my friend Tenkie that all through college, but she insisted George (we were on a first name basis, you know) was going to marry HER. I thought I had better chances. I was right.
But Tenkie had a life-size poster of George that we hung on her dorm room ceiling above her bed, and we would spend hours there, talking and gazing up at our lord of the hot ass.
3. Big hair. I had Bangs Of Death in college. Aquanet stock has since plummeted.
4. I never was into video games, but I remember Friday Night Videos BEFORE there was MTV!
6. The cosby show. You know every tv exec out there is still wishing for the next cosby show.
7. Yes, tommy before he went nuts was hot. Top Gun fantasies, anyone?
8. Remember when we thought that a cordless phone was the HEIGHT of technology?
9. When you wrote Hair Bands, I thought you meant scrunchy ponytail holders at first -- I had no idea that this would forshadow #10, using swatches for hair accessories. You were such a fashionista!
11 Why don't they make movies like the Breakfast Club and Pretty In Pink anymore????
12. Like, fer sure. Totally awesome.
13. Yes, I had a Rubik's cube. I never was very good at it. But I just saw that they've come out with a Suduko Rubik's cube, with numbers on the cubes. Gives me a headache just thinking about it.

Oh, by the way. Daphne's TT is posted at
Purrchance To Dream
check it out when you get a chance.
When Georgia's not rocking out to Asia.
Happy Thursday!
mo

Anonymous said...

I LOVE this list! It has brought back a huge wave of nostalgia for me. I think more than anything it made me miss my Swatch watch. I got one from my aunt as a birthday gift. It was pink and aqua, very girly.

I'm with ya on the leggings. They worked for me the first time around but I don't think I could brave them anymore. Even those skinny jeans that everyone is advertising...ugh. So not me!

Anonymous said...

Yes, for George Michael it really WAS all in the ass. :D

Jules said...

This list of comments is almost as funny as your post itself. The SIL who heard her son getting a BJ on his cell phone???? OMG!!!!!

Melissa H. said...

I wore leggings...and legwarmers...and had gravity defying bangs...no wonder there's a hole in the ozone layer! Look at how much hair spray we went through in the 80's! Great list! Oh, and my mom only let me have 2 Swatches. I was so jealous that I couldn't have more.

13 Reasons I'm Thankful for my Mom

Unknown said...

Ha! I love leg warmers! Oh and Tom Cruise. Happy TT!!!

Anonymous said...

Ah yes-the Cosby show, Tom Cruise before he was crazy-those were the good 'ole days!

crazymumma said...

What a great list. I miss all of the clubbing and ahem 'Coca Cola' I enjoyed....

alisonwonderland said...

Thursday night in front of the TV . . . Yes, I remember it fondly!

Great TT!

Anonymous said...

I so know what u mean about the leggings! They don't make my legs look thinner anymore either! Big hair, Bon Jovi with big hair - man those were the days! Atari was the best thing on earth and still the only kind of video games I can play well. Space Invaders was the coolest! Tom Cruise was a lot hotter then and the teen movies were soooo good - Pretty in Pink, Sixteen Candles, The Breakfast Club, Red Dawn(not actually the same type but it had all the hot young actors and actresses), St. Elmo's Fire, Say Anything, The Outsiders.... I could go on and on! There truly was no other decade that was any better than the 80's!

Sparky Duck said...

I so agree with the missing the leggings, they were hot.

And the hair bands still have a home on my Ipod.

I miss all those good, brat pack movies.

tiggerprr said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
tiggerprr said...

I LOVE this list! It's so me! Though (and this is naughty..but I have to say it!) your last sentence in the item about George Michael...made me raise an eyebrow given the context of his life now. :O I know...I'm certain to roast somewhere forever now but I can't help my dirty mind.