Been a sad week so I decided I needed to talk about something fun and
diverting. For me there is only thing that is guaranteed to bring a
smile to my face-80's nostalgia! So that's what I am doing today. I have
done many articles but there are some things that I still haven't
gotten around to touching upon (or only briefly touched upon).
#5.Larry Bird
I am not a big sports fan. And that's especially true for basketball. It just gets so boring. But even I had to admire Larry Bird growing up. Especially since I was lucky enough to live in the Boston area, and I think I got to see him play once. The Boston Celtics were pure awesomeness in the 80's and while there was plenty of talent on that team, Bird just stood out among the pack. And in the interest of fairness I should mention that Magic Johnson was pretty good too, he played for the Lakers.
#4.Mr.T
Oh hell yes! Mr.T was just coolness personified. He was tough, he was awesome, and he was a nice guy too. Of course people really know from the A-Team. And he is awesome on that show! But he was all over the place in he 80's. He fought Rocky in Rocky III. Made appearances on Silver Spoons and Diff'rent Strokes. His was the only Saturday Morning action cartoon that was worth watching, Mister T (Seriously who watched Chuck Norris or Rambo?) which had one of the best theme songs ever! He did a motivational video which is remembered for its corniness. Heck he was even a breakfast cereal for a time (no lamer than C3PO's!). Mr.T was just bad-ass and awesome, what else can I say?
#3.Pee-Wee Herman
Ah Paul Rubens, the way you screwed up your career still fascinates me. Pee-Wee Herman was a sensation for awhile. He hit it big with his Saturday Morning show Pee-Wee's Playhouse. And yes I admit I watched it and loved it. It was so unique and different, we had never seen anything like that before. Herman was like an overgrown child who just wanted to have fun and didn't really understand the world. What kid couldn't relate to that? I also loved the Christmas Special that came out that time. Looking back I realize it was silly but as a kid it was awesome! There was also Pee-Wee's Big Adventure but....yeah I wasn't a fan of that one. Sadly it all came crashing down in 1991 when Reubens was caught....never mind. The point is the character vanished and has only made brief appearances since. Rubens has gone one to a decent career since then. But in the 80's it was all about Pee-Wee!
#2.Max Headroom
What in the world can I say about this guy? If you've never heard of him then here it is. Ummm....this is harder to explain than I thought. Max Headroom was a character played by Matt Frewer. He is supposedly AI and looks as if he a sophisticated computer generated image. In reality it was Frewer in heavy latex make-up. He was memorable for his wit and the stuttering way he spoke. True today Headroom probably would be a true CGI in 1984 it was just an effect and lots of make-up. It was Frewer who made the character so memorable. Even if the four and a half hour make-up session was grueling (as Frewer put it). He started in England became a popular here with a lot of commercial endorsements and even his own TV show (which I never watched but heard it was decent). He was also homaged in Back to the Future II and Spaceballs. He was a...curiosity for me.
Probably the most infamous Max Headroom story involved not the character himself but some guy in a Headroom max who hijacked the Chicago airwaves during an episode of Dr.Who on November 22, 1987. Look it up for more info but the culprits have never been found and the video is....disturbing.
#1.Hulk Hogan
How can I possibly explain the phenomenon of Hulkamania? I can't say for sure how popular wrestling was before Hogan, but it sure took off after he came around! Hulkamania was everywhere and Hogan ruled! How did I get into wrestling? Much like with soap operas, I got hooked by a storyline. In one match when Hogan was a tag team partner with Randy Savage (the Mega Powers), their manager Ms.Elizabeth was injured. Hogan left the ring to care for her while Savage battled alone (and had feelings for her by the way). Hogan did finally return to defeat the opponents but Savage was livid. This storyline eventually ended in a Wrestlemania where Hogan defeated Savage. I always said that wrestling was soap operas for men..and for awhile I was a huge fan. Hogan was all ovr the place in the 80's. He had a Saturday morning cartoon which is best left not discussed and a few movies which are truly best left unmentioned (yeah I saw Suburban Commando, what of it??). He didn't have a cereal but did plenty of ads for them (and other things). Did I mention he was also an action figure? Yes Hogan stayed around awhile through the 90's switching leagues. Now he is a spokesman, but nothing will ever duplicate the awesomeness of Hulkamania.
That was fun
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