THE YEAR 1984

In a previous post I spoke about my reunion. It got me thinking about my life during that time. I wish I could go back. Alas, I can't, all I can do is to remember it and cherish it with all of my heart. My Mother, Barbara, was still alive. My Dad, James was working at Champion Papers in Pasadena and not sitting in a nursing home. I was in High School at Sam Rayburn in Pasadena having the best years of my life and did not even realize it. The following posts are a time line of those years, this paragraph will be at the beginning of each:

So..."Where's the beef?" In 1984. Arguably the greatest pop culture year of the decade, and maybe ever! From Film, to TV, to Music, 1984 delivered. Not only did it introduce us to some of music's most enduring artists (Madonna & Prince), but a few endearing one hit wonders (Corey Hart ring a bell?) as well as some surprise classics (Footloose, Miami Vice, "Girls Just Want To Have Fun").

1984 is more than meets the eye: Transformers, The Terminator, Day-Glo and Glo worms. It is Mary Lou Retton on the Wheaties box. The year when Bruce Springsteen pulled a teenage Courtney Cox from the audience and thrust her into mainstream stardom. Whether it was Michael Jackson's hair catching fire during the filming of a Pepsi commercial, or Ralph Macchio learning Karate by washing cars, 1984 has provided us with enough 80's nostalgia to fill a week of programming. But, I Love the 80's 1984 will do it in one irreverent hour!

Our six "panelists" will approach the year from a fresh perspective, giving us insights into some pressing issues of the time:

Would Punky Brewster have been a hit show if she had a different name? Would she have been less irritating?

Exactly who or what is "the worm"? A. Huey Lewis' most famous appendage B. A character from Ghostbusters C. A break dance move

George Michael in Day-Glo: Why was there any question?

1984 will be widely remembered as a choice year for film and music. I Love the 80's 1984 will highlight the most popular films (Ghostbusters, Karate Kid, Footloose), as well as those that weren't smash hits at the box office, but have emerged as cult classics (This Is Spinal Tap, Sixteen Candles).

Meanwhile, in music. quintessential 80's acts like Huey Lewis and the News, Cyndi Lauper and Wham provided a strangely varied soundtrack for the year, while Van Halen began an assault on the mainstream.

1984 also provided a handful of 80's fashion mainstays. Groups like Wham and Frankie Goes To Hollywood made the message T Shirt ("Frankie says Relax") way cool, while Don Johnson had Crocket-wannabes everywhere dressing in pink T-Shirts, suit jackets and loafers without socks. Madonna created her own fashion for a new generation of crazed teen girls, while their older sisters were obsessed with Guess Jeans and Stonewash denim. I Love the 80's 1984 will explore these trends in all their glory (and insanity).

Televison was also at it's campy best in 1984. Sitcoms like Punky Brewster and Webster gave us child stars whose exploits continue to intrigue us well into adulthood (i.e. Soleil Moon Frye had a breast reduction in 1993). And, an hour-long drama about two undercover vice cops in South Beach (Miami Vice) made heartthrobs out of Don Johnson and Phillip Michael Thomas.

Does Freddy Krueger continue to give you nightmares? Do you still cry when Lionel Ritchie says "Hello" (be they tears of sadness or laughter)? Is Boy George still your guilty pleasure? Do you still wonder how a toy plane that becomes a robot (Transformers) generated XX billion dollars in a year? If you answered "Yes" to any of these questions, then chances are you're an `84 pop culture junkie. And, I Love the 80's 1984 is your ultimate fix.