Tainted Love: The 80s
21
I am a huge 80s fan. Graduated from high school in 1987, so ask me anything about the “Gag Me With a Spoon” Valley Girl magnet collection I had in my locker, the legwarmers and off-one-shoulder-inside-out gray Flashdance wannabe sweatshirt I wore to school, the hellacious Aqua Net abuse (I believe I may have been double-fisting at one overly-permed point). I often am found randomly quoting from Airplane, Breakfast Club, Caddyshack, etc. I’ve seen every episode of “I Love the 80s” on VH1- love seeing the Garbage Pail Kids again, watch Gremlins (or Alien or ET etc) with my kids to this day, indeed did dress as Material Girl Madonna (oh YEAH the Boy Toy belt buckle!) at Halloween, yadda ya.
Arguably one of the best things about the 80s (other than our popped collars and blue eyeshadow, of course) is our music. Actually went to see Def Leppard last year in concert and was honestly in need of a panty change (appropriately) after listening to Joe Elliott sing Pour Some Sugar on Me. He is still hot, people. Mmmmm. I loved myself some big hair bands- was all about Bon Jovi, had a Billy Squier poster on my wall, wanted to shake my ass on the hood of Whitesnake’s car (wait, I think I just stole that last one…) You get the idea.
So I don’t mean to cheat on the 80s, but….
The radio station I always listen to (because I am way too ghetto to have cool satellite radio) is called Jack FM. I think it’s a chain of radio stations with man names, like Ben FM or Sam FM or whatevs- there are no DJs, they just play a lot of (mostly 80s) stuff. So for years now I’ve been listening to Totally 80s weekends, and loving hearing some of my top faves like the Tubes She’s a Beauty, and Dexy Midnight Runners Come On Eileen, and (ohmygodiamsoooembarrassedtoadmitthis) Kajagoogoo’s Too Shy (ok, I had a Limahl poster, too, and actually dated a guy in 9th grade only because he was a Limahl look-alike. eeky.)
Very similar to actual poster I had in 80s <blush>
But the other day, in my car, I heard Sussudio by Phil Collins and I thought “I never even liked this song in the 80s, so why do I have to listen to it again now?” While I don’t seem to get sick of Don’t You Want Me (Human League) and Take On Me (A-ha) and Tainted Love (Soft Cell)….and 867-5309 is getting borderline….God spare me from hearing Girls Just Wanna Have Fun or Sunglasses at Night or Ice Ice Baby one more earthly time (for I am sure we will hear them in hell).
So I changed the radio station. <doom and gloom dramatic sound effect>
Could it be happening? Had I grown tired of listening to 80s music? Is that possible? Maybe somewhere around the 10,000th time of hearing Mickey (or because you can’t get Toni Basil’s creepy makeup cheerleader image out of your head) you reach a point where your brain just says: enough.
So I’m just taking a little break. I am sure Madonna and Poison and Journey will understand.
I will say this, though. (Disclaimer: I am not a blog that like does giveaways and paid product reviews and stuff, possibly because I was a writer and journalist before I had a blog; my only whoring out thus far has been to Google ads and it’s gotten me like 17 cents so I should probably nix them too)
I am really excited about a new 80esque book coming out- Pretty in Plaid by Jen Lancaster (on whose payroll I am sadly not). She is one of my very favorite authors (like in top 5 with Stephen King and Erma Bombeck, so seriously favorite.) I have read her other books (Bitter is the New Black, Bright Lights Big Ass, Such a Pretty Fat) and totally dig her groove- am actually going to her book signing in DC in a few weeks to stalk meet her in person. I mention it only because if you are a fellow 80s gal or guy, you might like to check out her new book, which is a memoir about growing up in the 80s. Check out her blog at jennsylvania.com for some totally bitchin’ 80s pix. (I bet she had way cooler posters than Limahl and Billy Squier, cuz she’s cool like that.)
Unfortunately, I am also in the middle (2/3 done actually) of writing a memoir about coming of age (whatever the hell that means) in the 80s, which will come out much later and suck much worse than hers. So you have that to look forward to, Pajamas & Coffee fans!! In the meantime, I’ll be listening to some 70s music.
80s music: The love we share seems to go nowhere.. now I’m going to pack my things and go.
I’ve only just started reading your blog and love it. After reading this 80’s post, I’m a confirmed fan.
Thanks for a great read!
Leg warmers… they tried to bring them back last fall didn’t they? ***shudder*** LOL Oh well… at least Bon Jovi, Madonna and the other greats will always be OURS. Bwahahaha
Yippe! You’ve enabled comments
I love this.
Your blog is hilarious. I am a child of the 90’s and let me tell you, I hated the 80s fashion and a lot of their music. Our radio stations here often do an 80’s lunch hour and I dread being in the car at that time. There are only a handful of songs that I adore from the 80’s. I’m happy you are giving them a rest!
By the way, nothing irks me more than a 27 year old who claims they are a child of the 80s. No you aren’t a child of the 80s. Yes, you were born in the 80s however you probably don’t have any concious memories of the 80s and weren’t allowed to dress yourself at that time. You are a child of the 90s. Hello New Kids on the Block….
It probably happens with some songs sooner or later, or our taste in music evolves.
From my 60s & 70s roots my music has evolved from The Who, Led Zeppelin, etc to Beth Orton, Heather Nova, Linda Perry, Dar Williams, Tori Amos, etc.
There will always be songs from back then I am fond of, so fear not!
thanks for reading! and yay that I have enabled comments now! agree 90s Kids on Block need to clam it when they claim the 80s! (and omg i totally put leg warmers in my teenage daughter’s Christmas stocking last year and was cracking up when i did it! told her to download “What a Feeling” to match!)
::: gasp!!! :::
Tired of the ’80s????
::: gasp!!! :::
I think there is a bit of an 80s revival going on at the moment, which is also causing my love of all things 80s to waver slightly. I’m finding that listening to The Cars and Duran Duran and the Cure is helping slightly, rather than the same old same old that they play on the radio. (And I will always love my hair bands!!)
But by St Elmo’s Fire, can they let the 80s fashions die? Actually no – I want my daughter to be able to look back on her clothes and cringe just like I did.
We are twins separated at birth. The 80s music, the 80s fashion, the 80s hair – that I would have today if it weren’t for a straightener, the Def Leopard concert…yep. and JackFM. I too had to step away from the 80s music and it was quite possibly Phil Collins that sent me over the edge.
I am checking out the book. Sounds great…and I was born in the Valley so we are talking original Valley girl here. Be still my Pretty in Pink loving heart…
Ummmm I just want to say that Texas Holly calling us ‘twins separated at birth’ is a wowzer compliment because her blog June Cleaver Nirvana is one of my faves. Check out her post on Toddlerphrenia:
http://www.junecleavernirvana.com/2009/04/toddlerphrenia.html
Wow, a real Valley Girl reader. My life is complete!
Shout, Meredith! I have been finding (70s-era) Billy Joel and Elton John very therapeutic in my rest from the 80s.
i wish that i was jessies girl
I am from the class of ‘86. I really enjoyed reading your blog. Very funny and insightful. Not sure about some of your music choices, but I will definitely be back. I think my IP address comes up in Ft. Washington, PA so you can keep tabs on me on Google Analytics. haha
How freakin Rad is this??? I’m right there with ya! My kids are always making comments about the “80’s” music I’m listeing too. Although I was born is ‘78 I can’t get enough of the ’80’s.
Class of ‘83 here. So I crossed between the period between the end of Disco, then “Corporate Rock” (Remember Journey and REO Chuckwagon…errr…Speedwagon?) then finally New Wave with a little punk mixed in. Ahh the 80’s — when both hair and music were big and fashions were unique, and before the notion of “alternative” became synonymous with “mainstream”
I recently Facebooked a comment on the origins of the guitar riff in Nirvana’s “Come as You Are” being the same as the riff in two 80’s tracks by Killing Joke and The Damned. It serves to underscore that anything truly “original” kinda stopped by the end of the decade, and we just started recycling after that.
Andrew- not making this up: REO Speedwagon (or Chuckwagon as you so elegantly put it lol) opened for Def Leppard. Styx, also. Thanks for checking out Pajamas& Coffee!
My friend’s daughter asked me one day “Who do you know that’s a good 80’s dancer?”
Um, hello! “ME AND YOUR MOTHER.” Very, very politely, she nodded. Yes, of course, you and Mom. And that was the end of it. Seems she disagreed.
I love “Retro in the Metro” (radio show) here in Atlanta. And yes, I have Karma Chameleon on my I-pod.
Oooh, Mary – how about a “most embarassing song on your I-pod” Facebook Friday?
OK…you had me at 80’s! Best music decade EVAH! Love it:)
Hi, good post. I have been wondering about this issue,so thanks for posting. I’ll definitely be coming back to your site.
I for one always have had a place in my heart for ’80s music and to be honest with you, kept on listening even in the midst of my grunge days in the ’90s. However, here in KY almost every other station is now playing ’80s retro and I’ve gotten highly burnt out on it. So burnt out I’m starting to keep the radio tuned in to the ’60s stations as well as the occasional ’90s song! Maybe when those songs regain the special meaning they had back in the days will I start listening again.
To Jenny: IMHO, we late 20-somethings are children of both the ’80s and ’90s. Sure we got to wear NIN/Nirvana/Hypercolor t-shirts and AirWalks instead of leg-warmers and plastic MJ-style jackets, but don’t forget that a very important part of ’80s pop culture is the cartoons and toys that were out then. Those of us who were children *in* the ’80s got to watch Smurfs, Real Ghostbusters, Transformers, Muppet Babies, Care Bears, etc. and got to play with our Cabbage Patch Kids dolls, ThunderCats figurines, and stuffed Ewoks when we weren’t at Sears shopping for McKids and Coca-Cola sweatshirts! Also, we can’t forget how embarrassing it was for our parents to dress us in neon spandex and white-washed baggy jeans with Top Gun-style patches on the legs!
All of these are important aspects of ’80s culture and throw in the pop music, movies, TV shows, etc. we were heavily exposed to back then. That makes us ’80s children at least to a good degree!
Anyway, be proud of having grown up in both the ’80s and ’90s — you’ll be proud of it in another few years down the road when there’s a ’90s revival!;-)
What pray tell is wrong with Corey Hart?! I STILL have a crush on him.. I’ll never surrender it either! RIP John Hughes.. I’ll always want to hug the Duck man and kiss Blake at the prom.. Emilio Estevez might be a fat director nowadays but he’ll always be “Sporto” to me, and I won’t forget about him. And Jake may have left show biz but Farmer Ted grew up to be a hottie. (my 80’s homage, have a great vacay)
“Jeeeeeny I’ve got your number, Iiiiiiii need to make you mi-ine….”
I loved the ’80’s. That was my bar hopping time. Give me Duran, Duran – the Human League – Madonna! Oh yea. But that picture of Kajagoogoo is just plain scary. Why do guys in 80’s bands always look so frail and skinny? I don’t remember them looking so geeky. Yikes!!
Provillus – Rated NO.1 Hair Loss Treatment on the Market! For more information visit Provillus Official Site Click Here Money Back Guarantee! http://www.Managehairloss.com