The 80's Were Perfect

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MY 80's!, United States, The 80's Were Perfect

With two teenage girls (19 and 17) and a 10 year old son, it is hysterical to me that they do not understand how PERFECT the 80's were!

I remember Cable Television coming to us and the remote was attached to a very long black cord - in those days - you would never lose the remote!

I remember MTV when it actually had MUSIC VIDEOS.

Spending many summer days/nights watching every single video - even the videos of the bands I have never heard of (Videos that stick out for some odd reason: The Waitresses I - 'I know what boys like, I know what guys want..' I have no idea why I remember this video, as the song was never on the radio stations I listened to in the 80's. However, I finally DID hear this song on the radio about 2 weeks ago. It only took 22 years to make radio play!

We had the worst hair! Having to get a perm every 8 weeks - and it being nothing but a gigantic ball of fuzz for 2 weeks! The smell of the perm solution would last for a week and you were NOT permitted to wash your hair for at least 24 hours!

Wearing one long earring and one small earring...Stone Wash/Acid Wash jeans...(geez, did they ever really look good?) Girls with unlaced high top tennis shoes were considered BAD GIRLS.. (in my group anyway)... Some girls would wear NYLONS with their short shorts! (and high top unlaced tennis shoes)!

Boys did not wear their pants so that their underwear showed. However, they were allowed to have unlaced high top tennis shoes.

If I recall correctly, the 80s were big for boys to walk around shirtless (?)

Falcon Crest, Dynasty, the horrible Dukes of Hazzard, What's Happening, Happy Days, One Day At A Time, and so many more. Being able to watch cartoons ONLY on Saturday mornings until 11:00 AM. Then being kicked out of the house to go make up your own games!

Pepsi bottles in tall glass bottles for which you MUST have a can opener to open it. Cans of pop that when opened, you had no choice but to allow the flip can top to fall into your drink and hope that you didn't accidentally swallow it. Feeling like we would never have a MICROWAVE oven, due to cost.

Roller Skating - and the dreaded loud speaker announcement 'COUPLE SKATE'. Then having to hold a boys sweaty palm and skating around to 'YOU'RE STILL THE ONE'.

BUSY SIGNALS - So few had 2 way phone lines back then! You were someone special if your parents allowed you to have a phone in your room. I remember picking out my pink princess phone and loving it.

The WalkMan + tape cassettes. Before ATARI, I had INTELLIVISION - that great tennis game with only a white block for a tennis ball, dinging back and forth on the t.v.

Wanting to choke Brooke Shields for her perfect jean commercial. Pardon my Chardon - I believe that was the other jean commercial that taught girls the meaning of feeling inferior in their jeans. Snaking your tube socks! Having to press your jeans with an iron to ensure they had a perfect crease down the middle. (this was before the change over to stone wash/acid wash)!

Learning to apply make-up and having my aunt tell me 'not to cake it on'.

MUSIC, MUSIC, MUSIC - Sitting in my bedroom listening to music until all hours of the night. Using cassette tapes to tape my favorite songs. Michael Jackson - Seeing him on the Grammy Awards performing the Moon Walk and breaking down in tears. Madonna - Just think about HOW this woman changed the meaning of entertaining. Like her or hate her, she definitely 'changed entertainment'. Duran Duran - Does anyone remember the MUST SEE MTV Special they had? Were we girls so clueless that Nick Rhodes did NOT like women? He wore Pink Sweaters, and Lipstick...what were we thinking?

PURPLE RAIN - the movie. Yes, it was terrible, but who cares? SIXTEEN CANDLES - Still watch it today when it is on.

I was a catholic school girl - I wore uniforms to school and went to all girl high school - when I got home from school, my escape was MTV, and the Radio. And HBO was a miracle of heaven. I promise my kids that they will look back at their teenage lives and wonder, 'what was I thinking?' too.

I apologize if this is a bit wordy - I could say so much more - but my 19 year old is over my shoulder wondering 'what I am doing'... Thanks for taking the time to read!