Revisiting Capeside ...
Showing posts with label television. Show all posts
Showing posts with label television. Show all posts
back when there were baldwins and there were barneys
In the slang popularized by movies such as Clueless, "Baldwin" is a term girls used to refer to a highly attractive, visually delicious, crush-material male.
back when teen wolf was a low-budget youth movie
I'm not a fan, but I recently caught an episode of the Teen Wolf (2011) series. It's supposedly inspired by the 1985 flick with the same title (You know - Michael J. Fox's other movie that year) which spawned a 1987 TV series. It's got the same general conflict: teenage boy discovers he's a werewolf and his life is forever changed. It also has the same main characters' names, and the same sucky title.
back when clarissa explained it all
From 1991 through 1994, Nickelodeon aired an entirely wholesome teen sitcom entitled Clarissa Explains It All, starring Melissa Joan Hart. It was about an endearing, not-so-ordinary girl named Clarissa Darling, who played armchair philosopher in every bit of her spare time.
In Clarissa's world, life seemed so easy and breezy. Sure, she had problems like an ordinary teen, but everything was resolved before the twenty minutes were over. How perfect could life be for a young girl? That's pretty much why Clarissa was fun to watch - even I thought so, and I was a few years older than the intended audience.
Every grade school girl with access to cable wanted a cool older friend like Clarissa. And why not? She was just a regular junior high girl with regular problems... except she had everything an aspiring pseudo-alternative suburban teenager could hope for: the world’s coolest room, her own computer, a killer fashion sense, a pet reptile named Elvis, and a skateboarder guy friend named Sam who had a mushroom cut and never visited through the front door, opting instead for a ladder to her bedroom window. Plus, she listened to Pearl Jam and spent an inordinate amount of time plotting revenge against her obnoxious younger brother, Ferguson.I'd also like to add that she had two very visible, unbelievably understanding parents; advanced computer software that did exactly what she wanted with just a few clicks; and full-color illustrations that popped out while she delivered her opinions on everything. Sometimes she even had a bit of magical powers like Sabrina the Teenage Witch (a.k.a. Melissa Joan Hart's other memorable '90s role).
From namecandy.com, A tribute to Clarissa Darling: The Best-Named character of 90s Nickelodeon
Early 90s Preteen Fashion Checklist:
- Oversized soft denim button-down shirt
- Printed Vest
- Cycling shorts with bold print
- Retro head scarf
- Slap bracelet and / or friendship bands
- Worker boots
In Clarissa's world, life seemed so easy and breezy. Sure, she had problems like an ordinary teen, but everything was resolved before the twenty minutes were over. How perfect could life be for a young girl? That's pretty much why Clarissa was fun to watch - even I thought so, and I was a few years older than the intended audience.
back when people used the phone to connect
Before the days of incessant Twittering and status updates --
Before there was anything like Facebook chat or Skype --
Way before the dawn of texting and even the now-obsolete chatrooms --
We used the telephone, now called the "land phone". It was the choice device for bonding with a friend or with someone you wished to become more than just a friend.
I love this scene from Daria where Trent calls our female antagonistic protagonist. It's hilarious because that sort of thing really used to happen.
Just as teens today are known for obsessive texting, teens back then were scorned for talking on the phone too much. There could be all-night talkathons over nothing in particular, which, unless there was more than one line at home, rob everyone else in the household of phone usage until the next day. I knew a girl who talked to a guy for almost 24 hours straight. My own personal record is a mere 17.
To the disappointment of our grandparents who rue the demise of the handwritten loveletter, courtships and breakups could happen without having to see each other face-to-face. Guy calls girl, guy asks girl, girl says yes, they go out. It was cheap and despicable, right Nana? But what Nana didn't know and couldn't have possibly imagined was that people could even have sex over the phone. As tasteless as that was, it seems pretty tame now compared to sexting and cybersex, eh?
.
Before there was anything like Facebook chat or Skype --
Way before the dawn of texting and even the now-obsolete chatrooms --
We used the telephone, now called the "land phone". It was the choice device for bonding with a friend or with someone you wished to become more than just a friend.
I love this scene from Daria where Trent calls our female antagonistic protagonist. It's hilarious because that sort of thing really used to happen.
Just as teens today are known for obsessive texting, teens back then were scorned for talking on the phone too much. There could be all-night talkathons over nothing in particular, which, unless there was more than one line at home, rob everyone else in the household of phone usage until the next day. I knew a girl who talked to a guy for almost 24 hours straight. My own personal record is a mere 17.
To the disappointment of our grandparents who rue the demise of the handwritten loveletter, courtships and breakups could happen without having to see each other face-to-face. Guy calls girl, guy asks girl, girl says yes, they go out. It was cheap and despicable, right Nana? But what Nana didn't know and couldn't have possibly imagined was that people could even have sex over the phone. As tasteless as that was, it seems pretty tame now compared to sexting and cybersex, eh?
.
back when a "lamb chop" was a lovable puppet
Image from here.My favorite celebrity sock puppet to date is a knitted wool sheep named Lamb Chop. She was so cute and sassy, and I just loved her name - Lamb Chop. My older brother thought the name was hilarious, seeing through the irony. At that time I didn't even show sheep were edible.
When I was in kindergarten, I watched her every weekday morning on The Shari Show.
Image from here.The Shari Show was a children's program hosted by puppeteer and ventriloquist Shari Lewis. Shari and Lamb Chop worked at a TV station totally run by puppets. There was a lion named Lionel, another lion named Dandy Lion and a kangaroo named Captain Person. It wasn't quite as educational as the more popular Sesame Street, but it did have a lot of singing and good values.
Thank you Shari, for the Shari Show.
As a kid I'd wondered why her name was spelled "Shari" (I saw it on the hand-painted heart on the opening of each episode), but it was pronounced Sherry. It was then I began to realize that Americans pronounced their vowels differently, depending on how the rest of the word is spelled. I obsessed over the letter A for a while and observed how it differed in words like mango, car and Franchesca.
Thank you Shari, for showing me that Teacher was not really that good in teaching English .
Image from here.I really missed the program it when it stopped running. I missed Lamb Chop most of all, and wondered if she did any more shows (Of course I knew she was a puppet! But I still adored her).
Thank you Shari, for sharing Lamb Chop with the world.
The next - and last - time I caught a glimpse of them was wen I was in third or fourth grade; Imagine my excitement. It was in a TV Christmas program of sorts with a segment featuring Lamb Chop and an older Shari. By that time, my brother had forgotten who Lamb Chop and Shari were, so I had to explain we used to watch them.
All grown up, none of my friends remember The Shari Show. I was beginning to think it might have all been figments of my imagination, so I Googled for proof. Voila! Lamb Chop really did exist!
I am also pleased to find that videos of Shari's programs are available at Amazon. Not that I intend to buy any of them, I just think it's nice to know.
I also found that Lamb Chop dolls are being sold. Now that's tempting, considering I've always coveted Lamb Chop whenever I saw her on screen. But instead of buying a ready-made doll, it might be more fun to acquire a Lamb Chop knitting pattern and try to make one myself.
.
back when cylons were metallic and starbuck was male
Images from Battlestar Wiki.
[Spoilers up ahead]
When I was a kid, I watched Battlestar Galactica reruns every Tuesday night on Channel 4. It was wholesome sci-fi series for the whole family.
Though I have a vague recollection of the original BSG (now referred to as "The Original Series", or T.O.S.), I remember enjoying it. I recall there was a mothership of sorts called a battlestar and it was named the Galactica. There were two male lead pilots; their aircraft were called Vipers which came in Viper Squadrons. I remember Apollo, Starbuck, Adama, Dillon, Troy and Boomer. There was a kid named Boxey and his robot bear/dog. The bad guys were walking metallic beings called Cylons with cool, moving red-light eye visors; the humans called them "toasters". I remember that the survivors from Caprica eventually made it to Earth and interacted with modern-day earthlings.
In 2003 I heard about a remake of Battlestar and I was thrilled; I hoped whoever was working on it didn't botch it. At that time we didn't have cable or satellite TV at our place so we had to wait for a (pirated) DVD.
Well it wasn't a botched job at all; it turned out to be spectacular and stimulating. Really good stuff.
But I lost interest halfway through the second season, around the time they had a squalid settlement in New Caprica.
Though it was an amazing series, I felt like it was too far a stretch from the original Battlestar Galactica that it shoudn't have used that same title. I felt duped into thinking it was a remake; it kinda just used the same title to trick people familiar with the original series into watching it. All the original names and terminology were in there, but it was a whole different reconstruction.
Later I heard that the new BSG was called Re-imagined. It's not a remake.
And by the way - I noted it was no longer entirely wholesome family viewing; there were a lot of bits in there that weren't exactly for kids.
I couldn't entirely enjoy it at first, since I struggled to wrap my mind around the re-imagining that the characters they called Starbuck and Boomer were female, that Baltar was an awkward but cute scientist-politician, and that Cylons were sexy, cell-based organisms, one of whom had a romantic psychic connection with Dr. Baltar. Periodically I would ask questions in my head such as, To what purpose do these Cylons have to be smoldering eye-candy?, Who are all these unfamiliar characters?, and, Where is Boxey and his robotic bear/dog?
The Hubby does not remember the original BSG series at all, so he wasn't obsessively making mental references to it in his head, so he truly, thoroughly enjoyed this new BSG without being distracted by the deconstruction of childhood memories.
Just a couple of weeks ago, I managed to forgive the new BSG for betraying me, and I joined the Hubby in a Season 1 to 4 marathon.
Uh, well, not exactly. The Hubby watched all four seasons while I sat in to point out how it misused the original title.
But I must admit, it's great stuff - it still really got me curious and entertained. I just had to shut down all the fond memories of the original BSG and embrace the re-imagined series. I had to constantly remind myself it's a re-imagining.
Okay, it's a re-imagining, that makes sense.
The hot, humanoid Cylons were actually a good idea.
Those humanoid Cylons create more depth and complexity to the story - so it's forgivable. But then there was too much complexity and subplots than I could care for (It's not that I couldn't follow; I guess I still kept looking for echoes of the original plot - which would have been crap now, I realize).
I just missed seeing those vintage metallic Cylons; they're like BSG icons. Memories of BSG TOS often conjured up images of those walking trash cans that lit up like Knight Rider's car.
The first time I watched the re-imagines series a few years ago, I started to brew the dislike when it was suggested that Boomer was one of the toaster baddies. I trusted that the story would redeem itself, so I watched on.
Watching on, I found that the words" toaster" and "baddie" didn't really fit, since she was neither made of metal, nor such a baddie.
T.O.S. Boomer was a dude; he was one of the main viper pilots with easy-recall names.
The new Boomer is a pretty Asian chick with multiple copies.
Well, let's face it - nowadays the name "Boomer" is hardly fitting for a badass male fighter pilot since it's been used on dogs a lot, so might as well make it a lady's call sign.
I could take that the new Boomer was a pretty Asian chick. I was just always distracted whenever her face came on screen because she had certain angles that made her look ugly, and I kept trying to find the angle that made her look really cute. So imagine my horror when several of her appeared at the same time.
Anyway.
In the big picture, the story seemed to of revolve more around Cylons; the human survival part was more like a subplot. Which isn't so bad, really.
And heh, Commander Tigh turned out to be a Cylon too. I didn't like that either, but I watched on.
Well, I guess a Cylon XO is not as bad as the suggestion that Starbuck was this mysterious otherworldy creature who happened to be married to another cylon. That kinda felt like a convenient copout resolution
About Starbuck. I actually liked that the Starbuck character was a woman. That was brilliant - placing strong women characters in an originally male-dominated story. The top gun happened to be a cocky, attractive blonde woman with flat hair.
I just thought that Kara Thrace's awkward "thing" with Apollo was cliche-ic and near-revolting. Ah, well. At least they weren't both male.
The original BSG's Starbuck was played by the guy who played Faceman in The A-Team, a.k.a. Dirk Benedict.
Yes, Starbuck was a man - a cocky, attractive, blonde womanizer. A very straight man by the way, and he did not have a thing for his best friend Apollo.
BSG 1978 centered on the adventures of Starbuck and Apollo. BSG 1980 centered on two other pilots, Dillon and Troy (Troy was the grown-up Boxey), but Starbuck was still in the story.
I like the new Apollo, a.k.a. Lee Adama, mostly because he's gorgeous.
The original Apollo wasn't so bad though.
The actor who played Apollo in the 1978-79 BSG, Richard Hatch, also happens to play a new character, Tom Zarek in the re-imagined series. Nice touch.
And well, there was a character in the re-imagined series named Boxey , though he was only in one episode, and he didn't have a pet robot bear-dog.
I also tried watching Caprica, an offshoot / precursor of the re-imagined Battlestar Galactica series. I ... really ... can't say I enjoyed it. I fell asleep seeing the Pilot episode and simply refuse to follow it through.
.
[Spoilers up ahead]
When I was a kid, I watched Battlestar Galactica reruns every Tuesday night on Channel 4. It was wholesome sci-fi series for the whole family.
Though I have a vague recollection of the original BSG (now referred to as "The Original Series", or T.O.S.), I remember enjoying it. I recall there was a mothership of sorts called a battlestar and it was named the Galactica. There were two male lead pilots; their aircraft were called Vipers which came in Viper Squadrons. I remember Apollo, Starbuck, Adama, Dillon, Troy and Boomer. There was a kid named Boxey and his robot bear/dog. The bad guys were walking metallic beings called Cylons with cool, moving red-light eye visors; the humans called them "toasters". I remember that the survivors from Caprica eventually made it to Earth and interacted with modern-day earthlings.
In 2003 I heard about a remake of Battlestar and I was thrilled; I hoped whoever was working on it didn't botch it. At that time we didn't have cable or satellite TV at our place so we had to wait for a (pirated) DVD.
Well it wasn't a botched job at all; it turned out to be spectacular and stimulating. Really good stuff.
But I lost interest halfway through the second season, around the time they had a squalid settlement in New Caprica.
Though it was an amazing series, I felt like it was too far a stretch from the original Battlestar Galactica that it shoudn't have used that same title. I felt duped into thinking it was a remake; it kinda just used the same title to trick people familiar with the original series into watching it. All the original names and terminology were in there, but it was a whole different reconstruction.
Later I heard that the new BSG was called Re-imagined. It's not a remake.
And by the way - I noted it was no longer entirely wholesome family viewing; there were a lot of bits in there that weren't exactly for kids.
I couldn't entirely enjoy it at first, since I struggled to wrap my mind around the re-imagining that the characters they called Starbuck and Boomer were female, that Baltar was an awkward but cute scientist-politician, and that Cylons were sexy, cell-based organisms, one of whom had a romantic psychic connection with Dr. Baltar. Periodically I would ask questions in my head such as, To what purpose do these Cylons have to be smoldering eye-candy?, Who are all these unfamiliar characters?, and, Where is Boxey and his robotic bear/dog?
The Hubby does not remember the original BSG series at all, so he wasn't obsessively making mental references to it in his head, so he truly, thoroughly enjoyed this new BSG without being distracted by the deconstruction of childhood memories.
Just a couple of weeks ago, I managed to forgive the new BSG for betraying me, and I joined the Hubby in a Season 1 to 4 marathon.
Uh, well, not exactly. The Hubby watched all four seasons while I sat in to point out how it misused the original title.
But I must admit, it's great stuff - it still really got me curious and entertained. I just had to shut down all the fond memories of the original BSG and embrace the re-imagined series. I had to constantly remind myself it's a re-imagining.
Okay, it's a re-imagining, that makes sense.
The hot, humanoid Cylons were actually a good idea.Those humanoid Cylons create more depth and complexity to the story - so it's forgivable. But then there was too much complexity and subplots than I could care for (It's not that I couldn't follow; I guess I still kept looking for echoes of the original plot - which would have been crap now, I realize).
I just missed seeing those vintage metallic Cylons; they're like BSG icons. Memories of BSG TOS often conjured up images of those walking trash cans that lit up like Knight Rider's car.
The first time I watched the re-imagines series a few years ago, I started to brew the dislike when it was suggested that Boomer was one of the toaster baddies. I trusted that the story would redeem itself, so I watched on.Watching on, I found that the words" toaster" and "baddie" didn't really fit, since she was neither made of metal, nor such a baddie.
T.O.S. Boomer was a dude; he was one of the main viper pilots with easy-recall names.The new Boomer is a pretty Asian chick with multiple copies.
Well, let's face it - nowadays the name "Boomer" is hardly fitting for a badass male fighter pilot since it's been used on dogs a lot, so might as well make it a lady's call sign.
I could take that the new Boomer was a pretty Asian chick. I was just always distracted whenever her face came on screen because she had certain angles that made her look ugly, and I kept trying to find the angle that made her look really cute. So imagine my horror when several of her appeared at the same time.
Anyway.
In the big picture, the story seemed to of revolve more around Cylons; the human survival part was more like a subplot. Which isn't so bad, really.
And heh, Commander Tigh turned out to be a Cylon too. I didn't like that either, but I watched on.Well, I guess a Cylon XO is not as bad as the suggestion that Starbuck was this mysterious otherworldy creature who happened to be married to another cylon. That kinda felt like a convenient copout resolution
About Starbuck. I actually liked that the Starbuck character was a woman. That was brilliant - placing strong women characters in an originally male-dominated story. The top gun happened to be a cocky, attractive blonde woman with flat hair.I just thought that Kara Thrace's awkward "thing" with Apollo was cliche-ic and near-revolting. Ah, well. At least they weren't both male.
The original BSG's Starbuck was played by the guy who played Faceman in The A-Team, a.k.a. Dirk Benedict.Yes, Starbuck was a man - a cocky, attractive, blonde womanizer. A very straight man by the way, and he did not have a thing for his best friend Apollo.
BSG 1978 centered on the adventures of Starbuck and Apollo. BSG 1980 centered on two other pilots, Dillon and Troy (Troy was the grown-up Boxey), but Starbuck was still in the story.
I like the new Apollo, a.k.a. Lee Adama, mostly because he's gorgeous.
The original Apollo wasn't so bad though.
The actor who played Apollo in the 1978-79 BSG, Richard Hatch, also happens to play a new character, Tom Zarek in the re-imagined series. Nice touch.And well, there was a character in the re-imagined series named Boxey , though he was only in one episode, and he didn't have a pet robot bear-dog.
I also tried watching Caprica, an offshoot / precursor of the re-imagined Battlestar Galactica series. I ... really ... can't say I enjoyed it. I fell asleep seeing the Pilot episode and simply refuse to follow it through.
.
back when sunflower hats were all the rage
If you were a teenage girl in the early '90s, you might now be hiding a picture of your young self wearing a hat with a big, bright, flamboyant flower.Blame it on Mayim Bialik, star of the TV hit Blossom.
Blossom and her colorfully-cardiganned friends sparked a worldwide fashion trend: flower hats. The most popular was the kind with an enormous sunflower or daisy.
Pretty soon sunflower hats cross-pollinated with other apparel and accessories: there were sunflower hair ties, sunflower pins, sunflower shirts, sun dresses, jumpsuits, pants, bags, Trapper Keepers and everything else. Bright yellow flowers were blooming everywhere.
In my junior year in our all-girls high school, we had this clothing tech class in which we were each supposed to design and sew a dress. At the end of the term, we were required to model our "creations" in our very own fashion show - concept, lighting, stage direction and all. One section went with a sunflower theme for their show, rocking their homemade threads with sunflower/ daisy hats and accessories (Our group didn't have much imagination - we had no theme. I remember I had a rushed, misshapen blue-and-silver dress that I decided to wear grunge-style with a pair of boots and a slouchy denim hat. It was an ugly dress, but I at least passed the class). My classmates thought that the other section's sunflower motif was pretty brilliant and wished we'd come up with it ourselves. I'm glad we didn't. I just wasn't cheery enough to wear a sunflower.
I still wonder whether anyone who sported them at that time actually thought those hats were pretty; I kinda believe girls wore them because of the pressure of buying into the fad.
I always thought it was a silly trend. Yeah, I did. Though I did happen to have a sunflower hat myself. And a sunflower button-down, a daisy hair clip, a sunflower hair clip, a sunflower vanity kit and a daisy pendant necklace. And a shirt with what looked like they were supposed to be sunflowers but were a bit too red. All were gifts, mind you.
back when before there was a tv comedy about musically-inclined teen misfits
... there was this television comedy about these musically-inclined teens.
"Don't wake me up when I'm dreamin' ..."
California Dreams is an early '90s TV series about high school kids juggling school work, coping with growing-up issues and pursuing their dreams.
Bands were big in the early '90s. This group of friends got together to form their own musical group and called themselves (a very cheesy name) California Dreams. They wrote original songs, played gigs and hoped to get signed up to release a recording. Since music was a huge part of the characters' lives, there was a musical number every now and then - no dancing about; just singing, smiling and posturing with their instruments. I think most of the cast members did their own singing for this show.
My friends and I used to watch this as often as we could back then. Saturday afternoons, channel 9. My best friend and I fussed over the limited info we could about the show's cuties (this was of course before the dawn of fansites and widespread internet use, so limited meant very limited). I had scrawled Michael Cade on the top margin of my notebook to remember the name of the guy who played Sylvester "Sly" Winkle, and that was pretty much the only info I ever gathered about him.
I don't remember much of the plotlines but I do remember California Dreams was a positive, feel-good kind of teen-oriented show that promoted good moral values. In true early '90s teen sitcom fashion, the clothes were unrealistically colorful, the songs unbelievably positive and the teens too cute to be true. It was a definitely more wholesome alternative to that other show about high schoolers that made parents nervous, Beverly Hills 90210.
As with most television series centered on the young, the characters had to grow up sometime; California Dreams had to graduate. Which was probably just as well, since viewer tastes evolved in the mid-'90s. The colorful, cute and cheery were soon considered corny because real high school life was no longer just about peer pressure and trying not to get caught running in the halls. Teens wanted something more like 90210 - edgy, allegedly more realistic, honest about life's struggles (i.e., what about those people who don't say no to drugs or premarital sex?), and packaged with an up-to-date pop-rock soundtrack. Moral lessons were no longer valued, and choice became a popular concept. Producers gave in and pretty soon there was an influx of Dawson and Joey types who slept around, got wasted onscreen and had almost-useless parents. It's still pretty much the pattern of the most popular teen TV series these days - including the supposedly "wholesome" one with musically-inclined misfits that break into song every now and then.
"Don't wake me up when I'm dreamin' ..."California Dreams is an early '90s TV series about high school kids juggling school work, coping with growing-up issues and pursuing their dreams.
Bands were big in the early '90s. This group of friends got together to form their own musical group and called themselves (a very cheesy name) California Dreams. They wrote original songs, played gigs and hoped to get signed up to release a recording. Since music was a huge part of the characters' lives, there was a musical number every now and then - no dancing about; just singing, smiling and posturing with their instruments. I think most of the cast members did their own singing for this show.
My friends and I used to watch this as often as we could back then. Saturday afternoons, channel 9. My best friend and I fussed over the limited info we could about the show's cuties (this was of course before the dawn of fansites and widespread internet use, so limited meant very limited). I had scrawled Michael Cade on the top margin of my notebook to remember the name of the guy who played Sylvester "Sly" Winkle, and that was pretty much the only info I ever gathered about him.
I don't remember much of the plotlines but I do remember California Dreams was a positive, feel-good kind of teen-oriented show that promoted good moral values. In true early '90s teen sitcom fashion, the clothes were unrealistically colorful, the songs unbelievably positive and the teens too cute to be true. It was a definitely more wholesome alternative to that other show about high schoolers that made parents nervous, Beverly Hills 90210.
As with most television series centered on the young, the characters had to grow up sometime; California Dreams had to graduate. Which was probably just as well, since viewer tastes evolved in the mid-'90s. The colorful, cute and cheery were soon considered corny because real high school life was no longer just about peer pressure and trying not to get caught running in the halls. Teens wanted something more like 90210 - edgy, allegedly more realistic, honest about life's struggles (i.e., what about those people who don't say no to drugs or premarital sex?), and packaged with an up-to-date pop-rock soundtrack. Moral lessons were no longer valued, and choice became a popular concept. Producers gave in and pretty soon there was an influx of Dawson and Joey types who slept around, got wasted onscreen and had almost-useless parents. It's still pretty much the pattern of the most popular teen TV series these days - including the supposedly "wholesome" one with musically-inclined misfits that break into song every now and then.
back when cartoons were for kids ... and back when they started not to be
When I was a child, it was safe for our parents to assume that anything animated was worry-free, wholesome entertainment. They could leave us in front of the television set on a Saturday morning without suspecting Warner Brothers or Hannah-Barbera to corrupt our young minds.
Cartoons even usually had invaluable life-lessons to teach kids, such as:
Monsters aren't real.
They are mostly just disgruntled thieves who have nothing better to do
Icky vegetables are good for you.
Veggies make you strong enough to kick the big bully's butt.
Good always triumphs over evil.
Even if good guys aren't always well-tanned blondes with bulging muscles.
Be nice.
You can overcome your enemies with kindness and warm feelings.
No matter how much money you have, friends are more important.
But it would be utterly nice to be rich too.
It is good to be informed.
And knowing is half the battle.
And that was how cartoons were in the 1980s. "Worry-free kid TV".
At the end of the decade, cartoons took a different turn with the introduction of an animated family with warped values.
When I was twelve, we kids almost bled out of our ears the way teachers, parents and pastors repeatedly warned us against the Simpsons, with special mention to that troublemaker, Bart. We often just shrugged those warnings off with a chuckle because we weren't exactly stupid enough not to distinguish between reality and poking fun at reality.
Eventually all the slander about the Simpsons cooled when the team behind those four-fingered yellow people churned out stuff that just kept getting funnier and funnier. The show continued to get a lot of criticism, but it never got cancelled - it is in fact still going strong to this day. For that matter, it isn't half as irreverent as what a lot of kids watch now.
In the mid-'90s, MTV began to air animated shorts that made The Simpsons look absolutely tame and lame.
The shorts turned into regular series, and kids thought they really rocked. Even if there wasn't much of a plot - nor sense. It was the dawn of a time when cartoons were no longer silly, soppy ways to sell toys and teach moral lessons.
The Japs though have always been a little bit more visual. Them Japanese animators seem to have always made it a point to include upskirt scenes, even in made-for-children shows featuring a giant robot or a tortured little girl.
Of course, the Japs have understood for a long time that animation didn't necessarily have to be treats just for kids. It was also for frustrated perverts and milquetoasts who needed some sort of fodderfor their fantasies.
Though previously known only to small cult followings, anime started becoming vastly popular and accessible in the mid-90s. There wasn't much of it on television at that time save for the edited "safe" kinds, but kids and teens knew where to get their fix (mostly renting from friends or specialized video shops). Parents, teachers and "grownups" had nothing to say about the tiwsted values highlighted in anime, mostly because they didn't know about it.
Sexy and violent imagery were practically staples. Sexual tension and demon-dependence were common themes that would have sent our parishes preaching against it only if they knew about it.
There are still a lot of wholesome animated series around these days, but it's now a well-known fact that they aren't necessarily for kids anymore. Twenty years ago, it would have been disgusting to see a grown man watching mind-numbing "cartoons", but not so these days. A lot of animated films and series actually have dark themes, thought-provoking concepts, visuals and language that should be for adults.
Cartoons even usually had invaluable life-lessons to teach kids, such as:
Monsters aren't real.They are mostly just disgruntled thieves who have nothing better to do
Icky vegetables are good for you.Veggies make you strong enough to kick the big bully's butt.
Good always triumphs over evil. Even if good guys aren't always well-tanned blondes with bulging muscles.
Be nice. You can overcome your enemies with kindness and warm feelings.
No matter how much money you have, friends are more important. But it would be utterly nice to be rich too.
It is good to be informed. And knowing is half the battle.
And that was how cartoons were in the 1980s. "Worry-free kid TV".
At the end of the decade, cartoons took a different turn with the introduction of an animated family with warped values.
When I was twelve, we kids almost bled out of our ears the way teachers, parents and pastors repeatedly warned us against the Simpsons, with special mention to that troublemaker, Bart. We often just shrugged those warnings off with a chuckle because we weren't exactly stupid enough not to distinguish between reality and poking fun at reality.
Eventually all the slander about the Simpsons cooled when the team behind those four-fingered yellow people churned out stuff that just kept getting funnier and funnier. The show continued to get a lot of criticism, but it never got cancelled - it is in fact still going strong to this day. For that matter, it isn't half as irreverent as what a lot of kids watch now.
In the mid-'90s, MTV began to air animated shorts that made The Simpsons look absolutely tame and lame.
The shorts turned into regular series, and kids thought they really rocked. Even if there wasn't much of a plot - nor sense. It was the dawn of a time when cartoons were no longer silly, soppy ways to sell toys and teach moral lessons.
The Japs though have always been a little bit more visual. Them Japanese animators seem to have always made it a point to include upskirt scenes, even in made-for-children shows featuring a giant robot or a tortured little girl.
Of course, the Japs have understood for a long time that animation didn't necessarily have to be treats just for kids. It was also for frustrated perverts and milquetoasts who needed some sort of fodderfor their fantasies.
Though previously known only to small cult followings, anime started becoming vastly popular and accessible in the mid-90s. There wasn't much of it on television at that time save for the edited "safe" kinds, but kids and teens knew where to get their fix (mostly renting from friends or specialized video shops). Parents, teachers and "grownups" had nothing to say about the tiwsted values highlighted in anime, mostly because they didn't know about it.
Sexy and violent imagery were practically staples. Sexual tension and demon-dependence were common themes that would have sent our parishes preaching against it only if they knew about it.
There are still a lot of wholesome animated series around these days, but it's now a well-known fact that they aren't necessarily for kids anymore. Twenty years ago, it would have been disgusting to see a grown man watching mind-numbing "cartoons", but not so these days. A lot of animated films and series actually have dark themes, thought-provoking concepts, visuals and language that should be for adults.
back when mayim (and blossom) was real popular
Sue to Will: Seriously, you wear more vests than the cast of Blossom.[Glee Season 2 Episode 2, September 2010]
Yeah, I'm a Gleek too , so sue me. Anway. Since I heard that comment made by Sue on the episode from a few weeks ago, I wondered about what ever happened to Mayim Bialik. But just a bit more of TV watching answered my curiosity.
My other current fixations is CBS' Big Bang Theory - a hilarious sitcom featuring four lovable geeks. Anyway, there's a new recurring role in the person of Amy Farah Fowler, Dr. Sheldon Cooper's not-girlfriend. She's not a very likeable character but she has this whole humorous dynamic with Sheldon that works.
I wondered for a while about that actress - who she is, how the casters found her and why they chose her. She appeared rather trite next to Jim Parsons' Sheldon, and she wasn't very visually appealing, if you know what I mean. As the end credits filed out, I read that Amy Farah Fowler was/is played by Mayim Bialik.
It took me less than a second to recognize that name. Aside from the fact that it's a very unique and incredibly memorable name, it used to be somewhat huge in the early '90s.
For a time, Blossom was a TV hit. I understand she was supposed to be adorable, but I didn't get why. I never became interested enough in her or her show though, so I don't really have a lot of fond memories about. But I do know that Mayim Bialik's well-loved television persona was guilty of setting that obnoxious-hat trend, particularly the hat-with-ridiculously-big-sunflower trend. That sunflower-hat fad eventually spawned sunflower everything - clothing, bags, accessories and stuff. It wasn't funny at that time, but it looks terribly ludicrous now.
So there. Mayim. I never found her cute, but she didn't age too well. Her fashion seems to be stuck in the '90s too.
back when the a-team was a weekly habit
What is it with movie makers these days? There seems to be a load of remakes and rehashes - they've either run out of ideas or they don't want to take a risk with new ones so they just use the tried-and-tested formulas that already have a large, sure market.
Image from here.
Just this week, I caught The A-Team (2010) - a movie version of the well-loved '80s series. It's not bad as a stand-alone movie; it's kinda like most action/spy movies of the time - complex plot with a lot of twists and double-crossing, high-tech machinery, a lot of explosions, a hot babe on the side, a fast pace and a whole lot of action. Not bad.
... But if you've got memories of the original A-Team, it kinda feels like something's missing.
Bradley cooper was a nice choice to play Face, the Murdock guy was okay. But Liam Neeson as Hannibal kinda didn't work for me; he's too morose, and kinda ... too dry. I didn't like the choice for B.A. Baracus at all - he's like a poor copy of a poor copy of Mr. T., and as far as I know B.A. is supposed to stand for badass, but he was far from.
Still it was fun to be sort of reunited with "childhood friends".
Back in the mid-eighties, Col. Hannibal Smith, Lt. Templeton "Faceman" Peck, Sgt. Bosco "B.A." Baracus and Capt. James "Howling Mad" Murdock were regular guests in everyone's home. On Wedesday nights at 8 pm, we'd turn our TV sets to channel 7 - it was a weekly ritual for my dad, my older brother and I.
I was too young (and probably, too female) to understand all the technical and military jargon, but I nonetheless enjoyed watching it every Wednesday night. It was entertaining to see them work their complex plans and blow things up.
The original Hannibal was so badass. The cigar habit was so cliche for an older military man, but it worked. It also interested me that Hannibal was played by George Peppard, the guy opposite Audrey Hepburn in the classic romance Breakfast at Tiffany's (he was pretty gorgeous as a younger man).
Mr. T is B.A. Baracus. He made that persona his own and that will forever be cemented. I pity the fool who got cast to play Baracus / Mr. T, because I don't think anyone can do the role justice, not even if he wore a mohawk and ton of gold.
Murdock was just fun in all that howling madness. The name Murdock became synonymous with crazy, especially after it was also used by McGyver's psychotic nemesis. The role was played by Dwight Schultz - I never forgot that name because I found it so unique. I recently caught some entertainment news that showed where he is now; apparently he's more into being a voice talent for animation these days.
And the former Lt. Starbuck in the late-70s series Battlestar Galactica (reruns of which I caught as a child), Dirk Benedict, was just eye-candy; I didn't care if he was old.
I never knew why the show was canceled; I remember feeling a wee bit disappointed when it stopped showing. I kinda missed it - so I guess that's why I felt like I had to watch the movie, even if it did have Liam Neeson as Hannibal.
BTW, I did a quick IMDB search to find out where those guys are now:
Image from here.Just this week, I caught The A-Team (2010) - a movie version of the well-loved '80s series. It's not bad as a stand-alone movie; it's kinda like most action/spy movies of the time - complex plot with a lot of twists and double-crossing, high-tech machinery, a lot of explosions, a hot babe on the side, a fast pace and a whole lot of action. Not bad.
... But if you've got memories of the original A-Team, it kinda feels like something's missing.
Bradley cooper was a nice choice to play Face, the Murdock guy was okay. But Liam Neeson as Hannibal kinda didn't work for me; he's too morose, and kinda ... too dry. I didn't like the choice for B.A. Baracus at all - he's like a poor copy of a poor copy of Mr. T., and as far as I know B.A. is supposed to stand for badass, but he was far from.
Still it was fun to be sort of reunited with "childhood friends".
Back in the mid-eighties, Col. Hannibal Smith, Lt. Templeton "Faceman" Peck, Sgt. Bosco "B.A." Baracus and Capt. James "Howling Mad" Murdock were regular guests in everyone's home. On Wedesday nights at 8 pm, we'd turn our TV sets to channel 7 - it was a weekly ritual for my dad, my older brother and I.
I was too young (and probably, too female) to understand all the technical and military jargon, but I nonetheless enjoyed watching it every Wednesday night. It was entertaining to see them work their complex plans and blow things up.
The original Hannibal was so badass. The cigar habit was so cliche for an older military man, but it worked. It also interested me that Hannibal was played by George Peppard, the guy opposite Audrey Hepburn in the classic romance Breakfast at Tiffany's (he was pretty gorgeous as a younger man).
Mr. T is B.A. Baracus. He made that persona his own and that will forever be cemented. I pity the fool who got cast to play Baracus / Mr. T, because I don't think anyone can do the role justice, not even if he wore a mohawk and ton of gold.
Murdock was just fun in all that howling madness. The name Murdock became synonymous with crazy, especially after it was also used by McGyver's psychotic nemesis. The role was played by Dwight Schultz - I never forgot that name because I found it so unique. I recently caught some entertainment news that showed where he is now; apparently he's more into being a voice talent for animation these days.
And the former Lt. Starbuck in the late-70s series Battlestar Galactica (reruns of which I caught as a child), Dirk Benedict, was just eye-candy; I didn't care if he was old.
I never knew why the show was canceled; I remember feeling a wee bit disappointed when it stopped showing. I kinda missed it - so I guess that's why I felt like I had to watch the movie, even if it did have Liam Neeson as Hannibal.
BTW, I did a quick IMDB search to find out where those guys are now:
- George Peppard passed away in '94. He will forever be remembered as a TV and movie legend.
- After a recurring role in Star Trek: The Next Generation and Star Trek: Voyager, Dwight Schultz has done voices for some hundred animated movies, series and video games. I didn't realize he did Mung Daal in Chowder and Dr. Animo in Ben 10. His voice was also in The Animatrix, The Wild Thornberrys, Family Guy, Afro Samurai and the English version of Mononoke-Hime. He supposedly was one of the German doctors in the recent A-Team movie, but I didn't spot him.
- Dirk Benedict has been in a few B-movies. He was also in the 2010 movie, but again, I was not able to identify him
- Not much info on Mr. T.
back when there were color-coded hero teams
The staple colors are red, blue, green, yellow, pink and the additional black. Every team has got to have one of each.
Who could forget the Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers from the 90s?
Click to view larger image.
Power Rangers was kinda painful to watch. I could not believe teenagers (or adult actors pretending to be teenagers) willingly put themselves through that public humiliation just for a B-list TV career.
Anyway, on to other color-coded teams ...
How about the original Japanese "Rangers" - Bioman from the late 70s / early 80s?
There is also the team behind the Defender of the Universe. Form feet and legs ... Darnit, I can still hear the music and the opening spiel in my head.
Image from Voltron.com
Their team (Let's go, Voltron force!) didn't seem to know what color-coding was for. The guy in the red suit went into the black lion, the blue guy took the red lion, and the princess in pink got the blue lion.
Let's not forget these guys. They may not be wearing bright, tight uniforms but with their powers combined they saved the planet more than once. Aside from the color-coded shirts, consider the varied tones of their skin:
But when it comes to color-coded groups, these creepy guys have got to be one of the most popular:
Isama na natin ang mga ito - look, they even have the staple colors right:
Who could forget the Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers from the 90s?
Click to view larger image.Power Rangers was kinda painful to watch. I could not believe teenagers (or adult actors pretending to be teenagers) willingly put themselves through that public humiliation just for a B-list TV career.
Anyway, on to other color-coded teams ...
How about the original Japanese "Rangers" - Bioman from the late 70s / early 80s?
There is also the team behind the Defender of the Universe. Form feet and legs ... Darnit, I can still hear the music and the opening spiel in my head.
Image from Voltron.comTheir team (Let's go, Voltron force!) didn't seem to know what color-coding was for. The guy in the red suit went into the black lion, the blue guy took the red lion, and the princess in pink got the blue lion.
Let's not forget these guys. They may not be wearing bright, tight uniforms but with their powers combined they saved the planet more than once. Aside from the color-coded shirts, consider the varied tones of their skin:
But when it comes to color-coded groups, these creepy guys have got to be one of the most popular:
Isama na natin ang mga ito - look, they even have the staple colors right:
Subscribe to:
Posts
(
Atom
)