The Rundown: 80's Flashback

Did you know that kids born in 1988 turn 20 this year? That's fucked.

Well, at least to me it is, because I easily remember 1988. I was ten. '88 was one of my best years to date actually. I lived in Chatham, Ontario in a nice little suburb known as Birdland (all the streets were names of birds...) and had a great group of friends that I hung out with pretty much every waking hour that I wasn't in school. I also had my first French Kiss in '88 with Jackie McClintock. Oddly enough, her brother Steve was one of my best friends at the time and he was standing right there watching me do it!

So, I thought I would use that as my inspiration for today's Rundown. Without any further adieu...

Top Five Things I Miss About The '80's

5. Saturday Morning Cartoons / Television
Have you gotten up on a Saturday morning recently and flipped through the channels to see what's on? I have and I hated it. Where the hell are The Smurfs? What about The Gummi Bears? No longer are they bouncing here and there and everywhere. D'you know when The Transformers were awesome? When they weren't a movie starring Shia LeBeouf, but were a cartoon. Toss in Saved By The Bell starting in 1989 and that was what Saturday mornings were all about.

Old Guy Geek Update: They're doing a CGI Thundercats Movie. Yes, I'm excited for it. I effing loved The Thundercats!

4. John Hughes Movies

• Mr. Mom
• National Lampoon's Vacation
• 16 Candles
• The Breakfast Club - classic... you must watch this film
  
• National Lampoon's European Vacation
• Weird Science
• Pretty in Pink
• Ferris Bueller's Day Off - anyone who hasn't seen this must be shot!
  
• Planes, Trains & Automobiles
• The Great Outdoors
• Uncle Buck
• National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation

Seriously, if you haven't seen some of these, go get them. They're all pretty solid and some of them are downright iconic. Need a better endorsement than me? How 'bout Kevin Smith, who pokes fun at John Hughes' imaginary town of Shermer, Illinois in Dogma? If Silent Bob is jabbing at you, you know you're dope.

3. Innocence
A guy at work told me today about a girl his wife teaches in sixth grade that is pregnant. I was in 6th grade somewhere around 1988 or so and getting some girl pregnant was the last thing on my mind. Hell, I hadn't even started spankin' it yet... Sorry about that. Anyway, I miss that time, when riding your bike and playing street hockey was enough. Holding hands and getting a kiss at the end of the day made you the Big Man on Campus and thoughts of sex, drugs and alcohol hadn't entered the minds of Elementary School students. I don't care if this one makes me sound real old... I miss those days.

2. The Fashion
Vuarnet. Neon and pastel everything. Chuck Taylor's and fake Chuck Taylor's. Polo. Acid Washed Jeans and high top shoes. Reebok Pumps. Bicycle shorts I can still do without...

1. The Music
If you didn't know this was going to be #1, you're either new here - welcome, nice to have you - or haven't been paying attention over the last bunch of months. I mean, seriously, you had to know it was going to be the music, right? Who and what do I miss most? Glad you asked:

• Michael Jackson - Thriller was released and was awesome. It still is. Michael, unfortunately, is not.
• U2 - The Joshua Tree... that's all I have to say.
  
• Duran Duran - I don't care what anyone says...
• Hair Metal Bands - odd that they follow Duran Duran, but hey, I loved Poison. Appetite for Destruction had been unleashed on the world and Dr. Feelgood came out right at the very end of the decade...
• Rap was just getting off the ground it is was still all good. Beasties, early LL, Run DMC...
  
• Plus, there are a lot of bands that I wish I had known about then that I really dig now, like The Smiths and Depeche Mode

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Quick shout out to my man Deuce - he's in my old stomping ground of Waterloo for an interview that he's really nervous and excited about. Good luck dude!

He's started a blog too... he wants to be more like me... check it out here.