The Good ol' Days

Earlier this evening, a memory came back to me of a cartoon I saw a couple times when I was a kid about a boy who was raised by a duck. The kids at school made fun of him and called him "Ducky". I was curious to see if I could find anything out about this cartoon on the internet, but cyber space seems to carry no records of this occurrence. I did, however, run across this site, where a bunch of people reminisce about being a child in the 80's. So I thought I'd post my own, "I remember" 80's blog post...

I remember having an E.T. themed birthday, yet strangely, I barely remember watching E.T. prior to that.

I remember listening to the Ghostbusters song for the first time ever on headphones that were as big as my head, and then watching the movie shortly thereafter.

I remember how the cartoon for the Ghost Busters had to be called The Real Ghostbusters, because there was already a Ghostbusters cartoon that had nothing to do with the movie. The song for that one was, "Let's go Ghostbusters, Let's go" and then an echoing voice... "Let's go! Let's go!"

I remember watching the pilot episode of the Transformers.

And I remember how cool the toys looked in the commercials for Transformers and Voltron. I used to drool over those posters that came with the Transformers toys that showed all the other Transformers and hope my parents would get me every single one. The marketing was so effective that now as an adult I want to collect all the ones I never had. Anybody out there selling a Starscream?

I remember learning that Sgt. Slaughter from GI Joe was a real person.

I remember being disappointed when all the characters and plotlines were changed in Robotech, and again the second time.

I remember when Teddy Ruxpin, the cassette playing bear was the coolest thing since sliced Garbagepail Kids.

I remember my brown 80's shorts that my mom attached fur to so I could pretend I was He-Man.

I remember sitting there bored, stretching my socks to see how far up I could get them to go and they'd cover my knees.

I remember wanting a red mohawk so I could be a punker.

I remember seeing Back to the Future in the theater.

I remember my older sister listening to the Petshop Boys and the Bangles.

I remember my sister pinning buttons all over her denim jacket.

I remember when Michael Jackson was cool.

I remember laughing at school singing, "because I'm fat, I'm fat, you know it I'm fat"

And then talking like Pee-wee Herman.

I remember My friends mom picking us up after school and telling us that a spaceship blew up. (the Challenger).

I remember when saying "man" after a sentence was something cool that surfers did, as opposed to something that everyone does.

As well, I remember when "cool" as synonymous to "good", was teenage lingo instead of an everyday word.

And of course the words "rad" and "tubular".

I remember when Tony Hawk was a punk kid instead of a guy in his forties that EA Sports is trying to market as a punk kid.

I remember Mr. Miyagi teaching Danielson how to kick ass.

And I remember Johnny Five declaring himself to be alive.

I remember watching the Macellis followed by the Seavers, and then the Huxtables on another night.

And I remember not wanting ALF to eat my cats.

I remember loading up my toothbrush from the Aquafresh pump.

I remember wanting to see the spot jump off of my 7up can and dance around.

And wishing my clay California Raisins would animate themselves.

Oh yeah, and the reason the Noid couldn't destroy the Domino's pizza is because it was made of cardboard to begin with.

I remember getting a VCR with a remote control.

And I remember wanting a TV that had one.

I remember when rich people had carphones, which looked just like housephones only in a car. And I remember wondering why someone would want to talk on a phone in the car.

I remember climbing inside a giant metal Grimace on the playground behind McDonald's.

And when, "It's a good time for a great taste" was replaced with, "Good time, great taste, that's why this is our place."

I remember when Coke had the bright idea to change it's formula. I never even realized they changed it back until a future decade.

And then there's ol' Max Hedroom.

And finally, I remember Karate Kid 3 coming out in 1990, and laughing when Danielson declares to Mr. Miyagi, "Come on, it's the 80's!"