I forget what exactly it was that my kids said that prompted me to say "Talk to the Hand because the Face don't Understand" (Martin Lawrence, Martin, 1992-1997) but, out it flew like it was 199-6(?), 5(?), 7(?)... definitely one of those years.
I have a tendency to throw those things at the kids. They've learned that you can't say "Oh my God" within earshot of mom because it will 100% be followed up with "It's a mirage, I'm telling y'all it's sabotage!" (Beastie Boys, "Sabotage",1994) I told my son, who will be entering senior year in the fall, that if his class doesn't adopt "Nobody likes you when you (Class of) 23 and you still act like you're in freshman year" (Blink 182, "What's My Age Again, 1999) a motto it would be a crime. I get blanks stares when I ask the kids if they are "all that and a bag of chips" (Will Smith, Fresh Prince, 1990-1996). I couldn't even begin to guess at the number of times some reiteration of "chill pill" was said.
Every spring I have a moment where the chant of "Donna Martin Graduates!" runs through my mind, (Beverly Hills 90210, season 3 episode 28, cast). "Nanu Nanu" will hit me out of nowhere. (Robin Williams, Mork and Mindy 1978-1982), as well as a plethora of catchphrases from "Watcha Talkin' Bout, Willis" (Gary Coleman, Different Strokes 1978-1985) to "If you're edged 'cause I'm weazin all your grindage, just chill." (Pauly Shore, Encino Man, 1992) and pretty much the entire scripts of "Clueless" (1995), "Empire Records"(1995) and "Mallrats" (1995) - Note: in 1995 I was 15, my life was music and movies and I had a group of friends who were a year or two older with jobs at a movie theater.
I loved this year's Superbowl lineup. I know some people were unhappy, others unbothered, and some people may have been puzzled as to why so many people were overly excited. That line-up represented an epoch for certain generations, one that was for me, a representation of when I came of age. I may have cried when I saw 50 Cent. "In da Club" was number one for my 23rd birthday, a year that I tend to categorize as the beginning of the end of an era.
I am the end of Gen X and the beginning of Millenial, a Xennial,
I am latch-key, I am "Y-me?"
I am Oregon Trail, I am Carmen Sandiego,
I am In Living Color, I am SNICK,
I am AOL, Prodigy, Myspace, and Facebook
I am Heathers, I am Clueless,
I am Beta, I am Laserdisk, I am VHS, I am DVD,
I am Vinyl, Cassette, CD, and back to Vinyl,
I am Atari, Coleco, Nintendo, and Sega,
I am Blockbuster VS. Hollywood Video,
I am Fear Street, Christopher Pike, and hiding books with Fabio on the Cover from my Mother,
and going back a little farther, I am The Baby-Sitters Club.
I am a 1980 baby.
"Ann M. Martin's Baby-Sitters Club series featured a complex cast of characters and touched on an impressive range of issues that were underrepresented at the time: divorce, adoption, childhood illness, class division, and racism. In We Are the Baby-Sitters Club, writers and a few visual artists from the original BSC generation will reflect on the enduring legacy of Ann M. Martin's beloved series, thirty-five years later-celebrating the BSC's profound cultural influence"--. Provided by publisher.
"Every twenty- or thirty-something woman knows these books. The pink covers, the flimsy paper, the zillion volumes in the series that kept you reading for your entire adolescence. Spurred by the commercial success of Sweet Valley High and The Babysitters Club, these were not the serious-issue YA novels of the 1970s, nor were they the blockbuster books of the Harry Potter and Twilight ilk. They were cheap, short, and utterly beloved. Paperback crush dives in deep to this golden age with affection, history, and a little bit of snark"-- Publisher's description.
Larger Than Life begins with a brief history of male vocal groups, spotlighting The Beatles, the Jackson 5, and Menudo before diving into the building blocks of these beloved acts in "Boy Bands 101." She also focuses on artists like New Edition, New Kids on the Block, Backstreet Boys, *NSYNC, One Direction, and BTS before ending with an interrogation into the future of boy bands. Included throughout are Tiger Beat-inspired illustrations, capsule histories of the swoon-iest groups, in-depth investigations into one-hit wonders, and sidebars dedicated to conspiracy theories, dating, in-fighting, haters, fan fiction, fashion (Justin and Britney in denim, of course), and so much more.
"Will we ever get tired of watching Cher navigate Beverly Hills high school and discover true love in the movie Clueless? As if! Written by Amy Heckerling and starring Alicia Silverstone, Clueless is an enduring comedy classic that remains one of the most streamed movies on Netflix, Amazon, and iTunes even twenty years after its release. Inspired by Jane Austen's Emma, Clueless is an everlasting pop culture staple. In the first book of its kind, Jen Chaney has compiled an oral history of the making of this iconic film using recollections and insights collected from key cast and crew members involved in the making of this endlessly quotable, ahead-of-its-time production. Get a behind-the-scenes look at how Emma influenced Heckerling to write the script, how the stars were cast into each of their roles, what was involved in creating the costumes, sets, and soundtrack, and much more"-- provided by publisher.
Exploring everything from the pioneering special effects to set design and the unforgettable soundtrack, this authorized book tells the exhaustive behind-the-scenes story of how Dan Akroyd's original concept evolved into a cinematic sensation. Packed with fascinating production photos, concept art, and behind-the-scenes images, this book details how Slimer, Stay Puft Marshmallow Man, and the many ghosts and ghouls in the films came to the screen. Featuring new interviews with Dan Akroyd, Ivan Reitman, Ernie Hudson, Richard Edlund, and many others, the book reveals how the cast and crew overcame momentous challenges to create one of the best-loved movie franchises of the 1980s. --from back cover.
Traces the history and development of video games, providing information on the first games, influential developers, how the games have changed over the years, and the most popular games.
"A mesmerizing, behind-the-scenes business thriller that chronicles how Sega, a small, scrappy gaming company led by an unlikely visionary and a team of rebels, took on the juggernaut Nintendo and revolutionized the videogame industry--in development as a feature film from Sony PicturesIn 1990, Nintendo had a virtual monopoly on the videogame industry. Sega, on the other hand, was just a faltering arcade company with big aspirations and even bigger personalities. But all that would change with the arrival of Tom Kalinske, a former Mattel executive who knew nothing about videogames and everything about fighting uphill battles. His unconventional tactics, combined with the blood, sweat, and bold ideas of his renegade employees, completely transformed Sega and led to a ruthless, David-and-Goliath showdown with Nintendo. Little did he realize that Sega's success would create many new enemies and, most important, make Nintendo stronger than ever. The battle was vicious, relentless, and highly profitable, eventually sparking a global corporate war that would be fought on several fronts: from living rooms and school yards to boardrooms and Congress. It was a once-in-a-lifetime, no-holds-barred conflict that pitted brother against brother, kid against adult, Sonic against Mario, and the United States against Japan. Based on more than two hundred interviews with former Sega and Nintendo employees, Console Wars is the tale of how Tom Kalinske miraculously turned an industry punch line into a market leader. Blake J. Harris brings into focus the warriors, the strategies, and the battles and explores how they transformed popular culture forever. Ultimately, Console Wars is the story of how a humble family man, with an extraordinary imagination and a gift for turning problems into competitive advantages, inspired a team of underdogs to slay a giant and, as a result, give birth to a sixty-billion-dollar industry"-- Provided by publisher.
- "Essays about 1990s popular culture, politics, sports, literature, music"--. Provided by publisher.
- Text and pictures highlight the main events of the 1980s.
"Most people know Andrew McCarthy from his movie roles in Pretty in Pink, St. Elmo's Fire, Weekend at Bernie's, and Less than Zero, and as a charter member of Hollywood's Brat Pack. That iconic group of ingenues and heartthrobs included Rob Lowe, Molly Ringwald, Emilio Estevez, and Demi Moore, and has come to represent both a genre of film and an era of pop culture. In his memoir Brat: An '80s Story, McCarthy focuses his gaze on that singular moment in time. The result is a revealing look at coming of age in a maelstrom, reckoning with conflicted ambition, innocence, addiction, and masculinity. New York City of the 1980s is brought to vivid life in these pages -- scoring loose joints in Washington Square Park and skipping school in favor of the dark revival houses of the Village where he fell in love with the movies that would change his life. Filled with personal revelations of innocence lost to heady days in Hollywood with John Hughes and an iconic cast of characters, Brat is a surprising and intimate story of an outsider caught up in a most unwitting success"--. Provided by publisher.
A captivating blend of reportage and personal narrative that explores the untold history of women's exercise culture--from jogging and Jazzercise to Jane Fonda--and how women have parlayed physical strength into other forms of power"--. Provided by publisher.
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