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I Love Teddies South Florida
Posts: 1,684
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Daphne posted about the 70s.  I'm a child of the 80s so I thought I'd post this for anyone from then.  Sorry it's so long.  Hope you enjoy it.  bear_original

You know you're a child of the '80s if...
# You remember Don Johnson when he was "cool"
# You know who shot J.R
# You remember when Michael Jackson was actually considered something of a sex symbol
# You practice getting in and out of your car through the windows
# You owned at least one skinny leather tie.
# Your first Walkman weighed 10 pounds and was the size of a brick.
# You wore L.A. Gear tennis shoes.
# You know the meaning of Wax on/Wax Off
# You're always "in the mood for dancing"
# If you can "See Better" with sunglasses that have paint splattered all over the lenses.
# You can feel St. Elmo's fire burnin' in you.
# You need a shopping cart to carry your personal stereo with you.
# You remember what Michael Jackson looked like before the surgery.
# You go rollerskating every Friday night (not to skate, but to 'hang out')
# You still want to take Karate...(after you move to California)
# You watch NYPD Blue thinking, "Well, they're no Crockett and Tubbs, that's for sure".
# "Outrageous!" is the term to describe something neat and cool
# You think that Garbage Pail Kids are your children's worst enemy
# You had a poster of Bo, Luke & Daisy Duke
# There was nothing to question about Bert n' Ernie living together
# The phrase "Where's the beef?" still doubles you over with laughter.
# You went out and purchased the sound track for 'Miami Vice'
# You remember the magazines of song lyrics
# If you think Hulk Hogan is the best wrestler of all time.
# If the best non-slasher movie in your opinion is An American Werewolf In London.
# Two words: The Clapper.
# Six words: "This is your brain on drugs."
# You want to live in 'the Valley'.
# Ferris Bueller was your idol.
# You watched 'Star Search' on a regular basis.
# Every now and then, you blurt out: "Ooh noo, Mr. Bill!!!"
# If you had an entire wardrobe of Esprit clothing (or coveted one.)
# If you know the words to the "Oscar Mayer" theme songs
# Your bangs are teased perfectly to 7 inches above the rest of your hair.
# Have multi-colored earrings that touch your shoulders
# Played Upwords, Boggle or Trivial Pursuit (the original) on a rainy afternoon
# You wore lace gloves with the fingers cut off, bangle bracelets up to your elbows, bright red Reebok high tops and parachute pants to a school dance
# You're still bitter that WHAM broke up
# You know whose phone number is 867-5309
# You drink Diet Coke because Max Headroom told you to
# You still watch things on Beta tapes
# You have the tendency to turn up the collar of your polo shirts
# You never go out for a night on the town without frosted blue eyeshadow and feathered bangs
# Everything in your wardrobe is either pastel or fluorescent
# People are constantly gagging you with spoons.
# You know all the words to "I'm just a bill, sitting up on Capitol Hill" and "School House Rock."
# The feeling in your thumb is only now just returning after holding down the Atari joystick to control the racecar in Enduro Racer
# You still can't believe that Milli Vanilli was deceiving you all that time
# You can sing all the words to "One Night in Bangkok" by Murray Head, and now you understand that it is about chess.
# You still wear a bandana tied around your leg and/or a ponytail off-center on the side of your head.
# You know who Martha Quinn is.
# You still carry your boom box on your shoulder
# You think David Hasselhoff was awesome in Knight Rider but sucks in "Boob Watch."
# When you saw luging at the Winter Olympics you poured water down your driveway and tried it yourself.
# A piece of folded paper and two hands could tell your fortune.
# Knickers and leg warmers were cool
# You ever wanted to learn to play "Stairway to Heaven" on the guitar and choreographed "Dancing Queen" by yourself in your room.
# You had ringside seats for Luke and Laura's wedding
# You ever had a Dorothy Hammill haircut.
# You thought a Commodore 64 was the highest technology available
# You wanted to be "The Hulk" for halloween
# You want to be "Where Everybody Knows Your Name"
# 'A Different World' kicked butt
# Remember "Dancin' to a Big Mac at McDonalds!"
# You know who played Magnum P.I
# One Phrase, "The Plane, The Plane"
# You can name at least three members of the Brat Pack
# Still think banana clips were a godsend
# Still wear Wet n' Wild makeup
# If your idea of hi-tech toys is still the heat-sensitive color-changing sticker on Transformers
# If you remember Bruce Willis from Moonlighting, not Die Hard
# You still wear your "Members Only" jacket.
# You still have a couple of those barettes made of woven ribbons.
# You had snap bracelets
# You remember when Pee-Wee wasn't a pervert.
# You had had five pairs of socks on at any given time
# You still think Donkey Kong can beat Mario up
# If you still have your scratch-n-sniff sticker collection
# If you remember when you heard that drinking soda and eating Pop Rocks would make your stomach asplode
# If you ever used Lee Press-On Nails
# If you wear jelly shoes
# You still play with that CASIO SK-1 Keyboard
# You're still hoping for a New Kids on the Block reunion tour
# You still argue over who was better: Tiffany or Debbie Gibson
# Every time you hear the "OH YEAH..." song you think of "Ferris Bueller's Day Off"
# You still watch tapes of Stingray, McGyver, and Airwolf

Daphne Back Road Bears
Laconia, NH USA
Posts: 6,568

That is great Chrissie!!

I was 10 in 1980 so lived my teenage years in the 80's and can identify with almost every single one of those! It really is so much fun to travel down memory lane. Walkman's were HUGE! And Michael Jackson was cool there for a while... scary(Gag me with a spooooon!)!! I remember when MTV first went on the air. The AH-HA video for "Take On Me" comes to mind. That was so cool.

Those were the best days!!!!!

I'm off to bed with "867-5309" going through my head! Thanks!  bear_whistle

Cleathero Creations Cleathero Creations
Ripley, Queensland
Posts: 1,925

Yep I was a teen through the last portion of the eighties.  And I know quite a few of those even though I am an Aussie.

melissa Honeythorpe Bears
Wellington, New Zealand
Posts: 1,789
Website

That is funny...I turned 8 in 1980 so really was a child of the 80s!   I remember Miami Vice was on a night that my mum was out teaching night classes and my older brother let me stay up and watch.  i had it nicely timed that I could listen for the sound of mum's  car coming down the road and be up the hallway and in bed "fast asleep" by the time she walked into the house!

The first poster I had on my wall was Tom Cruise in Top Gun....eeeeeeewwwwwww

A-Ha were one of my favourite bands Daphne...did you know that the Take on Me was the first ever computer animated movie video!  However, to redeem myself, by the mid 80s, U2 and REM were my favourite bands and continue to be so!!

The only thing I remember about Tiffany was she danced with a giant bean in one song. 

Oh and I never ever owned a puffball or ra-ra skirt but I did have the many pastel bracelets.  I think the biggest fashion crime was my friend's mint green baby cordury stirrup pants.

Max Headroom

In the UK and consequently New Zealand, the producers Stock, Aitken and waterman ruled the music scene and it was the heavy introduction of lots of manufactured singers....Kylie Minogue went from Aussie soap star to singer (I should be so lucky!!) and required clothing was  levi 501s, white tshirts and chunky black lace-ups a-la Bros and Rick Astley.


However...lest we think the 80s were all bad....they did bring us Johnny Depp in the form of 21 Jump St   bear_grin

Meri Bears (UK) West Sussex, England
Posts: 598

LOL bear_laugh

I was 7 in 1980 - cor, this thread has brought back memories. Ra- Ra Skirts and those funny deely bopper things, which you wore on your head, were definately the things to have.

My room was plastered in Wham posters but I also loved Rick Astley and A Ha. I went to see A Ha and Wet Wet Wet at the Brighton Centre. Cool!

It's funny that here in the UK, Rick Astley and A Ha are making comebacks. I even heard that Bananarama were getting back together.

The 80's were GGGGRRRRREAT bear_laugh

:hug:

matilda Matilda Huggington-beare
WA
Posts: 5,551

I think I just burnt dinner!!!!!
hahahahahahahahahahahahahahha
hahahahahahahaha where do you lot come up with this stuff. hahahahah

yep did!!! dinners burnt.hhahahh

shantell Apple Dumpling Designs
Willamette Valley Oregon
Posts: 3,128

Okay...stop right now...you guys are making me feel old.  I graduated from high school in 1982 and gave birth to two of my children in the mid 80's.  I barely remember anything more than a college textbook and diapers.

PULEEEZE!!!

bear_wub  bear_wub

kbonsall Kim-Bee Bears
Pennsylvania
Posts: 5,645

I was born in 80 - I remember slap bracelets.. what else can I come up with...

I remember converse sneakers being popular, white wash jeans, tapered leg jeans or "tight roll" jeans.... Big bangs, remember them too.... flourescent everything, Vanilla Ice, New Kids on the Block (BLEECH!).... Belly bags were popular for a while too and friendship bracelets and going roller skating was popular too...

OH MY

DebbieD Posts: 3,540

Yes, but how can you have the 80s without The Police or Sting??  bear_wub    bear_grin   

These are great Chrissie!!  bear_thumb   I'm another one who turned 10 years old in 80.  Got the giggles remembering practicing that in and out via car windows (so coool ~ not!  bear_rolleyes )  Oooh, and those slap on wrist bracelets!  For years I still lugged around my scratch n sniff sticker collection...they plastered the insided of my school folder. 

Yep, Michael Jackson and Madonna were soooo cool!  Cable was watched by maybe 4 people in America, but MTV caught on quickly.  I can remember walking across to the tv to turn channels that were  *gasp* FREE  All you had to do was move the antennae around on the tv if it didn't come in clearly...or post the youngest sibling strategically holding the tv, and one arm angled into space.  Heaven help 'im if they wiggled  bear_grin

I'm still scared of Pop Rocks!   bear_tongue

Sandi.S. Posts: 1,277

I was born in '76, so my childhood was mainly in the 80's, although I do remember alot of the stuff that was in the 70's post.

Ahh...the 80's.

I think everyone I knew went through the big bangs. I think we had to use half a can of hairspray each morning! And I remember the tight-rolled jeans too.

Now this came before the tight-rolled jeans, but did anyone have parachute pants? Or the goofy shorts in the summer called "jams".

I have to admit as a preteen when Michael Jackson was cool...my friend and I had a big crush on him.  :redface:
Ooh, and Kirk Cameron form "Growing Pains."

The summer between 10th and 11th grade, the boy I'd liked for years finally asked me out. Anyway, I am terrible about remembering phone numbers and if I write them down, I lose them. Well,whenever I wanted to call him I had to sing a little song to myself...867-5309.  bear_grin His last 4 numbers were the same.

Jellybelly Bears Jellybelly Bears
Australia
Posts: 4,066

love this list too bear_original  I was born in 76 too Sandi and remember both decades, tho I seem to remember more from the 70's...could be my big sisters influence lol
And I loved Aha!  I still love the take on me song...will always be one of my favourites hehe

Does anyone remember bubble gum jeans?  And socks pulled over your jeans lol.  So cool weren't they hehe
hugs sarah

Daphne Back Road Bears
Laconia, NH USA
Posts: 6,568
Jellybelly Bears wrote:

And socks pulled over your jeans lol.  So cool weren't they hehe

Oh yeah.... had to fold the pants over at the bottom just so and then pull your socks up over them. Of course the socks had to be a color that matched what you were wearing. Then we quit tucking our pants into our socks and rolled the pant leg up two times instead. How geeky we were!!!

kimkc Australia
Posts: 66

In 1980 i was three, so i remember so much from this, its crazy! bear_original
Great to see someone writing something relevant to us! I loved Michael Jackson and Madonna, owned a pink cassette player that had two tape players, my brother owned a matching blue one!!
i wore ra-ra skirts, and a bubble skirt, wore long socks, oh, and fluro socks were huge!!! bear_grin

Jellybelly Bears Jellybelly Bears
Australia
Posts: 4,066

lol, ra ra skirts yes!  and they are back in oz too...well at least I've seen them around again.
And and and...I just remembered the hair spray and the big fringes, you call then bangs??  I would go to school with my hair piled high with a can of hairspray holding it in place lol.
ughh so glad those days are over!!!!  I'm a wash and dry girl now lol
hugs sarah

Jare Hares & Bears Jare Hares & Bears
Polo, IL
Posts: 983

I was born in 1976 too. My sister called me a bicentennial brat. I remember NKOTB, my sister was a fan. Tight-rolled pants were big in 8th grade and on, that would have been 1989-1990. And all of the rock bands... Bon Jovi, White Snake, Areosmith, etc.
One time I was traveling back from St. James, MO, I had been there training people for Wal*Mart, and the gal that was traveling back with us said to our manager do you remember this song from High School? This gal and the manger were about 10 years older than me. So they were chating back and forth and some time during the conversation a song came on that I remembered as well and I said so. She just glared at me and said,"How can you remember this? You weren't even in High School". My reply was, "Well, no but I did grow up in the 80s and I remember listening to a lot of music".   She responded with, "hmmph!"
I just chuckled to myself in the back seat of the car.

I had forgotten about the slap braclets.
Milli Vanilli, a let down for sure, but really were we surprised?
I rember that MTV came on the air. I also remember that we did not have cable. I would go over to the nieghbors and we watch Geoge Michael's "You've gotts have faith" I thought that was a pretty racy music video, all the semi-naked bodies. Madonna's like a virgin and the list goes on. Yes Debbie Gibson was cool and I think most kids in our town thought she was better than Tiffany.
Silver Spoons and Ricky Schoder?
MacGyver was watched regliously, as was Moonlighting.
Star Trek: The Next Generation came on in 1987 and I watched that every week.
One year mom and dad bought me roller skaters and I thought they were the best things in the world. Better than even my banana seat bike, which was a hand me down from my sister. And once in awhile dad would take me out to the roller rink. I actually roller skated, I missed the memo on hanging out.
Don't think I will ever forget all the big hair that I saw in the 80s, perms were also big. I think every girl in my class got one at some point. And for guys it was the spike hairdo. I had one of those.
Flash Dance, need I say more?
Legal Eagles, I think Robert Reford starred in that one and I wasn't allowed to watch it.
Young Einstein? Didn't get to see that one either.
Bert and Ernie just lived together, nothing more to it. I never thought that they slept together. Gee whiz, they had separate beds. Why do to guys living together always have to be gay?  Why?
Parachute pants were big when I was in 4th grade ('87) I never got a pair or if I did it was only one pair. But only the cool kids had them. I wasn't cool. Velcro shoes? You were really cool if you had those. I did get those, but I still wasn't cool. After all I wore glasses.
Cabbage Patch Kids were HUGE! Mom would go to the local toy store and buy them only to resell them at the antique shows we did, because she could make money on the silly things. I remember being nearly ran over by women trying to get them. They were worse than the furby crowds.
Jefferson Airplane, Jefferson Starship, Cheap Trick, Journey...
Max Headroom had a short-lived tv series, but I still re-re-remeber the c-c-c-coke commericals.
Murphy Brown?
Cartoons...
Smurfs, Snorkles, Tranformers, GI Joe, Thunder Cats, Pole Position, Dungens & Dragons, Fantaisc Four (I think, all I remember was a guy that could stretch), The Justice League, Scooby-doo (these were of course re-runs), He-Man, She-Ra, the WWF had a cartoon series for a time that once in while I would watch. Hulk Hogan was cool.
What a trip this has been. I'll be checking back to see whatelse people remember. I need to get to bed.

Bumpkin Bears Bumpkin Bears
Antwerp, Belgium
Posts: 2,190

Chrissie - that list was soooo funny - I was born in 1974 and it brought soo many memories back  bear_rolleyes  Ohhhh don't get me started on A-HA, I had the biggest crush on Morten Harket, I remember going to one of their concerts and screaming my little heart out!  I was sure he would marry me when I grew up  bear_wub !!  I was on holiday in Norway a few years ago and only found out when I was there that they had just been there on concert in the same town I was in the day before I arrived bear_wacko

I remember the scandal of milli vanilli and the shock when WHAM broke up... oh "Wake me up before you go go...."!!  What fun, my head is now filled with all those songs - I remember listening to Rick Astley on my walkman and yes knowing alll the words!!  Oh those were the days  bear_happy   Thanks for bringing it all back!

Big 80's Hugs!
Catherine

Shelli SHELLI MAKES
Chico, California
Posts: 9,939
Website

Shelli Retired Help Advisor, Banner Sponsor

I was born in 66 so the 80's were very much a part of my adolescence and college years; the things you mention bring back memories for me too, although they are more associated with frat parties and heavy petting sessions in a car than with elementary school playdates or diapers, for me.

A-Ha's "Take On Me" is, and always will be, my favorite song of all time.  I have no idea why.  I can't sing it (too many octaves), I can't understand the words to it, and those I can understand, make zero sense.  Those are usually prerequisites to me, loving a song.  But that one is on EVERY playlist -- casette, CD, iPod, workout tape -- I've ever made, and ever will.  It's always the FIRST song, too.

For those of you who want another take on this reminiscent trip down 80's memory lane, check out the current song, "1985," by the band BOWLING FOR SOUP.  For people like me, who were teens in that year (I was 19 and a freshman in college), it will make you feel as old as the Crypt Keeper.  An interesting feeling, that.  And not entirely pleasant.

bear_original bear_original bear_original

Deb Upstate New York
Posts: 1,650

I was having children of my own in the 80's ... but I remember most of those things, some even fondly.
bear_happy

Jellybelly Bears Jellybelly Bears
Australia
Posts: 4,066
Shelli wrote:

A-Ha's "Take On Me" is, and always will be, my favorite song of all time.  I have no idea why.  I can't sing it (too many octaves), I can't understand the words to it, and those I can understand, make zero sense.  Those are usually prerequisites to me, loving a song.  But that one is on EVERY playlist -- casette, CD, iPod, workout tape -- I've ever made, and ever will.  It's always the FIRST song, too.

haha Shelli I could have written this lol.  My sis and I used to sit by the speakers, rewinding and playing take on me again and again trying to figure out the words lol.  Need I say we never did lol.
Okay, don't laugh, but that is the song I have as my ring on my mobile phone lol.  told you not to laugh lol
Hugs Sarah

Jellybelly Bears Jellybelly Bears
Australia
Posts: 4,066
Jare Hares & Bears wrote:

I was born in 1976 too.

Yay to the 76'ers.  Seem to be a lot of us!  Oh an Bon Jovi rule hehe bear_happy  My room was covered...and I mean covered in their posters lol
Hugs Sarah

Sandi.S. Posts: 1,277

Yay 76!!!

Oh, yes, Bon Jovi! My favorites were Aerosmith and Poison. I still love Aerosmith. And posters...I had millions of posters. They covered my walls and I had a box that I would keep all the others nice and pristine. I would buy all the magazines just for those posters.

sewzanne Raccoon Creek Bears
New Jersey
Posts: 151

My daughter called from college today with some questions about the 80's for a project and I thought of this thread right away. One of her questions was what was the most significant underreported fact or event of the decade. Another was important world events. I drew a blank on the first one and am hoping for a non- USA slant on the second one. If anyone has any ideas they are willing to share, I'd really appreciate it! :pray:
Thanks-- Suzanne

Daphne Back Road Bears
Laconia, NH USA
Posts: 6,568

Well, as space is a world event.... the space shuttle Challenger blew up Jan. 25, 1986. Though it did have US astronauts on it so that may not count as world events. (Christa McAuliffe was one of my high school teachers, I babysat her kids... she was one of the astronauts on board when it blew up.)

There must be a website you can go to for 'world history in the 80's'??????

I will be 75 and still love Aerosmith. Hubby and I just saw them in concert a couple of years ago. Steven Tyler has a summer home here on Lake Sunapee... we've seen him a couple of times. My neighbor goes motorcycle riding with him.

Jare Hares & Bears Jare Hares & Bears
Polo, IL
Posts: 983

Hello...
Russia was big World news. There were all of those fancy Russian words that we learned in 5th grade, but I can't remember a one of them.
I just remembered... Billy Joel's song "We Didn't Start the Fire", it lists all kinds of things through out hstory. We had to listen to it repeatedly in 6th grade social studies and list as many events that we coulld as they we mentioned.
Challenger was in '87

clare14 Country Bears
England
Posts: 3,066

Does anyone remember BJ and the Bear??   I used to LOVE that show!!

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