Sigh... as a child of the 80s, I'm constantly made more and more aware of how old I'm getting, compared to this new generation of youngsters. Sure they know who Link and Mario are, and even Optimus Prime and Cobra Commander, but what about Sheriff Lonestar or Foofur or the Funimation Ghostbusters? Heck, what about cassette tapes and VHS?
Judging your age based on whether the new batch of kids remembers your childhood seems like a sure way to always be old. My sister doesn't remember VHS. She was born after we got the dvd player and traded our Walkman out for a discman. The fact that we had different toys and watched different shows growing up hardly makes me a relic in my early twenties. I've got no clear memory of the Clinton administration but I remember VHS tapes. Hell, I remember our old betamax player, so I gotta say that not only the method of measurement, but the metric itself is pretty flawed. As a child of the nineties I can't imagine you're anywhere near as old as you feel. I'd recommend you do something about that if this is a persistent feeling you have.
The problem with your assessment is that it comes across that you equate my feeling old with a bad thing. This could not be further from the truth. It is simply a thing. An interesting observation. I do not equate growing old with any sort of negativity.
Fair enough. Whatever works for you then. I apologize if I was unduly forward. It seems I misinterpreted the tone of your post entirely. I did in fact assume you meant old in the negative sense, rather than the more neutral gauge of how long you have lived. I hope I have not offended.
If you have anything but a 'good riddance' attitude about the 80s you weren't there. Everything 'invented' in that decade was either started in the 70s or improved in the 90s.
Being born in 74, I remember everybody picking on the 70s not realizing that in fact the 80s were far worse. Overall, the decade did indeed suck, but I'll always miss the video arcades and mom and pop video rental stores.
@Anon 2:26 PM: Right. Because gas lines were so awesome. And videotape and affordable home computers are not.
I think maybe your nostalgia for the 70s / irritation at the 80s is somewhat biased by the fact that the 70s ended when you were six and the 80s ended when you were sixteen.
Wth, guy. I already said that I missed videotape. And home computers were definitely NOT affordable to most people. People balk at paying more than a grand for an Apple nowadays, but that's positively cheap in comparison to what a decent PC would cost in the 80s. I'm not "irritated" at the 80s, I'm simply telling it as it is. I had fun growing up, but the opinion that people held at the time that the decade was somehow better than the one that preceded it is ludicrous.
The '70s were an awesome time to be a teenager! It's hard to explain to younger people how permissive things were before "Just Say No to Drugs". And before AIDS. The '70s were the result of the '60s. Then the '80s happened.
Actually, now that I think about it, the worst part of this to me is the fact that I remember when retro meant PRE-Nintendo era, mostly Atari but also Colecovision and such. Basically anything 1985 or earlier.
It's sad that so many younger video game / pop culture fans are unaware of large variety of games that existed before the 1983 crash, but that's at least partly due to the fact that most companies hadn't caught on to the idea of how important it was to market the heck out of the characters from the games.
Listen, the 80s have NES. Now, you may think that is awesome for some reason. You're probably an idiot. You only enjoy it for nostalgia purposes. It's pretty terrible once you go back to it.
He's probably one of those people obsessed with graphics and has a 3D tv. He'll slowly go cross-eyed and have migraines the rest of his life. I'll happily play my NES on a teeny tube tv and enjoy the simplicity out of both nostalgia and entertainment.
I think what this guy is complaining about is kids walking around with t-shirts and other merch of things they pretty much have no knowledge of.
I was at college and saw a girl with a Goonies hoodie and we worked on small project in a group. I was coming back from the toilet and said "HEY YOU GUYS" in my best Sloth and she said "why does everyone keep saying that to me, what's it from?".
I never knew a silence so deafening as the one i heard from my table that day.
Probably one of the most deserving uses of the "it's true" on here.
ReplyDeleteI wasn't aware people who wear those shirts acted like they knew all about the 80s.
ReplyDeleteAnd here I was assuming they just liked Zelda and Mario.
Maybe his brother's 23, and all "yeah, I was totally around for the 80's."
ReplyDeleteZelda? Super Mario? Sir Clive Sinclair is where it's at, peasant.
ReplyDeleteSigh... as a child of the 80s, I'm constantly made more and more aware of how old I'm getting, compared to this new generation of youngsters. Sure they know who Link and Mario are, and even Optimus Prime and Cobra Commander, but what about Sheriff Lonestar or Foofur or the Funimation Ghostbusters? Heck, what about cassette tapes and VHS?
ReplyDeleteBraveStarr... Sheriff BraveStarr. Lonestar is someone completely different, and far more awesome.
DeleteJudging your age based on whether the new batch of kids remembers your childhood seems like a sure way to always be old. My sister doesn't remember VHS. She was born after we got the dvd player and traded our Walkman out for a discman. The fact that we had different toys and watched different shows growing up hardly makes me a relic in my early twenties. I've got no clear memory of the Clinton administration but I remember VHS tapes. Hell, I remember our old betamax player, so I gotta say that not only the method of measurement, but the metric itself is pretty flawed. As a child of the nineties I can't imagine you're anywhere near as old as you feel. I'd recommend you do something about that if this is a persistent feeling you have.
DeleteThe problem with your assessment is that it comes across that you equate my feeling old with a bad thing. This could not be further from the truth. It is simply a thing. An interesting observation. I do not equate growing old with any sort of negativity.
DeleteFair enough. Whatever works for you then. I apologize if I was unduly forward. It seems I misinterpreted the tone of your post entirely. I did in fact assume you meant old in the negative sense, rather than the more neutral gauge of how long you have lived. I hope I have not offended.
DeleteThundercats shirt? And a cartoon reboot? Where the hell's my Silverhawks shirts and reboot and new action figures?! Fuck them Thundercats pussies!
ReplyDeleteAnd where's my damn GoBots movie?! (I guess it'd be by a second rate Michael Bay.. So.. let's say a third or fifth rate director McG.)
ReplyDeleteGobots are like the K-mart of transformers. The dude's not into your D&D GoBots bullshit.
DeleteWhat about C.O.P.S.? Kids today don't know about fighting crime in a future time!
ReplyDeleteFighting grime in a future time! Back to M.O.P.S.
DeleteI should go make a MASK shirt.
ReplyDeleteIf you have anything but a 'good riddance' attitude about the 80s you weren't there. Everything 'invented' in that decade was either started in the 70s or improved in the 90s.
ReplyDeleteBurn the heretic!
DeleteSo it's like any decade, then.
DeleteI would like to invite that guy to my weekly Spiral Zone vs the Inhumaniods round table.
ReplyDeleteThe Inhumanoids exist in the same continuity as G.I. Joe, Transformers, and... Jemm and the Holograms.
Deletejayce and the wheeled warriors anyone?
ReplyDeleteThank you, Thank you, Thank you, Thank you, Thank you! I have been trying to remember the name of that cartoon for YEARS!
DeleteJayce and the Wheeled Warriors was AWESOME! I could never afford the toys, but I remember the coloring book I had.
DeleteIce burn!
ReplyDeleteGalaxy Rangers Rocked!
ReplyDeleteThe eighties, man. I was THERE. I've seen things, man. I've SEEN THINGS.
ReplyDeleteBeing born in 74, I remember everybody picking on the 70s not realizing that in fact the 80s were far worse. Overall, the decade did indeed suck, but I'll always miss the video arcades and mom and pop video rental stores.
ReplyDelete... oh yeah, and also being able to buy comics in place OTHER than comic book stores!
Delete@Anon 2:26 PM: Right. Because gas lines were so awesome. And videotape and affordable home computers are not.
DeleteI think maybe your nostalgia for the 70s / irritation at the 80s is somewhat biased by the fact that the 70s ended when you were six and the 80s ended when you were sixteen.
Wth, guy. I already said that I missed videotape. And home computers were definitely NOT affordable to most people. People balk at paying more than a grand for an Apple nowadays, but that's positively cheap in comparison to what a decent PC would cost in the 80s. I'm not "irritated" at the 80s, I'm simply telling it as it is. I had fun growing up, but the opinion that people held at the time that the decade was somehow better than the one that preceded it is ludicrous.
DeleteThe '70s were an awesome time to be a teenager! It's hard to explain to younger people how permissive things were before "Just Say No to Drugs". And before AIDS. The '70s were the result of the '60s. Then the '80s happened.
ReplyDeleteActually, now that I think about it, the worst part of this to me is the fact that I remember when retro meant PRE-Nintendo era, mostly Atari but also Colecovision and such. Basically anything 1985 or earlier.
ReplyDeleteIt's sad that so many younger video game / pop culture fans are unaware of large variety of games that existed before the 1983 crash, but that's at least partly due to the fact that most companies hadn't caught on to the idea of how important it was to market the heck out of the characters from the games.
Listen, the 80s have NES. Now, you may think that is awesome for some reason. You're probably an idiot. You only enjoy it for nostalgia purposes. It's pretty terrible once you go back to it.
ReplyDeletere: Anonymous 5:07AM: Spoken like a true, self righteous arsehole.
DeleteHe's probably one of those people obsessed with graphics and has a 3D tv. He'll slowly go cross-eyed and have migraines the rest of his life. I'll happily play my NES on a teeny tube tv and enjoy the simplicity out of both nostalgia and entertainment.
DeleteI was 16 when the 80s began. The Me Decade has now lasted 32 years with no end in sight.
ReplyDeleteI think what this guy is complaining about is kids walking around with t-shirts and other merch of things they pretty much have no knowledge of.
ReplyDeleteI was at college and saw a girl with a Goonies hoodie and we worked on small project in a group. I was coming back from the toilet and said "HEY YOU GUYS" in my best Sloth and she said "why does everyone keep saying that to me, what's it from?".
I never knew a silence so deafening as the one i heard from my table that day.