I Want My 80s
The 80s. I loved them.
MTV played real music hosted by VJ’s. Big hair. Purple eyeshadow. Esprit Clothes.
So, of course my 40th birthday party was 80s themed–cake included. The Movie Party I hosted at the Manship Theatre was 80’s themed—costumes required.
American Girl recently announced their new Historical Character doll–Courtney from 1986. She comes with her own walkman, cassette tape, colored plastic bangles and flavored lip balm.
Like, wow. Really?
1986–what a year. Boom boxes and Walkmans. I would spend hours making mixtapes on cassettes–one for every mood. That was also the year I turned 16, and my Fiero arrived in my driveway with a big pink bow on top of it. It seems like yesterday I was driving around–mixtapes blaring. Ahhhh, those were the days.
How can it be that there is a historical figure from the 80s? Just the sound of it makes me feel old. As if turning 50 this year wasn’t enough.
In 1986, we danced along to Whitney Houston’s “How Will I Know.”
Cameo taught us that “Word Up” was the code word and Robert Palmer had us convinced we were “Addicted to Love.”
At times we were confused as we shouted “You Give Love a Bad Name” with Bon Jovi and then we would serenade with Peter Cetera about the “Glory of Love.”
We started the week singing “Manic Monday” with the Bangles and ended on the weekends with Madonna’s “Papa Don’t Preach.”
80s-themed Movie Party at the Manship Theatre in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
And, of course, there was Berlin’s “Take My Breath Away” from the soundtrack of Top Gun with Tom Cruise. He told us, “I feel the need–the need for speed,” and we were along for the ride. Maverick and Goose. Those sunglasses. Volleyball on the beach. We all wanted to be Maverick’s wingman. He really did take our breath away.
1986 was the year Ferris Bueller taught us that “Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.” I watched from the front row of the packed movie theatre as one of my best friends stood and danced to “Twist and Shout” as Ferris sang and paraded down the street. Ferris would have been so proud.
We all wanted to be Molly Ringwald in a John Hughes movie. Together, they captured the awkwardness, struggles, heartbreak, joy and pain of teenagers navigating high school, friendships and parents on their way to finding their true selves.
What would the 80s be without Samantha from Sixteen Candles, Claire from The Breakfast Club or Andie from Pretty in Pink?
These movies defined our lives at that time.
It was as if we all believed that our own Jake Ryan would be waiting for us in a red Porsche ready to give us the perfect sixteenth birthday. In spite of the fact that we weren’t popular, deeply insecure and not really beautiful.
But, if it happened for Samantha, then maybe.
We sang “Don’t You Forget About Me” as we joined in the cry that we are more than how others see us–more than the labels assigned to us in high school. “What we found out is that each of us is a brain, and an athlete, and a basketcase, and a princess and a criminal.” We could all come together, and recognize who we really are, even if it was for just one day.
And of course, we all cheered when Andie walked out in her pretty pink prom dress and announced that her date would not be coming. There have been times in all of our lives where we have been left out, made fun of or felt like we don’t fit in. So, when she said, “I just want them to know that they didn’t break me,” we understood. Andie was one of us.
Molly Ringwald gave us hope.
As I think about the 80s, I feel like Molly Ringwald running toward Duckie in Pretty in Pink as he says, “May I admire you again today?”
So, welcome, Courtney from 1986. I celebrate you and that special time.
You can find me wearing pink, jamming to some 80s music, and sipping on “oh you know, beer, scotch, juice box...whatever.” I just might even roll my hair and put on some flavored lip gloss.
How, like, totally awesome.