Just Sayn'

Douglas Booth as 80's Pop Icon, Boy George in the made-for-tv movie, Worried About The Boy.  And he looks remarkably just like him.  Just Sayn'.

Boy George

Douglas Booth as Boy George

Keeping It Old Skool - Issue No. 13 - The Plastic Charm Necklace/Bracelet

Today's issue of Keeping It Old Skool is for all the Women who owned one and all the gay men who wanted one.  The infamous Plastic Charm Necklace/Bracelet.  Lol.  Lord, I remember these like it were yesterday.  Yeah, they were the Pandora bracelet of today. **coughs**

Girls went going crazy over these things, some even fighting tooth and nail for the rarest ones.  Hell, I saw girls beaten up over these cheap plastic chains.

As you can see in the pictures, it consisted of a plastic chain link with a few charms.  You would have to buy the rest or trade them with your friends.  The charms would vary from boom boxes, instruments, caricatures to kitchenware, tools, toilets, bells and whistles.  You name it, there was a charm for it.  Can you imagine if Ebay and Amazon existed in those times?  It would have been a hot mess! 

No, I never desired one, but I did like playing with my sister's :-).  What are your early memory of these little charms and chains?

If You Were Born in the 70's

Back In The Day - Lego circa 1989

Wow, seeing this today really brought back memories.  Oh, how I loved my Legos, and I had this very box too!  I truly miss being a child.  Yes, I've grown wiser over the years, but it would be nice to go back in time just for a moment.

Keeping It Old Skool - Issue No. 10 - Trapper Keepers

Oh God, forgive me for writing this blog, but I have to reflect on yesteryear for the sake of this series.  I haven't written a Keeping It Old Skool issue since May, and now I know why. LOL.

I don't care what any of you say, Trapper Keepers were the shit!  They held all your crap together and it had pocket folders called Trappers!  

You could find a variety of cool designs that included football, muscle cars, horses, rainbows, and an array of bold colors.  It was the coolest 3-ring binder you would ever have.  The Trapper Keeper had a fold-over closure that was held shut by a strip of velcro, and the rings were made of plastic so that you wouldn't hurt yourself with those old metal ones.  It even had a tab you could pull out, so that the rings would slide open.  It was the greatest invention ever!

I know whoever is reading this is probably laughing their ass off, but you know you had one too!  Hell, you probably cut the damn plastic and slid in your best friends' pictures in there or those hot shirtless pics of Zack Morris and AC Slater from your Pop Star Magazines.

 
How my mother never figured out I was gay when I asked for the rainbow one is beyond me. 

And yes, just so you can get a kick out of it, here's a commercial for your nostalgia. :-)

Back In The Day - Ozzy and Sharon

Ozzy and Sharon Osbourne, circa. 1987

Flashback to the 1990's - Tarzan Boy by Lee R

When I heard this song on my way to work this morning, it reminded me of those days when I was out partying and drinking my life away.  Talk about having a flashback. 

The song, "Tarzan Boy" was actually released in 1985 by Baltimora, a group from Italy, and has been re-recorded over the years by several artists.  

The version I listened to was re-recorded by Lee R back in 1999, and played in all the dance clubs I went to.  It was definitely a catchy tune, and dancing to it was a lot of fun.  I think it was the, "oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh" that got everyone pumped-up and ready to party the night away.

The original artist, Jimmy McShane (Baltimora's front man) died of AIDS 9 years after the song was released, and was able to catch it being used in a Listerine commercial and also on the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III soundtrack.  Unfortunately, he wasn't able to enjoy the success of the version you're about to hear, but I'm sure he would've loved it just as much as those who partied to it in 1999 and 2000.

You can catch the original music video by Baltimora after the jump...

Back In The Day - 80's Shorts

Yeah, back in the day, guys would wear short, shorts like this, and everyone would swoon - Trust me,  girls and boys alike.  I mean, what's hotter than watching a guy's muscular thighs, calves, glistening sweat, and those hidden bulges?

Keeping It Old Skool - Issue No. 9 - Battle of the Nerf

I'm sure by now every kid in America has grown up playing with some type of Nerf product.  Growing up I used to play with the guns and sportballs, they were so much fun.  Of course back in the 80's we didn't have quite the selection they do now.  Watching this video brings back memories, it was definitely fun to watch.  

Most of the toys are made of a foam-based material and are neon in color.  Parker Brothers created the toy in 1969, according to Wikipedia, but didn't really take off until the 1980's and 1990's.

Caution:
Watch as these kids partake in a violent nerf battle, but it's unlike any you've seen before.  This one comes complete with blood and gore.  Kudos to whoever put this together, though, it may not be suitable for children to watch. LOL. literally.

Keeping It Old Skool - Issue No. 8 - Jelly Shoes

If you were not wearing these, you were not cool.  Seriously people, what were you all thinking?  Sometimes I revel in the idea that the 80's were the decade of the century, and it makes me proud knowing I was a part of it, but other times I'm caught having to re-examine my youth. LOL

Every girl had them, every mom loved them, and if you didn't have a pair, you threw away the chance of becoming a "Heather (I'll save that for another post)."  In my humble opinion, I think they were a hit, because all the girls could afford them.  It didn't matter if you were rich or poor, they were only a dollar.  Why did girls wear them? I'm still trying to figure that one out, all they did was complain about them.  They caused excessive sweating, blisters and even caused cuts on their feet; I have a younger sister, I know.

According to Wikipedia, the creator is unknown, believe me when I say this - I'm still trying to figure that one out too!  But it was interesting to find out they were made of PVC plastic - the same plastic your plumbing is probably made of, except condensed.  In either case, the shoes have come back in style, twice - once in the mid-1990's, and in 2003.  Now you can have jellies in heels, jellies in sandals, jellies, jellies, jellies!  And if you really want to join a fan club, you can "like" it's Facebook page here, i used to wear jelly shoes.  No really, you can.  Okay, I need to see a doctor after this post. Geezus!

Wish to see past issues of Keeping It Old Skool? View Them Here!

Music Video Flashback - 1988

Ahhh. The memories!  So do you have the right stuff or no?

Growing up I was a huge fan of The New Kids on The Block.  

My family didn't know I was secretly "in love" with one of the boys, Joey McIntyre, but I vividly remember my sister and I jamming to this video.  If I recall, my sister even had a NKOTB shirt. LOL

Keeping It Old Skool - Issue No. 7 - My Little Pony

Awwwww, "My Little Pony."  This was my partner, Ryan's favorite childhood toy.  I remember these god-awful creatures, and they still exist today.  I even remember my sister having a couple of these.  She would brush their long manes and gallop around the house like she was actually riding a horse.  Here's the original commercial >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Launched in 1983, these horrendous toys consisted of many different sets, starting with the Rainbow Ponies (which all sported rainbow-colored manes and tails). Other variations included the So-Soft Ponies (which were entirely covered in flocking), Twinkle-Eyed Ponies (with small rhinestones in place of the eyes), Twice As Fancy Ponies (with patterns covering most of the body), Brush n' Grow Ponies (which had a longer-than-usual tail stored inside the body that could be drawn out through brushing) and Baby Ponies, which were smaller versions of their mothers.

And if you couldn't remember their names, because you threw away their birth certificate and special little brush, all you had to do was look at their ass, because it was branded with a distinctive design reflecting their name.

Below is a video of My Little Ponies lip-synching to "Dreamgirls" and "Wicked."

Honestly, I couldn't get through it all, it was too freaking creepy!  I enjoyed playing with my Transformers, He-man and Star Wars figurines.  Really Ryan, what were you thinking? My Little Pony, really?

I won't lie, He-man did have fun riding my sister's My Little Pony.

Keeping It Old Skool - Issue No. 6 - Tight-rolled Pants

Ahhh... talk about Keeping It Old Skool.   Tight-rolled pants were a huge rage back in the 1980's and early 1990's.  I'll be honest - I thought it was cool, and tried to incorporate this awesome fad with my school attire.  Granted, the hot jocks looked so much better than I did.  You know - the football, baseball, and soccer players?  I thought they looked hot sporting those tight rolled up pants - I'll spare you the details of my fantasies.  

I love how Wikipedia describes it below, LOL.

"girls and boys would tight-roll the bottoms of their jeans or any pants that they wore. On full length pants tight rolling is performed by taking up the slack around the ankles at the hem of the pants, folding the extra material over and then rolling upwards 2 or 3 times over. A proper tight-roll should have the extra material folded inward across the lower shin. The use of safety pins was key to a good roll, but to the experienced tight roller they can be achieved without them. "

And yes, everyone did it - even the celebrities on television, like Zac Morris from Saved by the Bell.  I think every gay boy in America had a huge crush on him growing up.

I also found this hilarious instructional video on YouTube on how to sport those tight-rolled up pants. 

Who knows?  You may find you like it; I have heard they're making a comeback.

Wish to see past issues of Keeping It Old Skool? View Here.

Keeping It Old Skool - Issue No. 5 - The Rubik's Cube

I had originally intended this post to be a special issue of my 'Poster of the Week' series, but then realized I could use it as a 'Keeping It Old Skool' issue instead.  And after looking at the motivational phrase, I couldn't pass it up.  

This is so-something I would've done back in the 1980's. I hated these damn things growing up; I even removed all the stickers once and "completed it."  My sister and parents thought I was a genius. :-)  Little did they know I had trouble making them stick.

According to Wikipedia:

The Rubik's cube is a 3-D mechanical puzzle invented in 1974 by Hungarian sculptor and professor of architecture Ernő Rubik. Originally called the "Magic Cube", the puzzle was licensed by Rubik to be sold by Ideal Toy Corp. in 1980.

As of January 2009, 350 million cubes have sold worldwide making it the world's top-selling puzzle game. It is widely considered to be the world's best-selling toy.

Ironically enough the concept wasn't entirely Rubik's; prior attempts had been made using a spherical version of one, but it never took off.  

I remember sitting in class or just out with friends in the playground, and everyone was playing with one of these magical little boxes.  Sometimes my sister and I would fight at the Pizza Hut gumball machine to see who could get the special key-chain version of the toy - of course our mother ended up with it.

As with all my 'Keeping It Old Skool' issues, you need a classic trailer...

Another classic trailer after the jump...

Keeping It Old Skool - Issue No. 4 - Voltron

I didn't realize how much time had flown by.  I haven't posted a "Keeping It Old Skool" issue since mid-February.  Don't get me wrong, I've wanted to post one each week, but with all the current events and hot guys I had to get my priorities in order, LOL.

I was 13 years old when my mother bought me this amazing toy, I played with it for hours on end, and it was the coolest toy ever!  She had no idea what it was, she just wanted to make me happy.  The coolest thing about the toy was the fact that it was like the cartoon, but better!  So not only did I have the 2D version I saw on TV, but I had the real VOLTRON! In. My. Hands!  In the cartoon, Voltron was made up of five pilots who would command these five robot lions, which could be put together to form the greatest Robot of all time.  The five were in charge of protecting the planet Arus (ruled by Princess Allura) from the evil King Zarkon (from planet Doom), his son Lotor, and the witch Haggar, who would create huge Robeasts to terrorize the people of Arus.

According to Wikipedia: 

The original series was created by Peter Keefe in 1983 using material he had licensed from the Japanese cartoons Beast King GoLion and Armored Fleet Dairugger XV. The series was dubbed into English and edited, rewriting the scripts with reduced violence and the removal of Japanese cultural and location references.  A sequel to the original series, was made in the 1990s using computer generated imagery (CGI) techniques.

 

Ahhhh, the joys of 80's commercials! :-)  I don't remember what happened to my Voltron.  I think I may have dissected him, as investigating how things were made were a pastime favorite of mine.

Flashback to the 1990's - Suzanne Vega - "Tom's Diner"

With music in one hand, and a briefcase in the other, I headed to work.  I popped the rectangular shaped object into my car stereo and reminisced about the time the song was released.  As the cassette turned, I took the time to reflect on my past, without regret, without shame, but with unequivocal admiration for the lessons I have learned.  And "Tom's Diner," did just that.  

The song was released on Suzanne Vega's 1987 album, "Solitude Standing," and originally an a cappella vocal, but later remixed by two British producers under the name DNA, in 1990.  The video below is the one I listened to this morning, and the version everyone is familiar with.

Tom's Restaurant, after which the song Tom's Diner was named

Courtesy of Wikipedia:

Suzanne Vega's song "Tom's Diner" was used as the reference track in an early trial of the MP3 compression system, earning her the distinction of being the Mother of the MP3.  The original music video, "Tom's Diner," takes place in Tom's Restaurant at 112th Street and Broadway in New York City. Exterior shots of the same restaurant appear in the television sitcom Seinfeld as Monk's, which is the eatery where Jerry, George, Elaine, and Kramer hang out. The DNA remix of the track was so popular that it inspired many cover versions—the best of which were eventually collected by Vega on an album titled Tom's Album.

And here's the song as I heard it this morning.  Good Times. :-)

Flashback to the 1980's

On my way to work this morning, fumbling through the darkness in my car (I go in at 5 AM), I reached for my cassette case and pulled out the single by Taylor Dayne, "Love Will Lead You Back."

Okay, first things first...

Yes, I still have cassettes; you know, those little rectangular boxes with some tape running through it, like in the image to the right?  Well, the Toyota Avalon I got from Ryan's parents has a cassette player in it, and I thought I might as well utilize it; so hence, the reason I pulled out my cassette case.

Anyway, "Love Will Lead You Back," debuted on the Billboard Hot 100 chart on January 27, 1990, but was recorded by Arista in 1989.  Courtesy of Wikipedia, the song, written by Diane Warren, is about a woman who is willing to set her lover free because she is confident that one day his love will lead him back to her: "Sometimes it takes some time out on your own now / to find your way back home."  Warren has stated that she began writing the song while in a hotel in Russia, and that she had originally intended the song to be offered to R&B singer Whitney Houston, but Arista Records president Clive Davis wanted to let Dayne record the song. It became Dayne's only Number One single.

While I'm sure they played this song on prom night eons ago, it was nice listening to an old track on cassette.  I don't know, there's something about hearing a cassette or record that makes it so different from the digital sounds that come from a CD or MP3 download. It's soothing.

Back to the Miss Dayne...  Just because she only had one #1 hit doesn't mean she was a one hit wonder.  She's actually had 17 Top Ten hits on the Billboard Charts, including most recently, her 2008 Billboard #1 "Beautiful".  Due to having a huge gay following, in July, 2010, she released "Facing A Miracle", the official theme song to the 2010 Gay Games. Dayne performed the song to an audience of 50,000 fans on July 31, 2010 in Cologne, Germany.

Let's take a "Flashback to 1989" and listen to "Love Will Lead You Back."

Keeping It Old Skool - Issue No. 3 - Garbage Pail Kids

Well...  I never did say that I was writing only about toys of the 80's...

My 3rd issue of 'Keeping It Old Skool' were gross and they were hugely popular.

Oh I so did love my GPK’s. I spent several consecutive summers wasting week’s worth of allowances snatching up as many of these cards as I could.

Back in the day, Toys R Us would hock massive clear fifty-packs of these gems and I was all over those like stink on shit. Appropriate axiom, dontcha think?

Check out more of these fabulous trading cards/stickers.

Keeping It Old Skool - Issue No. 2 - Turnin' Turbo Dashboard

Ahhh, it's time to reflect back on those good 'ol days of our childhood or teenage years and continue with my second issue of "Keeping it Old Skool."

I never owned one of these personally, but I remember playing with one at my friend's or cousin's homes, wishing I did.  I loved this toy; where else could I pretend I was driving, aside from making a car out of a cardboard box? 

The Turnin' Turbo Dashboard was every kids' dream.  It gave us an endless amount of time and it was so much fun, at least until Nintendo and Playstation came around. Of course, since there was only one in the house, we all had to share it, and that wasn't the fun part.

The toy was made and sold in 1983 by a Japanese company called Takara Tomy.  And we all know how much we love imported merchandise.

Total Eclipse of The Heart - The Literal Version

Bonnie Tyler recorded a song back in 1982 that became her biggest hit to date, Total Eclipse of the Heart.  The song peaked at No. 1 in the United States, Australia, Canada, and the United Kingdom.  To this day, the song is as popular as it was then, and is still being played on the radio.

All that aside, the video accompanying this song was the most bizarre thing I had ever seen. If I were to produce a movie which included soft core porn, a twin peaks and poltergeist storyline behind it, I would come up with this truly hot mess of a music video.  Nevertheless, the video is hilarious to watch.  You'll never see Bonnie Tyler the same way again.

Watch the video below.