Mall Memories

Some of the best memories of my '70s childhood and '80s adolescence took place in shopping malls. Nowadays there is talk that the age of the shopping mall is passing (although you couldn't tell it from some of the malls where I live, where there are several thriving), but in the '70s and '80s the mall was at its height as a center of commerce and popular meeting place.

I have so many good memories of being in these climate-controlled, air conditioned shopping centers, and here are some.

The Style. Malls in the '70s and '80s had such a different style than today. Back then the typical mall aimed for a futuristic style that resembled the city in Logan's Run. Modern sculpture, water features, and lighting were common. 

Fountains. Most Malls of the '70s and '80s featured fountains, usually with the same modern style. Lots of them too, often in different locations of the same mall.  I loved those, and the fun ambiance they created. 

The Stores. I remember the specialty stores that you sometimes found only in malls, where you found them in abundance. Food vendors like Fanny Farmer Candies and Hickory Farms. Bookstores like Waldenbooks and B. Dalton Books. Record stores like Camelot records. Big department stores, some no longer in existence, like Burdines, Robinsons, Maas Brothers, and Jordan Marsh. There always seemed to be a store selling electric organs, featuring someone hired to play it and attract customers. Chick Fil-A was, at that time, found almost always in malls. Some of those names and experiences are now forgotten, others continue as much cherished establishments.

Growing up, my family used to eat at York Steak House, a family restaurant commonly found in malls. The decor at York often had the dark wood style so often found during that era, with a certain "Olde English" decor. We would then walk over to Doctor Pet Center, a typical mall pet shop where we would look at the various animals they had on display. And then we would go through the mall to enjoy the various sights and sounds of the mall. As a teen, this would involve bookstores and record stores, where I would indulge my musical and reading tastes as a nerdy teen.

Now, it is said that internet shopping and outdoor shopping centers are eclipsing the old malls. But I will always remember fondly the ways malls used to be. They were a safe place where you could stroll, get the latest record, and get something to eat. Here's to malls of the '70s and '80s.

E.T. Commercials

In continuing celebration of the 35th anniversary of the classic 1982 movie E.T., the Extra Terrestrial, here are a bunch of E.T.-themed '80s era commercials. As you can see, E.T. was just about everywhere in the '80s.

Spuds Mackenzie Returns

Bud Light put out a Super Bowl commercial featuring the ghost of Spuds MacKenzie.

Does anyone remember Spuds MacKenzie?  Although he seems to have been forgotten nowadays, he was a popular advertising character during the late 1980s. Portrayed as "the original party animal," Spuds was the mascot, of sorts, for Bud Light beer during that decade.



Spuds was always portrayed as a fun-loving good times party goer, and always the center of attention, especially from the ladies.

According to Wikipedia the very first Spuds McKenzie commercial aired as a Super Bowl ad in 1987. Also, interestingly, Spuds, a Bull Terrier, "who was portrayed as male in the commercials, was actually female."

Alas, Spuds, whose real name was Honey Tree Evil Eye, succumbed in 1993 to kidney failure.

Here's to you Spuds . . . may you always be in that never-ending '80s party in the sky.





(Recognition and thanks to Budlight, Rtrt67, Retroguy80s, and Betmax for Youtube videos.)

Happy Thanksgiving!!!

Here's a 1987 Macy's commercial featuring Snoopy. It includes a portion where it shows the shadow of the Snoopy ballon in the yearly Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, an event that was always a treasured part of thanksgiving when I was growing up, and which remains such today.  

And here's a 1988  Metlife Thanksgiving commercial also feautring the Peanuts characters. This is a re-post of this clip, which was featured on this blog a few prior Thanksgivings . . . and it's still warm reminder of the point of this holiday. 

A Happy Thanksgiving to all my readers!!

Garfield

In my two most recent posts, I described my '80s-era love of the comic strips Bloom County and The Far Side. As I noted, they were a part of my daily routine, and brought to my day some quirky, oddball humor that was distinctly '80s.

There was also one more comic that I read daily, except it was less cutting edge in its style.  The strip was the relatively mild, "down to earth" Garfield, which featured a lazy, fat lasagna-loving feline.  I found the strip's light humor enjoyable, however, especially since my own family actually had a cat (a Garfieldish yellow-orange striped cat, no less) which had a personality very much like the strip's protagonist. My mother, in particular, would comment that the strip so accurately captured the feline personality.   

Back in the '80s, Garfield  was very popular, and you saw the character everywhere. Here, for example, he's featured in a hotel commercial from 1987.

'80s Commercials . . . and Memories

I've had some '80s fast food memories coming to mind, and the commercials that came with them.

Here's one of the most memorable commercials from the early '80s.  McDonald's "Little Sister" commercial appealed to me because, as an '80s teen, I always had a love of nostalgia from the past eras. This commercial seems to recall past eras, from perhaps the early '60s, to what looks like the '70s, finally concluding in the early '80s when it came out.  I couldn't help but feel sentimental when I saw this.

I remember this Long John Silvers commercial too, also from the early '80s. Back then, people were not so self conscious, and eating fried foods was not viewed so negatively. There was a while, around the time this commercial came out, when Friday night out with my family always meant going out to Long John Silvers for some fried seafood goodies.

Again, getting past the health-consciousness of the present day, that stuff was pretty yummy.  At least I thought it was. This commercial captures how I remember it: the coleslaw in particular was tasty, and the fried fish and fries.

Here's another '80s fast food flashback. You don't see Rax roast beef too many places anymore, but in the '80s, it was a frequent target for a family night out. There was a sandwich there called the "BBC" I used to love, with the initials standing for beef, bacon and cheddar. I'm getting a hankering for one now, as I sit here writing. 

Chuck E. Cheese's

Here's a memory from my '80s childhood. I remember when I was growing up, Chuck E. Cheese's was all the rage. It was combination pizza place and video arcade which featured an auto-animatronic show aimed primarily at kids. Commercials such as this one were frequent, beckoning kids to Chuck E's world of games, fun and kid-centered entertainment. 

Finally, after seeing all the commercials, my family took me to the place. I remember enjoying the arcade, because as a typical '80s kid I was obsessed with video games. The auto-animatronic show was OK, and amusing for small kids, but paled in comparison with what you would find at Disney. I don't even remember the pizza, so I'll defer judgment. 

Recently, I read that Chuck E. Cheese's is having financial difficulties, the product of changing tastes. It really was a product of its time, I guess.

Tis the season. . .

The holiday season is upon us again, and its around this time I always remember this 1977 Coke commercial, with the wonderful sentiment. 

This always makes me feel good, and brings back memories.

And heres a version that played in the '80s, with the same song, and featuring Disney characters.

Happy Holidays to all.

May this be a Merry Christmas season thats just beginning...

and to those who celebrated Hannukah, best wishes too!!

Bill Cosby: America's '80s Dad

For Father's Day, how about a visit with the person who served, within television at least, as America's Dad back during the '80s, Bill Cobsy. The Cosby Show topped the ratings with Cosby playing the head of the Huxtable household. The character of Cliff Huxtable was that of a successful, affluent doctor living with his large family in a nicely furnished home. 

Cosby's amiable and fatherly personality could be seen in another of his very frequent appearances during the '80s, as pitchman for Jello Pudding. 

Cosby's appealing personality could not save the 1985 introduction of a new coke formula, dubbed "New Coke," and almost universally rejected as not "the real thing." But Cosby gives it the old college try here, and you can see his persuasive skills in full force through his facial expressions and charisma. 

Best wishes to all fathers on Father's Day!

Christmas in the '80s

An 1980 version of the Coke Christmas tree commercial, which apparently played during the holidays well into the '80s. A reminder to keep hope in your heart through this season, and throughout the year. 

To all my readers, and those just surfing through:

Merry Christmas!!

Happy Hannukah!!

Happy Holidays!!

And heres a few '80s holiday odds and ends:

Here's the most '80s Christmas song and video ever: Wham's "Last Christmas."

On the other hand, this is very '80s too : Billy Squire doing "Christmas is the Time to Say I Love You."

Now this is definitely '80s: a segment of a Pee Wee Herman Christmas special.

Happy Thanksgiving!!

A 1988 Metlife commercial that appeared during the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade that year.

Yep, I posted the same clip last year, and I'm too lazy to find another one.

But my wishes are sincere: Happy Thanksgiving to all my readers.

....and it is a pretty cool Peanuts clip.

The California Raisins

The California Raisins were an example of the whimsical, quirky style of the '80s, as well as an example of the nostalgia for '60s music and culture which were so present back then. They were a fictional soul group made up of animated claymation raisins which were featured in commercials for... yep, California Raisins. 

Here they are performing "I Heard It Through The Grapevine."

Heres another commercial, this one courtesy of Retro TV. Same song, different commercial.

1984: Classic Apple Commercial

Speaking of computers, here's a classic Apple computer commercial from 1984. This commercial, also named "1984" which ran during the Super Bowl that year, introduced the breakthrough Apple Macintosh computer. According to Wikipedia:

In one interpretation of the commercial, "1984" used the unnamed 

heroine to represent the coming of the Macintosh (indicated by her 

white tank top with a cubist picture of Apple’sMacintosh computer on 

it) as a means of saving humanity from "conformity" (Big Brother). 

These images were an allusion to George Orwell's noted novel, 

Nineteen Eighty-Four, which described a dystopian future ruled by 

a televised "Big Brother". The rows of marching minions have direct 

cinematic parallels with those in the opening scenes of the 

classic dystopian film Metropolis. 

The commercial was directed by acclaimed director Ridley Scott.

'80s Commercial Catchphrases

Here's some phrases that probably have absolutely no meaning to you unless you were around to see commercials from the 1980s.

"Time to Make the Doughnuts."

"Wheres the beef?"

"Pardon me, but do you have any Grey Poupon?"

"Only half a cup? I thought you liked coffee."

Early 80s Hersheys Commercial

Here's a memorable early '80s commercial for Hershey's chocolate bars. I remember this commercial fondly. Just watching it makes me feel good . .  and hungry. 


Speaking of memorable '80s commercials, here's a previous post about a fondly remembered McDonald's commercial.


They just don't make them like they used to.

E.T. Pepsi Commercial

The recent post on E. T. has gotten me thinking about how much that movie permeated '80s culture, including its commercials. 

Here's an '80s era Pepsi commercial starring E.T., and featuring some of the same hopeful, enchanting imagery which was a central aspect of the movie.

This is one of the wonderful things I remember about growing up in the '80s: the sense of hope and wonder, as conveyed through the creations of the great Steven Spielberg.