In the '80s, comedy was often quirky and offbeat . . . just like the '80s themselves. One of my favorite comedians who became popular at that time was Steven Wright, whose routine was to give unusual, and often bizarre, observations in a dry, deadpan manner. His comedy is one of those authentically '80s things that gave that decade its distinctive style, and which made that time so much fun. And he's still at it. Here are some of his best lines from his '80s routine:
"For my birthday I
got a humidifier and a dehumidifier...I put them in
the same room and let them fight it out."
"Sponges grow in
the ocean. That just kills me. I wonder how much deeper
the ocean would be if that didn't happen."
"Winny and I lived in a house that ran on static electricity...If you wanted to run the blender, you had to rub balloons on your head. If you wanted to cook, you had to pull off a sweater real quick."
"My house is made
out of balsa wood, so when I want to scare the
neighborhood kids I lift it over my head and tell them to get
out of my yard or I'll throw it at them."
"I went to the
hardware store and bought some used paint. It was in the
shape of a house. I also bought some batteries, but they
weren't included. So I had to buy them again."
"The judge asked,
"What do you plead?" I said, "Insanity, your honour,
who in their right mind would park in the passing lane?""
"All of the people
in my building are insane. The guy above me designs
synthetic hairballs for ceramic cats. The lady across the
hall tried to rob a department store...with a pricing gun.
She said, "Give me all of the money in the vault, or I'm
marking down everything in the store.""
"In my house
there's this light switch that doesn't do anything. Every so
often I would flick it on and off just to check. Yesterday,
I got a call from a woman in Germany. She said, "Cut it out.""
There's a fine line
between fishing and standing on the shore looking like an idiot.
I have some strong and very positive memories of Mary Tyler Moore, from her time playing Laura Petrie in The Dick Van Dyke Show, to her groundbreaking role as Mary Richards in her own Mary Tyler Moore show. Mary Tyler Moore always had a way of portraying wonderfully sympathetic, and lovable, but also strong characters. She was an icon who really did "make it after all."
In April 2012, this blog had a post titled "When Computers Became Cool," about the growing status of computer geeks in the '80s. (That post is re-posted in its entirety below this post.) I found an old 1984 article which serves as a good follow up to this theme. On May 8, 1984, the Wall Street Journal ran an article entitled "Knowing a Computer
Can Be Fastest Way To a Woman's Heart: The New Big Men on Campus Find
Technical Wizardry Is Quicker Than Liquor."
Click to enlarge.
Here's an excerpt:
Knowing a Computer
Can Be Fastest Way To a Woman's Heart: The New Big Men on Campus Find
Technical Wizardry Is Quicker Than Liquor
The Wall Street
Journal
Friday, May 8, 1984
As a gangly
highschool student, Michael Sattler had just five dates in four
years. Then he discovered computers. Now girls have discovered him.
It is exam time at
Boston University, and glassyeyed students work all night in a
stuffy basement finishing up their computer projects. But in one
corner, Mr.Sattler, now a
20yearold junior, is having the time of his life.
He helps one young
woman dressed in shorts and a Tshirt figure out a computer
program. He flirts electronically with a second woman hundreds of
miles away. Athird female, who
has shrugged off the attentions of other men in the computer center,
solicits Mr. Sattler's opinion of her résumé. "It's idol
worship," Mr. Sattler allows.
It is also a sign of
the times. Formerly disdained computer nerds are now big men on
campus. Their mastery of inscrutable machines seems to be winning
themthe hearts of
hithero unapproachable young ladies. "There are even a few
recorded instances of girls going after hackers instead of football
players, says Mr.Sattler. To turn the
odds in his favor, he says, he spends 65 hours a week in the computer
room and not just doing his homework.
It didnt quite turn out as the article predicts, but it shows what an emerging force computers were back then. Now theyre everywhere, and everyone is at least a little bit computer geek.
When Computers Became Cool
(Originally posted April 27, 2012)
With the advent of the first personal computers during the late '70s and early '80s, there dawned a new era of coolness for computers and those who used them. Suddenly, those quirky, savvy "computer geeks" were the epitome of chic. There was even a certain shadowy sense of power that was perceived to derive from being hip to all the secrets and esoteric knowledge of computers.
One of the best examples of this was the sci-fi flick Wargames (1983).
Wargames was the story of a young computer hacker, played by Matthew Broderick, who succeeded in hacking into a powerful defense department computer which was enabled with the ability to launch nuclear missiles. Although the character played by Broderick originally thought that his interaction with the defense computer (dubbed the "WOPR") was just a game, things quickly escalated to the point of nearly causing a nuclear war. The movie's portrayal of the race to prevent nuclear catastrophe, and the climactic ending, served as a moral lesson in the midst of the Cold War.
Wargames became a popular and well remembered '80s movie classic, and also an example of the emergence of the computer geek.
A less easily remembered TV show that came along around the same time was Whiz Kids. Whiz Kids aired on CBS during 1983-84, a featured a story line about a group of computer savvy young teens who use their computer skills to fight crime.
Here is the opening credits to the short-lived Whiz Kids.
Afterward, computers, and those who kept the knowledge of computers, began to appear in many of the movies of the '80s. This included many of the nerd oriented flicks that appeared during the mid '80s, such as Revenge of the Nerds (1984) and Weird Science (1985).
Latin American cultures (which is my background) continue to celebrate the Christmas holiday season up until the day of Epiphany on January 6 (and some even after that). Epiphany in Western Christianity celebrates the visit of the Magi (i.e. the three kings, or the three wise men) to Jesus just after his birth. (Whether this is historically accurate, I will leave for others to debate.) It is also known, more popularly, as "Three Kings Day."
Well, as I am still celebrating the Christmas holidays, I thought I'd post an '80s-related video that connects with the holiday. The best I could do is this rockin' version of "We Three Kings" from '70s and '80s new wave group Blondie. (!!) The song came out in 2009, and it's . . . different. I do love Blondie though. And Three Kings Day is here. So enjoy!!
(Thanks to Michael Gaylin via Youtube.)
Since my Christmas tree is still up, let me add this: Daryl Hall and John Oates doing their version of "Jingle Bell Rock." Its from 1983, so authentically '80s! And the video sure looks it. Love that '80s quirkiness!! Enjoy!!
OK. You may be thinking . . . "Another Christmas post?? Isn't Christmas over?" . . . Well, not quite yet. As of the time of this post, New Years Day hasn't come yet. Also, I'm of Latin American background, and in Latin cultures, the Christmas holidays continue until Epiphany, also called Three Kings Day, on January 6. And, Hannukah and Kwanzaa are still going on. So, I figure a holiday post is still fair game.
Besides, I just couldn't resist posting this wonderful and amazing version of "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen" by Annie Lennox, from 2010. So etherial and magical, and so evocative of the season. Check out the strangely beautiful video too. Enjoy!
