The Plasma Ball
By Julie Anderson Also known as lightning balls, plasma globes, or plasma lamps, plasma balls were one of the coolest home accessories of the 80s. (And they’re still pretty bitchin’ in my book.) A plasma ball is a clear glass sphere filled with low density noble gases. Inside the ball is an electrode that causes the gases to glow in flowing streaks of colored light. When you touch the surface of the ball, lightning bolts run from the...
Television Workouts of the 80s
By Julie Anderson Sure, fitness clubs were big in the 1980s, but plenty of health-minded individuals were busy with work and family obligations. It was, like, totally difficult to make it to your high-impact step aerobics class if you were slaving away from 9 to 5 every day and then had to go home to feed the kids. For lots of eighties exercisers, living room workouts in front of the television were ideal. Added benefits, of course,...
Pick-up Lines Inspired by 80s Songs
By Julie Anderson & Alli Denning You know the problem. You see that special someone across the room, you want to talk to him or her, and you want to make the right impression. But what to say? It seems such a daunting task, coming up with just the right mix of witty, interesting, intelligent and, well . . . hot. Thankfully, the musical treasure trove of the 80s left us with a wealth of perfect pickup lines. Here’s a run down...
Living in a Material World
Madonna had it right. We are indeed living in a material world. It is damn near impossible to watch TV today without hearing your favorite 80s songs as the backdrop to one commercial or another selling everything from candy bars (see PayDay’s use of “Bust a Move”) to insurance (see Liberty Mutual Insurance’s use of “Human” by Human League). How I feel about this trend varies with its use. I don’t have a global position on the issue as...
