Rock Star / Model Couples of the 80s
By Julie Anderson A Tale as Old as Time… She’s a devastating beauty, paid big bucks to wear expensive clothes and be photographed. It’s fun being gorgeous and all, but she’s looking for some excitement and romance… He’s a successful rock star, whose face and music are known the world over. He’s had his share of groupies, but he’s ready for a steady girlfriend, the younger the better… They meet. Birds sing, shutters...
Speak & Spell
Speak & Spell was created by Texas Instruments’ Paul Breedlove in the late 70s and introduced to American markets in 1978. It went through several redesigns, but the basic idea remained the same: in a British-ish accent, the toy would ask you how to spell a word. You’d type it in, and the toy would tell you if you were correct or wrong. Minigames, such as Mystery Word and Secret Code, were included in the original console. All of...
Fruit Stripe Gum
So, so good, and gone so, so fast. Isn’t that just the way of things? But, despite its lightening fast flavor expiration, Fruit Stripe gum is worth every precious chew. Like no other, the 5 juicy flavors (the originals) are so much more than their names would indicate (cherry, lemon, orange, mixed fruit, and lime). Maybe it’s the painted-on stripes that add the extra fabulousness. Whatever the source of all that flavor, the result is...
Dungeons and Dragons
By Julie Anderson It’s 1984. A little girl eavesdrops outside her older brother’s bedroom. Inside, he and three of his teenage friends are clustered around a card table littered with exotic dice, tiny metal figurines and complicated hand-drawn papers. She listens. They talk about “hit points” and “melee rounds” and the all-powerful “Dungeon Master.” They visit the “elemental plane.” They encounter a “water weird” and a “gray slime.”...
Trapper Keepers
By Julie Anderson 05.13.11 It’s mid-August of 1982. You’re with your Mom doing some back-to-school shopping. You want to project just the right level of cool for elementary school. To do that, you need a binder that’s trendy yet functional, well-organized yet hip. You need a . . . Trapper Keeper, baby! Oh, they were just the coolest; a whole new breed of 3-ring binder. The “keeper”, or outer shell, came in bold colors or mega-cool...
The Green Machine – Childhood Bliss
Ok, so this toy is technically from the late 70s (see the awesome commercial below from 1978), but for those of us that were teens in the 80s, we played with the toys of the late 70s! The Green Machine was so cool – so much cooler than its ride-on-vehicle-rival, the Big Wheel. It left a regular ole Big Wheel in its dust; the nimble Green Machine’s rear wheel swivel action design ran circles around the lumbering, clunky Big Wheel....
Chat with Author of Totally Tubular 80s Toys
We recently had the good fortune to review a copy of Mark Bellomo’s newest book, “Totally Tubular ‘80s Toys” and ask the author a few questions. If you haven’t seen this book, it is a veritable treasure trove of information on the toys of the 80s. With great photography of the toys and a year-by-year structure, this is as much a reference work as it is a fun trip down memory lane. For each year, he leads off the chapter with all the...
Bronze and Beautiful: Tanning, 80s Style
DISCLAIMER: Getting a Tan = Sun Damage. Regular tanning, from the sun or from a tanning bed/booth, is a cancer risk. We all know that nowadays, right? The following article describes how we tanned in the 80’s when we were younger and foolish-er. It is NOT meant to instruct you to actually run out and do it today. Like, if I told you to jump off a twenty-story building, would you do it? I DIDN’T THINK SO. Anyway! It’s almost...
Fashion Plates
By Julie Anderson My mom was a career woman; she earned two Master’s degrees and was (and is) a computer systems analyst. So, it may not surprise you that she wasn’t all into girly toys for me when I was growing up. Macintosh computer and calligraphy set = YES Barbie = NO French horn and piano lessons = YES Princessy dress-up outfits = NO Add to that the fact that my dad was a structural engineer and I didn’t have a sister, and you...
Make it a Totally Awesome 80s Valentine’s Day
If you’re looking for ways to spend Valentine’s Day with that special red-carnation person, we at Like Totally 80s have some great ideas! The 80s are chock-full of great love songs and movies so welcome to the Love Shack and get ready as we Never Say Goodbye to love and romance 80s-style. To help you put a retro twist on Valentine’s Day, we have compiled all the resources you need. We have gift ideas, mix tape song lists in the...
Feeling the Burn
By Julie Anderson Aerobics were a big part of my 1980s experience. My parents, like so many others in the 80’s, caught fitness fever. They were enthusiastic charter members of The Prime Health and Racquet Club near our home. In 1986, I got my first job there at the tender age of thirteen. Mom and Dad were friends with the owners, so I had an in. I worked in the juice bar. The Prime is now closed, but back in its day, it was all the...
80s Anti-Valentine’s Day List
Not feeling the Valentine’s Day vibe? There’s not a bit of sap or saccharine in this mix of 80s anti-love songs. Instead, it takes a look at the darker side of love when things have left the hearts and roses stage (or was never there to begin with). It runs the gamut from cheating to lusting for your best friend’s girl to breaking up to plain ole sadism. Cuz, let’s face it, sometimes Love Stinks. Love Stinks, J. Geils Band...
80s Inspired Valentine
Electronic 80s Valentine That’s right; the day for mushy cards, chocolate, and flowers is almost upon us again. This year, why not skip the sappy sentimentality and get right to the point. We are making it easy for you with this 80s-inspired electronic Valentine. Save this image file and send via email, text, or post it to your Valentine’s Facebook wall. Or, you can kick it 80s style and print and deliver it by hand or...
80s Pop Love Songs
Nothing brings back memories of first loves and crushes quite like the music that was on the radio at the time. It has the power to take you right back to the time and place that you associate with that song. We’ve put together a list of 80s love songs that are guaranteed to do just that. Thanks so much to our Facebook fans for suggesting many of the awesome songs shown here. There are so many to choose from that it was hard to keep...
80s New Wave / Alternative Love Songs
If your 80s musical tastes tend more towards new wave and otherwise alternative music, this is the love mix for you. Here are 16 80s alternative love songs for your Valentine that are sure to have him or her melting with you. What did we miss? What is your favorite new wave love song? Send us an email and we’ll add it to the list. Click the song names below to see the music videos for these awesome new wave love songs. Here’s hoping...
