Few undergraduates at Tufts were even conceived in the years 1980 or 1981; fortunately for us, VH1 is providing our generation a chance to live the years we missed with the return of its "I Love the 80s" series - and this time, it's (sort of) in 3-D!
That's right - it's time once again to listen to the nostalgic musings of B-list celebrities on probing topics such as the introduction of Latina and African-American Barbie dolls and the invention of the Post-It.
Every day this week (and considering how often they run repeats, probably every day for the next year and a half) VH1 will air two episodes of "I Love the 80s: 3-D," with each episode covering the minutiae of pop culture from a different year of the 1980s.
The series is appealing for two main reasons: it provides a walk down memory lane for those who remember the 80s, as well as the witty commentary of various quasi-famous people who can be counted on to mercilessly mock every stop on the metaphoric road.
"I Love the 80s: 3-D" is no different than its predecessors, except that, for those viewers with readily available 3-D glasses, there are some cheesy, typically 80s-looking graphics that float around behind the commentators' heads and would presumably appear to shoot out at audiences equipped with the right eyewear.
The first episode, on 1980, covered important celebrity news like when Paul McCartney got busted at a Japanese airport for possession of a half a pound of marijuana or when comedian Richard Pryor's unfortunate rendezvous with an enflamed crack pipe scorched his entire body. There was also mention of the invention of Fruit Roll-Ups, high quality television shows like "Buck Rogers" (featuring Gary Coleman as some kind of space cadet), and groundbreaking films like "Little Darlings," which followed young girls around summer camp as they tried to lose their virginities.
The year 1981 brought more pop culture moments that might have slipped under our collective radar in the last 24 years. "Circus of the Stars" featured various network TV stars like Mario Lopez (that's right: Slater of "Saved by the Bell" fame), Brooke Shields and Alan Thicke performing - what else - circus tricks. The magnificent Nickelodeon sketch comedy show "You Can't Do that on Television" was recalled, as was the first laptop computer which evidently had the buoyancy of a ton of bricks.
Before and after commercial breaks there are segments featuring the likes of Emmanuel Lewis (yep, that'd be Webster), Weird Al Yankovic and Elvira, who hosted 30-second-long pieces on pop culture terms, movies that should have been made in 3-D, and biggest boobs of the year, respectively. In addition to providing humorous jabs at various people and catchphrases of the '80s, it's also pretty entertaining to see how the hosts, each of whom are stars of the '80s in their own right, have aged. (Emmanuel Lewis is looking as young and vivacious as ever, in case you were interested.)
Of course it just wouldn't be a VH1 nostalgia series without the regulars, those talking heads who appear to have made careers out of being on shows like "I Love the 80s." Michael Ian Black (most recently of "Stella," which everyone should watch), Hal Sparks and Mo Rocca all return to their regular positions in front of the green screen, providing their usual witty insights.
Then there are a slew of former celebrities (many last seen or heard from in the decade in question) like the dude from "Head of the Class" (Dan Frishmann), the guys from the band Nelson, and "Love Connection" host Chuck Woolery. Interesting that celebrities of this caliber freely poke fun at those who may have made questionable career moves or whose careers have been less than thriving recently. Ahem.
"I Love the 80s: 3-D" is good, nostalgic fun to keep in the background of whatever you're doing. And maybe what you're doing should be calling your mom and asking her what in God's name a Xanadu is.
