Let us start with Journey. They were Believing in the fame and fortune of rock ballads in the early 80s. I know personally I don't stop believing. I think Steve Perry did. I think he stopped believing about forty years ago.
Journey stopped believing forty years ago
Apparently in the studio he could be a real bear when it came to his tea. Two lumps or you'd get two lumps.
Steve Perry of Journey asked for two lumps of sugar
Speaking of two lumps, how about those jeans. That hurts my two lumps just looking at how tight they are! Not to mention the hair.
80s fashion hurt the junk but looked good
Oh well, off to my commute. I'm just a small town girl living in a lonely world taking the midnight train...
Journey took the midnight train to anywhere
I now listen to my 80s music on my phone, not on vinyl or 8 track or cassette. Sometimes I listen while looking through dating sites. The other day I ran across a very interesting looking fellow. Could it really be Billy Idol? Sounds like it.
Billy Idol Tinder Profile
Should have taken the chance forty years ago to hook up with him while he was still part of Generation X. Oh well, maybe I'll call Deb, aka Blondie.
Debbie Harry of Blondie said call her, but now it's too late
I guess I'm outta touch now. Like Hall and Oates or as I call them nowadays Hallz and Oatsie.
Hall and Oates - Out of Touch
I just want to be held. Where are the Thompson Twins when I need them.
Thompson Twins - Hold Me
Or Stewie? Where is Stewie nowadays? Probably with Maggie May.
Rod Stewart - sexy!
Oh well, I'm still okay. Still standing on my own two feet like Elton John.
Elton John Still Standing
Who is now a 'sir' isn't he? Royalty. You know who is royalty? Freddie Mercury. But is it Queen or King? Nowadays I don't know.
Freddie Mercury - Queen or King
I sometimes wish things were back to way they used to be, back when rock bands played piano guitar. At least that's what I call Eddie Van Halen's style of guitar playing.
Eddie Van Halen playing guitar
Consider keeping the 80s alive with this great christmas tree ornament. Or you can maybe make one with an old cassette you have lying around?
Let's start with 80s fashion and the bands who were on the forefront of setting the trends. Bands like Tears For Fears, with their rat tails and three belts. Not sure why he needs three belts, but it's the 80s, nothing made sense in fashion!
Tears For Fears on Fashion
You never knew what you were going to get when you attended a wedding in the 80s. See that movie The Wedding Singer to be reminded. Below is a pic showing a bit of everything. The nasty moustaches, the lether coat dude, the bowtie and suspenders, and the grey tie. Been there, don't want to do that again!
80s Weddings, you never know what kind of fashion you'll see
The hair. 80s hair. There are so many jokes about hairspray in the 80s being the reason the ozone melted away. Which could be true, but, a few bands really set the tone for hairstyles. Bands like Tears For Fears, again want to mention their disgusting rat tail, and bands like Kakagoogoo (or whatever they were called) and Duran Duran. Those guys had some awesome 'eighties hair'. Big, out of control, and loved by the ladies.
Kajagoogoo and Duran Duran had the best 80s hair.
There wasn't much to do with eyes. Not like today where the fashion is to have extra thick, bush type, eyelashes lasered onto your eye lid. But, there was that song Betty Davis Eyes. That's 80s. I think Hannibal Lector liked that song...
Hannibal has Betty Davis Eyes...in his freezer. Yummy.
Blondie was always doing neat things with fashion. Like one armed dresses. I know a lot of people wanted to call Debbie when she sang Call Me. But, it wasn't like she gave out her phone number. It wasn't 867-5309, like Jenny.
Blondie - Call Me on my cell phone
Cyndi Lauper was definitely the poster child for tame punk. I think she just wanted to have fun...fun with fashion!
Cyndi Lauper was girl that wants to have fun. Fun with fashion.
Devo was fashion forward. Too far forward I think. However, they did predict the wearing of bands as face coverings in this Covid era. They did wear them slightly wrong. They should cover their nose. But, even so, that is a pretty good prediction that forty years after they came up with their lego hat face mask fashion that it is now mainstream.
Devo predicted mask wearing
Kim Wilde had the hair, the leather outfits, and tried to be hip by singing about fashionable places like East California. She is still looking for East California. Sorry Kim.
Kim Wilde and the kids of america are still looking for East California
Mr. Mister played it safe with jean jackets and the standard mullet. Where he spotted a trend was with fried foods, specifically chicken wings. Take these broken wings and learn to fry again - those were the original lyrics. At least that is what I heard.
Mr.Mister take these broken wings joke.
This mug is not for Mr. Mister. It is for a Doctor. It is just a tease to Mr. Mister. Poor Mr. Mister.
Not for Mr. Mister the singer
The Boss, Springsteen, now he needs a good mug to carry around. Especially being 'The Boss'. He could be like the boss from Office Space and get people to come in on Saturday. Haha.
Springsteen is the Boss from Office Space. Funny!
So, the other day I called the Police. I had the wrong number, and instead Sting and band show up, drunk, singing some dumbass song about 'do,do, da,da'.
Unique Gift, Christmas Gift, Birthday Gift for a David Bowie Fan
What do you get someone who has everything? If they like David Bowie there are lots of awesome things you can give them that will warm their heart - and make you look like a rock star gift giver! Win Win.
If they are into Bowie they are probably on the artsy side, am I right? Appeal to the artist in them with a David Bowie colouring book! I found two of them. The Starman 'official' book, and the...
Probably your David Bowie fan friend is into drinking. I'm thinking coffee, but, no judgement. Have a joke with this Stardust coffee mug. You see, it's like Starbucks, but Stardust. That's witty. Just like Bowie :)
Here's an idea, pair the colouring book with a coffee mug (maybe even add some coffee) and you've got yourself a Bowie Basket!
There are lots of books on Bowie. Serious biographies and such. But I've found a book that is much more fun. And, could be a great conversation starter - or ender. Again, win win. The book is Where's Bowie. Kind of like the ever popular Where's Waldo.
I actually thumbed through this book at the store and was surprised at how hard it was to find Bowie. It was pretty high quality and would give you hours of fun.
If you wanted to go with a coffee table theme, you could pair the Where's Bowie book with a set of Bowie drink coasters. They look like little records. Bowie records obviously. That would be so awesome to pull those out, throw an ice filled drink on them and have a party - a party looking through the Where's Bowie book.
Has that fan had a baby recently? There are some awesome gifts for baby! You can go functional and fun with a Bowie onesie. There are little books and dolls too. Just follow the link and look around.
You can always stick with the clothing theme and go with a classic T-Shirt. Band shirts never go out of style, and they may actually be more in-style if you combine a Bowie shirt with a Bowie mask! Wouldn't you look organized with that combo gift.
Add a Bowie bag to make your fan friend a model of Bowie fashion. A Bowie-fashionista! Throw a mask in that bag and that gift is ready to hit the streets!
There is one last gift idea I came across that I thought was pretty cool. A pillow case that looks like a jukebox featuring only Bowie songs. Super cool. Anyone could use one of those pillows. Throw it on a couch, a bed, even the floor?!
The Physical Video by Olivia Newton John, Offensive?
I know it was the 80s, but even by those standards, was the music video for Physical (by Olivia Newton-John) offensive?
Was the music video for Physical offensive?
There is an excessive number of 'fat jokes', and the speedos on the fit guys...were they supposed to degrade the men in a humorous way?
The video starts off with 'ripped' guys working out...in very, very, very small outfits. A nice reversal of the typical 80s music video that started off with thin women in skimpy bikinis.
Reversal of stereotypes, 80s music videos usually showed bikini clad women!
Then it just started getting weird. Like the butt shaking machine? Why add that? That's just taking it too far in my opinion.
Butt Shaker machine. Was this too far?
Olivia really plays the part of the aggressive person, eyeing up the men, giving them her 'bedroom eyes'.
Olivia Newton John and her bedroom eyes, at the gym!
Then she is seen touching the equipment the men are working out with. But, the touch is very, very, suggestive. Vulgar suggestive. Maybe a bit too far?
Newton John touching 'equipment' - vulgar!
She totally invades their personal bubble. On many occasions she saunters by them, inches away, caressing their muscles. Then she is lying on the floor inches from the guy doing the squats. I get it, but again it goes a bit far.
Personal Space Violated!
Then the fat jokes! A room full of obese men who are looking sad, and are wearing the worst clothing. Not like the in-shape guys who have well fitting workout gear. Nope, these slobs have flip flops and big shorts pulled up to their man-boobs! From today's perspective it is just offensive.
Fat Jokes were common in the 80s, but now offensive.
Then Olivia Newton John goes around teasing these guys. She doesn't eye them up, or caress them nicely like she does with the muscle men. Nope, she quasi-humiliates them.
Olivia Newton John teasing the obese guys.
She is rough with them.
Olivia Newton John being rough with out of shape man.
She treats them like bags of dirt.
Newton John getting Physical
Then the next scene when the body builders reappear she is gentle to them.
Olivia Newton-John nice to the fit fellows.
It's offensive, even if it won a Grammy award for best video.
Let me know what you think.
Here is one man's opinion. He's offended by Physical on so many levels.
Apparently the song was written with Rod Stewart in mind. After his Do Ya Think I'm Sexy song I can see why.
