Well, we haven’t had an odd assortment of links in a while. Let’s start with some more superhero related stuff, shall we? Back in the late 70′s and early 80′s, the Meco Superhero action figures (not dolls!) were one of my favorites. They had them all at Child World. I believe I had Batman, Robin, Spiderman, and Captain America. If you recall, they had those soft rubber heads and their costumes were actually clothing-like (as opposed to just painted on). The more I think of it, the more they were like dolls. Now I’m feeling a little funny about playing with dolls when I was young. Does it make me gay that I had Mego Superhero dolls? Anyway, here’s a sterling commercial for them:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iCjnezLRblE
Speaking of toys, this takes me right back to Christmas 1977.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=buum8rXetaE
Playing with Star Wars figures was clearly not gay. C3P0 was probably gay, though. Not that there’s anything wrong with that. Speaking of which, I had the first gay parapalegic 3CP0 action figure. Somehow all of his joints got really loose, so he couldn’t stand. So he always had to sit leaning up against the wall when we were playing. I always felt bad for him. Remember that cheesy plastic cape thing they gave Darth Vader? It would inevitably rip and come off and then Darth Vader looked like this little man with a big box on his chest. And the light sabers were pretty lame in the first few years. Luke, Darth Vader, and I think Obi Won had their light sabers as little plastic things that shot out of their arm. Eventually those would get frayed and look like used candle wicks.
Speaking of Star Wars, I remember them telling us not to smoke (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YWQgktBR6-w), but does anyone remember them telling us not to drink and drive?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MsSIpDK16c4
I’m guessing those kids contemplating drinking and driving were probably not into Star Wars enough to be convinced by a couple of droids not to drink and drive, but what the hell do I know?
Anyone remember Burger Chef? Yes kids, there was a Burger Chef (before there was a Burger King, at least in our little world), and it was cool enough to have a promotion with Star Wars:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nM58dJ5l9B8
Now for something completely different, I saw that Wrestlemania 200 or whatever they’re up to now was held yesterday. Does anyone remember S.D. “Special Delivery” Jones? He always wore a light blue ensemble and on Saturday morning wrestling, he looked like the greatest wrestler on the planet for the first 10 minutes of every match. He’d almost pin someone good, but then something would go wrong and he’d be defeated. Every damn time. I wonder what his career record was. I know I often got sucked in thinking, wholly crap, he might actually win this . .. er, nope. Anyway, who knew that he appeared in Wrestlemania I? I guess they were hurting when they put that card together. Anyway, by 1984, Vince McMahon was tired of leading us on thinking S.D. might win. This might be some kind of record.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kh4OBSmNRLM
Lastly, if you have time, watch these 3 clips of one episode from the brilliant Larry Sanders show (a show in which Gary Shandling plays a fake late night talk show host). Just a fantastic show. I really need to get this on DVD. This was one of my favorite episodes, as Duchovny was at his peak of popularity as Agent Mulder when he guest starred in this one.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R91kiIl-vlU
Regarding the Star Wars commercial. . . all I have to say is check out the shirt the kid playing with the TIE fighter is wearing. That was the epitome of young adolescent style in the late 70′s.
I remember getting the Death Star for Xmas one year. Thought that was the greatest thing ever.
how much of your workday is spent on youtube?
what would it do to your life if the firm blocked youtube?
thanks for these- i still love star wars with the same innocent fascination i had as a child. but c3po is ghey. and those robots never told me not to drink and drive, else i wouldn’t have.
I actually spend very little time. A pop culture thought pops in my head, I go to youtube to see if it’s there, and then save it to my favortites to look at later. If I have a few minutes at the end of the day, I take the videos I’ve saved as favorites over a few days and link them to this site.
I had the Batman mega figure or whatever it was called. I also had a similarly-sized Lone Ranger. Oh, and I had the Evel Kneivel (sp?) stunt cycle, which came with an Evel figure that was about the same size, but not articulated.
I remember the Star Wars smoking PSA. I also had the Death Star. Remember all the little pieces of foam that came with the trash compactor? Chewbacca had a crappy cape, too, but didn’t look as wrong without it as Vader did. I lost either Chewy’s or Han’s gun under the turntable of my parents’ hi-fi (I don’t think it had stereo sound). It was one of those systems that was a piece of furniture, like when TVs used to be furniture. Did anyone else’s family have one of those?