If you're the sort of person [...] who keeps chanting robotically, ''Yeah, but the U.S. backed Saddam in the '80s" (to which the only response is: ''So what? I liked Bananarama in the '80s'')...Too cool. And an opportunity to play: what's your Shameful Eighties Secret? I'll start by admitting mine: With Sympathy, Ministry's first release -- before they were industrial, they were classic 80s synth-pop-goth! I still have the album -- on vinyl, . (They don't seem to be ashamed of it anymore either. Hey, embrace your youthful mistakes.)
(Via Sean Kirby.)
Posted by Andrea Harris at February 15, 2003 02:29 AMOK, but don't tell anybody.
I've never admitted this, and if pressed will probably deny it in the future, but ... the first few times I heard Boy George and even saw him on TV, I ... thought he was a girl.
Now remember, don't tell anybody. OK?
Posted by: roscoe at February 15, 2003 at 03:07 AMOkay, this is more of a 70s thing, but... remember The Village People?
I thought that the guy in leather was a... biker.
Posted by: Dean Esmay at February 15, 2003 at 06:16 AMYea, I thought Boy George was a girl, too.
Ministry used to call that album their "abortion." I'm happy to see they are finally embracing it. I have it on vinyl, cassette tape and cd. I am not ashamed, either!
However, I am ashamed that I still sing Night Ranger's "Sister Christian" whenever possible.
Posted by: michele at February 15, 2003 at 06:43 AMI probably should be ashamed of my undying love for nearly everything associated with the Eighties, but I'm not, so there. ;-)
Posted by: David Jaroslav at February 15, 2003 at 09:41 AMI think the Eighties were about the best decade in American history. We were blessed by:
- A steadily expanding, vibrant and well-diversified economy.
- A sense of real national well-being, including a brawny military that could whip the rest of the world with half its people still in bed.
- A continuous pushback against the Evil Empire, by a President who knew what he said and said what he meant.
- Bright, lively, cheerful pop music and lots of it.
- A minimum of angst.
- Men that weren't ashamed of being men, damn it!
- Sexy, feminine women's fashions.
- The best of Tom Clancy's techno-thrillers.
- Having sent Jimmy Carter, Walter Mondale, and their stale social-welfare-fascist nanny-state BS to the showers in definitive fashion.
...and I still had all my hair.
Posted by: Francis W. Porretto at February 15, 2003 at 09:54 AMCertainly some bad fashion choice, but since I've been a jeans-and-boots guy since 7th grade, it had to have been a really bad shirt that's long-gone and purged from my memory banks.
Am I so wrong for liking I'm Your Venus and Play that Funky Music? We did a lot of bootie-shaking back then. If I tried that now, there'd be a new definition for "civilian casualties."
Posted by: Scott Chaffin at February 15, 2003 at 10:49 AMI wore parachute pants.
And I was not the kind of boy who should have been wearing parachute pants.
shwip shwip shwip shwip shwip...
Posted by: Ian Wood at February 15, 2003 at 11:29 AMI was 6 when the eighties ended. So my most shameful secret probably envolves stealing extra cookies or not brushing my teeth when I was told.
Posted by: Sean Kirby at February 15, 2003 at 01:48 PMi declare the following being of sound mind and body:
I actually liked milli vanilli's "girl i'm gonna miss you" and still have it in my mp3 rotation.
i am going to go hide now....
Posted by: mr. helpful at February 15, 2003 at 03:02 PMI wish Sean would stop reminding everyone how young he is.
Posted by: michele at February 15, 2003 at 03:03 PMI was in elementary school back in the 80s, but even so, I just got three words to describe me Awful 80s Thing:
"To the git!"
(shudders)
Posted by: James P at February 15, 2003 at 04:53 PMwith sympathy has always been a classic member of my collection--i know they disowned it (and it looks now as if they've reclaimed it) but it still felt good and that hand on the cover with the nails was always so inspiring.
besides, what's wrong with being synth-pop goth? (i should rephrase that: there is much wrong with that maybe NOW but in the 80's? it was fantastic.)
i missed most of the 80's as i was a youngun' but caught the end of it all in high school during the early 90's. my biggest band ever: depeche mode. embarrassing 80's confession: i wanted to hump david gahan AND alan wilder AND martin gore (yes, even with the hair and the teeth) AND, if the situation presented itself, andy fletcher too.
but especially david gahan. ohmygawd, david gahan.
Posted by: bran at February 15, 2003 at 11:12 PMHe wasn't bad looking once. Before the heroin got him.
Posted by: Andrea Harris at February 16, 2003 at 12:11 AMI liked DOUG AND THE SLUGS.
I worked in a nightclub in Miami during the eighties. I had hair down to my shoulders, a black bouble-breasted Jetsons jacket with shoulder pads so wide I had to go through double doors sideways, and a black pair of pants with one long zipper than ran all the way down my left leg.
DAMN I looked cool.
I also had a THIN white satin tie with a Japanese sun symbol and Japanese characters that I thought read "BANZAI!" but actually probably read something like THIS ROUND EYE IS A FUCKING IDIOT.
Those were the days, baby. Now?
Don't know where I am
But I know I don't like it
Oh my god, you were in Miami in the Eighties? Which club was it you worked at? (I grew up in that town and didn't escape until three years ago.)
Posted by: Andrea Harris at February 16, 2003 at 02:23 AM