Mrs.Phlosphr and I watched a show about the 80’s last night on VH1 and got some serious laughs… Both of us graduated high school in 1988, “Red Red Wine” and “I want your Sex” the George Michael one were classic lose your virginity tunes of the time. And I could not believe I ever wore black and white checker, velcrow fly shorts and French Legion National Lampoons European Vacation baseball hat’s either. Cindy Lauper was in Goonies and the iconic Molly Ringwald was giving Anthony Michael Hall her panties. My wife had a crush so hard core on Michael Shoeffling aka Jake Ryan in 16 candles.
Judd Nelson was totally rad in The Breakfast Club and The Talking Heads were at those other peoples parties.
So anyone up for another 80’s thread? Where were you in 1988?
1988 - living in Middleburg FL, working as a tool design engineer. Daughter was 3, husband was in college. I think that was the year I had the mole removed from my back. Most of the late 80s are a blur to me.
I graduated high school in 1987. By the time 1988 rolled around I was going to the local college and living with my parents. I worked at the computer store where I had worked all through high school. That summer I moved into my first apartment, with my boyfriend at the time. In the fall I moved to Minneapolis to attend U of M.
We still listened to vinyl records back then - I think CDs were out, but nobody I knew had a CD player. Besides, when you have hundreds of albums, you want a turntable! Of course, for the life of me I can’t remember WHAT albums we listened to… I just remember long nights drinking beer, playing foosball, and listening to music.
What’s really weird is to think just where I’ve been since that time, and where I am now. I’m sitting in a house not a mile from that first apartment I lived in. I work for the same people I worked for back then. I don’t really feel all that different than I felt at 18. But since then, I’ve lived in Greece and in Colorado. I’ve had demanding jobs that paid more than I ever thought I’d earn. I’ve been married and divorced, and now am more-or-less married again. I’ve had 3 cats and 2 dogs.
Life sure does happen when you’re just hangin’ out, doesn’t it?
I was 13, going into the 8th grade. Bought my first rap album-- er, tape (Tone Loc). Kissed a girl for the first time, and looking back I’m really surprised at how open-mouthed and passionate it was.
Happy
In 1988, the young Not-Yet-Acrossthesea was 8 and then 9. For the first half of the year, I was in 3rd grade, where my teacher was younger than I am now! My hobbies included Barbie and My Little Pony and going to my friends’ roller skating rink birthday parties, which were big at that time. I enjoyed reading the Babysitters Club books and the Sweet Valley Twins books. I liked acting, our 3rd grade play was about the kingdom of math (ichh, go figure) and my character hated math (much like I do in reality.)
On July 18th of that year I turned 9 (yes, tomorrow is indeed my birthday), and was going to camp. The 2nd half of '88 was spent in 4th grade, where I had this evil teacher who I unfortunately had again in 6th grade 2 years later. My hobbies remained the same, I suppose, and I played Lady Capulet in Romeo & Juliet that year, only that may have been '89 already.
I remember the California Raisins, Max Headroom (well, that may have been '87) and Perfect Strangers which was my favorite show years later when I watched it, it was on too late for me to catch it in '88. Yup I saw that same vh1 show so I know what things they mentioned and was amazed by what I remembered.
I thought it was one of the best thread titles ever.
I graduated high school in 1984, so by 1988 I must have been in my fourth year of college… so let’s see, working with the mentally handicapped in a residential setting (most fulfilling and worst paid job ever), dating someone I don’t even want to talk about.
I’m having trouble remembering how I related to popular culture then. I do have great memories of “I Want Your Sex” and “Beetlejuice” though.
And The Breakfast Club, that really brings me back. Man, I thought that movie was deep. I doubt I could stand to watch it now, especially that scene where they start taunting the custodian.
I was a year out of college, but taking additional classes at ANOTHER college so I could stay on my parent’s medical insurance (I had MAJOR mandibular reconstruction surgery done in the summer of 1988). I also started my first (and only) year of grad school at Indiana University in 1988.
Yikes, you children are all so … young. I finished grad school in '83, taught college '83-'87 (three different schools), got sober the end of '85, and moved back to Philly in '87.
Listened to lots of Talking Heads both before and after getting sober.
Sorry, you asked specifically about '88 – started working for a rare book dealer that year, a job that lasted until a whole “All About Eve” thing in '91 (I played the Bette Davis role).
I also graduated High School in 1988. I remember heading to Chicago to see the Dead about two hours after graduation in my friend’s 1966 Volskwagen Bus. Then I…uh…[scenes deleted]
Seriously, what a summer that was. Good times.
As for Albums - (my fingers had trouble typing that word it’s been so long - :)) - these got played to death in my Scirocco that year:
De La Soul - 3 Feet High and Rising
REM - Green
Cowboy Junkies - Trinity Sessions (instant sex music, not dethroned until Portishead’s Dummy)
Chris Isaak - Heart Shaped World
Ah…1988, the year Mr. carlotta and me finally broke up with our respective SOs (respectively named Michelle and Michael) and dashed headlong into each other’s arms never to look back. Sophomore year of college.
Mr. carlotta had a very 80s shirt that was red decorated with moodily lit triangles. He wore it all the time. What the heck ever happened to that shirt?
I fell in love to a soundtrack of Suzanne Vega. Our first movie together was (get this) The War of the Roses. I think this was pretty close to when The Princess Bridecame out.
I think I was still wearing little ankle boots…wrestling shoes. That was how we first met…he asked me why the shoe laces were different colors…but I think they were already passe by then.
Everybody else is mentioning Beetlejuicewhich I definitely remember being another date movie of ours.
( and now he is miles away for who knows how long. It’s good to remember the first flush)
Speaking of BeetleJuice, which I didn’t know came out in 88: I saw it with my grandpa. He said it was the worst movie he had seen in his 69 years upon this earth. I loved it.
1988 was a banner year for me. Divorced husband #1 and fell in love with husband #2. I was way too busy with relationship issues that I don’t even remember turning the TV or stereo on. :rolleyes: I do seem to recall Dirty Dancing coming out on video that year, though. It was one of our favorites.
I remember that it was one of the best years for Riesling Spatlese. The grapes were superb that year. Yea, I was drinking a lot of wine that year, too. Ahhhh. 1988.
Started college in 82. Got married in 86. Had my twins in 87.
In 86 I worked one block away from the West Side Highway, so of course I held hands across America.
Me and my then future husband and a bunch of our college friends went to the premier of Purple Rain. That was a whole lotta fun. Speaking of Molly Ringwald, I remember seeing The Pick Up Artist. Not because the movie was all that great but because the last line in the film was somewhat sorta stuck with me. It was Molly tells Robert Downey “If you shut up, I’ll come.”
I got my very first CD player in 87 and amongst my first CD’s where George Michael’s Faith, Whitney Houston’s Whitney Houston and U2’s The Joshua Tree.
All in all a most excellent decade.
I just noticed I this thread was for a specific year in the 80’s and I didn’t mention it once.
I don’t remember '88. I was dealing with infant twins and the year was filled with diapers, bottles and crying. I won’t say who was doing most of the crying.
I was working at a nuke plant and living in Bay City, TX. I was single, drove a sports car, had money to spare, and damn if I wasn’t stuck in a shithole with few available women…but that’s o.k, I wouldn’t change any of the circumstances that led me to meeting my wife the next year…
and now he is miles away for who knows how long. It’s good to remember the first flush)