The games we played

Writing the post on Atari Games brought back memories of a time before computers, cell phones, Ipods and that new technology has brought us since the days before computers were a common item in our homes.

As a child, I was happy with my dolls, board games, playing cards, dominoes . . . and playing outdoors getting exercise.  We entertained ourselves by riding our bikes around the neighborhood, having hula hoop contests, jumping rope, playing badmitton, catch the ball, dodge ball.

It is sad that mothers in present time have to be afraid to let the kids play even in the front yard with all the weirdos out there grabbing children in plain sight . . . daylight.

The days gone by were so innocent . . . we didn't have to worry about that kind of weirdness . . . what has happened to our society?

Anyway, I digressed . . . I wanted to talk about how babyboomers entertained themselves without all the fancy stuff the kids of today have.  I'm jealous, although I didn't miss what I didn't know I didn't have :)

As a younger child I loved Cootie and Potato Head . . . I would spend hours on the floor playing jacks, pick up sticks or building odd objects with my Tinker Toys.
 
How about the Slinky?  It fascinated me . . . so did the Etch-A-Sketch.

My nana played cards with us all the time.  My favorite card game was Old Maid, although I really took it serious and get really mad if I got stuck with the Old Maid card.  I am still a sore loser!  She taught us how to play all types of rummy, poker and I loved to play war . . . I still do.

When I think back at my favorite board games, my number one would have to be Monopoly . . . the game that never seems to end . . . and we loved it that way.  There was a board game we played that I'm not even sure was popular, but my brother and I sure loved it . . . it was called Careers . . . cool game, I still have it.

Even as a child I loved music.  I still have my nana's collection of 78's . . . Perry Como and Rosemary Clooney were her favorites.  My collection of 45's are still in those funky colored 45 holders that hold stacked records and have the handle on the top.  I thought about selling them on eBay, but I couldn't part with them even though I haven't played them in years.  Yes, I'm a pack rat!

I still have my quadrophonic stereo that was my prized possession of later days . . . I really thought I was something with a speaker in every corner of my room . . . although my parents hated how I HAD to play it so loud.  It just didn't sound right unless it was super loud :)

One of my favorite pastimes was playing my guitar and making up songs . . . something I continued to do through my adult life.  Some things don't change with age and I guess we all have that inner child within us.  Don't we?

The games we played and those things we did to entertain ourselves were pretty cool, in my opinion.  Although I am jealous that we didn't have computers, in a way I am glad we didn't . . . don't know if that makes sense to anyone.  We had interaction and activity with friends and family . . . the computer tends to isolate.

What do you think?

What are some of your recollections
 of your childhood and the games you played?

K-Mart Blue Light Special . . . back in the day

This image represents the 1970's from a 1996 Kmart calendar

 tracing the history of Kmart through the decades. 

The image is being used for fair use purposes only.  All rights reserved by KaizenVerdant

Does anyone remember the original blue light specials at K-Mart?  

When least expected, the blue light (a mobile police light) would light up at a specific section of the store where a discount was being offered.  Simultaneously, the speakers would be blaring "attention Kmart shoppers" . . . announcing what the special was, directing customers to the flashing blue light.

Actually, the phrase "attention Kmart shoppers" is part of American pop culture history.  Did you know it was included in the movies Troop Beverly Hills, Six Days Seven Nights and Beetlejuice?

The original marketing plan of the Blue Light Special was first introduced in 1965 and was retired in 1991.  Various marketing campaigns using the phrase have come and gone, but none of the revivals had the excitement of the original concept at the peak of Kmart's success.

Who's The Boss . . . 1984-1992

Who's The Boss was one of the most popular sitcoms of the 1980's, 

winning multiple Emmy and Golden Globe awards.

The sitcom broadcast from 1984-1992 

with the same cast . . .

Tony Danza, Judith Light, Alyssa Milano,
 Danny Pintauro and Katherine Helmond

We loved watching the perils of the male housekeeper and
the workaholic woman he was employed by.  Together, along with
her mom Mona, they struggled with the difficulties of raising
children, dealing with everyday ups and downs of life, death
and of course my favorite part, romance.

Tony Micelli, a widower and retired professional baseball second baseman, wanted a better life for his daughter Samantha . . . away from Brooklyn.

They ended up in the yuppie community of Fairfield, Connecticut where Tony accepts a job as a live-in housekeeper for Angela Bower, a divorced advertising executive with a son Jonathan.  

Her mother Mona could have possibly been the first "cougar woman" portrayed on television . . . quite unusual for those times.  The powers that be took much liberty and sexual innuendo with this character and her men friends who ranged from preppy college age hotties to silver haired foxes.

Mona was my favorite character!

Throughout the course of the eight seasons, there were hints of mutual attraction between Tony and Angela, although they dated others and denied their feelings for each other for many years.  What developed through the years was an awesome friendship . . . they were best friends and relied on each other for emotional support.  In my opinion, it was a wonderful message of the "friends first" mentality.

In the final season, they enjoy a whirlwind romance that continued until the close of the sitcom . . . leaving the audience to wonder . . . and possibly open the door for another sitcom at another time.

So . . . who was the real boss?

Tony and Angela's Top 10 Moments

A reunion show would be awesome . . . 

and the rumors have been flying around

 for the past couple of years.

The Nanny

The Nanny's theme song, "The Nanny Named Fran", which was written and performed by Ann Hampton Callaway, replaced the former theme song in syndicated reruns of the pilot episode.

"The Nanny" Promo Video

The Nanny is an American television sitcom first aired from November 3, 1993, to May 12, 1999, and starred Fran Drescher as Fran Fine, a Jewish Queens native who becomes the nanny of three children from the New York/British upper class.  

Fran Drescher created and was executive producer, taking much of its inspiration from her personal life, involving characteristics based on friends and friends, including Fran Fine's parents, Sylvia and Morty, and grandmother Yetta, who all were named after their real-life counterparts.

The show earned a Rose d'Or and one Emmy Award, out of a total of thirteen nominations, and Fran Drescher was twice nominated for a Golden Globe as well as for an Emmy. The sitcom has also served as inspiration for several foreign adaptations.

Funny moments from "The Nanny"

During it's six-season run, The Nanny maintained the same core characters, although a large number of guest stars and recurring characters were introduced through the years.

 

Character	Actor
Fran Fine	Fran Drescher
Maxwell Sheffield	Charles Shaughnessy
Niles	Daniel Davis
C.C. Babcock	Lauren Lane
Maggie Sheffield	Nicholle Tom
Brighton Sheffield	Benjamin Salisbury
Gracie Sheffield	Madeline Zima
Sylvia Fine	Renée Taylor
Yetta Rosenberg	Ann Morgan Guilbert
Val Toriello	Rachel Chagall

Cast list source:  Wikipedia

Early The Nanny episodes were shot in front of a live studio audience on Stage 6 at the Culver Studios, however, during later seasons the taping was no longer performed before an audience.
My favorite running gag of the show was Fran lying about her age . . . followed by  Maxwell's rivalry with Broadway producer Andrew Lloyd Webber, Sylvia's obsession with food and Fran's obsession with Barbra Streisand.
In my opinion, the best storyline was the season 3 finale where Maxwell tells Fran he loves her, but takes it back in the Season 4 premiere.

The sitcom is currently in syndication on TV Land.

The Nanny Official Website

Johnny Depp does music . . . the rock star . . . Into the Great Wide Open - Tom Petty

♥♥♥ EDDIE REBEL ♥♥♥

Oh my, Johnny would make a
fine looking rock star,
but can he sing?

Actually, Johnny's career began with his dreams of becoming a rock star. His garage band eventually started playing clubs in South Florida while he was still under age and had to sneak in and out of the back door to perform. The band began to take off, supporting such punk/new wave era greats as Talking Heads, B-52's and Iggy Pop.

Johnny dropped out of high school at 16 to concentrate on music and in search of the big time . . . the band relocated to Los Angeles where a different destiny awaited one of the most gorgeous men on earth and one of our generation's most talented actors.

Check out his rock star moves in Tom Petty's music video
"Into The Great Wide Open"

Where's the Beef? . . . 1984 advertising campaign featuring Clara Peller

Back in 1984, Wendy's came up with one of the most memorable ad campaigns of all time.  The phrase "Where's The Beef" caught on like wildfire . . . the connotation being that a Wendy's Hamburger was a comparatively bigger value than that of their competition. 

The slogan is a definite part of our pop culture . . . it is still part of present day slang as a saying for questioning the substance of any proposal, idea or product.  It was also used by Walter Mondale in the 1984 Democratic presidential primary campaign to critique the insubstantial proposals of one of his opponents, Gary Hart. 

The theme of the ad campaign was a disgruntled old lady who trotted into a non-Wendy's fast food restaurant, bought a hamburger with a "big bun," and griped, "Where's the Beef?"

The disgruntled old lady was Clara Peller, a retired Chicago manicurist.  She clearly represents Andy Warhol's "15 minutes of fame" adage as she went from obscurity to star after being discovered at the age of 81 . . . she passed away from natural causes in 1987 . . .

Her uniquely husky voice and quirky mannerisms caught the attention of an ad agency working on an advertising campaign for the then struggling Wendy's fast food chain.  The rest is history . . .

The advertising campaign was a huge success, finding Clara herself on a number of tie-in products . . . coffee mugs, t-shirts, posters, puzzles, bubble gum, a "Where's The Beef" game and on and on . . .

A single was even released based on "Where's The Beef"

Here are some of the television commercials . . . seems like yesterday!

A bit more nostalgia . . .

The advertising campaign ran for two years, although it seems longer . . . but left a lasting impression for pop culture historians.

A babyboomer's flashback . . .

As far back as I can remember, there was music playing 24/7. My mom and dad were known in our community as "the dancers", so you can imagine.


The first music I remember was 50's rock and roll and Elvis was the King. I love his music to this day, have seen every one of his movies at least five times and even went to one of his concerts a few months before he died.


My dad met him when he was filming "Follow That Dream" in Ocala, Florida . . . they were filming the bank scene the following day and my mom and dad parked themselves outside the bank since my mom was so pissed that it was my dad who met him and not her. They were there early in the morning and as dusk approached, they had to give up and leave, but my mom did get to touch his pink Cadillac. One of my prized possessions is my Elvis concert program that takes me back to that day . . . he was visibly ill, but still put on one of the best concerts I have ever been to (and I have been to many concerts in my life).


My early childhood musical favorites were Fabian, Bobby Vee, Frankie Avalon, James Darren . . . pop music! My first true love was James Darren until Paul McCartney hit the scene. My female idol was Sandra Dee who I thought was the most beautiful woman ever and so wanted to look like her, even though my italian background had me looking quite the opposite . . . more like Annette, I guess not such a bad thing. One of my favorite childhood movies was "A Summer Place" . . . . quite the racy movie for its time and the Gidget series of movies. Of course Cinderella is way up there on my list of favorites . . . I still have the yellow plastic record 78 LP soundtrack from the movie. Somewhere along the way, I lost my Cinderella watch. :(


It was a time where families all sat at the dinner table together without the distractions of the television, video games or the computer. Even when we finally got a television, my dad restricted us from watching it all the time as he thought life was about more important things. Of course it irritated me, but now, in a weird sort of way, I somewhat understand his thinking.


We compromised for the very favorite things to watch on television, which for me included American Bandstand on Saturdays, The Ed Sullivan Show on Sunday nights, and The Mickey Mouse Club every weekday afternoon. I was a little person in elementary school, but my musical roots were already formed. Even with the new exciting thing, the television, for me it was about the music.


It was a time when families were close, times seemed slower paced and my brother and I were quite content with the simple toys we played with . . . it occurs to me that children are very spoiled in these times with such a vast array of toys . . . and do they ever have enough of anything? I often wonder how my life would have been different and/or changed if we had all these "things".

Johnny Depp as Edward Scissorhands

Edward Scissorhands is a 1990 American romantic comedy fantasy film directed by Tim Burton and starring Johnny Depp. The film shows the story of an artificial man named Edward, an unfinished creation, who has scissors for hands. Edward is taken in by a suburban family and falls in love with their teenage daughter Kim. Supporting roles are portrayed by Winona Ryder, Dianne Wiest, Anthony Michael Hall, Kathy Baker, Alan Arkin and Vincent Price.






At the time of his casting, Depp was wanting to break out of the teen idol status which his performance in 21 Jump Street had afforded him. When he was sent the script he immediately found personal and emotional connections with the story.


In the casting of Edward, Fox was persistent in wanting Tom Cruise to play the part (who was displeased at the unhappy ending), although Tom Hanks, Jim Carrey, William Hurt and Robert Downey, Jr. expressed an interest and were considered.  However, Tim Burton's first choice was Michael Jackson.


The role of "The Inventor" was specifically written for Vincent Price.  The Inventor, Edward's "father" created him and taught him how to speak, read and be socially polite. He died due to his great age before he could give Edward a complete set of hands.


Edward is an unfinished creation of his inventor/father who dies before he can complete the job. He is removed from his lonely existence in a hilltop mansion by Avon lady Peg Boggs and eventually lives with her family in a pastel-colored version of suburbia.

The film was shot in the Tampa Bay area of Florida . . . various locations, the mansion scenes were shot outside of Dade City . . . the locations partly chosen because of Florida's frequent blue skies.  Local filming lasted three months before moving to Fox Studios in California for the interior mansion scenes.

He becomes the source of fantasy, gossip, resentment, adoration and lust for the neighbors, whom he wins over with his outlandish haircuts and elaborate sculptures. Burton explained that his depiction of suburbia is "not a bad place. It's a weird place. I tried to walk the fine line of making it funny and strange without it being judgmental. It's a place where there's a lot of integrity."


Kim leaves her jock boyfriend to be with Edward, an event that many have postulated as Burton's revenge against jocks he encountered as a teenager. Jim is subsequently killed, a scene that shocked a number of observers who felt the whole tone of the film had been radically altered. Burton referred to this scene as a "high school fantasy".


There was obvious chemistry between Johnny Depp and Winona Ryder . . . they were "the engaged hot couple" back in those days, helping to draw a younger audience.  The movie was considered a box office success.


About Johnny's transformation into Edward . . . it took 1 hour and 45 minutes to go from gorgeous to creepy.






Information Source:  Wikipedia

Back To The Future . . . 25 years old!!!

One of my all time favorite movies,
Back to the Future,
turns 25 years old this month.


Futuristic films are among my favorites . . . West World, Logan's Run and Star Man are a few that I can watch over and over again, but Back to the Future was way special.

The most successful film of 1985 chronicles the saga of Marty McFly. The teenager is accidentally sent back in time from 1985 to 1955 where he meets his parents in high school and finds himself accidentally attracting his mother's romantic interest. Marty must find a way to repair the damage to history by causing his parents to fall in love, at the same time finding a way to return to 1985.

It surprised me to learn that the script was originally turned down by all of the major studios as "not being sexual enough" . . . Disney rejected it since a mother falling in love with her son was not appropriate for a "Disney family film." Universal Studios finally set up the project when Steven Spielberg became involved.

The chemistry between Michael J. Fox and Christopher Lloyd, who played Marty and Doc Brown, was classic. However, Lloyd was not the first choice for the part and Michael was committed to the television series Family Ties. I wonder what the success ratio would have been with the pairing of Eric Stoltz and John Lithgow playing those parts.

If you have ever dreamed of being a successful entertainer, be careful what you wish for . . . Fox's schedule during weekdays consisted of filming Family Ties during the day, and Back to the Future from 6:30 pm to 2:30 am. During Fridays, he shot from 10 pm to 6 or 7 am, and then moved on to film exterior scenes throughout the weekend, as he was only available during daytime.

The film went on to gross a worldwide total of $381.11 million and is currently the 59th highest grossing film in North America. Not too shabby for a script that was originally turned down by all the major studios.

Happy 25th Anniversary Back to the Future!