Fourth Grade Nothing

We are Flintstones kids, 10 million strong, and growing!

2012-02-01T22:54:00.000-05:00

Flintstones Vitamins go way back.

Growing up, I remember popping Flintstones chewable Vitamins every morning. They didn't taste as good as baby aspirin, and definitely were not as good as today's gummy vitamins. Miles Laboratories first introduced Flintstones Vitamins way back in 1968 (acquired by Bayer in 1979) and are still popular with kids and parents today. The vitamins were the most successful product spawned from the Hanna-Barbera Productions.

I'm surprised to see that Flintstones Vitamins are still going strong and are even being advertised with the old school late 1980s commercial jingle, "We are Flintstones kids. 10 million strong and growing!" I always loved the little kid at the very end. She or he would sweetly sing (solo) "... and growwwwwwing."

Cool fun fact: Martin "Marty" O'Donnell is the awesome composer behind the famous Flintstones Vitamins jingle. He's now known for his work for putting together the music for video games such as Halo.

Check out Martin O'Donnell's classic jingle in this 1987 TV commercial for Flintstones Vitamins.

Fingerless Gloves | 1980s Accessory

2012-01-31T22:04:00.000-05:00

I loved fingerless mesh gloves.

Fingerless gloves. We all had them. If you say you didn't, you're a dirty liar. Neon pink or green mesh fingerless gloves were all the rage in the mid 1980s. Paired with a neon top and rubber bracelets, I felt so cool and stylish. I'd spike my hair and put on my cutest new wave earrings. In addition to the mesh gloves, I also loved my Madonna style lace fingerless gloves. Did you or your sister have a pair?

Lace fingerless gloves

Dressy Bessy & Dapper Dan Dolls

2012-01-26T12:54:00.000-05:00

Dressy Bessy was so cool in 1976.

At around age four or five, I loved playing with my Dressy Bessy doll. Dressy Bessy and her brother Dapper Dan were soft rag dolls with a purpose ... To teach small children how to button, zip and tie.

Dapper Dan was equally adorable.

I loved Dressy Bessy's colorful clothing, bright orange yarn hair and rosy cheeks. Dapper Dan was obviously targeted to male children. I remember playing with Dapper Dan at nursery school, but I didn't own him. He was as adorable as Dressy Bessy with his ginger hued hair, red vest, pleather yellow boots and blue and white gingham pants.

These 1970s teaching toys were classic and Hasbro continued to produce the dolls updating their style. There are many imitations available, but I will always remember Dressy Bessy and Dapper Dan as the original version.

Out Of This World | TV Series

2012-01-24T06:54:00.000-05:00

Maureen Flannigan as Evie in Out Of This World.

Out Of This World was a silly scifi NBC comedy show which ran between September, 1987 through May, 1991. The stories focused around a teenage girl, Evie (Maureen Flannigan) raised by her mom Donna (I loved her mom, played by Donna Pescow of Saturday Night Fever fame).

Where was her dad? Well, he was an alien who lived far, far away. Her dad, Troy spoke to her via a special communicator cube. Evie finds out she has special supernatural powers when she turns 13 and shares her experiences and concerns with her dad in daily conversations with him over the colorful cube.

Click here to view an episode of Out Of This World to refresh your memory or to see what you missed out back in 1987.

I ate all the Frusen Glädjé

2012-01-22T15:47:00.002-05:00

Frusen Gladje brand ice cream from the 1980s.

The other day I asked my Facebook friends about an old commercial for eyeglasses. The commercial had an annoying naggy voice saying, "Get glasses Alice, get glasses." Many of my New York-area friends commented about how they totally remembered it. One buddy reminded me of another annoying TV commercial for a product I had completely forgotten about.

Frusen Glädjé was a very fancy, upscale, modern ice cream famous for these silly commercials featuring numb nuts acting all serious as they confessed, "I ate all the Frusen Glädjé." I did some research on Frusen Glädjé and found out it translates to "frozen joy" or "frozen delight" in Swedish.

Frusen Glädjé was founded by an American in 1980 and was popular until about 1985. I vaguely remember the snobby frozen treat mentioned in the 1991 Bret Easton Ellis book, American Psycho.

Please take a minute to watch this commercial for Frusen Glädjé.

Topps 1980s Orange Juice Gum

2012-01-20T22:05:00.005-05:00

Topps 1980s Orange Juice Bubble Gum

If you've been following my blog for a while, you may have noticed I am a bit of a sucker for funky flavored bubble gum. I've told you about my Hamburger Gum obsession and 'fessed up about my fascination of Gatorgum, Hubba Bubba and Freshen Up.

I have recently rediscovered a traditional Florida souvenir I loved as a child, orange juice flavored gum. Back in the early 1980s, we could purchase this gum at our local candy stores. Cutely packaged in tiny orange juice cartons, Topps brand Orange Juice flavored bubble gum was so juicy and delicious.

You would open the carton like you would a normal-sized juice carton and pour the candy into your mouth. I think the gum came in the form of tiny nuggets and although each nugget was packed with orange flavor, that flavor, like most bubble gums, faded within a few minutes.

Anyone remember this?

Tina Yothers' Book | Being Your Best Guide For Girls

2012-01-15T22:25:00.001-05:00

Being Your Best: Tina Yothers'
Guide For Girls book was great!

I was always a major fan of Family Ties. To this day, my husband and I watch it every week night in repeats. There was something endearing about the family and the way they interacted together. The story lines were interesting and super 1980s.

Growing up, I loved reading helpful books for girls. It must have made me feel all grown up or some shiz. What better book for me than a helpful book for girls penned by the famous Jennifer Keaton, Tina Yothers!

Does anyone remember this gem, Being Your Best: Tina Yothers' Guide For Girls from 1987? I would love to read this again. May be time to hit up eBay for a copy.

Six Pack | 80s Movie with Kenny Rogers

2012-01-12T20:33:00.001-05:00

Kenny Rogers in Six Pack.

In the early 1980s, my parents spoiled us by having HBO in our Long Island home. Other than Fraggle Rock, I remember certain movies repeating incessantly. Six Pack staring Kenny Rogers was one of them. Oh, how I loved this 1982 film about a white haired, bearded race car driver named Brewster Baker and six southern tag-along kids.

The movie featured six orphaned kids who meet up with Kenny Rogers' character by stealing a brand new engine from his race car while he's in a small Texas town rest stop. Long story short, Kenny takes the kids on the road as his pit crew. The cast included a very young Anthony Michael Hall and Diane Lane alongside Erin Gray.

A spin-off TV version of the show with Don Johnson as Brewster Baker and Leaf Phoenix (now Joaquin Phoenix) didn't last very long in 1983.

Here's a tribute video someone made using clips from the Kenny Rogers' movie, Six Pack.

The Battle of the Network Stars

2012-01-11T12:29:00.000-05:00

Howard Cosell hosting
The Battle of the Network Stars

The other day, I asked my husband if he recalled watching The Battle of the Network Stars on TV as a kid. He had no idea what I was talking about. Doing some research, I was surprised to see this competitive two-hour ABC show actually aired from 1977 all the way through 1988.

Basically it reminded me of sports day at my grammar school only it involved our favorite '70s and '80s television stars. Hosted by the famous sports announcer Howard Cosell and managed by celebrity team captains, actors from the three major networks ABC, NBC and CBS would compete against each other in different obstacle courses and other activities.

I hate sports, however I loved watching famous folks such as Melissa Gilbert, Erin Gray from Silver Spoons, Joyce DeWitt and Suzanne Somers from Three's Company, Scott Baio and many more battle against each other. Does anyone remember The Battle of the Network Stars? Here's a video clip to remind you.

Kids Incorporated Jerry Sharell

2012-01-08T10:05:00.002-05:00

Jerry was my favorite Kids Inc. cast member.

Like most kids in 1984, I loved morning TV. I have reminisced about how while growing up I wanted to be a famous singer, dancer or actress. I would dance around to the Annie soundtrack in 1982 and Footloose in 1984.

Kids Incorporated was the best show ever for a kid like me. I would fantasize that I too was part of the group. I knew all of the songs they covered such as Madonna, Prince, Michael Jackson -- basically all of the popular radio hits. I wrote to all of the cast members and even got a reply from Mario Lopez. Although I loved all five members of the original cast, one cast member really wowed me.

Jerry Sharell played Mickey. Although he was only in the first season of Kids Incorporated, he was my very favorite. Jerry was tall with dark hair and had such a charismatic way of performing. I could tell he was very well trained, professional and took his singing seriously. This wasn't just a job to him, this was Jerry's dream. I Googled him recently to see what he might look like today. Wow, he's all grown up and even more handsome than he was as a teen. Check him out.

Jerry Sharell today, wow!

Check out this video with Jerry singing the lead and Mario Lopez on drums.

Jaws Game by Ideal | 70s Game

2012-01-03T19:47:00.002-05:00

The Game of Jaws from 1975

Remember the 1975 Jaws game by Ideal? The game, probably not as popular as the movie, worked similar to Operation. Jaws came with 13 pieces of random junk you'd have to shove in his mouth, then fish out using a long hook. If your hook got caught in the mouth of Jaws, you lost. Simple concept, kinda boring.

Doogie Howser, M.D. Kid Doctor

2012-01-02T21:25:00.001-05:00

Who didn't watch
Doogie Howser, M.D. in 1989?

As you know, I'm addicted to The Hub and their weeknight lineup. I especially enjoy watching Neil Patrick Harris as Doogie (Douglas) Howser, M.D. and his silly sidekick Vinnie Delpino played by Max Casella.

The ABC comedy drama aired for four seasons from 1989 to 1993 and focused on the life and times of a young prodigy doctor who finished med school at age 14. It was somewhat unbelievable, but that's what we loved about the show ... The idea that this cute kid close to our age was out there and doing the Saint Elsewhere/Quincy thing.

I have to admit, whenever I hear synthesizers without lyrics, especially at wedding cocktail hours, I always think of Doogie. Do you?

The Batman Theme Song Still Freaks Me Out

2011-12-29T21:49:00.003-05:00

The worst theme song ever!

When I was a little kid, repeats of the 1960s TV series Batman aired after school. Not only did I hate the show, which was clearly for boys, but I hated the theme song. It actually freaked me out.

Fast forward to today. I am much older (MUCH) and every night we watch The Hub and the final show of the night is Batman and the song STILL creeps me out. The sound of the instruments and the women chanting "Batman" over and over again. I just cannot take it.

I can't listen, but go ahead, brave the song and click play to hear it for yourself.

The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air | Will Smith

2011-12-26T09:09:00.001-05:00

In 1990, Will Smith and The Fresh Prince
of Bel-Air was a TV fave.

It's the morning after Christmas and I'm sipping a delicious cup of Sumatra in bed, playing Words with Friends and watching The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. What better way to spend a day off? Don't be jealous, I have plenty of chores planned for the day. I'd never let a day off go to waste without vacuuming, mopping and laundry.

Remember Fresh Prince of Bel-Air? Remember Will Smith before he became a mega star? Before he had babies? Before divorce announcements? The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air came just in time for Will Smith. He had been in trouble with the IRS for underpaying his taxes. The show financially saved him and helped his career big time!

Here are some fun facts about The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.

The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air first aired in September of 1990. I was a freshman in college. Life was one big party back then.
Twenty-two years later, I can sing along to the theme song. In the late 1990s, I interviewed Tatyani Ali who played Will's little sister, Ashley. Like me, Ashley was from Long Island.
Who could forget first lovin' Alfonso Ribeiro from Silver Spoons?

Underoos Are Fun To Wear | 70s Underwear

2011-12-20T05:30:00.000-05:00

Underoos are fun to wear!

If you were a kid back in 1977, you most likely owned a pair of Underoos. I, however, did not.

Underoos were marketed by Fruit of the Loom after Hanes turned down the idea. Wow, whoever made that executive decision must feel like the ass from Mars who refused to use M & M in E.T.

Underoos were super popular back in the days. They're an integral part of 1970s pop culture. Underoos let kids have fun in their undies. The early characters were all super hero themed and I was never big into DC Comics or Marvel Comics. I wasn't really into comics so maybe that's why it wasn't a big deal to me at the time. I think that the cooler Underoos characters such as E.T. and Pac Man were only available for boys. Otherwise, I totally would have sported them!

I especially loved the commercial and jingle for Underoos. Remember it? I do recall feeling a bit awkward during the boys' Underoos commercial -- like cover up! Ya know?

NKOTB Cartoon Series on ABC

2011-12-19T05:00:00.000-05:00

Remember the New Kids on the Block cartoon?

Between 1990-1991, New Kids on the Block had their own animated ABC TV show featuring the band in teen sitcom style situations. The group appeared in live bits before each cartoon began, but due to legalities, actors voiced the different members of the group.

I was too old and too cool for NKOTB, however I remember the younger kids lovin' on them big time. By the time this cartoon aired, I was off to college. Does anyone remember watching Donnie, Jordan, Joe, Jonathan and Danny in cartoon form?

Though the cartoon was only on for about a year, Disney Channel picked the series up and aired the repeats.

Here's a clip of the New Kids on the Block cartoon for you.

Press Your Luck | No Whammies

2011-12-17T16:43:00.002-05:00

Press Your Luck! No Whammy!

Television in the 1980s ruled. With so many entertaining dramas and silly sitcoms, from Love Boat and CHiPs to Family Ties and The Greatest American Hero, I truly loved TV back then!

I wasn't super into game shows, however Press Your Luck stands out in my mind as being loads of fun. The CBS game show ran from 1983 to 1986 and kept viewers on the edge of their seats. Folks would exclaim, "No Whammy!' and "Big bucks" or "Big Money!" as contestants prayed they wouldn't hit upon those ugly whammies and lose all of their winnings.

When contestants would hit upon a Whammy, there would be this "Wah Wah" musical sound and an animated ugly Whammy would creep onto the screen and make an insulting joke and giggle in a voice similar to a gremlin.

Check out this YouTube video of Press Your Luck contestants who hit upon some creepy Whammies.

Rainbow Popcorn - An '80s Mall Treat!

2011-12-14T21:49:00.001-05:00

Rainbow Popcorn at the Mall!

Back in the 1980s, my mom would take my little brother and me to our local shopping mall every Friday night. We'd enjoy dinner at the food court and spend our allowance on mall treats. I'd usually purchase some cheap makeup at a drug store or '80s accessories at The Deb Shop.

Before we'd head out, we'd always hit this kiosk that specialized in popcorn and my most favorite was rainbow flavored. It was sweet and pretty and just so delicious. I'm craving rainbow popcorn right now. It's something you don't see often. Anyone remember it?

I'm going to order it from Popcorn Palace!

The Magic Garden | Carole & Paula

2011-12-11T12:53:00.001-05:00

I loved the Magic Garden with
Carole and Paula.

I adored The Magic Garden with Carole and Paula. This children's show aired from 1972-1984 on WPIX, channel 11 in New York. If you're a parent of older kids, you may remember Nick Jr. aired reruns in the early 1990s.

I recall, as a little girl, thinking my mom looked so much like one of the hosts Carole Demas -- she has the lighter, longer hair. This may have contributed to my deep love for the show. I adored the songs and the stories. I was in awe of the Chuckle Patch that grew silly jokes and the flowers actually giggled. Characters such as goofy Sherlock, the wacky pink squirrel and his buddy Flapper the bird were perfect additions to the cast.

I loved the Story Box, a great, big colorful chest that provided Carole and Paula with magical felt props and simplistic costumes. The only thing about The Magic Garden that I didn't like was that Carole and Paula would say a personal hello to viewers. Much like The Magic Mirror on Romper Room, my name was never mentioned.

Such a wonderful show for kids. Here are some videos to jog your memory.

The Magic Garden is available on DVD and if I had a kid, I'd totally share it with them. I think it's way better than any of that newfangled Gabba Gabba garbage kids love today.

1985 Alisha Teen Singer All Night Passion

2011-12-08T22:47:00.001-05:00

"Baby Talk" and "All Night Passion"
were my fave songs.

In seventh grade, my BFF Danny loved teen queen singers such as Tiffany and Alisha. As his friend, I had to share a love of these pop stars. In fact I even took him to see Tiffany live with NKOTB at The Westbury Music Fair on Long Island. My folks had a special membership which got us second row. WOO HOO!

For a very brief moment around 1985, I couldn't stop listening to Brooklyn-born Alisha's dance tunes. She was a total teen version of Madonna. Her self-titled 1985 album was locked into my Sharp brand pink retro little boom box radio for weeks at a time as I quickly learned the lyrics to every song from "Baby Talk" to "All Night Passion." She was edgy and her lyrics were dirty, although I had no idea what she was talking about at an innocent age 12.

Here are her big hits from back in the day. If you're under 35, trust me you will not remember her.

"Baby Talk"

"All Night Passion"

"Too Turned On"

Christmas Cereal - Cap 'n Crunch

2011-12-06T22:01:00.001-05:00

Cap 'n Crunch's Christmas Crunch

Making my holiday wish list, I thought about how much I'd love to celebrate the holidays with some sweet and crunchy Christmas cereals. I don't think there are any this year, though I do recall some fun Christmas cereals from back in the day.

How about you? Remember any?

Spreading the holiday magic!

Check out this box of Cap 'n Crunch Christmas cereal for $11.25 per box on Amazon.

Day By Day NBC '80s Show | C.B. Barnes

2011-12-04T22:26:00.001-05:00

Day By Day starring C.B. Barnes

From 1988 - 1989, I loved this sitcom, Day By Day. Now at the time, nobody knew that Courtney Thorne-Smith would be a big hit on Melrose Place or that Julia Louis-Dreyfus would star on Seinfeld and frankly, they weren't the reason I watched. I was in love with C.B. Barnes also known as Christopher Daniel Barnes.

C.B. Barnes portrayed the role of Greg Brady in the Brady Bunch movies in the 1990s and did voices for Spider-Man and Disney movie characters. By then, I had moved on. The funny thing is, I stole his last name and used it as a pen name early in my writing career. I'm not sure why, I guess because he was one of my first favorite celebrities and we were born only three days apart.

So back to Day By Day ... Many of you will not remember this show. It was about two parents who quit their busy, successful jobs to start a day care center in their home. Day By Day was a short-lived NBC comedy - only 33 episodes aired, but I watched every single one!

Here's a video clip of the opening theme.

Electric Company - Hey You Guys!

2011-11-30T18:15:00.001-05:00

I loved the Electric Company. Hey You Guys!

I wasn't the best student. I studied and always did my homework, however school was forever a struggle for me. In first grade, my teacher instructed my mom to have me tune into The Electric Company. The teacher believed it would help improve my grades.

Although I did enjoy watching The Electric Company on PBS throughout my younger years, I'm not sure if it had any positive impact on my grades. I loved the music, the interesting characters and the lessons behind it all. It's crazy to look back now and realize what an incredible cast made up The Electric Company! The talent ranged from Gene Wilder to Bill Cosby to Morgan Freeman. WOW! At age 6, I had no idea.

The Electric Company, produced by the Children's Television Workshop (they did Sesame Street) ran for only six seasons from 1971-1977, but aired in repeats until about 1985. Gothamist reported that new episodes were in the works for kids of the '70s to share with their kids. Everything old is always new again :)

Check out these video clips to get a better idea of what the show was like back in the day.

80s Christmas Commercials | Folger's "Peter!"

2011-11-28T21:36:00.001-05:00

Peter comes home for Folger's
Christmas commercial from 1986.

A few weeks ago, my coworker confessed that there's a particular Christmas commercial from 1986 that actually makes her shed a tear. She said whenever she saw this Folger's Coffee commercial, she always knew Christmas was near.

The commercial features a handsome son named Peter who comes home from college for the holiday break. He's greeted by his little sister who calls out the famous line, "Peeeeeter!" He quietly whisks her into the kitchen and begins to brew a delicious pot of Folger's Coffee to surprise his sleeping family.

The home is beautifully decorated. The snow is falling, and it's just picture perfect. Peter is shown walking in with a stack of wrapped Christmas gifts for his family. They are all reunited and destined for a lovely holiday together. Folger's tried to recreate the Peter magic a few years back and modernized it, but it just wasn't as good as the original.

Although I remember the Folger's commercial, one of my very first favorite holiday commercials is for McDonald's gift certificates and features Corey Feldman as a toddler. He's so adorable, you just have to see this. It is from 1977.

80s Snacking - Smartfood

2011-11-26T20:02:00.001-05:00

Smartfood White Cheddar popcorn
famous since the late '80s.

Smartfood brand white cheddar popcorn was born in 1985. Frito Lay didn't buy the brand and make it famous until about 1989.

Lately, I've been packing small 100 calorie bags of the delicious cheddar popcorn with my lunches. It's not too high in fat and is under 10 grams of carbs. Sure, it's not the healthiest snack, but it could be worse.

Smartfood always brings me back to my high school and college years. I loved the combination of salty, cheesy Smartfood and a chilled Snapple iced tea. There's something nostalgic to me about munching on the stuff today and it's just a good as I remember.