What Would the Children Think?

Does anyone ever wonder what exactly happened to the 80’s? 

No, I am not talking about teased hair, leg warmers, and shoulder pads…you can keep all that and leave me with the occasional side ponytail.  I’m talking about the hair metal which was the sinful sounds of Bon Jovi, or the soft tones and heartbreaking lyrics of The Cure or The Smith’s.

What happened to love movie’s like Sixteen Candles or Say Anything?  Where are the men like that? I mean, they are out there [I hope.] don’t get me wrong, I am sure they are out there.  But how many men are going to hold a radio outside your window in a creepy conspicuous trench coat? But it’s okay John Cusack, you can wear all the ‘streaker’  trench coats you want, I would still run outside for you.

I know each generation and turning of the century comes with some new craze that is socially accepted for years.  I mean, me personally, I would have made a great hippie.  I would have been the perfect flower child… I fell a few decades short of that boat, though.  To my EXTREME dismay.  But, alas, I digress.  I feel that the millennia generation is filled with tons of fads.  The 80’s had hair metal, rock and roll that paved the way for tons of musicians to create new genres…like progressive rock bands like Coheed and Cambria who have more instruments and interludes than lyrics.  There were movies like Flash Dance, Footloose, Hairspray and Dirty Dancing that made people socially aware of injustices and ridiculously amazing dance moves (not to mention Dream Boats like Kevin Bacon and Patrick Swayze!) 

But what has the millennia had? 

When I am in the car with my mother, I know the stations she listens to, to hear songs from her past..or channels where my grandparents or even parents watch movies from distant years.  But I often wonder, what will *THIS* generation’s children be reading about in History books and listening to the radio from our generation now? I mean, I highly doubt TCM or AMC are going to be playing ‘THE HANGOVER’ in 20 years or so.  So where will all OUR music and movie’s go? Will they become Classics? Some of that is a scary thought because I can’t see any generation being significant enough to be on TV or the radio YEARS from now.

Absolutely it is irrefutable that we have had the most SIGNFICANT breakthroughs in technology than ever before.  I remember getting one of the first computers, having a beeper, and my mother having the first cell phone (that was comparable in size to a cinderblock).  Or the bourgeois ‘car phones’ that were CORDED! All those ideas are things to laugh at now! Ga-faw.  But other than extreme technological endeavors and accomplishments.  What have we given to society?  Our music scene is dismal.   There is nothing earth shattering going on there.  Our Fashion fads are really just coming full circle from other generations anyhow; I mean, jelly sandals? Really? (yes, okay, I secretly love them too! But they’re old news guys, come on!) 

These are things that keep me up at night.  Other than huge advancements in Technology, and the obvious War On Terrorism, what will our kids be learning about our generation?

I would love to get other people’s opinions on this, because I am hitting a scary and genuine roadblock here.

Glitter, Makeup, and WRESTLING

Today marks the end of an Era.  It has just been released to the press that this morning, Friday May 20, 2011, THE Macho Man Randy Savage died in a car crash brought upon by a massive heart attack. 

The Macho Man, as he was so endearingly called, was one of the greatest things to happen to wrestling.  All the glitz and the glamour that was the 80’s could be found displayed on The Macho Man’s flamboyant attire as pieces of flare, and badges of honor. 

With the retirement of wrestlers such as Hollywood Hulk Hogan, The Macho Man Randy Savage, and the Ultimate Warrior, wrestling went to a new generation and completely changed is stripes.  Instead of being something of beauty, showmanship, and pageantry, wrestling became more of a soap opera; with side stories, family qualms, and love triangles.  There were no more crazy costumes, pure reasonable rivalries and men so deep in character you weren’t sure if they were actors or really truly believed that they were their character; like a president of Iran (Iron Sheik).  Now wrestling has become all speedos, baby oil and bad catch phrases.  WWE Wrestling has become Soap Operas for men, instead of a coming of age passage that the WWF was so rightfully so.

You can keep your ‘smell what the rock is cookin’ and bring me back to the days of “Whatcha gonna do when Hulkamania runs wild on you, brother” or Macho Man’s “ooooohh yeah”.  R.I.P. Macho Man Randy Savage, WWF and all the glitz, glamour, boas, glitter, and guy-liner  that came with 1980’s/1990’s wrestling.

The Apocalypse is upon us. And it has. . . .Zombies!

You may see them in train stations, billboards, people handing out fliers in the street or spitting gospel, but they all hold the same message…"The apocalypse is coming.”  Whether it is in 2012 like the Mayans say, or May 21^st which is what I keep seeing on billboards for some advertiser; they all hold the same message that the end is near.  This makes me ponder the question, ‘what exactly does the end bring?’  Now, being the huge horror movie buff and zombie lover that I am, I can only assume that, whenever the end is, it will host zombies.  Yes, I said Zombies.  The flesh eating undead, risen from the grave to feed on the flesh of the living. 

Before I *really* get in to my crazy thoughts, let me just say that most of my blog is just going to be thoughts passing through my mind.  They are not necessarily true, nor strong beliefs of mine, just things I feel would be good conversations or subjects I would like to hear other’s opinion on.

That being said, I am strongly passionate about Zombies.

So now when this Zombie apocalypse does come upon us, think about it….REALLY think about it.  Where would you go? You can’t stay in your house, because there’s probably too many windows and entrances to ensure security. 

But now let me not get ahead of myself.  As any zombie-fanatic would point out, there are many different kinds of zombies.  I am a huge George A. Romero buff, but even he has differing opinions on Zombies.  Will the apocalypse be filled with slow moving zombies who can easily be outsmarted and outran like in the 1960’s classic, Night of the Living Dead.  Or, will these zombies be part of the new generation, like in the 2005 Romero movie, Land of the Dead.  Personally, Land of the Dead frightens me, not because the movie is amazing and accurate (that is all debatable), but because those Zombies are quick, and can learn! Never before in a Zombie movie, or any zombie documentation, have zombies been able to learn; that makes them a far more dangerous predator.

In my daydream of the zombie apocalypse, I see zombies as being ‘regular’ undead people.  They can’t learn, they don’t have superhuman powers, they are just the undead.  Examples of these standard undead thoughts are in Shaun of the Dead (but without the satire) or the new [and amazing] AMC hit, The Walking Dead.  With these versions of regular zombies, my plan would be to stay in my 5^th floor apartment facing the water.  It is easily accessible to the highway (hoping I have a spot near my house) and I will still stand by the notion that Zombies cannot swim.  I feel I will be nice and safe in my building that zombies cannot climb into the window or break through my front door.  But now the question that lingers is…’sure, I am in walking distance from the store, but what happens when all that food expires?’  I feel it is far more easy to have a viable safe house, but what do you do when the food supply runs out?  There is not a Nasa store where we can pick up food in a tube, so what does one do?  Also, where would I get my weapons from? Yes you can turn anything into a weapon, but I don't know if I can kill anything in upclose hand to hand combat.  Regardless of if they are already dead.  These lingering questions make me think, although I WILL survive through the zombie apocalypse, will it be as easy and badass as I envision?

Anyone reading this, take a second to think about your zombie getaway plan.  Where would you go? Who and what would you take with you? Where would you get weapons from, can you really kill an undead? What would you do if your loved ones turned? And, my big quandary, What would you do for food?