Nicolas Cage is not a Valley Girl

but he dated one in this throwaway little film from 1983, “Valley Girl”. It featured some great music, but who remembers the story?

Why can’t you be like Endicott?

Endicott’s such a gentleman. We love the hyper-saturated color, cartoon quality of “Endicott” from Kid Creole and the Coconuts, 1983. Happy music, and we can all stand a little more happiness. Sing along now…Endicott.

freaky headless robots on the loose

“Rockit” by Herbie Hancock, 1983, one of the most visually creative music videos of the 1980s.

creepy dolls cause riots

In the Christmas season 1983, a ridiculous phenomenom, Cabbage Patch dolls, caused riots in retail stores as crazed shoppers, hypnotized by the alien creatures with enormous beach ball heads, attacked each other in efforts to purchase these nasty little creatures. They then took them home, wrapped them in brightly colored paper masquerading as “gifts”, and foisted them upon their unsuspecting children, who have been permanently terrorized by the creepy dolls. Shortly after this, Ritalin became one of the fastest-selling drugs by children scarred from the effects of the Cabbage Patch.

Stupid ugly Irma

1983, Lois Bromfield performing “Sorority Girls From Hell”. We used to stand mesmerized watching this in the video bar. Everyone knew every line, and shouted out “Irma, Irma, Irma, Stupid Ugly Irma”. Priceless!

Madonna at the Borderline

From Madonna’s first album, “Borderline”, 1983. Filmed next to the Sixth Street bridge just east of downtown Los Angeles, it was fun to watch this as I clearly recognized the location, and the pink Mexican restaurant. The following year, I used to see Madonna regularly at an underground nightclub just a couple blocks from here.

Here’s your new car!

52 mpg and only $5695 – amazing! I’m going out to buy a Renault. So, if this could be done in 1983 (25 years ago), why are the automakers today making such wasteful, expensive cars?

The brand-new, European-born Renault Alliance from 1983

Riding on the Metro with Berlin

Berlin, an American band with a German name, riding on a Paris train. “Metro”, sung by Terri Nunn, one of the hottest singers of the 1980s.

Bad Michael – still black in 1983

Michael Jackson singing “Bad” in 1983. Before Jacko went wacko and turned white.

I Eat Cannibals while wearing a trash bag

So, like, this is Total Coelo. And they’re, um, singing about eating cannibals. And they’re wearing trash bags because they were an unknown group with no budget for actual dresses. And I saw this hundreds of times during the 80’s and never noticed the real absurdities.