As Time Goes By

I recently posted on facebook: "Today's debate in regards to 'Cruel Summer': Bananarama or Ace of Base? Go." Overwhelmingly, the response was in favor of the Ace of Base version. I can't say I'm terribly surprised, but I was expecting at least one old-schooler to go with the original (especially since that's the version heard in the original Karate Kid. if that doesn't make it a classic, i don't know what does.).

So it seems that my friends prefer the year 1998 to the year 1983. Now, I can safely say that there is one advantage that 1998 has over 1983 ... I had been born by then. 1983, you juuuuuust missed out on the glory that is me. But let's do a little more research, now that I'm curious, to compare the two.

1983

• Tokyo Disneyland
• GPS is made available for civilian use, and where would my cousin Kathryn be without it? (well, okay, maybe she's better at directions since last i checked.)
• Red Hot Chili Peppers formed
• Martin Luther King, Jr. Day declared a federal holiday
• Crispix debuts
• Flashdance AND Return of the Jedi
• Introduction of the McNugget
• First minivans, and where would Mormons be without them?
• "Billie Jean" on MTV and MJ introduces the Moonwalk
• Disney Channel premieres (before the advent of hannah montana, so it was quality at the time)
• Fraggle Rock, A Team
• A Christmas Story is released, thus providing TNT with a movie to play for 24 HOURS STRAIGHT

  Okay, so 1983 wasn't all wine and roses: remember it was also the year that MASH ended, there were no more DeLoreans being made, and Superman III came out. But look how many good things came out of it!

 No, Richard Pryor was not photo-shopped in; this was seriously the movie poster.

1998

• Winter Olympics in Nagano
• 80-90% of pagers (remember those?) are without service for a day when a communications satellite fails
• Mulan, A Bug's Life, Mask of Zorro
• Lifetime Channel debuts
• Dawson's Creek debuts
• Seinfeld ends
• No more Ginger Spice
• Britney Spears, NSync, and 98°
• "My Heart Will Go On" is on the radio for 24 HOURS STRAIGHT 

 

All right, comparing ... comparing ... 1983 gives us: Red Hot Chili Peppers, the moonwalk, Disney Channel (pre-deterioration), and Fraggle Rock. 1998 gives us: Britney Spears, "My Heart Will Go On", Lifetime Channel, and Dawson's Creek.

1983 wins.

-Me