The Definition of a True 80s Kid….

I was an 80s kid.

I was not born in 1988. That does not count. Doesn’t.

I was born in 1972. I was 8 when the 80s started and 18 when they ended. To be an 80s kid, you needed to be alive for the entire decade. More than that. You have to be able to remember the entire decade. You have to have been present for all the 80s greatness. Including but not limited to: seeing E.T. and Raiders of the Lost Ark in the movie theater, as well as both 80s Star Wars movies! Buying your favorite album on vinyl, cassette and CD. Working on an Apple II in your classroom. Begging your parents for an Atari 2600 and then do it again at the end of the decade for a Nintendo!

I hear the “I’m an 80s kid!” all the time. Then I inquire about their life. I hear they say they were born in 1982. I quickly respond, “you’re not an 80s kid but a 90s one!” Some seem offended. Many realize my point. If you were born in 1982, you were only 8 when the decade ended. There’s no way you ran home from school to watch He-Man, Thundercats, Voltron, Inspector Gadget. You didn’t get up early on Saturday to watch Saturday Morning Cartoons – Smurfs, Spider-man and his Amazing Friends, Carebears, Pac-man, Super Friends.

One doesn’t just have to be born in 1972 to be considered an 80s kid. But I do think the best range of birth years is 1970 through 1975. This allows you to be as young as 5 and as old as 10 when the greatest decade starts. But to be honest, I really think I had the perfect age range to enjoy the 1980s.

So, if you say you’re an 80s kid, make sure this simple definition defines you. If you were a kid and your earliest memories is watching Batman: The Animated Series, unfortunately, you just missed the 80s. You’re all 90s. Not to say I miss that decade from time to time.

Were you an 80s kid? Wasn’t it great?

Of course it was!

Snake-Eyes Solo Movie….no thank you!

Again, Hollywood has no clue. Yet, I still blame Hasbro too. Because Hasbro could oversee and control the out come as they “own” the property.

I’ve never understood the motives of film writers and producers that have (literally) the easiest job when it comes to adapting a iconic 80s property. The backstory is there. The characters are there. Heck, the fans and viewership is already there! All you have to do is come up with a great story! How hard is that?

But noooo. Producers and writers have to come in and F*#k it all up. Why? I truly believe its because they have absolutely no clue about the actual source material. Either this is complete ignorance or simply a matter of no respect. Because its all about the money.

Thus, if these producers (or Hasbro) had any clue, they would not be moving forward with a Snake-Eyes solo movie. Snake-Eyes is a product of G.I. Joe. G.I. Joe is a team. G.I. Joe, in definition, is a group of diverse characters with unique skill sets that work together to defeat Cobra, a terrorist organization determined to rule the world. Snake-Eyes excels when he’s fighting alongside Duke, Scarlett, Roadblock and Tunnel Rat.

Honestly, Snake-Eyes is a bad-ass character and he’s freaking awesome. But I don’t want to see him in a movie by himself. He needs his supportive cast. And if you bring even one of those characters, or a member of Cobra (i.e. Storm Shadow) then it’s a G.I. Joe movie. Why not just make that one?

There’s over 200 stories in the form of comic books. Its okay to use those as the basis for a good story – a great story. Yo Joe!