“The system goes on-line August 4th, 1997.”

VH1, along with MTV have seem to become less and less about a steady stream of Music Videos and become filled with more and more trendy programs aimed at relating to the youth market (I’m waiting for Road Rules Rwanda and the Real World Provo). One of the most recent and arguably most popular series is VH1’s “I Love the… (insert decade here).” This began with “I Love the 80s.” For some reason, everyone in loved the series. It had all the fun and at times ridiculous things that were the components of our childhoods and teen years. And to be honest I like it, it was clever and funny. Comedians, celebrities and some of the pop icons themselves commented on items ranging from Shrink-a-dinks to Pac-man cereal. It was funny because, it’s things that I hadn’t thought of in quite some years and so each episode was fresh and fun and resulted in many exclamations of “Oh wow, I totally remember those.” Although I did feel ashamed at times for what a predictable sucker of a kid I was. “If you like this cartoon, go have your mom buy you all the action figures and accessory toys.” Umm, ok. I really did think I was a Master of the Universe for over a year of my life, sword permanently down the back of my shirt and all (Thankfully no spinal damage ensued).
 
Then VH1, victims to the mentality “you can’t have too much of a good thing”, decided to have marathons of these episodes, in order to catch more viewers. I guess the executives didn’t really think through one important detail: There are only 10 years in a decade. If each episode covers an entire year, you only have ten episodes. Nostalgia has a short replay value. You can’t see something yesterday and then get excited when you FINALLY see it again in two days. So VH1 branched out with “I Love the 70s.” Ummm, this just sucked. It was cool to see what was big and popular, but for the 18-30 demographic, we are left with mostly a sort of “Oh I remember hearing about that” response to the series. Needless to say, like disco dancing (thankfully), it didn’t last long.
 
Now the executives had to scramble to save this terminal, anthrax ridden cash-cow.
Well, why not do another 10 episodes of the 80s. They didn’t even mention classic 80s icons like Cagney and Lacey or Howard the Duck (Curse you George). They can even cleverly call it “I Love the 80s STRIKES BACK!”…see that’s a reference to the popular 80s movie Empire Strikes Back. Just in case you didn’t know.
 
That’s all fine and good, I even enjoyed some parts of the episodes, but the concept was feeling more and more contrived. Didn’t you love Thundercats? If you had any feelings for Michael Jordan or Lazer Tag, you would watch this show. It’s like having a family member hold you hostage with your own love for them. A girlfriend, “If you really loved me you’d spend time with me and my extended family.” And so despite the fact that your indirect or vicarious love of this thing keeps you there, you begrudge it. But again a return to the 80s can only last another 10 episodes. So…now what?
 
I love the 90s. It still feels like the 90s are barely over. I spent most of the episode or two like I was being lied to. “There is no way that was over 10 years ago.” The items are still so fresh and vivid in my mind, I don’t grin in gleeful delight. I smirk and politely nod, just as I do when a friend is telling me yet another “Hey do you remember when…” story for the 17th time. I didn’t forget about the 90s, in fact if I did forget anything, it’s because I wanted to. Probably because it sucked. Thanks VH1 for reminding my that Shannon Doherty was a b*tch on 90210. I had almost rid myself of that memory. Oh and Dennis Rodman was a freak? Thanks, I totally forgot.
 
Maybe I am a bit bitter toward the series. I think what makes me bitter is the way they took a fun and good idea and rather than releasing it in a rational and sensible manner decided to just pour the bucket of cool refreshing nostalgic water on us in one dump. And when they realized that, although a bit overwhelmed, we liked it, they decided that if they filled the bucket with just about anything, we’d like that too. Well, we couldn’t relate to the 70s and the 90s are to fresh to really feel like, it’s any sort of special experience or walk down memory lane. And I wonder how long until they start a series about this decade. What will they even call it?
 
…What do we call it now? The 2000s? “I love the 2000s”… already shaping up into a great series.