Blast from the Past

No, I'm not talking about the hit 1999 film starring Brendan Fraser. I'm talking about how I'll be spending my summer despite my lack of a summer vacation. I, too, have felt the pang of summer television, and am looking for something...well, something more than crappy reality shows to fill my mosquito, sun-kissed nights. What I've found is a great opportunity (with a little help from my friends and my premium channels...thanks, movies!) to revisit pop culture phenomenons from the days when I did have summer vacations.

As Qualler pointed out, "we don't watch enough cartoons that are funny!" So tonight we enjoyed the summer storm and watched The Jetsons: The Movie, on television.

This 1990 release made its way into all our hearts, especially Qualler's, who ranks it among his top five most watched movies of all time. It's always strange watching a movie made in the 90s based on characters created in the 60s. For one...the stereotypes seem more offensive (at one point Jane remarks that she hopes George's credit is good at the mall in their new neighborhood). And who has a housekeeper? I always felt bad for Rosie--it seems cruel to create robots who appear human and are designed only to cook and clean. What are they supposed to be, women? Budum-ching! Seriously though, all this aside, the movie was still a great way to spend a rainy evening. And it wasn't all outdated. In fact, the major theme of the movie was saving the environment...or not expoiting foreign resources...or globalization, maybe. Anyway, it definitely had a 90s bent.

Another 90s update: Judy Jetson was voiced by pop star Tiffany. Hot! Also, she seemed way cooler than the original Judy. The music, of course, was also updated, and it rocked. Seriously. There was even a sweet music video sequence when Judy falls in love with a handsome alien.

That's right, an alien. This brings me to another "modern" theme of the film: multiculturalism. When George and the family move to outer space in order to drill an asteroid and make more sprockets for Spacely Sprockets, they befriend aliens and robots, who we find out are not so different from us as we might thing (they're just like us!). Elroy even becomes best friends with a young robot boy(?) and a little fuzzy version of Elroy, who was adorable. As Qualler also pointed out, "this movie is kind of manipulative because you aren't just saving an environment, you're saving the environment of really adorable fuzzy animals." Manipulative, indeed! But, the kids gotta learn about our exploitation of resources somehow. The asteroid that Spacely Sprockets is trying to drill is home to these adorable aliens, and we all learn a valuable lession about respecting others' homes and about friendship.

Earlier this week I also enjoyed a blast from the past: Family Feud: The Video Game. I know what you're thinking--what? But really, it's amazing. Amazing. There are no words, actually. Now, this isn't exactly a blast from my own past, as I was not allowed to have a Nintendo or any other game system...of course, I'd play the occasional Mario Cart at a friends' place (this is, incidentally, where I believe my intense and irrational fear of driving originated, as memories of the little cloud telling me to turn around and go the other way but I CAN'T turn around still haunt me), but I was never really into video games. This game, played in teams, set up pretty much like the television show, is different. It's trivia at its finest, and it really did inspire some family-like bonding time when played with a group of friends. Another great way to spend a Summer evening (if, of course, you happen to have a copy of this 90s game and a Super Nintendo).

All in all, it looks like this might be a summer of memories...which isn't bad at all. Summer is the time to reflect on the (school)year past, and on summers past, isn't it? Maybe that's New Years. Either way, I'm enjoying pop culture 90s style. Yeah booooiiiiiiiiiyyyy!

This entry was posted by Brigitte, on Wednesday, June 11, 2008. You can leave your response.