June 2003, Vol. 1

Vol. 1-I Want My MTV, How the Medium of Music Video Changed My Entire Life

By Dorrie Williams-Wheeler your imissthe80s.com webmaster
I always had an appreciation for music. When I was three years old my parents put an AM radio in my room to help me sleep at night. Growing up in the Midwest, AM radio was pop rock in the late 70's and early 80's. Many nights I was lulled to sleep by John Cougar Mellencamp, Joe Jackson, Styx and my favorite-Journey.
In 1982, I went to a slumber party. My friend Shanice's cousin Crystal was ga ga over Duran Duran. I had never heard of Duran Duran, but Crystal showed me their album and she knew all of the lyrics. That is when it began. Crystal and Shanice had cable and all we had was HBO that would come on at 7PM. So I would spend all of my time over at Shanice's house watching MTV and cable tv. We would watch videos all night long; Duran Duran, Madness, Billy Idol-groups I didn't hear on the radio much but I loved to watch on TV.

Dorrie 1983

Finally in 1983, our household was graced with cable. My mom pretty much didn't care about the videos-in the beginning. My vocabulary was soon all about Duran Duran, Boy George, Adam Ant, The Go Go's and everything that I saw on MTV. Everything else pretty much went to hell when we got MTV in the house. I didn't care about my toys, my books, it was all about staying up watching MTV. At this time, MTV only showed videos. Not every artists had videos at this time, so you were bound to see the same videos several times a day, sometimes more than once an hour. I remember once in 1984, I swear I saw Billy Idol's "Catch My Fall" like 5 times in one afternoon.
My dad felt MTV brought sissiness and faggottness into our household. I don't even know if faggottness is a real word. He didn't like all of the boys groups with all of the makeup and face paint. Boy George, he liked his music but called him a faggot. Adam Ant, he didn't like the make-up he wore. Even my grandmother flipped out when she saw David Bowies' "Blue Jean" video, you know, when he has the blue make up on his face. Then I fell in love with WHAM. My parents called George Michael gay because of his outfit and the way he danced in the "Wake Me Up Before You Go Go" video, okay they were right about that one, but I loved my MTV. I didn't care what anyone said, you couldn't tell me anything bad about MTV.
Oh yes, and some of my favorite videos from 1983-84 era. "Love is a Battlefield" by Pat Benatar. That was such a kick ass video to me, the women just showed the pimp, hey "we are strong." Then oh yes, "Eyes Without A Face" by Billy Idol, I thought he was so hot. Then oh yes, "Bop Till You Drop" by Rick Springfiled, and "The Warrior" by Scandal. Of course I loved every Duran Duran video ever, but Duran Duran deserves their own essay.

In 1984, I turned 9 years old. I remember that around my birthday Duran Duran had their first US number 1 Billboard single with "The Reflex." I remember rejoicing over Duran Duran's number one single. I also used some of my money to purchase a 45 of "The Reflex". That year I also purchased the July 14th 1984 issue of Rolling Stone magazine with "The Go Go's" on the cover. Believe it or not, that issue of Rolling Stone along with the Duran Duran 45 are under my bed to this day in my special little 80's box. The pages are yellowed and it is falling apart, but I wouldn't dare part with it. It represents a point in time that I choose to remember.

I also remember my parents having a big argument because I wanted to go to the movies to see Purple Rain-a rated R movie. My mom won and I got to see Purple Rain.
In late 1984, we left the Midwest for Los Angeles, California.
My parents told me I could only bring along 5 tapes to listen to. I chose, Duran Duran's Rio, Culture Club's, Color By Numbers, The Footloose Soundtrack, The Go Go's Talk Show, and The Thompson Twins, Into The Gap.

I remember one of the first things I saw when we hit LA was a huge billboard promoting the Go Go's Talk Show album. We turned on the radio and Tears For Fears "Everybody Wants to Rule the World" was playing. We stopped to eat at Kentucky Fried Chicken, LA was cool with me.

Carthay Center School 4th grade class of 1985 (that's me on the end)
1985 was a good video year for me. I was attending Carthay Center School in Los Angeles, California and my teachers name was Mrs. Balaban. For some reason we didn't have cable. We did have Richard Blade's Video One. It came on everyday and I would tape it. He played all that new wave Euro pop that I had grown accustomed too, Kajagoogoo, Heaven 17, Tears For Fears, Thomas Dolby, Go West, Spandau Ballet.

1985 was also the year I really got into Madonna. Her videos for Material Girl and Dress You Up, made me the biggest Madonna fan. Yes, I was one of the girls who had to dress like Madonna with the leg warmers and the plastic black bracelets. My mom still didn't pay too much attention to the videos, but my dad did. He loved David Lee Roth's "Just a Gigolo," and Dire Straits, "Money For Nothing," and oh yes, "In My House," by The Mary Jane Girls.
There was one video he absolutely hated. He would make me turn off the TV if it came on and he would make me erase it every time I videotaped it. "You Spin Me Round," by Dead Or Alive. He called Pete Burns a patch wearing faggott. He hated him more than Adam Ant and Boy George, but I liked Dead Or Alive.

1985 was also the year that Adam Ant took off his make up and released "Vive' Le Rock," and the Go Go's broke up. I was depressed. Pat Benatars "Invincible" became my theme song. That summer I went to my first concert, New Edition featuring UTFO at the Universal Amphitheater.


University Park Elementary, Irvine Califonria 1985 4-5th grade class
Why did I have on pink socks!!!!!!!!
By late, 1985 we were living in Irvine, California and my best friends name was Angie. I know it seemed like we moved a lot, that is a whole different story. Sometimes I would wake up and not know where I was. My parents were corporate gypsies.

I was attending University Park Elementary school, there was a mixed girl, but I was the Black person in the whole school. I was cool I had lots of fun. Angie's mom was a single parent, but Angie had everything, cable, lots of Leggos and she was so sweet.
In late 1985, my grandmother died, and the video and song that just stuck in my head were "Goodbye is Forever" by Arcadia.

1986 was a really kick ass year for me. I was 11 and I felt like I was really growing up. I really liked Falco, he was cool to me. "Vienna Calling" was my song. I really liked Heart and the British group Five Star, I remember dying my hair blonde with peroxide to try to look like the girls in Five Star. My maternal grandmother took me to the movies to see Under The Cherry Moon. It was rated R, so she took me and my cousin to see it. I was a huge Prince fan.
By 1987, I was rebellious to say the least. My parents sent me to Chicago to live with my grandparents while they dealt with their marital problems. Somehow, I ended up in Greenville, Mississipi staying with my Aunt Carrie. Still really into Madonna, I would watch the "Who's That Girl" video and wish that I was old enough to go see the movie by myself.

By 1988, I was in Schaumburg, Illinois living with my mom attending Jane Addams Junior High. My friends were Jenny and Chris. I had a crush on a boy named Kierre, who didn't know I was alive. I was all pop in 1988. Debbie Gibson, Tiffany, Pebbles, Jody Watley, Crowded House, Cyndi Lauper-that was me.
Early 1989, I saw the Like A Prayer video and everything changed. I wanted to be Madonna. I would put on my moms black slip and dance around just like Madona did in the video, okay so there was a Black Jesus and burning crosses, I didn't care, I wanted to be Madonna.

My mom took notice, she didn't like the message of the "Like A Prayer" video, or she was mad I had ordered so many movies on Pay Per View. She killed the cable for a few months.

I would have to go all the way to Chicago to my cousins house to tape all the good videos. "Self Destruction," "Batdance" by Prince, "Cha Cha Cha," by MC Lyte, "Yeah, Yeah, Yeah," by Oaktown 3-57.

By the 90's I was still digging most of my favorite artists from the 80's. In 1990, Adam Ant regained my admiration with his album Manners & Physique. I decided that he was still cool without the makeup. I was totally feeling Madonna's "Vogue" and Billy Idol's, "Rock the Cradle of Love" was my favorite video from 1990.
For some reason we didn't have cable in 1991, or maybe it was that I discovered boys, but I don't have many video memories from 1991.

The videos still marked special occasions in my life and certain videos would trigger memories and feelings.

1992 was an angst filled year. Being 17 isn't easy. Several videos remind me of that time in my life. Pearl Jam's "Jeremy," INXS's "Not Enough Time", En Vogue's "Free Your Mind" (which made me extremely self conscious about the size of my breasts, and Guns N Roses "November Rain." "November Rain" was a beautiful song and the video was just so cinematic, I really loved it.

Dorrie 1996
By the mid 90's I had traded in most of my favorite artists from the 80s, (except Duran Duran, I will always be a Duranie). I traded in Prince for Ginuwine, The Jets and Banarama for TLC and No Doubt and Special Ed and Eazy E for Snoop Dogg and Bone Thugs And Harmony.


Fast forward to 2003. The music and the images from the 80s are still part of my everyday life. I have hundreds of CD's from my favorite 80s artists and countless 80's compilations. Not to mention, the wonderful world of downloading music.

Am I stuck in a time warp? I don't think so. One minute I might be listening to Jay Z and Punjabi MC's "Beware of The Boys" and the next minute I might be listening to "Love Plus One" by Haircut 100. That's just me.


My parents grew up in the 60's. I remember them listening to the Beatles and Hendrix in the 80's. I think it is natural to have fond memories of the music and images from the era that you grow up in. When my husband goes to work, I pop in my 80's videos and me and the kids rock out. The sounds and images of the 80's take me back to a good place in time.


I miss the 80's, don't you?
Dorrie Williams-Wheeler is the creator, owner, and webmaster for www.imissthe80s.com. She is also the author of the fiction book Sparkledoll Always Into Something and the non-fiction book The Unplanned Pregnancy Handbook. She also writers for Bellaonline.com's rap music, teen, and media specialist section. You can visit Dorrie on the web at www.dorrieinteractive.com.
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