Words Seem Out Of Place

Looking back at the pop culture mainstays of this Gen-Xer's gloriously misspent youth. ***** A note on the series and this site: This might be the final post in the "Misspent Youth" series - at least here. Maybe it'll eventually move with me. Oh, right, I buried the lede: I've moved, and would love for you to come visit me at my new site, The Starfire Lounge ! Moving forward, this site will likely cease to be updated, but will remain around for posterity and your continued reading pleasure. I have a few more things to post here over the coming days or weeks as a sort of "everything must go" send-off to the old girl. I also plan to write a final farewell post to my main online home for the last five years. Stay tuned and, as always, thanks for reading. ***** It's no surprise that the talented but now mostly forgotten Randi Brooks would make an appearance in the Misspent Youth series. She may not be a household name, but her resume...

Looking back at the pop culture mainstays of this Gen-Xer's gloriously misspent youth. When a friend tweeted recently that the first season of the criminally underrated 1980 sitcom  It's a Living,  about waitresses at the Above the Top restaurant located atop a swanky Los Angeles hotel, had appeared on Amazon Prime, I literally shouted out loud with joy. Then I spent the rest of the work day eagerly anticipating binging it later that night. Now, I hadn't seen the show since the 1980s, probably in reruns and when it was in its syndicated run (and retitled as Making a Living ). The series debuted in 1980, when I was in kindergarten, and it's entirely possible I watched it as it aired because, as I keep coming back to in this series, we Gen Xers were practically raised by the plethora of excellent pop culture of an era that coincided with the true golden age of the television sitcom. It's a Living will likely never be considered among the greats, but ...

Looking back at the pop culture mainstays of this Gen Xer's gloriously misspent youth. The American actress Carol Lynley passed away earlier this year at 77, leaving behind a strong legacy on stage and in film. Born Carol Ann Jones in Manhattan in 1942, she began her career as a child model before seguing into acting. Lynley went on to star in several noteworthy film and television roles over the years, ranging from the controversial teen pregnancy drama Blue Denim (in which she starred on Broadway in 1958 and in the film version the following year) to the sex comedy Under the Yum Yum Tree (in 1963 alongside Jack Lemmon) to one of the most successful disaster movies of the 1970s, The Poseidon Adventure (1972). Lynley appeared in episodic television from Police Woman to Charlie's Angels , and the occasional TV movie, like 1972's The Night Stalker . That smile. Wherever she appeared, Lynley made an impression. Blonde, blue-eyed, and stunningly beautiful,...

Deck the halls and spike the eggnog, because it's time for another seasonal installment of All I Want for Christmas. I had high hopes to crank out a couple of them this year but we're nearing the finish line of the December holiday spring, so this might be it. My desire to do entries on Christmas movie favorites like  Kiss Kiss Bang Bang (2005) and Black Christmas (1974) will have to wait 'til next year. This annual tradition began in 2017, when I asked Santa to deliver me the ridiculously awesome Joan Collins for Christmas . Then in 2018 came the eternal request for less elf on the shelf and more Elvira under the tree. Now those legendary ghosts of All I Want for Christmas blog posts past are joined by the equally legendary Elizabeth Montgomery, filling in for Santa while wearing far less clothing than the big guy. I don't even care about the gifts; she can leave them on the roof, as long as she wears Mrs. Claus's younger sister's saucy yuletide ge...

Autumn. October. Halloween. The Magnificent Morgan Fairchild dressed as a witch perched atop a giant pumpkin. These are a few of my favorite things. The season is upon us, kiddies. The spooky season, when the leaves hit the ground and the evil spirits are all around (especially in Amityville). I like to call it, The Most Wonderful Time of Year , because it never fails to give me life. I mean, I want to live inside a Spirit Halloween every October! Here are a few other reasons why we're currently in the best season ever. Just the overall spookiness of the spooky season provides such powerful comfort for me. I know it sounds weird to some, but being surrounded by scary stuff throughout October is pure nirvana. Makes sense, though, because horror provides comfort to some of us because it offers a controlled environment for processing our own fears and anxieties. The Paul Lynde Halloween Special (1976) is a relatively new entry in my list of favorite Halloween th...