June 10th, 2004

No doubt you’ve heard about the shit-ton of people standing in line for hours to pass by the embalmed corpse of our former president. I’m as big as fan of Ronald Reagan as they come, and although I find myself strangely saddened by his death, nothing could make me want to stand in line just to parade past his corpse. That’s just… strange.

The Reagan years constituted the bulk of my childhood, and were therefore a huge part of my cultivation. I’m the Alex P. Keaton in my family. Back in junior high, at Eliot: the Pink Prison (I can’t believe they painted it beige last year) …there was a guy who signed my yearbook, “It’s a pleasure to know another excellent Republican.” I wonder if Brendan Gamb became a politician.

Well, I don’t know how “excellent” a Republican I am, but I have certainly worked on a few campaigns. I think I worked my hardest on Dole 1996, not because I thought he had an ice cube’s chance in hell, but because I couldn’t live with myself through another four years of Clinton without taking my best shot at defeating the putz. I shudder to think of the effect on kids growing up during his terms.

You know it wasn’t just Ronnie who left a distinct impression on my generation. Let’s not forget his wife Nancy and her “Just Say No” program. I suppose I have her to “thank” for the fact that I steered clear of all drugs until a year ago. I say no, you say no, together we say no. I say no, no no no, no no no. That was some hard core propaganda – mental programming – and it worked like a charm.

The nineties largely sucked. The eighties were far more decadent. They were all about Dynasty and Miami Vice and the Cold War. It cracks me up seeing all the fashions from that era making a comeback. This is my first experience with the adage “if you lived through it the first time, you can’t revive the style.” Guess I held on to my jellies and shoulder pads for nothing. Shucks.

Entry Filed under: Time Travel