Teens and ‘dults Don’t Mix: Movies and TV From My Tween Years
Wayne’s World
There wasn’t a ton in Wayne’s World that I felt like I identified with. I couldn’t quite tell how old the guys were and so living with one’s parents didn’t yet seem to be as 'œbogus and sad' as Wayne insisted. But one part of the movie did make an indelible print on my memory and that thing was The Gasworks, the rock club where Wayne first meets Cassandra. Lazy, cursory research shows that The Gasworks is a now-defunct rock club in Myers’s beloved hometown of Toronto. or something. When I first watched Wayne’s World though, I just assumed that that’s where teenagers hung out: heavy metal clubs with fire spewing from the roof with bunch of drunken hooligans in vomit-soaked band t-shirts. I wasn’t much into metal, dirty hair or vomit, and at eleven had yet to take my first REAL drink but 'œOh well!' I thought. 'œThis is what I’ll like doing in 7 to 10 years!'
Empire Records
If the movies we watch, along with our food and drink, made up our genetic code (they do not), my sister’s body would have been 30% Shark Bites, 10% orange juice and 60% 'œThe Empire.' This movie was on in my house countless times and thus, a primer on ‘teenz. Renee Zellweger was the slut friend I knew I’d have (check!), Robin Tunney was the depresso friend I knew I also must have (check kiiiiinda), Ethan Embry was the wacky asexual guy you partied with and of course my own sister’s betrothed, Johnny Whitworth was the sensitive artiste in a bowling shirt whose every hair-flip awakened yet another molecule in your vagina. This movie taught me that working at a job just means going to a place besides school to stand around, goof off with your friends, do nothing and get paid. Word.
If you walked up to me on the street, punched me in the head and yelled 'œThe 90s!' the first thing I would think of was Liv Tyler’s blue mohair sweater and yellow and blue plaid kilt with combat boots. Guys. I’m totally gonna dress like that sophomore year.
Charles in Charge
I watched this show on and off during m’tween years, and while it was pretty boring and whatever, it made a very clear point about teenage girls and what one must look like to achieve any degree of happiness:
Don’t Tell Mom the Babysitter’s Dead
Fifteen
Aside from my sister and my friend Trish, virtually no one remembers this show, which could be why its basically impossible to find screencaps. Apparently it was on during the time when everyone else in my generation was off riding bikes, climbing trees, baking fudge with their grandma, knitting socks for the soldiers in The Great War and gathering berries and wildflowers in the glen. I meanwhile, was parked on the couch drinking Dr. Pepper and watching this Canadian teen drama unfold. Alcoholism, interracial romance, your parents divorce, stealing and selling a VCR, betrayal, secrets and a wardrobe that was apparently repurposed later for the girlfriends of Seinfeld. The best character of all was conniving Candian Brooke, who’s hair looked like the side of a roof.
Also Ry-Reyn’s in it you guys, as Billy, Courtney’s Troubled, Bullying Younger Brother!
What were the shows/movies that shaped YOUR perceptions of teendom, hmm?