MTV and Paper Dolls

Still sitting on the couch, I realized how much I dislike the responsibilities of adulthood. I wish our parents had warned us about adult life, like the burden of going to work every day to pay the bills, and the stress of it all. Staring at my phone, I started playing one of my old 80s songs on my play list, “Rhythm of the Night” by DeBarge. Closing my eyes I begin listening to the tunes, and thinking back about my past as a kid. This opens up a doorway to my imagination, and now dreaming that I walked into a time machine. I am going on a nostalgic journey to relive my experiences in 1985, when I was 13 years old. My sister Tammy was 11 and a half years old, a true preteen. The year 1985 marked a pivotal time in my life, where I gone through some transformative developmental phases.
There is an unforgettable recollection that lingers with me: when we were sitting in my room and playing paper dolls. That’s right, paper dolls. Hand-drawn, crafted from paper that was created by me and Tammy. We were very good at it, especially with all the fashion and designs. The two of us drew all the jewelry, the neon rubber bracelets, the big gold hoop earrings, jelly shoes, and bright red lipstick. My sister always thought I was the better drawer, so I would draw most of them. Sometimes I even created paper doll cars and houses and different outfits with attached tabs so we could change their clothes. Making paper dolls while watching music videos was all we needed to make us happy. As long as we had our paper dolls and MTV music, we were good. Paper Dolls to me was a representation of youth and innocence, when time did not exist and before experiencing adult issues in the world. It was also the era of MTV.
Thinking back to that momentous time we saw the first music video; we were right there when it all happened. We were so amazed and glued to the screen, watching repeatedly. The original one to appear was “Video Killed the Radio Star” by The Buggles, and then so many more came after that. Music videos back then were simple and told a story. Most times, it was a fun story and did not involve so many morbid things. When ‘Yo MTV raps!’ came out, we saw breakdancing which was one of my greatest commemorations. Oh, and Michael Jackson’s Thriller was like a mini scary musical movie. Michael Jackson was one of my favorites and still is, along with Slick Rick. Dougie Fresh and Slick Rick were some of the best music storytellers. Then as the years progressed, “A Tribe Called Quest” was and still is one of my all-time favorite groups ever. I know kids today all love their own music, but for me, I miss the storytelling in lyrics the most. Sweet, innocent, and sometimes not-so-innocent storytelling, but the lyrics were not so depressing or dark. Every time I hear 80’s music, it brings out the best in me. That trip to NC in 1985 popped in my mind, and this was the beginning of everything, from first crushes and to… The Red Man.