What Pop Culture Means to Me

By: DoctorRyan

I was at work today and I really started thinking about why I wanted to start writing again. When I was younger I always loved to read, write, and use my imagination. I grew up on a mountain in Harlan, Kentucky and lived there for the first eight years of my life. All I had in the world at that time was a small tv, a couple of He-Man toys (both He-Man) and my prized possession, KITT toy car from Knight Rider.

I grew up poor and never had much. I was a social outcast in school and never could really interact with other kids very much. But the one thing I did have at that time was my imagination. When I watched shows on TV, let's take He-Man for example. I would imagine being right there and that I was He-Man trying to save the world and defeat the bad guys. I always loved those shows where good always triumphed over evil.

Shows like Knight Rider and Airwolf, showed the heroes traveling around, helping people, making a difference. Even the cartoons I watched seemed to carry some sort of message that if you do good and be the best person you can be, you can still make a difference. Now laugh if you want because I'm trying to find deep meaning in The Smurfs, Snorks, and Heathcliff.

But I also lived in home where I think escaping reality helped me through the real bad times of my childhood. And finally when I was 8, I moved to Ohio with my mom. I think I have had my head in the clouds since then, because I always love to hear a good story. I read the whole C. S. Lewis Narnia books, finally got to see the Star Wars Trilogy on VHS, got my first video game system the Atari 2600, declared that Transformers The Movie was the best film ever, and I finally made some friends who loved a good tale.

But I think these shows and games I played helped make me who I am. They shaped my morals in ways I never knew until I started to go back through them. I always try to be kind and help people when I can. I try to show people, in a push come to shove world, that by treating people with respect, standing up for what you believe in, and never giving up, you too can make a difference. So the next time your watching your favorite old movie, tv show, or playing Super Mario Bros. for the 10,000th time, always remember what those stories mean to you. Pass them down to your children and remember that feeling you had when you seen these things for the first time.

I hope you enjoyed this article. Please leave comments on what these shows mean to you. Until next time.

Looking for more from DoctorRyan?

READ 133884 TIMES

Fulton4V Posted on May 23, 2014 at 01:47 PM

I liked alot of these shows too and many of them had really good morals in them or at the end. You dont see that much in this time.

Vaporman87 Posted on May 21, 2014 at 04:25 PM

Yeah. Something is definitely wrong there. Perhaps you should break out a MOTU DVD or catch I Dream of Jeanie on TV Land. LOL

DoctorRyan Posted on May 21, 2014 at 03:26 PM

Thanks. It's hard to explain sometimes how a bunch of cheesy shows was somehow therapy for me. Of course then again I'm running around on the internet wearing a suit and sunglasses............

Vaporman87 Posted on May 21, 2014 at 02:47 PM

I love this little article. It warms the heart. Though I did not grow up poor, I was still not exactly a popular kid. I too found that my toys and imagination allowed me to explore situations in life in a way that could uplift me and keep me going.

I genuinely feel sad for those among us who cannot (and in some cases have never been capable of) using their imagination to create, inspire, and entertain. I often used my artistic ability to bring a smile to the face of a friend or family member. There was nothing more satisfying than that.

And the culture of toys, shows, and movies of my youth motivated and inspired me to not ever stop using that imagination , and to find the good in bad situations.

Well said Doc.

80's Cartoons: An Animated Discussion

Animation in the 80’s was all over the place in terms of quality. I’m sure plenty of cartoon creating studio executives were heard to say, “Ki...

My Top 5 Favorite Comic Book Characters

5. Grifter Like with most comics, I was in to the cartoons first, although it was Spartan that got me started watching the cartoon. But once I st...

Making Movies on VHS

Most children start their imaginary playtime very young, usually it involves tying a towel around your neck and pretending to fly. As time goes on t...

Laser-Daze: Photon vs Lazer Tag

In the future, wars will be fought by laser light gun wielding warriors trying to disintegrate each other in organized combat. At least that’s wha...

When Wrestling Rocked

There are several trends of the 80’s that we’ll never see again: Flock of Seagulls haircuts, Eddie Murphy being funny and short shorts on dudes....

MOST RECENT RETRORATING FEATURED OFFICIAL

Go to page: