Sunday 22 November 2015

Of helicopters and long-haired singers

A few months ago, I rediscovered two 'loves' of my early teenage years. First, I was wandering aimlessly over YouTube, hopping from video to video, as you sometimes do when you're very tired ;-) Then, my eye caught a recommended vid in the sideline of a Dutch/Belgian series that I used to love: Windkracht 10 (freely translated: gale force 10)
I clicked on the vid and the rest, as they say, is history! For weeks I was immersed evening upon evening in the adventures of this Search-and-Rescue unit: their dangerous work, their friendships and romances. I laughed at the Belgian humor (Belgians really are very funny!), squeed at what was once my very first OTP (way before I knew that abbreviation existed!) and just thoroughly enjoyed myself. 


The crew of Windkracht 10


Anne and Dirk, my very first OTP

Secondly, as I was rummaging through my CD collection, looking for some to give away for a charity sale, I happened upon my three Kelly Family CDs. The Kelly Family was a American/German group consisting of 9 brothers and sisters who were quite popular in Europe in the early '90s. I decided to put the CD in my player and was instantly transported 15 years back. I still knew most of the lyrics and still really enjoyed their music!

 
All the Kelly Family members had very long hair, even the men. All the teenage girls I knew had a crush on Paddy (front right)

So, it left me wondering, what is it that made me enjoy Windkracht 10 and the music of The Kelly Family so much? Were they really so good that 15 years have not diminished their appeal?
Well, yes, I think Windkracht 10 is a good series, one of the most expensive ever made for Dutch/Belgian TV, so it has great action scenes. And still the best theme music ever IMHO. But it's also soapy and over the top sometimes and if I would watch it for the first time now I would probably cringe.
And The Kelly Family has made some pretty great music and what I love most about it was that not every song was about romance, but about so many other important things in live. But their music is dated and does start to sound all the same if you listen to it a lot.

I think what I enjoyed most in rediscovering these things was the chance to see the world once again through the eyes of my 14/15 year old self. When I would sit in front of the television with my family and shush them, because my favourite series was on. When we would exchange cassette tapes with friends at school and write 'I love Paddy' in my diary. Thank you, Windkracht 10 and The Kelly Family, for letting me be part of this time-gone-by for a little while!

What entertainment did you love in your teens? Do you ever 'go back' to watch or listen?

2 comments:

  1. Great post! Thanks for sharing some of your favourites from your teen years :) Hehe, I do find myself wandering back to things I loved in my teens from time to time, particularly when it comes to music. I forgot what I was checking out some time ago...I think it was a piece of news on Alanis Morrisette and how her "Jagged Little Pill" hit its 20-year anniversary and then I ended up listening to her music (granted I was in my early early teens when I listened to her stuff, but I guess it counts here) and then I wandered off and listened to Goo Goo Dolls, etc. It happens every now and then, a song will pop up that I loved in high school (ahh, those rock & alternative songs, good times) and then I end up on YouTube for long stretches of time haha.

    Not so much though with tv shows and movies as the stuff I loved then I still pop in every now and then, like the TV show Babylon 5 or The Lord of the Rings (which pretty much defined my teenage years and everything afterwards xD).

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    1. Oh yes, Alanis Morisette! I was such a fan of her in my teens as well, singing along to her angry songs while biking home from school; good memories!

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