Saturday, August 22, 2009

Hide Your Children! Videos From the 80s Are On!

I warn you: If you are pregnant, have a heart condition or are freaked out by Herbie Hancock videos, please look away now and read a more enlightening post like "Whose Boobs Are These?"

I was sitting in my quiet house, yes, it was in fact quiet for once. Out of the living room comes a familiar yet horrifying sound. I run into the living room to see what the hell channel was playing this terrifying musical disaster. It was the Weather Channel. I couldn't believe it. Rockit by Herbie Hancock was playing while our Local on the 8's forecasts scrolled the screen. When did the Weather Channel replace their calming elevator music with perhaps the most frightening song ever written?

This fear of Herbie Hancock developed early in my childhood. My parents had a new VCR. Yes, new VCR is an oxymoron in 2009. Anyway, they liked to record MTV since it was so new. Wow, I'm really aging myself here. I danced around to vairous musical tunes throughout my early childhood. Such gems as The Pointer Sisters' Neutron Dance (my whole life I thought it was "new time dance," hey I was like 4 cut me some slack), Sheena Easton's Strut, and The Heat is On from the Beverly Hills Cop soundtrack. Other still popular songs included All She Wants to Do is Dance and Madonna's Like a Virgin.

My sister and I'd dance around to these videos for hours and we'd beg my mom and dad to watch the "videos tape." There was one video in particular that freaked me out. As soon as the music started, even if I wasn't in the room, the first freakish sound would send me crying to my mommy. Have you ever seen the video for Rockit? It's disturbing and my dad thought it was hilarious that I was so freaked out by this. The "people" are all mechanical robot looking things. And then there are these legs. OH MY GOD the LEGS! UGH that was the worst part! They just walk around the room by themselves and kick and it's so frightening.

My parents still have a VCR and on my 20th birthday (which sadly doesn't even seem that long ago) my dad popped it in. My boyfriend, now husband, was there. The songs were playing in the background during dinner. Kind of had a little flashback night. It was great... until... Rockit came on! Just as I did 15 years or so before that, I ran and hid behind the wall in the other room so I couldn't see those freakish legs kicking away to that horrifying beat.

I was unable to embed the video, but I included the link here so you could see. Watch at your own risk. Perhaps I'm just holding on to my fears from childhood, but you'd have to admit, this would freak any kid out!

Rockit Video that creaps me out!

What are your thoughts? Is there anything that really freaked you out as a child - or maybe still does?