The memory knocked me over the head yesterday evening as I ran to the kitchen to quickly grab my pizza and then hustle it back to the living room before the commercial break was over. I didn’t want to miss the next big surprise that Oprah had to share on the premiere of her farewell season.
I flashed back to Sunday afternoons when my brother and I would suddenly realize WWF was starting and we hadn’t even made our lunches! We would sprint to the kitchen “YOU MAKE THE SANDWICHES! I’LL GRAB THE DIET COKE!” and we would scurry through the kitchen as fast as possible to make it back down the stair in time for the first wrestling match.
The Ravishing Rick Rude.
The Million Dollar Man.
The Bushwackers.
Hacksaw Jim Duggan.
Macho Man Randy Savage.
We knew them all. Had each costume and story line memorized. The WWF marked the beginning of my long time love affair with reality tv. I was so connected to the characters that I actually cried when Hulk Hogan and Andre the Giant began their feud because a.) I had a Daddy complex and longed for The Hulk to be my Dad (also Michael Landon, but we’ll save that post for another day) and b.) because Andre the Giant scared the shit out of me.
I mean have you seen that guy?
Every Sunday we plopped in front of the TV for the next installment. We dreamed for the day to come when we’d be old enough to buy the pay-per-view late night matches. We knew that was where the good stuff happened.
Only here I am twenty years later…still scurrying through the kitchen “QUICK GET THE PIZZA, GRAB THE WATER…I HEAR THE MUSIC STARTING HURRY…IT’S THE FAAAREWELLLLL SEASON!!!!!”
I sat smiling from ear to ear for an entire hour, mouth stuffed full, pizza crumbs falling down the front of my shirt, greasy fingers…just smiling as women on Oprah LOST it over a trip before they even knew where the trip was taking them. That is the nectar of life I tell ya.
Oprah. Women. Surprises. Free stuff. Happy people. People helping people.
It’s a far cry from Hulk Hogan and Andre the Giant, but let’s be thankful for that. I can only imagine what kind of person I’d be if I were actually paying to watch late night WWF shows right now.
Sorry old Kathy.
Oprah it is. Again.
cristina says
ooh, I used to be afraid of the Undertaker….
Mrs. Jen B says
AAAH! Reading those names takes me back, big time. Back to when we wanted to believe that it was all real. I thought Miss Elizabeth was just the prettiest and most glamorous woman in the world.
And my mom looooved Rick Rude. Loooooved him.
Corinne says
I loved the opening show too. Did you think John Travolta looked a little weird, or was it just me.
Wombat Central says
Never watched wrestling then or now, yet somehow I’ve developed a somewhat unhealthy obsession with John Cena. Send help.
Ooh, on second thought, send John Cena.
Crystal says
Ooooh I love Oprah! SHe’s something special…TV won’t be the same. I confess that I am a reality tv junkie! Love that stuff…all of it. I’m an equal opportunity watcher!
JustMom420zaks says
OMG the Bushwackers! I wonder what they’re doing now? It would be weird to walk into your local McDonalds and see them working behind the counter.
Anyways, I could never be afraid of Andre the Giant, because he played Fessik on The Princess Bride.
I guess I’m not a real grownup yet, I only watch Oprah if I hear she’s talking about something I care about. But I’ll watch Maury, even though I really dont care if that girl is “200% sure..!” that the 74th man tested is her baby daddy.
Does anyone else think, when watching that crap.. hey, there’s only a window of 5 days she could have gotten pregnant that month!
debi9kids says
Oh boy! I remember those days and can’t wait to read the Michael Landon post (LOVE LHOP!)
I feel so out of the loop. I haven’t watched Optah since 1997! (I haven’t seen any daytime TV since then for no reason other than I have had a child dictate the TV channels to me since then. Sheesh!)
Kir says
what a great story…that made me smile.
I too just love TV..not reality TV, but TV in general. When I hear Ellen Pomeo’s voiceover come on I’m giddy with anticipation for Grey’s..when I hear the Chink Chunk of the opening of Law & Order I am at complete ease.
I know of which you speak…and you’re right watching Oprah these days reduces me to sobbing tears….I don’t know how I’ll make it Jan-May. ;)
Angel says
So let me age myself a ton. I remember all of those plus a few more.. Hacksaw Jim Duggan, Magnum t.a., Iron Sheik and nikolai volkov. Magnum was from Virginia beach area.. he wrapped his ferrari around a tree one night and nearly died. His spine was basically shattered and he was on life support for months. His huge disagreement in wrestling was with Supafly snooka, ricky the dragon steamboat ( who was really gay that’s a whole other story) and the Iron Sheik and Nikolai each of them cancelled matches and sat by his bedside day after day. They were there when he had back surgery , they were there when he walked using a walker, when he spoke as he learned everythign all over froma brain injury. And 5 years ago when he stepped back in the ring on a PPV eventhonoring the legends Nikolai adn the Iron Sheik were there then. Andre died several years ago from heart disease.
trash says
Oprah? Not such a big hit now that she has actually made it down to the Great Southern Land.
Jennifer says
Just because we grow up doesn’t necessarily mean that we change.
Blondefabulous says
Wow. That was awesome. We watch wrestling and my 11 year old daughter can name who’s coming out just by hearing the opening notes of their entrance music. I thought you were going to say you didn’t want Hulk as your dad anymore because of his newly minted Rent-a-Center commercial where he’s dressed up as an elf and professes to have an “elf wedgie”.
Megan (Best of Fates) says
Wait… it’s weird to stay up all night paying to watch fake wrestling?
Man, just when I think I’ve got this whole “normal” thing figured out…
Sharon says
Memory lane is a great place to go.
I’m thinking you’ve turned out quite well. . . especially since you don’t pay to watch those late night WWF shows. Not that there’s a thing wrong with it. . . now I’m just digging a hole. . . never mind!
I think many of us little girls wanted Michael Landon for a father at some point. He was just so great. . . and gorgeous too! I never knew that man. . . but boy I miss him on TV. I miss the fact that he could step into our lives at any moment on TV. Okay, now I’m getting all weepy.
Megan (Best of Fates) says
So I’m reading Kathy Griffin’s autobiography and she has a not-so-very-nice part about Ellen. So I thought about Ellen. And then I thought about you. So I thought I’d let you know.. that I thought about you. And Ellen.
kisatrtle says
WWF? I was all about the Dukes of Hazzard.
berpikir positif says
I like my Children Memories and I feel I don’t wanna let it behind, free, no pressure just play
Megan (Best of Fates) says
Well, I’m only a quarter of the way through the book, so I’ll keep you updated! But she was talking about when she used to do guest spots on TV shows when she was first getting a foot in the door and she was on Ellen and how Ellen ran the room very seriously and harsh. She wasn’t necessarily anti-Ellen, or say anything specifically mean about her, just compared the atmosphere to other writing rooms and said that Ellen’s was less enjoyable.
Sugar Mama says
I didn’t watch wrestling as a kid, but my good friend’s dad looked JUST like Hulk Hogan, and I kind of had an innocent little crush on him, so I pretended that I was a WWF fan so I could cheer for the Hulk.
Bruna says
I so loved WWF and remember all the names you listed! Use to watch it with my boy cousins and then act out some of the moves. I was tough girl back then. You post brought me back down memory lane. Thank you for that. Oh and *love* the retro pic of you and your brother. I can see you were just as cute back then as you are now :P
Leslie Limon says
OMG! I LOVED WWF! I remember all of the wrestlers you mentioned and many more. My faves were Brutus “The Barber” Beefcake, Jake “The Snake” Roberts and Bret “The Hitman” Heart.
My boys love watching WWE and think I am just the coolest because I know all of the “old time” wrestlers.
Kelly@Childhood says
I was so in love with Ravishing Rick Rude… Jake the Snake Roberts was my favorite though. I actually watched GLOW too… The Glorious Ladies of Wresting or something like that. I’m also not ashamed to admit that although I don’t watch WWF anymore… I do watch UFC. I guess I love watching one guy bet the crap out of another. HURRY! ORDER THE PIZZA! IT”S ALMOST TIME FOR THE TALE OF THE TAPE! Ah… I love me some blood sports…
Alexandra says
I love Oprah, I love Reality TV… That is all :)
Megan (Best of Fates) says
You should have replies to comments appear on your blog… ’cause then I’d look slightly less like I was crazy and talking to myself. But I’ve come to grips with that reaction, so I’m okay with it.
But I was totally bummed reading it, because I love Kathy Griffin, and usually find it so interesting to hear the real behind the scenes stories but wanted to be like, “no, stop, don’t ruin Ellen for me!” And I suppose it’d be weird if she was like, we all sat around a table throwing pies in the air and singing ’60s rock ballads. But that’s how I imagined it, so I was a bit disappointed.
Mama Kat says
@Megan (Best of Fates), Yeah I don’t know what the deal is with that!
Christine says
Wow, that brought back memories. I’m obviously a bit older as I used to watch them with my roommate and man, did we have fun! We’d invite everyone over before we went out for the evening and watched WWF. We were a strange group.
Adrian says
Boy doesn’t that bring back memories. Ever since we’ve been married, my husband has been a wrestling fan. For the record, that is 26 years worth of wrestling several nights a week. I’ve never grown to love it like my boys do, but I do recognize everyone of those wrestlers you mentioned and it does bring a smile to me.