Soundtrack for a Rockin’ Weekends from #StreamTeam

My daughter and I have a not so guilty pleasure: marathons of the 80’s television show Jem and the Holograms. Sure, it’s a show that is both way ahead of it’s time and dated but the happenings of Jem/Jerrica, Aja, Shana, and Kimber has to be watched often and as much as possible.

Netflix has all seasons on the Jem and the Hologram series available!

Jem, for those NOT in the know (and where have you been that you DON’T know?) is one of the most awesome television series which ran from 1985 to 1988. Jem is the mysterious lead singer of the rock group “Jem and the Holograms.” She is really Jerrica Benton, who is the owner and manager of Starlight Music. With the help of a holographic computer named Synergy, (which was built by Jerrica’s father to be “the ultimate audio-visual entertainment synthesizer” and left to her after his death) Jerricia can be transformed into Jem, a rocker. The “Jem” Hologram is projected by the Jerrica through the Jem Star Earrings which have a remote micro projector. The holograms can disguise Jerrica’s features and clothing and she literally becomes Jem.

Yes, I realize that the premise of this show is asking you to take a wild, flying leap from reality and fall willingly into a world of unanswered crimes, (read my previous post in which I revisit the world of Jem and the Holograms), the weirdest love triangle Jem/Jerrica, Rio and and any other man who happened onto the show who wasn’t falling for Kimber, and wild 80’s rocker fashion. But the this is part of the enjoyment of an 80’s cartoon clearly created before it’s time.

The other thing that keeps me coming back is the music. Any lover of televison knows that all good television  shows have THE BEST theme songs. Jem went one better with a theme song AND at least three songs each week. Cheesy synthesizer…check! Lots of drum kits…check! Wild crazy music video (what MTV USED to play before the days of Jersey Shore) …check, check, check! All of these things are the makings for quality TV that is TOTALLY OUTRAGEOUS!

Best songs:

Too Close For Comfort

Each week it seemed that someone was almost about to find out who Jem REALLY was. The people Jem encountered were second only to Lois Lane in her refusal to see Clark Kent for really being Superman. The song was played during some kind of chase but really it is Jem telling us that we are doing too much, trying to be too many things for too many people.

Living real close to the edge, babe
Almost right on the brink
Judge the day is only moments away
Baby, you know what i think

We’re getting too close, too close
We’re living in the danger zone
Too close for our own good

Gettin’ Down to Business

Forget the Spice Girls, those Wannabees*, Jem and the Hologramas were the ultimate in Grrl Power. Sure, they were always being bullied by the Misfiots and Eric Raymond and his disposable inept thugs. Sure, they were the ultimate damsels in distress and sure they had more issues than Time Magazine but when these girls rockes, they rocked.

They`re all sayin` (ooh ooh ooh)
We don`t have a chance (ooh ooh ooh)
We don`t wanna let `em
Write us off in advance
There`s only one thing we can do (one thing)
To make our dreams come true

 She’s Got the Power

I will say that Jem and co were quite selfless, sharing their ideas, allowing others to…use them… take advantage of their good nature…they had the best outlook for everyone. Yes. That.  They knew the hand that kept them hologrammed and Synnergy was always appreciated. Shucks, she had her own song although part of me thinks this songs really was about Jem/Jerrica and all of the drama she went through to keep from being found out.

Some of Jem’s music was just hot. I know I am going ga-ga over a cartoon but years later, before I looked up all of the songs online, I was still able to hum and sing some of the words.

Like:

Let Me Take You to the Mardi Gras

An ode to Broadway shows:

Broadway Magic

The obligatory PSA song:

We Can Make a Difference

And of course because We Are the World was this thing that made rockers and Soul Singers come together on one stage, we had the

Jem Jam.

And because it’s my blog and we took it all the way back to the 80’s, let’s go a little bit farther back and end on a fairy tailish note…

I Believe in Happy Endings

I mean, are these not the best videos? Can’t you imagine being a tween, grabbing your bowl of Cap’n Crunch and rocking to these tunes on Saturday morning?

Well, you don’t have to take my word for it! One reader will be able to experience Netflix with a three-month subscription code! 

Contest deets:

This contest will run Tuesday, April 23rd through Tuesday, April 30th 2014 GIVEAWAY EXTENDED UNTIL May 5th The giveaway is for  three-month subscription code to Netflix.

Winner will be notified by e-mail and a subscription code will be e-mailed from myself.

Enter as follows

Mandatory entry:

Tell me why YOU are truly outrageous!
Optional entries (please leave a comment with each individual entry method!)

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-r

Addendum: I am a member of the Netflix Stream Team. I have been given a complimentary subscription to Netflix in exchange for sharing information about different offerings. All opinions are my own.