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The Mike & Carla Morning Show

The Mike & Carla Morning Show

The Mike & Carla Morning Show

Fun 1980’s Factoids That Include Las Vegas

Author Carla Rea
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The 80’s were a unique time, even in Las Vegas.

It’s Because Of the 80’s:

The 1980s was the birthplace of so many things. Some that are commonplace in our lives now. Like personal computers, cell phones – of course those bricks weighed a lot more back then. And the extreme – leg warmers, neon, and big hair for women. The bigger, the better.

I admit, I probably had TOO much much fun in the 80’s. But if you weren’t having that much fun, and doing everything in excess, you weren’t doing the 80’s.

It was a strange, and magical time that has certainly made a big comeback. Seems like the 80’s are more popular now than ever before.

80’s Fun Facts, Include Las Vegas:

It’s all about nostalgia, and we love nostalgia. There’s nothing better than great memories of those simpler times – and just being younger.

So guys and gals, put on your short, short Dolphin shorts, and your neon pink mesh half shirt – it’s time for a weekly dose of “80’s fun facts,” including some Las Vegas factoids.

1. Waterbeds: were a hot item!  In the 80’s a large percentage of all mattress sales were waterbeds. The waterbed market was unstoppable. Until you got a leak – and decided to get a real mattress.

2. Toni Basil releases “Mickey” in 1981. She’s from Las Vegas, and wears her Las Vegas High School Cheerleader uniform in the MTV video.

3. Steve Wynn opens The Mirage in 1989. 3000 rooms, and it was extravagant. According to the Circa blog, and most people in the hotel business in Las Vegas, it changed the face of the Las Vegas Strip. It also led the way for more over the top resorts.

4. Boomboxes. totally portable! Though they definitely required some arm strength to carry them around all day. But they were a sign you loved your music, and you were somebody!

5. In 1981, Dr. Noah Drake was hot on General Hospital, and General Hospital was at its peak after Luke and Laura’s wedding. YOU know Dr Noah Drake as Rick Springfield. His song Jessie’s Girl also skyrocketed on the charts that year.

6. Ripped sweatshirts were the hottest! Thank Jennifer Beals for these. Rumor has it, she accidentally shrunk a sweatshirt. It didn’t fit, so she cut off the collar so it would. Then she wore it to her Flashdance audition. The rest is history – it was on her in the movie, and it was on me and you!

7. “Where’s the Beef?”, Clara Peller became famous for that line in the 1980’s Wendy’s ads. Then she was fired! She was cheating on Wendy’s. She did a commercial for a spaghetti sauce and said “I found it!” She wasn’t supposed to find the beef anywhere but Wendy’s.

Thank you to Mental Floss for some of these fun 80’s facts. More 80’s facts to come next week!

Carla Rea is the morning show co-host on “The Mike and Carla Morning Show" on 96.3 KKLZ, in Las Vegas. She has been working with her partner and friend Mike O'Brian for the past 25 plus years. At KKLZ for 12 years. Carla Rea is a Gracie Award winner. She started out in talk radio, "when talk radio was still fun" Rea says. Prior to, and along with doing the morning show, Carla is also a comedian. You may have seen her on Conan O'Brien, Evening at The Improv, Showtime, or several comedy clubs across the country. Carla also worked as a light feature reporter at KSNV/NBC Las Vegas, going behind the scenes at various shows, and restaurants on the Las Vegas strip. As a content creator 96.3 KKLZ, Carla writes in a sarcastic, cheeky, unapologetic way on Las Vegas, movies, TV, celebrities, and this thing we call life.

From Millennials: Funny Signs You're In Your 40s

Signs you’re in your 40’s — they’re not pretty, but those “signs” will be with you forever.

When Do You Start To Feel Old?

When do you truly start to feel old? Millennials — those born between about 1980 – 1996 — seem to have some answers.

I have friends in their 40s now saying “I can’t understand a lot of the songs that my kids and teenagers listen to.” Another friend of mine said, “When did TikTok start giving medical advice? I thought it was all about stupid dances for us 40-year-olds to laugh at!”

It will happen to all of you. One day you’re staying up till 4 a.m., the next you’re waking up at 4 a.m. Probably because you had a cup of coffee at three in the afternoon the day before, and caffeine just doesn’t like you anymore…

Do you wake up with a backache in the morning — for no apparent reason?

Millennials Watch Out!

The first members of the generation we know as millennials came around in 1980, which means they’re turning 43 this year. According to a recent article in the Wall Street Journal, that just happens to be the average age that Americans stop feeling young, according to this survey by the Worldwide Independent Network of Market Research.

Those on the latter end of the millennial birth years still have a while to reach the unwanted milestones of creaking, and not being able to eat broccoli anymore. But, I promise you’ll understand soon enough.

Signs That You’re In your 40s:

It’s a reality: Kids of the ’80s are hitting their 40s. And even if you don’t feel like you’re quite over the hill, there are a few telltale signs that you can’t ignore.

The hashtag “#SignsYoureInYour40s” was recently trending on Twitter/X, and there were some hilariously responses. But are they all true? To this writer, yes. But I’ll let you read them – and laugh a little bit when you pee – and you decide.

  • You woke up injured -- but don't know why.

    Oh, it will happen and it’s baffling. Don’t spend the morning trying to figure it out — just take the Ibuprofen.

    Man sitting on bed hurting.

    iStock via Getty Images

  • Hangovers last all day

    And you only had those two glasses of wine! Don’t try to figure it out. Again — just take the Ibuprofen.

  • You already know about AI -

    And his name is CLIPPY! Look him up — he was fabulous.

    Paperclips

    iStock via Getty Images

     

  • A teacher once told you this:

    “You won’t always have a calculator in your pocket!” Umm, hi — Mr. Johnson? I’m calling you from my calculator.

    Calculator

    iStock via Getty Images

  • You asked Jeeves before you Googled.

    Kids, this is how you “googled” begore Google – you asked “Jeeves.” Google it.

    Questions

    Signs you’re in your 40’s

  • You printed out greeting cards and birthday banners with a dot-matrix printer

    A WHAT Matrix WHAT?? Well, at least know what the holes on the sides of printer paper were for…

    Dot Matrix paper

    iStock via Getty Images

  • The cashier asks for ID for age-restricted items.

    Then they laughed because they just needed it to clear your self check-out scan.

    Customer paying

    iStock via Getty Images

  • The creaky noises from your bed are no longer from the bed springs

    Nope that’s all you. Truly, you sound like a bowl of Rice Crispies.

    Rice Crispies

    iStock via Getty Images

  • When You're Shopping At The Grocery Store, And The Music Playing Are The Same Tunes Played At Your Homecoming

    Bust a move — but don’t hurt yourself. This is truly how you know that you reached the “hill” at least. When the elevator or grocery store music is the same as your school dances. Or, when your music suddenly becomes “throwbacks.”

    Guy dancing

    iStock via Getty Images

     

     

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