A Recent Mystery

Happy Days are here for me (Drew)! He-Man is on Hulu!

I have a question. How come it is cool to dress up in your favorite 80's garb and dance to old 80's music? Yet, when I get word of and rejoice in the fact that I can watch old He-Man episodes, I am apparently displaying a little (or a lot) social backwardness?

I mean, come on, how can anyone argue with this display of absolute awesomeness:


Here is the thing. I was born in 1976. That means that I would have been 7 and 8 when He-man was in his Hey Day. And He-Man was HUGE. In 1983 alone, Mattel grossed $736 million in He-Man product sales. That would calculate to over $1.5 Billion in today's dollars!

From People Magazine in 1984:
You'd have to be in some other galaxy today to miss these hulks, who now rule the world of play. Mattel expects to sell 55 million of them this year alone--far outdistancing the upstart Cabbage Patch Kids, which sold a mere two million last year. As for those classic Mattel idols Barbie and ken, it's taken more than two decades to sell about 200 million of them--a wimpy performance compared with that of He-Man and his scantily clad female partner, the goddess-warrior Teela. Their appeal is bolstered by the daily syndicated TV show Masters of the Universe, a top-rated series watched by millions of tots in 32 countries--and by some 190 Masters-related products: lunch boxes, watches, pajamas and even an electric toothbrush from which He-Man's voice booms forth with a plug for dental hygiene.

After He-Mania ended, Mattel searched for years to replace the super power

Long before Doomsday, the being that killed Superman, there was He-Man!

Trekkies have their own language of Klingon, Star Wars still lives on (Robot Chicken produced the most recent version), the New Kids on the Block are releasing albums again, there are parties where folks watch Maverick and Goose play volleyball, dance halls have 80's night that are packed...

But He-Mania is a no-no?

I don't get that.

Anyone care to solve this mystery for me?

Comments

Candice said…
Hey, babe, thank you for the informative post.

I do not think that you are a nerd for loving He-Man to excess. At least you do not play Dungeons and Dragons, or dress up like a wizard and go to Ender-con conferences or anything like that.

I love you just the way you are.
Candice said…
By the way, He-Man, I just found your first kill. The mouse wrapped itself up in the computer cords (gross). Thank you for attacking the poor thing with such tenaciousness.
Andrew said…
He-Man: 1

Mouse Invaders: 0

He-Man victorious!
Candice said…
Wait, He-Man did not kill people, did he? He only helped them learn important lessons about sharing and caring.

You are no He-Man, you impostor!
Candice said…
I love that I am my most diligent commenter.
The Bears said…
I like He-Man and I am definitely the coolest (your wife told me so). Which means He-Man can't be Nerdy. My Cat is named Noodle "Battlecat" Bear.
Andrew said…
He-Man: 1

Nerdy Reputation: 0

He-Man victorious!
(with the trusted help of Noodle Battlecat Bear)