Tuesday, May 12, 2009

Generation Gap

Ok. Sometimes it's more like a chasm.
Case in point: Batman

Saturday night I was delighted to hear the repetitive refrain of "we're bored" being issued from OC and MC. It's always a marvelous time. And gee, Mom. Didn't we have ANY movie in the house we haven't already watched???
I point to a dusty stack of VHS tapes in the corner. And tell the girls to look through those. And then I specifically say...I think we have Batman over there.
Now keep in mind, the girls only recently saw the Dark Knight. The one where Heath Ledger does Oscar calibre work. But I refer to the Batman that was the FIRST Batman. With a kick ass soundtrack my Prince (Yeah. It was THAT long ago. He actually HAD a name). With Kim Basinger who screams FAR too often. And Jack Nicholson as the Joker with some of the best freakin' lines I've ever heard uttered in a movie.
OC is clearly disgusted. She picks up the case and read the back. Lengthy pause. And then she looks up and tells MC it was made in 1989. *gasp*
And I say, yeah. That's about right. And that's the year I graduated. MC looks at me and says...you're 38?
(Okay. Major side story off the subject here. Last year, when I was but a young 36, ALL my girls thought I was 37. Why? I don't know. Because they can be evil heifers? Possibly. But I honestly think they were just unaware. So when I actually turned 37 this year, it probably went by remarkably unnoticed for the most part. But for MC to pop off with 38? I figure by the time I turn 40, I'll just be so densensitized that it won't even matter.)
I glare at MC. She simply looks back. And then she explains to me that people usually graduate when they're 18 so surely that means I'm 38. Except, I reassure the little butthead, that I skipped second grade which makes me a year younger than all my classmates.
(She took her sadistic pleasure from the vein throbbing in my forehead, but let her be amused where she may.)
We finally pop in the ol' VHS, and the movie starts.
Both chickens want to know which one is Batman. And what does he look like? And it doesn't show him until like fifteen minutes in.
But when it does, MC cracks me up. She looks over at me and says, "He looks like that guy off Benchwarmers. Is that his dad?"
She refers, of course, to Rob Schneider. And calmly asks if Michal Keaton is his dad.
LMAO
I can only shake my head. Because I am speechless. And what tickles me more is that I can see the resemblance.
Skip ahead to when Batman drops ol' Jack into the vat of boiling acid stuff. Then he pops back out as the Joker a few scenes later. And as soon as Jack starts wearing the clown make-up, MC looks at me and says, "This has only reinforced my fear of clowns."
I think they enjoyed the movie as it unfolded. But it didn't mean as much to them as it did to me back in the day. Okay, back in the year. And that's fine, too.
It was all about quality time with the chickens.
Grins*

4 comments:

Tori Lennox said...

Wow! Has it really been =20= years since Batman was made?!

LOL! My word verification word is "flogwoof"!

Rene said...

VHS??? And it still played? I graduated in 1989 as well...from college.

My daughter's favorite movie is "Grease." I've had a heck of a hard time making her understand John Travolta does not look like Danny Zucko anymore.

michellewillingham said...

I looooved Bat Dance. Prince rocked that one. :)

Brook said...

How funny! With all daughters from 16 down to 4-our house can be a riot and a half for sure(I have had the exact same age discission w/my oldest only I started school at 4)-Keaton is still my favorite Batman-and Cusack is definitely a favorite of mine as well. I think I've read a few of your romances as well. NICE!