Thursday 10 October 2013

My eighties retro baby boy

The Duck Man from Pretty in Pink
Not a week goes by without some hokey research study into something that is either startlingly obvious: "Scientists reveal that not sleeping enough makes you tired" or deeply patronising: "Doctors reveal their concerns that pregnant women are not stopping work early enough to protect their babies." Don't bother looking for either of these studies as I made them up. It doesn't mean that someone hasn't done them though. I don't think there has been any scientific research into the effect of maternal behaviour or music tastes in utero though. Well beyond the whole, 'play soothing music to the foetus and it will respond when it's a baby' type thing of course.

The reason I wonder this is because I'm convinced that my son has developed music preferences based purely on what I like to listen to. I went to a lot of gigs when I was pregnant with our boy. We went to Ben & Jerry's Big Sundae on Clapham Common and the boy bopped along to Billy Bragg. He also enjoyed the mellow tones of Norah Jones and even managed to keep up with the Primitives. I am delighted that he loves music now and he seems to have a wide ranging taste (as I've said before on this blog). What I wasn't prepared for is his love of music that is so outside his experience I'm fascinated to know how it's come into his consciousness.

Rocky Horror Picture Show
For weeks now he has been singing. "Let's do the Timewarp again," and "Monster Mash." I'm a massive fan of Rocky Horror so I can see why he'd like that although I can't recall ever having watched it or listened to the music in his presence. He's also been saying "Go Flustered," which we've spent weeks trying to work out - while also hushing him in case it's something rude. After some questioning and not a little head scratching we finally realised he's been singing, "Ghostbusters." Seems startlingly obvious doesn't it ? Except he's never watched it and as far as I know it's not been on the TV lately. It was one of my favourite films as a child though so I can only conclude one thing - he's inherited my tastes from the eighties !

Once we'd finally worked it out I tracked down the cartoon series on Lovefilm and he watched it this afternoon fascinated and enraptured. I was never that keen on the cartoon if I'm honest, but his concentration levels don't extend to the movie yet. Unlike his friend Attie who regularly watches "Starhorses" (Star Wars) starring "Threesweepio" (C3PO). Mind you she also used to regularly watch "Hamadations"(101 Dalmations).

I'm wondering if all this talk of an eighties revival is also revealing itself in the DNA of our toddlers. What can we expect next ? Will they all turn their baseball caps backwards and fight for the right to party ? Maybe they will start doing the MC Hammer dance - well my boy already does that if he needs the loo and doesn't want to admit it. Maybe they'll go all shoulder paddy and big haired too. Oh wait that's just pageant toddlers isn't it ?

Whatever it is that's happening I'm a bit freaked out by it.

There is something strange in my neighbourhood. All I can say is, "Go Flustered !"


8 comments:

  1. Very funny. I went to see Jools Holland and his Big Band when I was heavily pregnant and whenever we put on one of his CDs Tobias is up dancing and pretending to play the trombone. Thank god a colleague's penchant for listening to Girls Aloud in the office when I was pregnant has appeared not to have manifested itself - well not so far!!!

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  2. Oh, I love your photos - all of these films have a special place in my heart :) I've taught my 4 year-old daughter to do the Time Warp (she's pretty good ;-)!) and my 1-year old son's face lights up to 'You Make My Dreams Come True' - a classic 80's montage track! Now, you've got me wanting to get them both onto the MC Hammer dance...!

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    1. Thanks for popping by & commenting :o)
      If we teach enough toddlers the MC Hammer dance we can make a fortune !! You with me ?

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  3. Awh how cute!! I have to say that didn't work for me though .... sigh... I played Mozart Beethoven & Co and my toddler has no love for it. He says now he says 'that's boring' or that's sad. He's more into the same music as his dad it seems... the Urban sound ... lucky lucky me... NOT :0)
    Enjoy phase sounds sounds like fun at your house.

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    1. Oh I'm pretty sure he's going to loathe my music as he grows - still it's cute right now isn't it ?
      We love music so I'm delighted he's so into it.
      Thanks for popping by & commenting :o)

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  4. This is a wonderful trip down memory lane... My daughter was the same when I played her my "Kids from Fame" album - I swore she sung along without having heard it before...some say that could be a genetic memory! xx

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    1. It really is strange isn't it how our kids love the music we love ?
      Mind you I love music that was out well before I was born so maybe it's inevitable.
      Thanks for popping by :o) xx

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