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Tuesday, November 18, 2014

It Ain't What It Used To Be

I just learned that you can still buy Rave hairspray but (and this is probably a good thing) it just ain't what it used to be. All my 80s hair sisters remember this stuff, right? After you'd curled your already-permed-hair with the curling iron and then teased it half to death with that ginormous plastic hair pick, you'd break out that big ole can of Rave (extra-extra-firm-mega-hold formula) and spray that hair like there was no tomorrow. Or ozone in need of protection.

Sometimes, depending on the occasion and magnitude of big hair volume you were setting out to achieve, the hair dryer was added to this equation. There was no quicker way to the big hair of your dreams than through the working of a hair dryer, a plastic pick and a can of Rave Hairspray all at once. It was an art form, people. And once you had every single permed-up-curled-and-teased strand of hair on your head completely coated in that stuff, not even a category five hurricane was gonna be getting through it. You knew you had achieved success when you shook your head around real good and not a single hair moved. 

I swear it's a wonder any of us have any hair left on our heads from all the abuse we put in through back then.

Now you're probably wondering why in the world I'm on this subject. Well...My 25 year high school reunion is this Saturday and a few of us met last night in a reserved room at a local pizza establishment (that we all frequented after every Friday night football game of our high school career) where we attempted to recreate the big hair of our youth. Our ring leader purchased the Rave, that I had no idea still existed in the world today. The can has changed quite a bit and sadly, to our disappointment, the formula has too. After about ten good licks with the can, we were all coughing from the inhaling of fumes like the old days, but I could tell something was way off with the scent. 

And the hair? Well, it was still blowing in the wind. Literally.

We were attempting to make a little video (on the fly) and ended up getting kicked out by the young guys who were trying to close up so they could get the heck outta there, and as far away from the likes of us crazies as humanly possible. So there the six of us were, on the sidewalk in front of the restaurant that was our old teenage stomping ground, after 10pm on a Monday night in the thirty degree weather, with our heads teased up and freezing our butts off, making attempt after attempt to record our video. Let me just say that there is a good reason why none of us set our sights on a career in the entertainment industry.

But it was fun. And silly. And nostalgic. 

And it's always good when those three things come together.

Kinda like the Rave, blow dryer and plastic pick back in 1989. 



Be still my big ole hair.



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4 comments:

  1. For years that was the only stuff holding my hair in place. :) When I got married and Li had to get my curls to stay put in the August heat, I swear she'd need to whip out a can of that stuff, but no. Turns out that was probably a good thing as well, as I was able to get my hands through it the next morning. :)

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  2. Oh. My. Gosh. This post started my day with a giggle and a smile! I even shared parts of it with my husband, which triggered our old "remember when" dialogue of our own high school days of the 80's!! If we could go back, I think we'd do it in a heart beat! I actually STILL use Rave hairspray, the spray pump, 4x mega hold ~ Lol! But my hairstyle has been tamed down considerably! ;) Your Bon Jovi picture at the end so made that post complete! Lol. Ahhhh, the good old days...... :)

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  3. So glad you've been writing, again. I love it because it's so not your introvert personality. And, I've loved reading it since I've been in the bed with the flu!
    BTW John Bon Jovi doesn't look like that anymore, thank God! I can't believe we used that much hairspray. Maybe that's why my hair is so limp and fine, now?

    25 reunion. no way

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  4. I will read anything that has 80's or Bon Jovi! You made my week. I so agree that it is truly a wonder that my hair didn't fall of off my head never to be seen again. All in the name of fashion right? Hope the reunion is/was fun!

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