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Just found a VHS of a local cable access show from 1993 at 2 AM and it broke my brain

I was digging through a box labeled 'old junk' in my parents' garage last night and popped in a tape labeled 'Community Spotlight - Episode 12' expecting some boring interview, but it was a whole weird fever dream of a kid's birthday party at a roller rink with a mime doing balloon animals and I can't stop thinking about how that's probably someone's core memory now.

3 comments

3 Comments

beth_reed1mo ago

I gotta push back on calling it a "weird fever dream" and saying it broke your brain. I actually think that kind of local access stuff is pure gold, like a real slice of life that you don't get anywhere else. That mime making balloon animals at a roller rink sounds super charming, honestly. It's probably some kid's best memory, like getting a poodle balloon while blading around to cheesy 90s pop. I'd watch that whole tape if I found it.

the_anthony1mo ago

You know, @beth_reed, I actually used to roll my eyes at that kind of local access stuff, thought it was all just awkward and low budget. But you make a really good point about it being a real slice of life, and that mime getting down with balloon animals at a roller rink does sound kinda charming in its own weird way. I'd probably give that whole tape a watch now too, just to see what other random magic was happening back then. Guess I was the one being too snobby about it.

barbarah191mo ago

Oh wow, I actually read an article about this exact thing a few months back. It was talking about how public access TV from the 90s is like a time capsule of real everyday life, not all polished and fake like network shows. That mime at the roller rink probably felt like the biggest star in the world to those kids, and the whole thing is just so genuine. I'd grab that tape in a heartbeat too, just to see the old ads for local businesses and the cheesy background music.