I will post the topic here and write my own little piece about it. And I will invite YOU to write about your own First on your blog anytime during the week. If you have never experienced that particular first, write about why not. And how you feel about that.
Then add your blog post via the linky below, and/or tweet it under the hashtag #MyFirst.
Today's topic is My First... Obsession
It was Jodie. Then Tina. Then Lorena. And Vanessa. They fascinated me, to the point of obsession. I loved how they looked, what they wore, the way they moved. I wanted to see them, speak to them, be their friend. I wanted to know every detail of their lives and their thoughts. I wanted to get into their heads.
I wanted to be in their posse.
Hell, I wanted to be THEM.
They were, of course, in the Young Talent Team, my sister and my favourite show throughout my childhood. We watched them every week, 6pm on a Sunday night. We went to their shows. Collected memorabilia. Bought their records. Practiced their songs. Each of the cast members had their own unique personalities, like real kids, only more. They were elevated to demi-gods via the magic of TV.
The Young Talent Team were my first real targets of hero worship. And their celebrity entranced and confused me. They were famous. They were on TV. Clearly they werent like other, normal people. Clearly they weren't like me. But they were also, apparently, human children. They went to school, just like I did. They had homework. They lived with their parents. They went through puberty, they had bad hair days (actually, bad hair seasons), they forgot their dance steps, and they mimed really, really badly.
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My Tribe |
I was obsessed with them. And, to this day, I still am, just a tad. I have kept all of my YTT memorabilia collected over the years. Sometimes I watch YTT clips on YouTube. I have read all the articles. I have watched all the documentaries. And I am still devastated about the death of Juanita Coco.
My recollections of YTT are certainly bound up in memories of my sister, who loved the show and the stars as passionately as me. The truth, though, is that it is just part of who I am. It represents my childhood. It feels warm and happy and safe.
"Close your eyes, and I'll kiss you.
Tomorrow I'll miss you.
Remember I'll always be true.
And then while I'm away,
I'll write home every day.
And I'll send all my loving, to YOU."
Next week's topic: My First... Kiss
Even though we're around the same age - our *coughs* ahem, late 30s *coughs* - I must admit, I never really liked YTT - but that could be because I have a penis... not that there's anything wrong with YTT... I just suspect that I wasn't the target demographic...
ReplyDeleteBUT
My first obsession shares some things with yours... like you, my first obsession is related to TV and Pop-Culture... So, ladies and gentleman, I present to you my first obsession:
GIGANTOR! The Space Aged Robot! http://johnanthonyjames.com/post/67983110669/my-first-obsession-gigantor
I was always so jealous of the kids who got to watch YTT. My mum always insisted on watching 60 Minutes instead. But I used to work with a woman that had a great head for numbers, and her great party trick was being able to name the birth date of any YTT member you threw at her (well, the name, not literally throwing YTT people, obv.). How's that for an impressive/useless skill?
ReplyDeleteBig thrill in Grade 4 - playing again Dannii Minogue (and the rest of her school team, of course) in rounders. Let the records show, our school won. Biggest disappointment - being in the audience of YTT and APPARENTLY being on TV myself (according to school friends and my parents) but not actually seeing it because despite promising to video record it, Dad got confused by the 24 hr clock and taped a program 2hrs later instead! So I know where you are coming from ....
ReplyDeleteI was obsessed with Silverchair in primary school. I had the hugest crush on Daniel Johns the lead singer. His 90s grunge hair and his moody songs. I still know his birthday (the day after mine so we were like totally soul mates), his then favourite colour, his family members' names, his (then) dog's name, his hometown suburb and just about any other weird thing you can think of. Which now that I think about it, is a bit creepy haha.
ReplyDeleteThere is nothing that reminds me that I was not born in Australia like the mention of Young Talent Time xx
ReplyDeleteI never watched YTT, I feel totally ripped off. I am not sure what my first obsession was either. I am really easily obsessed though, so it really could have been anything.
ReplyDeleteMy post is about TV today as well (link above)... but I was also a YTT fan - more in the days of Karen Knowles and Tina Arena. I used to 'play' YTT with my friends all of the time. I could dance but couldn't sing a note to save myself.
ReplyDeleteI also recall wanting long boots but my parents refused to buy me any, so I used to wear white sandshoes and long white socks (which they did on YTT) to look like long boots!
TV really is too much of an obsession! ;)
ReplyDeleteAlways an excellent look *coughs*
ReplyDeleteYou should feel ripped off. It was the most magnificent program. Not particularly, er, nuanced... but MAGNIFICENT.
ReplyDeleteOr me. We really have nothing at all in common.
ReplyDeleteSTALKER!
ReplyDeleteYou played against Dannii???? For real? I would have died with excitement. And tragic your dad stuffed up. I'd never forgive him.
ReplyDeleteBoth impressive AND useless! The best skills! (P.S. Your mum was cruel)
ReplyDeleteIt's true. People with penii didn't seem to like YTT as much as people without. Strange.....
ReplyDeleteI may or may not have gone to school with a YTT member... Her name begins with D and she has an equally (more) famous sister... She was allowed to leave school early for YTT and was also allowed to wear nail polish when the best of us weren't.
ReplyDeleteMy obsession: swap cards (followed closely by the Princess Diana).
I was wondering what would be your obsession, Kerri...Young Talent Time is such a healthy, wholesome obsession -.nothing too inappropriate or creepy about being obsessed with these singing, dancing kids! Well, I hope not anyway :)
ReplyDeleteNo time for my post this week but will be writing one about my first kiss next time (as mortifying as it was)
YTT in my day was Jamie Redfern and Debbie Byrne, oh how we loved them! My first obsession was Donny Osmond. Amongst my friends it was either Donny or Michael Jackson. Posters on the wall and buying all the magazines. We did get to see a Jackson Five concert in 1973 at Beatty Park Pool in Perth it was so exciting! Donny is still gorgeous and seems to have grown up into a really nice bloke!
ReplyDeleteOMG how old am I? I was coping with my recent birthday but now I'm not so sure!
LOVE IT. I remember watching. I don't remember being obsessed. I think I was too young. But I was well on my way to raging hormone-dom when a certain Hollywood heart throb with a Hawai'ian name jumped from a convertible onto a bus to ensure it stayed above 50 mph. KEANU. My first obsession. I moved on quickly, but you never forget your first, do you?! x
ReplyDeleteYes I DID! (and, rumour had it, that she got to chose her position in rounders, which was why she was the bowler, which is why we won - better at dancing! But who knows ... ) And have I told you of my first play I was in, year 7, being directed by our drama / house captain, Cate Blanchett? I made a fantastic daisy (if I do say so myself), knealing for 45min in the one position on the wooden stage in a green skivvy, green tights, a yellow face and petals. But that might be too boastful - so much proximity to future greatness! (which unfortunately hasn't rubbed off on me!).
ReplyDeleteAs for Dad, he was tapping on behalf of all the girls, as we were one of the first families with a VCR, so there were more people impacted by me - but we did, eventually, forgive him!
Fabulous! I still sing this song to my children when I tuck them in :)
ReplyDeleteWhat a great idea for a linky! I loved YTT too. When they visited my local Westie centre stage, I lost my eight year old shiz.
ReplyDeleteAND WHY WOULDN'T YOU?
ReplyDeleteAw.....
ReplyDeleteLOL. He was very cute then. Not so much now... But then for SURE.
ReplyDeleteLOL. Ah, Donny. So wholesome!
ReplyDeleteLOL. Did I ever tell you I used to chat with Joey Perrone on Twitter?
ReplyDeleteDYING to hear.
ReplyDeleteOH MY GOD YOU WENT TO SCHOOL WITH DANNII????????
ReplyDeleteI need info. INFO I TELL YOU!
Love it! I was an avid fan of YTT as well and actually meet some of them. I actually have pre recorded old tapes of the shows LOL might have to dust them of and start to watch it all over again ;-)
ReplyDeleteDid you also play rounders with her, against Deepdene Primary School? (milking my (very tenuous) connection for what it is worth!)
ReplyDeleteHa! Yes.
ReplyDeleteShe was in year above me and Kylie was in Year 12 when I was in Year 7. I actually remember more about Kylie because she was good friends with my best friend's brother. But trying to remember YTT/Dannii details...
1. Never heard her sing at school. Or walk onto the stage for any reason (assembly or otherwise). She didn't really participate in many school activities, probably because she was busy with YTT.
2. Seem to recall that she did okay academically but of course everyone thought the teachers marked her easy because of YTT.
3. The main thing was her nail polish and manicures - no one else allowed to wear nail polish but rumours suggested that she had a "nail pass" (because of YTT). Her nails were perfect.
4. She had a posse of friends that would wait with her until she was picked up after school for YTT. There may have been a roster.
5. Can't recall any juicy stuff like boyfriends... I'm fairly sure she left school to start her own fashion line with Kmart after Year 10.
WHO DID YOU MEET??? I NEED GOSS!!!
ReplyDeleteI swear to you this is the most exciting comment I have received since I began blogging 4.5 years ago. AAAHHHH!!!!!!!!!
ReplyDeletehehehehehe
ReplyDeleteNo - I was at high school with her (Camberwell High).
ReplyDeleteShe may have mentioned rounders though... ;-)
Husband has just informed me that he played cricket with Bevan in Box Hill. They really were just normal kids!
ReplyDeleteI had their album as a kid!!! (well, the NEW Mickey Mouse Club. They were all wearing pants suits! It was the 70's!!!) x
ReplyDeleteBEVAN!!! Oh my god. Do you remember the parody on the radio? "Would you know my name, if I saw you with Bevan?"
ReplyDeleteI'll bet they didn't look like the group of Mousketeers I watched ...
ReplyDeletehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nOBlXZyKC6A
No you did not! I was once alone in the ladies loo at Borders Bookstore Jam Factory when Dannii walked in, talk about up close and personal :) I've also met one of the early YTT'ers no one remembers. Trevor Hindmarsh. He was doing a duo entertainer thing in the 80's and I had no idea he was ever one of them!
ReplyDeleteOMG LOL! (I very rarely lol)
ReplyDeleteGood god. The pinafores!!!
ReplyDeleteI just snorted tea through my nose ... penii ... bahahahaha
ReplyDeleteAaahhhh yes ... the fabulous YTT.
ReplyDeleteMy maiden name is Bowles ... so I told anyone who would listen that I was related to Johnny Bowles (I wasn't, of course. It was an outrageous lie).
Tina Arena was my all time fave. I have always been impressed by her voice. I remember lying in bed early one morning in 1994 in my house in England. I was listening to Radio 1. They were broadcasting from Australia. That was the first time I heard Tina sing 'Chains'. I felt so proud. 'Chains' reached Number 4 on the UK chart after that. Not a bad effort at all. She of course, went on to become ridiculously famous in France, of all places.
As for Dannii. I enjoyed a love / hate relationship with her. It all centred around her fabulous, big 80's hair, if I remember correctly ;) ... jx