When I Was Your Age: Life Lessons, Funny Stories & Questionable Parenting Advice from a Professional Clown

Sometimes, the best education comes from the school of hard knocks.

When I Was Your Age: Life Lessons, Funny Stories & Questionable Parenting Advice from a Professional Clown is the new autobiography/memoir of Keenan Thompson. Thompson has the distinction of being the longest-running cast member on Saturday Night Live. He also is a former child star who starred in All That and the Mighty Ducks trilogy.

The book is more than a blow-by-blow of his life and career. It is a series of essays focusing on parenting, trying to stay positive, and enjoying being above ground.

I enjoyed this book. Thompson is candid, honest, and down to earth. I appreciated his advice. Though it is based on his experience, anyone can learn from what he went through.

Do I recommend it? Absolutely.

When I Was Your Age: Life Lessons, Funny Stories & Questionable Parenting Advice from a Professional Clown is available wherever books are sold.

The Orange Years: The Nickelodeon Story Review

There are two ways to create children’s television. The first is to talk down to the audience while advertising an inordinate amount of merchandise. The second is reach the children on their level and respect them as human beings.

The documentary, The Orange Years: The Nickelodeon Story, was released in 2018. The movie tells the story of the children television network, Nickelodeon, from its inception in the late 1970’s to the powerhouse it became in the 1990’s. Interviewing execs, writers, creators, and actors, it is the story of a channel that was ahead of its time and continues to push boundaries today.

As a child of the 1980’s and 1990’s, I thoroughly enjoyed it. It was pure nostalgia for me. Talking about shows like All That, You Can’t Do That on Television, Hey Dude, Doug, etc was like going back to a simpler time when life was not as complicated.

Do I recommend it? Absolutely.

The Orange Years: The Nickelodeon Story is available for streaming on Hulu.

Throwback Thursday-Goodburger (1997)

They say that you cannot go home. Your childhood memories are just that, memories.

If there is one thing that makes me feel very old is re-watching movies from high school and looking at them with eyes of an adult.

In honor of such memories, I will be writing about Goodburger (1997) in this Throwback Thursday post.

Based on the skit from All That, Ed (Kel Mitchell) and Dexter (Kenan Thompson) are two teenage boys, who like many kids their age, work in a fast food restaurant. They are not the brightest bulbs in the box. When a new fast food restaurant opens across the street and wants to dominate the fast food industry,  it’s up to Ed and Dexter to keep their restaurant open.

While this movie is far from Oscar worthy, when you’re a kid, it’s hilarious. Does that mean as an adult, I would sit down and watch it? I don’t know.

Do I recommend it? For old times sake, maybe.

P.S. If the movie does not make you feel old already, here are clips from All That and The Goodburger reunion on Jimmy Kimmel.

Flashback Friday-The Rise Of The Child Stars- Kids Incorporated (1984-1993) & All That (1994-2005)

To be in the movies or on television at a young age is either a blessing or curse.  For every Drew Barrymore who is able to succeed in the industry as an adult, there is a Dana Plato whose career and life we can only speak of in past tense.

Between them, Disney and Nickelodeon has produced multiple generations of child stars.

Kids Incorporated was part of the Disney lineup from 1984-1993. Combining musical performances and short skits, the show is a whose who of child stars whose careers have successfully stretched into adulthood. Fergie, Mario Lopez, Jennifer Love Hewitt and Eric Balfour are four of the actors who got their feet wet during their time on Kids Incorporated.

For a kid in the 1980’s and 1990’s, this show was magic. I have very fond memories of watching this program during my younger days.

All That (1994-2005) was Nickelodeon’s answer to Saturday Night Live. Ironically, Kenan Thompson was part of the original All That cast and is presently a cast member of Saturday Night Live.

This show was just plain fun. To the preteen and early teenage audience, this was entertainment at it’s best.

I recommend both.