LARRY, MOE & BREW
Retro trends used to be chronological: The 1950s were popular in the 1970s, the 1960s in the 1980s, and the ‘70s & ‘80s in the ‘90s. But now it seems retro has reached its logical end – anything can be recycled as hip, as long as it’s also old. The beer world has seen its share of gimmicks (anyone remember "dry" beer?) but Three Stooges Beer ($6.49 for a six pack of bottles at Merchant’s Fine Wine in Dearborn) appears to be an example of this retro-for-the-hell-of-it pattern. The beer, by Panther Brewing Co., actually tastes good – nothing funny about it. Moe is pictured on the bottle caps and all three of the Stooges advise: "The beer is meant for drinking or bathing" Ha-ha.
EMPOWERING ANGELS
The "Charlie’s Angels" T-shirt does not seem to be marketed for 1970s TV aficionados of all sizes. Instead, the shirt can only be found in the "girls" section in baby-tee sizes ($17.99 at Hot Topic in Great Lakes Crossing Mall). Apparently, every generation of females looks to the Angels for a sense of gender empowerment. The silhouette of the three Angels is instantly recognizable, but not exactly timeless. A closer inspection reveals the Angel in the middle holding a walkie-talkie, the Angel on the right is pointing a revolver and, best yet, the angel on the left is striking an intimidating karate stance.
POP QUIZ
The Pop-Up Video Pop-Culture Trivia Game ($19.99) allows you to put your knowledge of all things retro and useless to a productive use. The game follows the format of the witty show on VH1: A heavy emphasis on 1980s music videos and random, pop culture factoids. Answer the questions about the video (for example, Kim Carnes’ "Bette Davis Eyes") and move on to the extra credit questions (such as "Lionel Richie co-wrote ‘We Are the World’ with what pop singer? Answer: Michael Jackson). Included is a nifty device that looks like a television into which the question cards are placed to reveal the answers. Find out more at www. pressmantoy.com; www.spinthebottle.com or www.vh1.com.
