Thread by @benostrower

One of the Ostrower Family's most valued possessions is a VHS recording of the #StarWars world bcast premiere on CBS from March 1984.

No one owned home videos back then so this was a big BIG deal. It was the only way to rewatch a movie.

(warning: nerdy 🧵 ahead)

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We would watch the VHS nearly every weekend (commercials & all)

Over time we realized we had what amounted to a time capsule from the Reagan-era.

Here is an incredible TWA ad from early in the bcast w awk 80s gender politics.

Note the young #PaulaZahn pop on a the end.

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The broadcast had "special" cutaways to commercial. Here's #MagicJohnson showing R2D2 some love.

I loved this VHS so much I decided to digitize it in 2008.

And I've been meaning to share some of these amazing ads for years, so here we are...

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Here are the rest of the cutaways featuring Steven Spielberg, Debbie Reynolds, The Flintstones, and others...

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The broadcast was right in the middle of the lead up to the 1984 New Hampshire Democratic Primary.

Here's a succession of clips related to the race, starting with this poll update from the local Boston affiliate...

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John Glenn (the astronaut / Senator) had amazing ads. (cc @politicsndesign)

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Gary Hart's ads (whatever happened to that guy?) were just 1980s visual perfection.

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And this #AlkaSeltzer commercial is for all the workaholic politics pros out there (cc the entire @BernieSanders crew for this one 😬)

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It's really too bad #C3PO cereal didn't stick around.

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This @reeses peanut butter cup commercial is just *chef's kiss*

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Did anyone have this "powerful" computer from #RadioShack?

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JOIN THE COFFEE ACHIEVERS, folks!

from the National Coffee Association

Coffee & #BowieForever

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.@pepsi clearly saw a big advertising opportunity with the #StarWars broadcast, hence this epic, Spielbergian broadside against @CocaCola

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And another Spielbergian @pepsi ad.

Holy crap is that Martin Sheen?

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This @TIME magazine ad is one of my all-time favorites

With appearances by Margaret Thatcher, Sally Ride, Castro, Mugabe, Eddie Murphy, & Pope John Paul

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Here's #AndyGriffith gently ushering the olds into a new age of telecommunications.

You used to have to lease your phone from the telephone company??

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I always wanted to play Congo Bongo.

#17/?

.@KITKAT commercial

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It's not cheese.... it's Velveeta (@EatLiquidGold)

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The #GRAMMYs. Hosted by John Denver?

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Greystoke: The Legend of Tarzan, Lord of the Apes was supposed to be a big blockbuster release, which.... it wasn't.

I've still never seen it.

Though maybe I should? rottentomatoes.com/m/greystoke_th…

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This #CBS mid-season replacement sitcom starring Suzanne Pleshette (?) as a "Lady Journalist" 😬 didn't um ... last long.

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.@SNICKERS: the official snack food of the 1984 Winter Olympics

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#RaisinBran ad. Proving once and for all there were never sunglasses on the sun guy.

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.@ragusauce commercial

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This local Boston news update is "must-see".
✔️ 5 tons of marijuana seized off the coast of New Hampshire
✔️ Gary Hart gaining on Mondale
✔️ America troops leaving Beirut

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Chewy Granola bars coming with a catchy as hell jingle.

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.@Citibank ad. "Cordless phones"

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Apparently NutraSweet was just aspartame by another name.

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The #CBS Monday and Thursday night primetime lineups were 🔥.

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For the Gen-X/Boomer #Boston crew. WCOZ radio ads.

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And, let's be clear, the 1984 Mercury Topaz was one ugly damn car.

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And then there was an impossible-to-ignore string of commercials during the broadcast about, and prominently featuring, women's legs.

Starting with this one:

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and this one. Legs! The Rockettes!

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and this lotion ad. 👀

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and this Diet Pepsi ad. 👀

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and this Diet Pepsi ad. ... Noticing a theme?

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and this Lee Jeans ad ... featuring legs & butts.

I swear there are even more.

38/?

There are even more clips, obviously. But I'll halt up there.

The coupe de grace here, however, was the amazing opening featurette hosted by @HamillHimself and featuring Walter Cronkite.



39/?

And, finally, the closing featurette. Also hosted by @HamillHimself



Thank you for coming on this journey with me (& @jonostrower too). This VHS tape was an essential part of our shared childhood and is now (hopefully) part of visual history.

40/40

Cc @HamillHimself looking dapper in the tux