very special youtube

Have you noticed that a lot of blogs aren’t so much chronicles of the blogger’s life or opinions, but more depositories for their favorite YouTube videos?

I’m not saying that I’m above this, just that I’m a little late to the game. Until recently, I’ve been a passive YouTube watcher, watching only what people send to me or, well, post on their blogs.

But last night I crossed a line. After coming home solo from my sister’s birthday party (AK and I both wanted quality time with our cats—not to fill any lesbian stereotypes or anything), I had some post-party energy that took the form of watching old episodes of Punky Brewster on YouTube.

It’s amazing how much new technology is used for nostalgic purposes.

First I watched an episode from the third season (by which Punky had stopped wearing the same thing everyday and started teasing her bangs) called “Metamorphosis.” While Cherry is despondent that she’s “a pirate’s treasure, a sunken chest” (big canned laughs—I guess the studio audience hadn’t heard that one before), Punky, on her way to the D cups that the actress would become famous for having downsized, doesn’t want to get a bra because she’s worried that Henry won’t love her anymore if she’s not his little girl.

I was surprised how much the episode made me squirm—I was completely transported back to my days as a reluctantly boobed 10-year-old caught off guard by sitcoms featuring very special storylines. I remember sitting red-faced, trying to avoid my parents’ eyes, as Darlene got her period on Roseanne and Suzanne’s beauty pageant buddy came out as a dyke on Designing Women.

Thank goodness for the relief of a lighthearted second episode of Punky, in which Punky misses the big DeBarge concert because she cheated on a book report. Luckily DeBarge is free to come to Punky’s apartment and teach her that reading is cool, and to sing a couple of songs.

Having never cheated on a book report—or been a particular DeBarge fan—I could sleep easy.