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The Goldbergs Have “The Right Stuff”
Spoiler Alert: The following content is featured in the January 7, 2015 episode of The Goldbergs
At some point or another, we all feel like ‘the new kid on the block.’ Whether we’re a Jonathan, Jordan, Joey, Donnie or Danny (I consider myself a Joey), the world can seem unfair and too big to cope in. That’s where sweet tunes and rad dance moves come into play.
Plus, we can’t forget the cut-off jean jacket and cool black hat.
As the youngest boy in the family, having two older sisters was awesome, stressful, rewarding and chaotic growing up. In fact, it still is awesome-stressful-rewarding-chaotic with the same continuous stream of zings and playful jokes. Truthfully, this sibling dynamic is not all that different than Adam and Barry’s relationship with their older sister Erica. Pranks were plentiful and we always tried try to top each other. All in good fun, of course, we are relentless to get that perfect jest. In the case of the Goldberg household, a cardboard avalanche revealed a secret from Erica’s past that would publicly humiliate her…and strangely possess Adam and Barry.
While a long-lost VHS tape sparked a gathering of Adam and Barry’s friends for a personal showing of Erica’s eternal love for the boy band New Kids on the Block (NKOTB), Murray was shoulders deep in a battle with wife Beverly over the priceless/overvalued (depending on who you ask) works of art drawn and glued together by their children…as in literally every single thing ever made by their three delicious children packed in boxes stacked throughout their garage. It got to the point where parking their one car was no longer an easy guarantee.
We all know Einstein glued jelly beans to a colored piece of paper…
After saving a trunk’s worth of his children’s art for Beverly, accidentally giving it to the trash man, rummaging through a mountain of trash and recovering and framing a random Spanish family’s drawings to pass as original Goldberg masterpieces, Murray finally discovered the truth, thanks to the wisest of them all: Pops. Yes, Beverly had paid the trash people to deliver all of the boxes to a storage unit. After this revelation was disclosed, an argument ensued. Surprisingly, a glaring spelling error melted Murray’s heart to a puddle of babby love. Now understanding (and seeing) Beverly’s point about the art, he succumbed to her outrageous behavior once again and re-stacked their garage from wall-wall and floor-ceiling because he finally saw that priceless writing on the wall/painted paper.
We’ll see how long this moment lasts once spring arrives (March 20th, March 20th!) and that annual cleaning fever hits.
Back to those new kids on the block and speaking of a specific type of fever…
In a golden Goldbergs sequence of events, Adam and Barry (after making fun of Erica’s obsession with NKOTB) hilariously embraced and embodied that famous boy band from the 1980s. They dressed like them, danced like them, sang like them (well, the right lyrics anyways) and thankfully filmed and choreographed a homemade tribute video. It was, quite honestly, the right stuff! Accordingly, Erica found their hidden video and proceeded to make fun of them with a private showing of her own with a VHS video premiere. Payback was served: ’80s style. The table had been tilt back in her favor. But it was only then, with a heart-to-heart exchange of describing their love for that boy band they shouldn’t love, when Erica realized her true place amongst her siblings.
Growing up with two older sisters, it was sometimes difficult to relate to them beyond our perfectly-timed jokes at home and on vacation. However, just as Erica did last night, I had a sister who loved a boy band. It was/is Backstreet Boys. Specifically, Nick Carter. Once when we were in New York, we visited the NBA store and Nick and his brother Aaron were shooting hoops. True story: after getting his autograph, my sister stole his used Powerade bottle. She still has it to this day. So, I understand what that love for a boy band looks like…and possibly even sounds like.
(FYI – Anyone who says that, “I Want it That Way” isn’t a great song is lying!)
Anyways, my sister brought herself to go to a concert (or two) with her goofy younger brother because she knew how important it was to him, all joking aside. Back then, it was The All-American Rejects and Hoobastank in Indianapolis. She even went backstage with me to meet the latter group. They were better known then as Doug, Dan, Chris and Markku. I’m definitely a Doug.
It’s amazing how a show based in 1980-something can so perfectly kick-off the new year in 2015. The Goldbergs: Beverly, Murray, Erica, Barry and Adam.
Which one are you?
The Sexiest Cameo Alive
Did “The Jenkintown Posse” (JTP) ever include a certain gentleman who became a Hollywood superstar?
The Goldbergs is one of the best (if not the best) sitcoms on television and it’s based on the real-life experiences and hilariously dysfunctional family of creator, writer and executive producer Adam F. Goldberg. Set in suburban Philadelphia, PA throughout the 1980s, the Goldberg family is outrageously funny, yet completely relatable. The chemistry on-screen is pitch perfect, the writing is cleverly engaging and the life lessons are timeless and amazing. Plus, the ’80s clothes, toys/gadgets and cultural references are all kinds of awesome. Above all, this show is superbly refreshing and original in an era in which the family sitcom with delicious edge (as Beverly would put it) has taken a nose dive since the mid-part of the last decade. And one aspect of this greatness is Barry, who has a group of friends called the JTP (see above).
It should be noted again that Jenkintown is the suburb of Philadelphia where the show takes place. It’s the town where show creator Adam F. Goldberg grew up in the 1980s. Now, Adam is 38 years old. Do you know what Hollywood star is 39 years old who also spent the 1980s running around Jenkintown, PA, possibly knowing and/or getting into trouble with the real Barry and Adam Goldberg in neon orange jackets with a Walkman strapped to their belt loops?
A picture says a thousand words…
(Zimbio)
I have a feeling the women discovering this may want to be his snuggle monster (again, in Beverly’s words).
Key Question: When will Bradley Cooper return to his roots (of sorts) and make an appearance on The Goldbergs?
I wonder if he can cobra strike?
A Model Family
Spoiler Alert: Content in this post is from the December 10, 2014 episode of The Goldbergs
We’ve all “walked the walk” at some point in our lives.
And by “walk the walk,” I mean strutting down our own personalized, made-up model runway in our house. For Barry, fashion recruiter/agent John Calabasas was going to make his wildest dreams come true. Paris is beautiful this time of year! Having more than a strong hunch that this was a scam, Erica desperately tried to talk her brother out of changing the world with his one-of-a-kind look…discovered in a Philadelphia mall…on a random weekday. All it would cost Barry was $100. To him, that seemed like a completely fair and legitimate deal.
The clothing line, “Barry Comfortable” would be hitting shelves in the very near future!
But then Beverly (at the request of Erica) decided to investigate this modeling agency more closely with a mother’s eye. After doing so, she entered the modeling picture…literally.
Hanging out at the other end of the mall was Adam, Emmy and Murray, as they waited in a long line for E.T. The tenth time is always the charm. What wasn’t a charm was seeing Murray’s dad (ie – Pop Pop) that same afternoon. This mini family reunion was short, tense and unsatisfying, which created a lasting and palpable awkwardness. Clearly, there was a serious problem problem with Pop Pop.
Barry, the delicious boy that he is (Beverly’s words), certainly took suburban Philadelphia by storm. This was especially true once the very professional looking and qualified agent from John Calabasas discovered Beverly as the next great “mom model.” The ensuing photo shoot was priceless:
(The Goldbergs, Twitter)
Pure modeling talent aside for a moment, Adam intentionally and unintentionally forced his dad (who protected his feelings like a prison guard at Alcatraz) to confront his dad, Pop Pop. Declaring to his son Adam that they would not have the same argumentative and distant relationship that he had with his father, Murray stormed over to Pop Pop’s house and finally told his dad how he felt. It was out there in the open for the first time. It was a walk and stare down that Adam had never seen before in real life.
It was like discovering an alien with a glowing finger in your family’s shed in the backyard. This was uncharted territory.
Plus, the “no pants rule” was clearly hereditary.
While the next chapter of the Murray-Pop Pop feud was spoken and heard, Erica finally convinced Beverly to second-guess John Calabasas. How? She did the only thing she could at this point, which was to reveal her embarrassing modeling pictures from the very same agency. Erica knew it and now Beverly knew the truth: it was a scam. So, after confronting the perfectly cast John Calabasas agent (Rob Huebel), mom model Beverly got her son Barry an official modeling job. Sure, it was the cover of the John Calabasas modeling brochure with the caption that essentially read, “If I can be a model, then you can be a model,” but that seemed to satisfy Barry’s modeling craze for the last days of this year in 1980-something.
And what about Murray and Pop Pop? Let’s just say they quietly made a new years resolution to change their moronic ways. It was a smile worthy moment.
This episode is the last one of 2014 because the family celebrated the television countdown of New Year’s Eve together. But have no fear, 2015 is just a few weeks around the corner!
Last night’s story proved that E.T. is still awesome, sometimes it’s a really nice bonus to feel like a model in someone’s eyes for just a little bit (even if it’s a scam) and that spending time with family doing things is important because, otherwise, we’d all just be a bunch of moronic strangers living together instead of being a connected group of people (who do moronic things) who are there for each other no matter what.
Fittingly, all of the Goldbergs ended New Year’s Eve in 1980-something by walking their own walk.
Happy New Year ’80s style!
Back to the Family
Spoiler Alert: Content from this blog is from the December 3, 2014 episode of The Goldbergs
“We have as dish named after that one: Big Tasty Pork”
When a food dish at a restaurant is named after you, odds are pretty high that you’ll be visiting that establishment with some frequency…as in everyday. This was the dilemma facing Beverly, with her enemy clearly identified as “Dave Kim’s mom.” After discovering the new Chinese restaurant in town (run by Dave Kim’s mom), the Goldbergs were hooked. Hot plates were being brought out left and right and the family couldn’t get enough of this great new food. But, as we all know, Beverly needs to be the source of every moment of her family’s happiness.
So, this meant war…and lots and lots of cheese.
Aside from eating the insanely delicious sweet and sour chicken, Adam was facing an embarrassment of Wham! proportions. All of us guys like rock ‘n roll, but we also enjoy that tantalizingly catchy song. George Michael’s song, “Faith” is one that comes to mind. Fortunately for Adam, it did in the form of a videotaped, choreographed dance number while wearing clothes straight out of George Michael’s closet.
Adam was clearly feeling good and flawless.
But when Beverly’s little snuggle monster got too overzealous with his groovy moves, his right arm broke like the book shelves he crashed into. This humiliating musical and dancing expression led to a chain of events that included lying to his best friend Emmy, lying to his science class and science teacher all the while learning how to lie from his older sister Erica. And what was the lie, you ask? Well, the star of his lie was certainly not going to be centered on the former lead singer of Wham! No.; Instead, one of the greatest sequels in movie history would provide the source for his most epic lie: he told everyone that he rode a hoverboard like the one from Back to the Future: Part II.
After promising a video recording of him riding a hoverboard (which he impressively built himself) that was gold except for the rope showing, Adam had no choice but to do the right thing…He faked a letter forbidding the proof he rode a hoverboard. But, as well all do, we have our moral limits to our cover-ups. While Dave Kim enjoyed shrimp parm and cheesy watermelon at the Goldberg residence as part of Beverly’s plan to get back at Dave Kim’s mom for leading her family to say they enjoyed her cooking more than Beverly’s, Adam prepared a devastating presentation to his science class and teacher: the truth. Demonstrating the bravery to humiliate himself in front of everybody with his George Michael moves, as well as his touching plea to Emmy about forgiveness and being part of his family, the dynamic duo reunited in their spot: the tree house.
Speaking of pleas, perhaps the best of the episode was Beverly’s to her family. She sincerely explained how dinner time was her time to spend with her family and just how valuable it was to her day. Clearly, cooking Chinese food completely alluded her (ketchup as a base?). But, sensing her genuine nature, the Goldbergs returned to their dinner table as a family.
It was a little cheesy, but good cheesy.
This episode reminds me of a movie marathon of sorts I recently had with my nephew just a couple weeks ago and we actually watched The Back to the Future trilogy, which included those unforgettable scenes with the hoverboards. And watching those moments, while also watching my nephew watch them for the first time with wide-eyed wonderment, was like traveling back in time myself to when I first saw that movie magic unfold before my eyes. It was the same excitement that Adam showed and this storyline in the show underscored not only the magnificent and lasting impression a movie can have, but also the pure joy of dreaming of and for the presently impossible.
Returning back to The Goldbergs, Adam’s science teacher relentlessly proclaimed his belief in science and fact: hoverboards, in the 1980s, is impossible. Adam, on the other hand, relentlessly envisioned a world in which hoverboards are possible. This was back in 1980-something (had to be 1989).
How fitting it was that the eternal dreamer Adam sang and danced to George Michael’s popular song “Faith” because people will have the opportunity to ride the very first hoverboard in Silicon Valley early next year.
Having faith in family, friends and the existence of Marty’s hoverboard: That’s a recipe for success that worked back in the 1980s and still does in 2000-something.
Jimmy's Daily Planet 