Edd’s MANtra: Reliving the Past

You guys often accuse me of living in the past, especially when I bash your favorite current musicians. But how can you blame me when ads keep reminding me that the past was a blast?


Most of you know the fourth Scream movie hits screens Friday – 15 years after the first (and the only decent) movie debuted. Teen Wolf, the goofy 80s fantasy, will be be updated by MTV for a new generation of fans. Expect a bunch of whiny, shirtless kids moping around, Twilight-style. And even 80s toon icons The ThunderCats are headed to Cartoon Network. They’ll be all edgy and anime-like this time. They’d better not mess up Mumm-Ra, that’s for sure.


The record industry is following this trend too. Your favorite R&B album will be getting a sequel. From mtv.com:

Fans can mark September 20 as the day that Mary J. Blige returns with her 11th album, My Life II, The Story Continues.

By the time of the album’s release — a sequel to Blige’s triple-platinum My Life album — it will be almost two years since the Queen of Hip-Hop/R&B delivered her last project, Stronger With Each Tear.

I’m not sure if TV and movie studios and aging artists have just run out of ideas or if they’re just banking on grabbing the attention – and draining the bank accounts – of 80s babies. Regardless, the strategy seems to be working.


But if these folks are determined to resurrect ideas from bygone eras, I have one suggestion. Better yet, a demand:

Bring back Teen Summit!


Over the years, BET’s programming has gotten a well-deserved bad rap (word to Gucci Mane). But one thing they did get right was Teen Summit. The show examined issues relevant to teens and provided a forum for them to speak out.


Don’t we NEED this?! It’s not like BET has a glut of great programming already on its schedule. What do they show besides 106 & Park anyway?


Surely BET can find 30 minutes on its schedule to shoehorn an informative program between the 20th airing of The Cookout and Judge Hatchett reruns. If we’re going to continue to relive the past, let’s make it meaningful.




Which childhood favorites would you like to see return?