Remembering MST3K

I think you do. For me, Mystery Science Theater represents alot of things. When I was younger, my hometown had very little in the way of cable television. We didn't have MTV or Comedy Central available on any package. When I would go to Omaha for Thanksgiving or Christmas, I would spend as much time as possible glued to their television, taking in the forbidden fruit that were Beavis and Butthead and MST3K. The greatest thing was, on holidays both stations would run marathons of their respective shows. I would spend the hours leading up to Grandpa's turkey trying to understand the more esoteric references. What was I missing? I was missing something, and it bothered the hell out of my 11 year-old mind.

Eventually we got satellite tv at home, but by then Mystery Science Theater was winding up its run and was not the comedy goldmine that it was when I wanted it most. Also, an hour and a half is a very long time to watch an awful movie, whether you are making fun of it or not.

I bring up MST3K because my roomate recently let me borrow an awfully large number of episodes he happened to have, and it has sent me into a nostalgic epilespy.

(I am 23 and I have nostalgic epilepsy. Our generation's cultural attention span is immeasurably short.)

But there is something quaint about the show, looking at it from our lofty position here in the future. A show based entirely on humorously attacking obscure cultural artifacts? The internet now accomplishes this 24 hours a day, and you don't have to sit through an absolutely unwatchable film to do it.

I love you MST3K. You shone briefly and brilliantly in my life. I will never forget you.

But you are so mid-90's.