9 Wholly Inappropriate 80’s Movies That Taught Me All My Life Values

1. Any Arnold Shwarzenegger Film

Conan , the Terminator, Red Sonja, Commando, Raw Deal, Predator, the Running Man, Red Heat, Twins, Total Recall and Kindergarten Cop. That is the filmography of one Arnold Schwarzenegger from 1980 through to 1990. All R rated (except for Twins and Kindergarten Cop), all unsuitable for children and which pretty much counts for all of the quintessential movies that define his legacy. And as a child I watched them all. To my recollection I believe Conan the Destroyer was the first Arnold film from the 80's I saw and it just grew from there. By the end of the decade I was completely obsessed with all things "Arnie" and basically studied his movies until I knew them from heart. Hell, I even used to re-enact certain scenes using the contents of my toy collection. A true fan.

Lesson Learnt: ALWAYS TRY AND FIND THE FUNNY SIDE TO ANY SITUATION. Now some might think that this is a sign of insensitivity or immaturity. And yes, unfortunately sometimes you can fail and the statement you make will seem very inappropriate and quite possibly offensive. But I got to tell you, my life has been terrible, there is no doubt about it. I have lived through horrors that would send most people to the psych ward for the rest of their days, but the thing is, what keeps me getting up every day is the fact that most days I can see the funny side of things. The mere fact that I have yet to be committed proves my theory is sound. For if you dwell on all the negative aspects of your life and simply focus on them you will never be happy, EVER! I have learn't this lesson through many trials and tribulations and this is why I can submit to you this article, as although parts of that era are best forgotten, it still was the most fun I had in my life when it came to being a kid. As my personal hero and spiritual guru Al Bundy says, "the fact that I haven't put a gun in my mouth makes me a winner." That is kind of paraphrasing, so allow me to share the wisdom... Truly inspiring. Alternate Lesson: ALWAYS TRY TO BE QUICK WITTED WITH YOUR COMEBACKS.Let me regale you with a story from my travels. When I was a vocalist for a glam rock band I was subjected to all sorts of homophobic taunts from the neanderthal types whose brains have yet to develop beyond the capacity of a chimp, one of which was especially vocal at one of our shows. So, between songs during one of his rants I came back with this little number, "just because I wear more make-up than your mother doesn't mean I can't kick your arse." The crowd went absolutely nuts and started berating him to the point that he left the venue. That right there I believe explains the need for this lesson in full.

Other Inappropriate Films That Taught Me This: Any Sylvester Stallone movie.

So there it is. Nine films that although I should not have been allowed to watch, helped define the very person I am today. But before you go out and download these movies for your young padawans to soak up in all their glory, I personally would like to state that I do not condone these parental actions at all by any means, not one bit.

It was only through a combination of abuse, geographical isolation and technological naivety that allowed me the luxury of seeing these films. But the basis of everything that I have said here today is universal. We should all strive to make humanity better in every way and the basic premise of this rhetoric is not only the same around the world and in these films but can be found in all religions as well. Muslim, Buddhism, Christianity, Catholicism (to which I am a non practicing member), basically the basis for all religions. They are all dedicated to a proposition that was true in the 80's, just as it's true today.

Be Excellent To Each Other... AND PARTY ON DUDES! (Abraham Lincoln €“ 1989)

Which supposedly inappropriate movies taught you important life lessons in your youth? Share your own picks below.