Some things in our childhood we forget; they’re
trivial to our growth and fleeting. Some
things we look at as fond memories with an occasional smile if we see them on
TV or in an old shop window, but they pass through our memories the second they
leave our site; they were a part we remember, but they weren’t huge "shapers" of
it. Some things, however, were such big
parts our childhood that they were more than just a moment. They were a definer. That was Jem for me. I am one of the most non-feminine people that
I know. Jem brought out the girl in
me. I played with the dolls with my
cousin Michelle, we traded the outfits and played pretend (I was Jerrica/Jem
and she was Kimber every time) in our Mamaw Lillie’s neighborhood every
weekend. I dressed up as her for
Halloween, typed out her song lyrics in a book, and stayed up during the summer
one middle school year until 7 AM just to watch Jem, and then I would go to
sleep. It wasn’t just my big cartoon
fandom, it was a huge chunk of my childhood.
Any Jem Girl and Jem Boy knows that talk of the Jem movie has persisted
for thirty years. We fantasized about
who would play what role and the plot…people even made fan sites dedicated to
“The Cause.” When news broke of the
movie truly getting its day, I at first couldn’t believe it to be the
case. When it came straight from the
mouth of Samantha Newark (the original speaking voice for Jem in the 80’s,),
however, I realized that you can’t get a much more reliable source than
that. I couldn’t wait to get to the
theater and get there I did.
Sadly I now find myself disappointed, but not in the
movie. I am disappointed in the fans and reviewers who have panned this
wonderful tribute as something lackluster and untrue. They have missed the mark and need to
re-watch this movie.
