Stuff from the Old Blog: Nostalgia! Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers

It's Morphin' Time!

In 1995, I was in 4th grade, and my favorite show was Power Rangers. This was the purest form of the show: the original. Every day after school, I became part of the Angel Grove universe to hang out with my friends Jason, Kimberly, Billy, Zack, Trini and Tommy.  I was hopelessly in love with Jason, the hard-bodied, raspy-voiced red ranger. The show was never the same for me after he was replaced with Rocky. I never could get over the loss of my beloved Jason.  Those of you who feel the same know exactly what I mean.

MMPR had everything a kid could want in a show. There was the action first and foremost, which inspired countless ninja fighting sessions (and bloody noses and stitches) in my childhood home. They were teenagers, so a kid could idolize them, but they didn't do typical teenager activities (read: they weren't rebelling), so it wasn't such a stretch to imagine yourself as one of them. And finally, they were all really good looking, so everyone could develop a crush on someone. The villains provided antagonism and comic relief in the same blow. That is genius that isn't found in the shows they give to grown-ups to watch. And there isn't a single kid in the universe who didn't love giant robots fighting humongous monsters with laser guns.


There was even a really awesome Power Rangers movie. And, as far as kid shows go, if there was a movie that actually hit theaters, you know it was a big deal.

The best change the show ever made was the addition of the Green ranger, Tommy. They showed that bad guys can get redemption and that everyone can be a hero by bringing him on the show. He became the main character on the show and stepped into the leader role when the Red ranger was replaced. He stuck with the show through several incarnations and even came back as an adult to mentor future rangers. Tommy Oliver is the definition of "Power Ranger". Unfortunately, that change was the only change I could get behind. Replacing the original red, yellow and black rangers was incredibly depressing (see paragraph one, AKA declaration of love to red ranger Jason), and when they replaced my idol, pink ranger Kimberly, with that blonde Australian chick, I stopped watching all together. How could they break up Tommy and Kimberly?! OUTRAGE!

This show brings back memories of simple problems with simple solutions. There was never a problem the rangers couldn't handle with team work and a positive attitude. Granted, they had non-existent magic powers to help them. But the influence that show gave me helped me to believe that a kid could do anything. And it helped me to gain a taste for guys with dark hair, raspy voices and muscles.


For those of you who have yet to experience the greatness that is the Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers (or those of you who have kids that would get a kick out of the show), check out Amazon's selection of Power Rangers DVD's.