RIP John Hughes

I realize that just about every other blog's already posted this, but the news broke while I was at work and, well, lest I get canned for blogging on the company dime, I was forced to wait until I was home to sadly report that John Hughes, the Patron Saint of '80s Teen Flicks, passed away today at age 59. What a sad, sad day. Sure, that other '80s icon, Michael Jackson, broke records and was a trail blazer and all that jazz, but John Hughes defined teenage life in the '80s for anyone that graduated circa 1989 and captured the high drama of high school like no other director of the time. Who didn't run around yelling "Automobile? Lake! Big Lake! SCCHMBUMP!" And I totally remember joshin' "I'm thinking 'bout trying for a scholarship" to my friends in the stands after tossing a complete airball during a JV basketball game. Replete with the insolent moves, natch. This, of course, was followed by a long lecture on sportsman-like behaviour by the parentals on the ride home. I just sucked it up, though, cause I knew that John Hughes had my back. And if he'd seen my schtick, he certainly would've cast me in his next movie. I was literally joking about Ferris Bueller's Day Off just this afternoon, man. The important thing here, though, is that the teen-angst genre has lost one of its greats. Films like his can never be replicated, not only because we live in a far too politically correct environment today - another reason to love him more - but more importanly because nobody can distill a generation like he could. Rest in peace, John Hughes. There better damn well be dozens of retrospectives of your work cause I could use a little Vacation about now.

Pamela Westoby guesting and ghosting while Barker cottages. Still. If you like this, you might just like my book Hoyden and my flickr!