CAMCORDERS
Handheld devices that recorded family events onto video tapes (see page 176); turned every parent into Steven Spielberg-at least, in their own eyes.
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The 1980s brought us the Betacam and VHS-C tapes-mini recordable VHS cassette tapes. These two technologies meant that events could be recorded with just a portable apparatus that could turn anyone into a cameraman-be it a naked lover, a puppet-wielding tot, or a misanthropic cousin eager to have something to hide behind at a wedding. Editing however, wasn't possible for the average home-movie maker, which is part of the reason that the devices were more popular for capturing family events than they were for attempting to make actual plotted amateur movies. The technology replaced the cans of film and carousel projectors that were once lugged out in order to relive a ski trip or reunion or a wedding; it didn't necessarily make the rewatching any more interesting, but it did make the turnaround time a lot faster. You could head home and relive every moment of the office party all over again that very night! That is when you decided to off yourself.
Groups of parents at the weekend soccer game began looking like crowds of news crews, thanks to the bulky recorders balanced on their shoulders. They resembled so many myopic pirates, one eye squinting while the other stayed glued to the viewfinder. This method of recording created a dilemma for many a parent: Was it worth experiencing your daughter as Ado Annie through a tiny square while squinting, or did you enjoy the moment to its fullest and not worry about capturing it for posterity? Did you trust your own filming ability over the skills of the gangly sophomore who once forgot to remove the lens cap?
Footage captured by a camcorder that required a small cassette could only be viewed if transferred to a bigger tape. By that point, however, you'd lost the oblong sticker that was supposed to label the thing and instead had to resort to masking tape or duct tape, which had a tendency to eventually peel off, leaving crusty bits. Once they fell off, you had to watch each tape again so that you knew how to label it. This activity inevitably led to the appearance of old footage of a grandparent that was sure to cause some sniffles. Often, however, there was also the appearance of an X-rated cassette that would end up in the trash, if only because "Positions to be avoided because they make me look really fat during sex" didn't fit on a label.