It has come to my attention that VHS tapes are officially no longer being manufactured as of January 2009. We all knew it was coming (does anyplace actually sell new VHS tapes anymore?), but it still feels awfully bittersweet. It's the end of an era.
Very soon there will be a generation of children who do not know what it means to rewind. We (you and I, gentle reader) are among the last to have listened with anticipation to that mechanical whine, waiting for the familiar click and grinding gears to signal that it was all right to press "Play."
We are among the last to open up our VCRs to retrieve "eaten" tapes (and in some cases that act awoke the spirit of the engineer within us).
We are among the last to instinctively turn tapes on their sides to make sure the side of the box says "VHS," not "BETA."
We are among the last to adjust the tracking.
So give your old VCR a hug tonight. Pull out that well-worn copy of Jurassic Park or Mortal Kombat or, God help you, Evil Toons, and give it one more run for old times' sake. Curl up with those memories and take comfort from the familiar sounds and rituals and unabashed flaws that came with the VHS format, for that shared experience belongs to us and our youth.
NOTE: The image is a great VHS memorial t-shirt from Nakatomi.