September 6th in nerd history: Girls just wanna (just wanna)

Last updated: June 3, 2024

September 6th in nerd history: Girls just wanna (just wanna)

Happy Fight Procrastination Day! Honestly, putting this just a day after National Be Late for Something Day is a bit confusing, and not fair. On the other hand, it’s not a day to not procrastinate at all, just to put up a little bit of a fight against it. There’s no rule saying you can’t lose that fight.

This is The Reset Button from Classic Nerd, resetting your day.

September 6 in Nerd History

Here are five things that happened on September 6 for those of us who have tasted flavored wax lips.

I.

Birthdays of honor: Idris Elba (1972), Dolores O’Riordan (1971), Roger Waters (1943), Rosie Perez (1964), Jane Curtin (1947), Jeff Foxworthy (1958).

II.

40 years ago, on September 6th, 1983, Cyndi Lauper released her first major single as a solo artist, “Girls Just Want to Have Fun.”

Of course, despite the song’s technical title, we know it’s really “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun.”

While not exactly an Otis Redding-Aretha Franklin “Respect” situation, “Girls” was actually originally written by a male from a male perspective. But the song was only ever recorded as a demo and never went anywhere. Lauper altered some of the lyrics to make it more of a female, celebratory perspective.

It reached number two on the charts and became a signature song not just for Lauper, but for the ‘80s.

​And let’s not forget that it led to the excellent Weird Al parody, “Girls Just Want to Have Lunch.”

III.

In 1986 the WWF found a TV presence that would take it from a viable entertainment company to a cultural and economic powerhouse when WWF Superstars of Wrestling premiered in syndication.

While the WWF had been on TV for a while, Superstars became the flagship program that featured the majority of the league’s angles and title changes (outside of pay-per-views), as well as heavily featured future WWE owner Vince McMahon and the legendary Mean Gene Okerlund.

Wwe Wrestling GIF

In Canada, it was known as Maple Leaf Wrestling. So, now you know that.

IV.

In 1995, Cal Ripken Jr. played in his 2,131st consecutive game, breaking Lou Gehrig’s record. The game, a matchup between the Baltimore Orioles and California Angels, also featured a rendition of the National Anthem by a friend of Cal’s and a big Orioles fan — Joan Jett.

The Iron Man would end his career with 2,632 consecutive games.

V.

In 1997 Elton John sang a new version of “Candle in the Wind” at Princess Diana’s funeral, replacing “Goodbye Norma Jean” with “Goodbye England’s Rose.”

Released as a single, it went on to become the second best-selling single of all time, and the number one single ever in the UK.