How do we say farewell to our friends?

Does this phone look familiar to you?

This is the Dynatec. It is the world's first mobile phone, brick-style, that consumers could use without having to tote a heavy battery around with it.* Often referred to as a "shoe phone"....

Wait a second.

A "shoe phone"? I have never heard anyone under the age of 30 refer to it that way. Yes, dear friends. You know what it's called. In America, people under 30 have come to know this style of phone by one name: The Zack Morris phone.

Is this possible? Could a cultural phenomenon known as Saved By the Bell (in my opinion the greatest teen comedy television show ever) have delved so deep into American culture that it trumped the actual name of the phone? The answer is a simple "yes."

Just as tissues have come to be known as Kleenex, copies have become Xeroxes, and in some parts of the country, every soft drink is referred to as Coke, the Dynatec has become The Zack Morris phone. Is this fair? In all likelihood, no it's not. The company (which I believe is Motorola) should claim rights to the phone that they invented, but somehow they just can't. SBTB has created a pop culture hurricane so powerful that its aftermath is still felt, even 14 years later.

Why is this important? Why am I nostalgic about a phone?



In my research, I have found that exactly 14 years ago today, May 22, the final episode of Saved By the Bell aired (the only version you can truly consider SBTB). It was on this day in 1993 that viewers watched the prime-time series finale, titled "Graduation."



There were other, lesser versions of the show. "Saved By The Bell: The New Class" lacked likeable characters or original plot lines. "Saved By the Bell: The College Years" tried to capture the spark of the high school students in their college endeavors. However, the new characters were awkward and the missing characters (Lisa and Jessie, namely) detracted from the group dynamic. There was just no show like the original. In case you need a few more examples of the high caliber quality of the show, take a gander at these classic moments:









And OF COURSE



So, let's continue to pay tribute to this show. (Rest assured this is not the last time I will mention it.) Let's keep referring to the Dynatec as the Zack Morris phone. Let's remember that there's no hope with dope. But above all, let's remember not to listen to Zack. Last time I listened to Zack I wound up naked on a bus.



*This information came from http://hardware.silicon.com/pdas/0,39024643,39164317,00.htm. We at Pop-Pop don't like plagiarism!