WASHINGTON D.C. — The collective consciousness of the United States experienced a significant, albeit vague, tremor this week as news broke of the passing of Jennifer Runyon Corman, an actress known for her role in the 1980s sitcom 'Charles in Charge.' The announcement triggered a nationwide scramble to recall precisely which character she played, and indeed, what 'Charles in Charge' was even about.

Social media platforms were inundated with posts expressing condolences, often followed by parenthetical queries like, '(Was she the one who lived next door?)' or '(Wait, was that the show with Scott Baio or Tony Danza?).' Cultural anthropologists are calling it the '80s Sitcom Amnesia Phenomenon,' a recurring event where the death of a minor cast member from a moderately successful show forces millions to confront the hazy, undifferentiated blob of their childhood television memories.

“It’s a fascinating societal ritual,” explained Dr. Evelyn Reed, a professor of pop culture studies at the University of Central Florida. “We mourn, not just the individual, but the fleeting nature of our own youth, and the realization that our brains have prioritized remembering the lyrics to 'We Built This City' over the specific plot points of a show we watched every Tuesday for three years.”

Further research suggests a direct correlation between the number of times a person says, 'Oh, *that* show!' and their inability to name a single other cast member. The phenomenon is expected to intensify as the remaining actors from 'Family Ties' and 'Growing Pains' continue to age.