THE 80S STRIKE BACK
This article is authored by ERIC VILLENCY at THE HUFFINGTON POST
The 1980s were defined by teen angst, generational rifts, big hair and neon fashion.
Although many thought it was a time that would fade into obscurity, The Me Decade has roared back to influence music, film, television and style.
Yes…Seriously.
With the recent passing of icons like John Hughes and Corey Haim, the 80s are back in the spotlight.
It may have seemed trite at the time but movies like SIXTEEN CANDLES actually meant something to us. It was a decade that those who lived through couldn’t wait to forget.
It was also a decade that many thought we should forget.
But despite those misgivings the 80s have hung around and engendered affection from many people that weren’t even alive to experience it. Maybe the 80s have stuck in our minds because it was the last time the world made sense.
The Berlin Wall made a great backdrop for movies and espionage as opposed to being a photo op for the busloads of tourists who flock to it today. And of course, let’s not forget that whole Iron Curtain mystique. It really let you know where you stood in the world. Today all we have are things like TARP and terrorism.
We had our scandals. But they involved transshipments of weapons to Iran and Nicaragua, not inquisitions into sexual behavior. Travel was cool. You could board a plane without taking your shoes off, carrying a bottle of water in your hand and enough cologne to douse a high school prom.
We dressed for the occasion and if you wore your pajamas to the airport people looked at you like you were crazy. Other than Panama and Grenada, it was pretty peaceful. It was nice to take a break from large scale foreign wars. I guess the threat of war is way more pleasant then actually being in one.
Sushi became popular and we were utterly oblivious about how much mercury we were consuming. The stock market crashed but our banks and car companies didn’t. Eddie Murphy was funny. Miley Cyrus wasn’t even born.
Pirates were something you read about in books or saw on the side of a Raiders helmet as opposed to nowadays tuning into CNN and having mixed feelings that the French Navy is trying to bring Somali teenagers to justice. The Lire, Drachma and the Franc were still in circulation.
Dating took a bit of a hit, as there was some debate if you could catch AIDS from a toilet seat or kissing. And as most guys will attest – the turtlenecks, thick tights and leg warmers that women sported were not easily removed.
As for pop culture, the music was pretty damn good. Yeah come on, admit it. You crank the volume way up and rock out to the best 80s stuff when no one is looking.
MICHAEL JACKSON moonwalked, DURAN DURAN was HUNGRY LIKE THE WOLF, U2 took us to a place WHERE THE STREETS HAVE NO NAME and CYNDI LAUPER showed us our TRUE COLORS.
The DeLorean may or may not have been a time machine, but it looked unbelievably awesome. We learned that DARTH VADER was LUKE SKYWALKER’S father.
(Some of us didn’t see that one coming.)
People actually watched live television, including the commercials. While there were only about 20 channels, it was the golden age of network sitcoms: we couldn’t get enough of the comedic family life of The Cosby Show and Family Ties. Miami Vice and Magnum PI were totally awesome.
But you know what? When I think about it, I believe the allure of the 1980s is the appeal of a simpler time and more easily relatable way of life. While we were relatively teched out (yes I know, the cell phones the size of field radios were not sexy), we were not always connected.
Sending a fax was a special event that seemed futuristic and we weren’t tethered to email. A first class postage stamp was in the range of 15 cents and people actually used them.
But how about the fact that record stores still existed? We used pay phones. You could hop a Concorde to London.
We weren’t entirely sure about that whole global warming thing. Magazines and newspapers made money and people really read them. Today my brain hurts from Twitter, TiVo and text messages.
Maybe it was because we seemed like we were moving forward. We followed through on things. We built upon the advances in space exploration from the 70s and the space shuttle, while not the most reliable vehicle, sure was a nice looking ride. The mere name alone made it seem as if space travel was just as easy as catching the crosstown bus.
We faced down consequences and weren’t afraid to take on the evil empire. We proposed space based weapons platforms. Of course, they may not have worked, but they sure as hell bankrupted our enemies.
Not doing it for you? Did I mention it was also the decade that gave us INDIANA JONES and E.T.?
